Upgrades for stock 5.0 engine?

[juggar]

I have a 2000 explorer with 96k miles.

The drivers side is ticking, could be lifter tick. Getting tired of it and the low power (lets face it, its slow for 2017). I have a 5.0, there's no reason it can't make at least 250 HP.

My question is, what upgrades can be done to the engine without removing it? Is it easy to pull the valve covers to get to the lifters/valve springs? Looking to cure the engine tick and maybe add some power. I am a fairly capable guy but has zero experience with engine internals.

Exhaust headers are out of the question, local shop had a hell of a time with the OBX clones on my 98 last time and swore they'd never do that job again. Recently had the transmission replaced so keeping this one until its crashed/wrecked or otherwise made fully inoperable.

 

[Mbrooks420]

There really isn't much. You can do some simple bolt ons, but the manifolds on these are the big restriction. No sense in upgrading much without that. Get a better filter, (not a hot air intake) and do a fresh synthetic fluid change for the most bang for your buck. Make sure everything else is in efficient working order. It might be 2017, but your motor tech is 30 years old, at best.

 

[juggar]

I probably need to look into this ticking lifter, would that be easy/doable for a layperson such as myself?

Runs a high flow stock airbox K&N filter and high mileage 10w-40 pennzoil with zinc additive.

I swear its a crime that these make only 215hp. When I went to add the zinc additive at autozone some white vapor came out of the dipstick.

 

[CDW6212R]

The manifolds are horrendous, skip that and do at least the rest of the exhaust. I'd guess the manifolds might be choking off 20rwhp, but the rest is killing a good 10-15rwhp. I think the PCM can handle almost any exhaust you could do, without it leaning so much as to need new tuning. It might, but I'd do the exhaust and then worry about the A/F ratio.

Anything else you might do for the engine will be restricted by the exhaust, probably cutting half to 2/3 of the potential gain from each. So whatever you might read works on a 302 Mustang, figure on being lucky to get half of that, because of tyhe exhaust.

Locate a shop that will find a way to install a dual exhaust, two mufflers and two tail pipes. Don't bring the exhaust back together into one path, that's a big restriction. Splitting it halves the restriction of the stock back half. The stock 2.25" pipes are adequate for a mild 302, but these with 2.5" pipes are capable of over 250hp(if not for the manifolds). So the manifolds suck, but the rest is too small also. Reduce the number of restrictions, don't settle for lots of restrictions.

 

[CDW6212R]

Lose the K&N filter,those flow a lot yes, but they let a bunch of particulates through, making the oil black fast. Amsoil used to make a replacement for the OEM unit, but it's obsolete now.

For the lifter tick, mine does it too. I don't like it but it's no big deal. Try some good additives for detergent use, maybe it will clean out the lifters a bit.

 

[juggar]

Thanks for the recommendations, id be willing to hack up my exhaust in the driveway, my county does not require emissions testing at all, just a safety inspection.

The manifolds are horrendous, skip that and do at least the rest of the exhaust. I'd guess the manifolds might be choking off 20rwhp, but the rest is killing a good 10-15rwhp. I think the PCM can handle almost any exhaust you could do, without it leaning so much as to need new tuning. It might, but I'd do the exhaust and then worry about the A/F ratio.

Anything else you might do for the engine will be restricted by the exhaust, probably cutting half to 2/3 of the potential gain from each. So whatever you might read works on a 302 Mustang, figure on being lucky to get half of that, because of tyhe exhaust.

Locate a shop that will find a way to install a dual exhaust, two mufflers and two tail pipes. Don't bring the exhaust back together into one path, that's a big restriction. Splitting it halves the restriction of the stock back half. The stock 2.25" pipes are adequate for a mild 302, but these with 2.5" pipes are capable of over 250hp(if not for the manifolds). So the manifolds suck, but the rest is too small also. Reduce the number of restrictions, don't settle for lots of restrictions.

ill have to try and find some way to hack it up into a dual exhaust at home. Im sure any decent shop would want at least $500 for that.

 

[CDW6212R]

Most shops should charge by the hour, say $75 or more in most places. The trouble is where to run a second tail pipe. If you can do without the spare under the back, it's easy to route both there.

I'm going to slowly move my left rear brake line from the area near the left shock, upward to keep it out of the way. Shops won't touch that. I'll do my own, and the left one will mirror the right one.

 

[beach]

Really without headers or just doing a custom s/c setup, nothing you can do to achieve what you want. Manifolds are extremely restrictive, I modified the stock air intake with an AEM filter and cut to pull only cold air, and custom duals... never really noticed a difference except sound, then had a tune done and noticed a tad. My header tick is awful now as well, luckily its just a beater, if I had to drive it everyday I'd be embarrassed by how ghetto it sounds, especially on the inside when accelerating tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...had mine literally since new and kept it around as a beater all these years, but the tick sound is making me want to junk it even though its fine otherwise, it sounds so f'n ghetto with that sound lol

Really two things that hold the 5.0 back in these trucks, stock cam, and manifolds, there isn't a vehicle around that has a more ass backwards crammed in header setup, what a nightmare. Plus this is still an old school, small, ohv engine with a 4 speed auto. Fwiw someone I knew had a cam swapped and s/c 5.0 Explorer for years, and when I had my '13 F-150 5.0, full bolt ons and tune it wasn't even close, destroyed him, and that was a crew cab pickup (3.73 gears also) lol.... times have changed for trucks

 

[VR4]

Really without headers or just doing a custom s/c setup, nothing you can do to achieve what you want. Manifolds are extremely restrictive, I modified the stock air intake with an AEM filter and cut to pull only cold air, and custom duals... never really noticed a difference except sound, then had a tune done and noticed a tad. My header tick is awful now as well, luckily its just a beater, if I had to drive it everyday I'd be embarrassed by how ghetto it sounds, especially on the inside when accelerating tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...had mine literally since new and kept it around as a beater all these years, but the tick sound is making me want to junk it even though its fine otherwise, it sounds so f'n ghetto with that sound lol

Really two things that hold the 5.0 back in these trucks, stock cam, and manifolds, there isn't a vehicle around that has a more ass backwards crammed in header setup, what a nightmare. Plus this is still an old school, small, ohv engine with a 4 speed auto. Fwiw someone I knew had a cam swapped and s/c 5.0 Explorer for years, and when I had my '13 F-150 5.0, full bolt ons and tune it wasn't even close, destroyed him, and that was a crew cab pickup (3.73 gears also) lol.... times have changed for trucks

Interesting. 5.0 f150s generally don't pull me. They def put up a good fight though

 

[Mbrooks420]

Interesting. 5.0 f150s generally don't pull me. They def put up a good fight though

Are you taking about the new 5.0?

 

[beach]

Interesting. 5.0 f150s generally don't pull me. They def put up a good fight though

I had full bolt ons, headers etc, custom tune. From a roll, wasn't even close, just easily walked away from his boosted/cam swapped Explorer, Coyote blocks pull hard up top even in the trucks and matched so well to the 6 speed especially with 3.73 gears. Down low was close for about a second or two from the low end grunt of the s/c then bye bye lol. Kinda makes sense when you see the times people run with boosted Explorers even with cam swap.

 

[juggar]

I think im going to do a dual exhaust and a 75 shot of nitrous + (colder plugs) for when I need extra power. Looks to be about the only way to increase power. Need the engine to last, hope 75 isnt too much on a stock engine if I run 93.

There's no way im buying another set of OBX headers for $500+ and attempting to install them, cant even find them anyway and id likely be incapable of getting them installed thinking about how tough the shop had it.

You know, if I knew the trans needed to be replaced ($1700) I would have never got this 2000 5.0 and would have bought something like a 5.3 trailblazer. Ill never forget how that police department screwed me, they knew god damn well 3rd gear was out. It was painfully obvious. Oh well, at least the new trans literally felt SO MUCH better (smoother) than the 225k mile one on my 1998 5.0.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'd never buy a high mile police car. My mom had a trailblazer and it was the biggest piece of garbage. She got it new, and my Mounty had well over 100k at the time and she put WAY more money into that garbage blazer.

 

[juggar]

It only had like 95k miles, oh well, never again.

How do you guys feel about these single catback exhaust systems? Looks to be about the only prefabbed thing available. My current exhaust is very rusted, what kind of power gains are we talking about? Stainless or aluminized better?

http://gibsonperformance.com/search.html?#!year=2000||make=FORD||model=EXPLORER, XLT

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'd not buy a canned exhaust. I'd pick a muffler based on acceptable loudness and have an independent shop fab it up. Probably cost the same in the long run. I wouldn't bother with stainless unless I lived where there was salt, and I was planning to keep it long term.

 

[juggar]

I'd not buy a canned exhaust. I'd pick a muffler based on acceptable loudness and have an independent shop fab it up. Probably cost the same in the long run. I wouldn't bother with stainless unless I lived where there was salt, and I was planning to keep it long term.

I see, looks like the gibson exhaust is good for 5-10 HP. Its something I guess. If I can get it cheap I might go for it due to simplicity.

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd not buy a canned exhaust. I'd pick a muffler based on acceptable loudness and have an independent shop fab it up. Probably cost the same in the long run. I wouldn't bother with stainless unless I lived where there was salt, and I was planning to keep it long term.

Ditto, where you are at in NC, normal aluminized is very good. The kits you can buy will cost you about the same as if you pay a local shop to fab the pipes in house, and install two of your choice of mufflers. Even if you will just make it two 2.5" pipes from the cats, back to the bumper, that will be better than any pre-made parts ever put on an Explorer. A single 3" pipe flows about as much as two 2" pipes, so all the single 3" systems, are worse than the stock 2.25" cat pipes, and all Mustangs that came with 302's(stock dual 2.25" exhaust). Tuned well, that will be more than a TM header can ever flow, making again the manifolds the weakest links.

Mufflers cost between $40-$75 each for most, exhaust shops that are good will charge $100-$150 for a full fabbed system. You are only looking at the back half if the cats are untouched, the labor time for that should be under an hour. Mandrel bends are the best, but only super rare shops have those benders. So inherently exhaust shops are creating restrictions at every bend they make(crush). Don't settle for a single 3" pipe/muffler, dual 2.5" is much better, even for a stock 302. You won't feel much difference, but you said you needed new exhaust, and the potential is there for more flow later. Two mufflers will also be slightly quieter than one of the same muffler, so you may pick mufflers that might be a tad loud as you decide on them.

 

[VR4]

I had full bolt ons, headers etc, custom tune. From a roll, wasn't even close, just easily walked away from his boosted/cam swapped Explorer, Coyote blocks pull hard up top even in the trucks and matched so well to the 6 speed especially with 3.73 gears. Down low was close for about a second or two from the low end grunt of the s/c then bye bye lol. Kinda makes sense when you see the times people run with boosted Explorers even with cam swap.

well that makes a difference. Would probably spank me too.

Are you taking about the new 5.0?

I am. New 5.0 and ecoboost are a fair run for me. Old 5.4 3v is no problem.