Inching closer...any tricks to break 300 RWHP?

[astronut1885]

Hey guys. I've been slowly adding mods to my car, recently a full MSD ignition setup and 3G alt. I want to make 300 RWHP, 300 RWTQ by the end of the summer with what I've got. Planned additions are a Mk VIII electric fan, A/C delete, 75mm Pro M MAF, 24# injectors, and a 70mm TB+EGR spacer. I'm hoping that by uncorking the airflow into the intake with the bigger TB and MAF, I'll pick up some power that I should have in there. The 24s are just to prevent top end starvation. I heard that an electric water pump can free up close to 10 HP by removing drag on the waterpump with the removal of the clutch fan. Any other little tips I can do to hit that magic 300?
Here's my mod list:
Ford OEM: MAF Conversion, Short Shifted 5-spd, '97 Explorer Intake, Idle Adjuster Plate, SN95 5 lug/ disc brake conversion, 3G Alternator, Mk VIII Electric Fan, 19 lb injectors, Smog pump delete.
FRPP:GT40 "P" Heads, E303 Camshaft, 1 5/8" Shorty "P" Headers, 1.72 Roller Rockers, Aluminum Driveshaft, Heavy Duty Clutch, 3.73 Rear Gears, Hood Pins, 1" Phenolic Intake Spacer, A/C Delete Kit.
MAC: Cold Air Intake, ProChamber, Flowpath LX Catback, Underdrive Pullies.
BBK: Progressive Rate Springs, Subframes.
Walbro: 255 LPH Fuel Pump.
Crane Cams: Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator.
MSD: 6AL, TFI Blaster Coil, 8.5mm Super Conductor Wires, Distributor cap, Rotor
Hurst: T Handle Shifter Knob
UPR: Extreme Firewall Adjuster
Summit: Adjustable Brake Proportioning Valve, Aluminum Clutch Quadrant
Age Classic Design: Clear Corner Lights, "Street Heat" Cowl
Cervini's: Cobra Rear Bumper, Cobra R Hood, Saleen Wing, Stalker Front Bumper
RotorWorks: Slotted/ Cross Drilled Rotors.
AutoMeter: 5" Phantom Tachometer w/ Shift Light, Oil Temp Gauge, Oil Pressure Gauge, Tach Pod.
FatRodder: Flame Milled Chrome Tall Valve Covers
ROH: 17x8" White Snypers
Sumitomo: 4TR 245/45/ZR17 Tires

 

[bmorrisj]

are the heads and intake ported? maybe switch to synthetic? why not get a manual rack too...so all your turning is the alt pulley.....

 

[25thmustang]

Id say your gonna need something doen to the heads. Whether you mill them, port them or something.

My car has a stock bottem end, stock cam, Cobra intake, and E7 heads and put down 272.3 and 316.2, but my heads have GT-40 valves in them with a valve job. Some little things you can do, retard the cam, have some work done to the heads, and then go for it. 300 rwhp is quite a bit for a set of GT-40Ps especially if they havent been touched, so I am going to say you'll have to spen a little on them!

 

[astronut1885]

My heads have bigger than stock valves, I think 1.96 intake 1.54 exhaust. They were installed by the previous owner. The intake is stock, and I don't think the heads have been ported, but the owner who sold them to me said he had 800.00 worth of work done on them, but totaled his car before the installation. The heads were new and mint when I got them, but I didn't know what to look for as far as porting goes. I have some pics that I'll post of the heads before installation, maybe you can tell... I need my P/S pump, because the car is a daily driver, and I don't want to deal with manual steering. Also, my torque was down from where it should be, I only planted 281 RWTq. What's up with that?

Here's the head pics:

 

[astronut1885]

I don't know if the heads have been milled, but my compression is 175 psi at each cylinder. What do you get with your stock bottom end and the P heads?

Oh yeah, my fuel pressure is set to 40 psi, my timing is at 15*, and I run 93 octane so that I can run the timing, otherwise I get pinging. I use semi-synthetic oil, but I don't think that'll make a difference in power.

 

[Nottoofast50]

you could switch to longtubes... other than that i dont see anything else besides porting/milling the heads. I'm going to have the exact same setup as you but heads and intake ported/milled and I have longtubes and an aod. Car should be running within a week and will be dynoed. I'm hoping for 280rwhp with the aod which would be about 300rwhp for you.

 

[astronut1885]

Everything I've read about L/Ts says that you only get 1-2 HP over shorties, and to me it's not worth the trouble and the money.

 

[92GreenGT]

Put on the TB and Mass Air Sensor, and buy a nitrous kit. Then use the nitrous kit when you race those higher hp cars. Thats what I would do, becuase if you make 275-280rwhp N/A. A 100 or 125 shot would take care of most any car on the street.

Dave

 

[astronut1885]

Heh. I'm an anti-nitrous guy. I want to stay all motor. It's not about racing for me, it's just a goal I've set. I want to have a 300 hp/ 300 tq 12 second car that looks good. I've already taken care of the looks, which will soon be painted, and I'm getting closer on the motor. My plan is to build a 331 once I get out of college anyway, but until then, I want to make this motor hit that 300 mark.

 

[92GreenGT]

Heh. I'm an anti-nitrous guy. I want to stay all motor. It's not about racing for me, it's just a goal I've set. I want to have a 300 hp/ 300 tq 12 second car that looks good. I've already taken care of the looks, which will soon be painted, and I'm getting closer on the motor. My plan is to build a 331 once I get out of college anyway, but until then, I want to make this motor hit that 300 mark.

Headwork will be the direct sucess with it I believe. Those heads are nice, and they will support the 300rwhp mark. Keep tuning with it and add those new parts. You will get there, get your new parts on and go to the dyno. Then do some tuning and go back, dont work on the heads until you have made the most of the way it is now.

Dave

 

[25thmustang]

OOPS

 

[25thmustang]

I think as the car sits it should have more power. If you have 1.94 valves in those heads (even though the exhaust valves are smaller than I would think) it should be making more power. My suggestion, mill the heads down, and see what that does.

 

[BlackFox5.0]

Theres no need to mill the heads. Port them, and the intake like I told you to. A bigger TB and MAF with 24#ers, and a better cam. All of that should put you where you want to be. Of course you will need to port those heads pretty well and have a good tune.

Or you can get one of those things thaat pushes air into the engine, like you told me you were going to do "eventually"

 

[astronut1885]

No blower for me. I want to hit that power with the parts I have on the car. The E cam is staying, and if I can avoid it I'd like not to pull the heads unless I blow a gasket. The intake isn't so much a big deal for pulling, but I don't think porting the lower will help that much over what I see now. I think I've pretty much tapped the bolt-on market, so my last few options are porting, modding, or a custom tune. I think that if I get the injectors, TB, and MAF on, along with the fan, I'll go get a dyno tune. I've heard great results coming from that, the little chips they burn kick ass. Hopefully they'd be able so whip up a tune that'd put me at 300.

 

[JadeFalcon]

a blower will give you roughly 100rwhp at ~6psi, from my extensive experience, your motor breathes well enough, its blower time bud.

 

[astronut1885]

Er...I want to stay N/A. I always thought blowers were cool, but when BlackFox got his, I kinda got turned off to it. It's loud, and it's caused headache after headache for him. Plus, I kinda think that a N/A car is a little more badass than a blower car, only because it does it on it's own power, and there's no excuses for the people who lose to you. I dunno. Next year, I'm doing a T56 swap in. After that, I was going to start on my 331 savings. By then, I'll probably want a blower, because it could be swapped to the 331...but for now, I want to make 300 rwhp by summer's end. And that's all while finishing my 5 lug disk brake converison, and getting a 2000.00 paint job and accident repair. I don't have an extra 1500.00 for a blower either way.

 

[89MustangGX]

There's no reason to go porting and buying bigger cams...some good head work will get you there. I've played that game before -- and a better matched setup will outperform the setup with the biggest baddest cam and all kinds of unnecessary crazy porting done.

 

[BlackFox5.0]

I bet your intake flows more than your heads, You probably won't get anything from porting the intake, unless you do the heads first....

And jade is right. It is blower time....

I only had problems because vacuum leaks are killer....

 

[Nottoofast50]

Most people i've talked to say unless you've ported out the gt40ps heads the intake is pretty well matched to it and wont help out much so i wouldn't go that route. Good luck with the new mods/dyno tune!

 

[houstonstangguy]

honestly, your numbers look about right to me. if you dont want to add boost or spray it, and would rather not pull the cam, or port the heads, or swap headers ( i kind of agree on this point) then you are kind of limiting yourself. I mean what else is there that you can do other than add a smaller coke can crank pulley. Put on what you have, get it dyno'd and tuned and call it a day because you really want an end product (300rwhp), but you don't want to do the obvious things that it will take to get there.

If you add what you have sitting around and then get it dyno'd and tuned you could be closer to the mark you want to be at, but face it, 300 rwhp is alot based on keeping the parts intact and as they sit.

another option to stay naturally aspirated is to sell/trade the heads, intake and cam and buy a better h/i/c combo. such as trick flow or systemax II. if you really want the numbers, you have to make some sacrifices and step up to the plate. you can only do so much with some things. its just a fact of life. I had a 306, ported gt40's, edelbrock performer intake, b cam, 1.72 rockers, 24lb inj. 75mm mass air meter, equal length shorties, off road, flows, and 3.73's and i had to face the fact that it was only making 335 or so at the fly, naturally asp. it was a fun combo, but just wasnt the quality of the other combos. its a cold hard fact, but one I had to get used to and so will you. yours is a nice combo, but without porting, milling, and or doing some other things, you are limiting your combo to what it is......pretty much max'd out. better combos make better numbers. if you want something then go after it. if you cant (and believe me, I am 31 and back in college full time, so I totally understand how it is on a champagne taste with a beer budget) then put the other stuff on and get it dynod and tuned and call it a day.

believe me, i am just calling it as i see it, not trying to be a dick at all.
good luck whatever you decide, but keep us updated where it goes from here!!!