The best way to make your stock 5.0 fast?

11sec5ohh · Jun 4, 2009

I recently bought a bone stock 5spd 87' Notch (127k miles) I realize the motor is tired but I have heard that with a set of gears, exhaust and slicks the car should be high 12 second capable...if you can drive that is. Other than that is there a good way to make a high mileage stock 87-93 5.0L crank out some decent times at the dragstrip without heavy motor work? How much Nos can a stock high miler take and what's a good setup? What are the best things to do? Obviously I am a racer on a budget... Insight, please...

Turd Tops · Jun 4, 2009

remove the smog crap unless you need it. Get some gears in the rear end. I would'nt go higher the 3.55 with a high mileage engine. H-pipe to start, Stock muffers are fine with a stock engine. Bigger MAF anf TB. I think thats a very cheap way to gain some nice HP.... Also get a shorter belt for the track and by-pass the PS and A/C

Also because you can get them dirt cheap right now i would get the Explorer Intake.

Oh yeah, about the NOS. I've done a 125 shot on junk yard engines for years. Just do a compression check on the old engine 1st. That will give you a good idea what shape your engine is in.

NIKwoaC · Jun 4, 2009

Either 5.0M&SF or MM&FF did this just recently. NO changes to the motor, ran high 12s. I don't remember all they did, but here are some of the basics:

3.73s
275/50-15 sticky tires
Race wheels (skinnies in front)
short belt
remove the air silencer
exhaust
moved battery to the back
...and they lost weight where they could.

Of course, you'll have to drive the wheels off of it, but plenty of guys run into the 12s with mild bolt on 5.0s 25thMustang has a pretty mild car that goes mid-12s on 17s! Hopefully he'll chime in.

2000xp8 · Jun 4, 2009

I don't really consider that much mileage tired.
If you take care of the engine with fluid changes and keep it running properly i'd say 225,000 miles is tired.

Nitrous really isn't all that budget minded, i know it sounds like it is, but $400+ for the kit, $40 for fills then each add on to the kit is at least $100.
Shortly you will be in cylinder head territory, and before you even get the kit itself you are already past gt40 iron head cost.

Gears
K&N drop in
catback
offroad h pipe
good mass air meter (pmas or pro m)

These mods alone can get you low 13's, and a car that is alot of fun to drive.

S&B · Jun 4, 2009

2 bottles of NOS power in a bottle and drag radialz

Marc S · Jun 4, 2009

I bought a 90 LX 5spd without A/C new in 1991. With 3.73's, O/R H pipe, Flowmasters, 15x3.5 and 15X8 weld wheels, 26X10 slicks, shorty equal length headers, underdrive pulleys, air silencer removed, front sway bar removed it ran 13.40's @ 99 MPH with a 1.68 60'. I ran a NOS nitrous kit on it almost every weekend for 4 years. I kept drilling out the jets to get the air fuel ratio correct because the kit was very rich out of the box. It ran 11.80's @ 115 on the gas. I would guess the nitrous was good for another 150 RWHP. The engine still runs great and has 208,000 miles on it. I would guess that your car is a little lighter and if I remember correctly, speed density cars made a little more power. With the same mods I would think your car would run 13.10-13.20's.

Mustang5L5 · Jun 5, 2009

For every 5.0 out there running the basic gears, exhaust and cheap mods runnin 12's and 13's, there are perhaps 5 more running 14's and slower on the same mods.

I've seen plenty of them at the track. On paper every 5.0 can be a 12 second car, but when you actually try to do it, it's a little tougher than some guys make it seem.

I have a video of me racing a guy with 3.55's, exhaust, pullies, shifter, e-fan and i'm beating him in my G35 at the track.

I don't doubt for a second back in the 80's and 90's a 5.0 could bang out a 13.9 bone stock...but 20 years later and 100+K miles later there are a LOT of variables to consider. Is the engine still making good HP? Does it need a tune up or has it lose some compression over the years? How is the suspension now? Is it soft and weak?

But i don't doubt either that there are high mileage cars out there still putting down the numbers.

Marc S · Jun 5, 2009

I agree with everything you said, I was taking in to account his car was in good running condition and what is possible in good air with a good car and driver.

I drag raced my 90 last year and it ran a 13.70's at 99 MPH on street tires. It had just over 200,000 mile on it at that time.

Your right, big variables especially 20 years later

90lxcoupe · Jun 5, 2009

put a manual rack on it, it will free up about .3 of a second

Mustang5L5 · Jun 5, 2009

I didn't mean for my post to seem directed at you Marc. It was more of a "in general" type of posting.

Jaym14 · Jun 5, 2009

Remove as much excess weight as you can.....

Rear seats with belts and tracks
Arm rest
Spare tire, jack, tire iron
Sound deadening material
AC condenser
Smog Pump
Throw on a set of welds
Etc.... its virtually endless.... Best part is removing things is free! You can easily shed 100-150 lbs and pick up a few tenths on your qtr mile times.

Stopsign32v · Jun 5, 2009

Put a E-303 cam in it and weld in some Flowmaster 2 chambers. You will be good to go!

Turd Tops · Jun 5, 2009

Stopsign32v said:
Put a E-303 cam in it and weld in some Flowmaster 2 chambers. You will be good to go!

An E-cam? For real? why? sounds like a waste of time. If your going to swap cams out get something more the the E-cam..Plus i don't think he wants to dig that deep into it. I think he was looking more at bolt on stuff....lol E-cam...

Rick James · Jun 5, 2009

Turd Tops said:
An E-cam? For real? why? sounds like a waste of time. If your going to swap cams out get something more the the E-cam..Plus i don't think he wants to dig that deep into it. I think he was looking more at bolt on stuff....lol E-cam...

Actually if you get a e-cam for cheap,why not throw it in?Thats not as funny as your suggestion of not running more than a 3.55 gear?

68stang351 · Jun 5, 2009

Look up "ten minute tune up". That was the ticket back in the day. LX coupes have run 12's with that.

Short belt
Timing bump
Yank the sway bar
Slicks
Yank the silencer
Drive the piss out of it (driver mod!)

But if you actually want to do something I say the basic bolt-ons (cai, tb, exhaust, etc.) + gears.

Turd Tops · Jun 5, 2009

Rick James said:
Actually if you get a e-cam for cheap,why not throw it in?Thats not as funny as your suggestion of not running more than a 3.55 gear?

Man are we stuck in the 90's here? Why would you run an outdated alphabet cam when there are some many better cam's out there?
Plus the E-cam is a C.A.R.B. cam. why use a E-cam unless you have to?
So running a 3.55 is funny? With over 120,000 miles on a stock engine with stock cam?
I'm sure i'm not the only person who thinks that either.

Plus the only "real deal" you would find is on some used cam. Would you install a used cam? Well you might.

Rick James · Jun 5, 2009

Why wouldnt you run over a 3.55 gear? because of the mileage of the engine?whats the reason behind this?Like i said if you can get a e-cam for CHEAP why not throw it in?Obviously you didnt or cant read ,hes on a budget so alot of guys run used cams without any problems.Little secret back in the 80s they made hydraulic roller valvetrains so unlike a solid cam, the lobes dont get chewed up(but dont tell anybody,it could be our little secret).

Turd Tops · Jun 5, 2009

Rick James said:
Why wouldnt you run over a 3.55 gear? because of the mileage of the engine?whats the reason behind this?Like i said if you can get a e-cam for CHEAP why not throw it in?

Because it's a bone stock high mileage engine with a stock cam.
Now if it was an AOD car i would say 3.73 with that many miles. He even admitted the engine was wore out
Maybe if he had some other mods done to it i would say yes, a 3.73 gear would be better for you.

Now why would'nt i use a e-cam if i found it cheap? Because they're pure trash that were designed over 20 years ago and there still a smog cam. I would only use the e-cam if i lived in cali and it was given to me. That answer your qustion?

Plus you missed the point that he does'nt want to tear in the engine just yet.

Now if he did have that trash can e-cam in it i would agree with 3.73's

Rick James · Jun 5, 2009

Thats just retarded ,he clearly states its a 5 speed so your aod statement is totally a waste for this thread.Why shouldnt he run a higher numeric gear ?This time answer it without skating around it.

Turd Tops · Jun 5, 2009

Rick James said:
Thats just retarded ,he clearly states its a 5 speed so your aod statement is totally a waste for this thread.Why shouldnt he run a higher numeric gear ?This time answer it without skating around it.

I know what he said. I know it's a 5-speed car ricky.
What i said was "IF" it was an AOD i would agree with 3.73's.
Or even if it was a lower mileage engine i would also agree with 3.73's

Now answer your stupid question why.
Because of the mileage. Things get weaker with age and mileage.
Valve springs get weaker, valve seats start leaking, Timing gears get sloppy. The lower end i'm sure is far from new. I'm sure the bearing show wear and we all know the 5.0's with high mileage have great oil presure lol, I'm sure there is some kind of blow by going on in there. Now add all those weaker parts together with a engine that now rev's alot quicker because of the high gears i'm sure it won't hold very long before things start breaking and timing start's jumping. In short a bone stock engine with a stock cam needs nothing more then 3.55's. now add a cam and i would agree with maybe some 3.73's. Thats my theory and i stick to it. I'm sure i'm not the only person who thinks this either. I have no idea why i need to prove anything to you. The guy asked a qustion and i answered it just like i would if i was face to face with him or you. If he wants 3.73's then more power to him and i wish him nothing but the best of luck. I play on the safe side and it's done great for me.

Now i await your reply why it's a good idea to run 3.73's with a bone stock high milage engine. I can't wait to hear this

The best way to make your stock 5.0 fast?

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