Mods for Next Winter

[97predator]

Well it looks like I may have an oppurtunity to do some work on the car over the next year. I be cross training at the gas company and be working in the field so I'll have a company truck to drive and will be able to park the mustang. It will be great to keep the miles off the car for a year, but it will also afford me the chance to do work without having to get it running and back together by Monday mornings.

Though I would love to do the On3 turbo kit or a used supercharger, I don't forsee having 3K to drop in the car next year. My current mods are:

Long tubes, catted x pipe, pypes violator catback, 3.73 gears, tokico HP's, Steeda heavy duty RUCA's, steeda adjustable rear sway bar, Ford C springs.

I'm thinking I want to work with and enhance what I have as opposed to doing somehting drastic. I was thinking of doing the following:

Steeda Tri-Ax, C&L plenum, Stack or PP 75mm TB, MM sub frame connectors, K&N drop in filter.

Since I will have the luxuy of time, I was also thinking of installing MHS Stage II cams myself. Can this be done with the engine in the car?

The car made 255 rwhp on the initial dyno tune but the factory clutch started showing its age and slipped past 3500 rpm. I'm hoping with the new 03/04 Cobra clutch that the car has some more power in it, but I haven't had it retuned since the install. I was htinking of going through AM and getting a 50$ Bama tune once I had done the mods listed above.

I figure all the above would ocme in under 1500$ if I do it all myself save the welding of the sub frame connectors. What do yall think of the above mods and cam install?

 

[COramprat]

First, the biggest boost will come from the cams. I swapped mine with my engine in my car and used the cam retention tool. Otherwise you should remove the timing chains and make sure you follow directions to the letter. There are many cam swap posts here and should get you through. Check the FAQ at teh top of this section and you should find the threads there.

The shifter, whether a Tri-Ax or another and/or the subframes would be my next choice. The plenum and TB would be a good addition after the cams.

If your SN tells me you have a 97 that is a pretty good HP number for the mods you have.

 

[97predator]

The car is actually a 2002. Old car car was a 97, never changed the screen name. I think I will do the TB/plenum and drop in a k&n filter for now, get a tune from American muscle and see where things sit, then do the cams next year after the tax return. How difficult was the cam install, any problems?

Anyone running the stage II cams from modular head shop?

 

[ninjastang125]

The mods you want to do minus the cams can be done in one afternoon. As far as cams mhs is a good company nickmckinney is a member on here and works for mhs. 98cobra281 runs their cams and seems to be doing well. Cams can be done in the car but you need a chain retaining tool from afm. If you have to pull the timing cover its going to be a p.I.t.a but is still possible inside the car.

 

[COramprat]

I'd seriously consider having the cams degreed if you go bigger than a stage 1. Many have had issues with piston to valve contact in the later model cars. For some reason, just dropping them in on earlier models 98 and before haven't been as much of a problem. I don't know why but my guess is the stock cams in earlier models were set with less tolerance (closer to spec) than the later models. Just my opinion and hasn't been proven.

 

[97predator]

Yeah, Nick said the stage II's would have to be degreed or I could get the matches cam gears.

 

[COramprat]

Are you doing the cams yourself? If not I hope you get a good install deal. It can get expensive to install and leave you wondering if it was worth the gains.

 

[97predator]

i would like to do the cams myself. if i do, they are a great mod for the money(dork here did horsepower/$ spreadsheet). With the AFM tool can the cams be installed with matched cam gears with the motor in the car?

 

[COramprat]

In a nutshell, yes. I used the tool and it works great. I had press-on gears and just made sure I didn't advance the teeth on the chains.