Daily Driver Mod List - Thoughts?

[358R]

Before I get started I'll go ahead and say that anything I note as "still researching" is not me indirectly asking for help or asking anyone to do a forum search for me. Though if I have listed something as "to be bought", feel free to tell me I'm stupid if you've found it to not be helpful or to keep researching before I commit or throw your $0.02 at me. Whatever you like.

Regardless, I'm attempting to assemble a set of parts that will increase power without sacrificing too much fuel mileage and without having to dig into the motor too much. Actually, I should say that increasing fuel mileage is the main driver in all of this but where's the fun in that?

So, here are my list of parts as the air flows through the system, more or less:

-DIY CAI from Spectre (or a hot air intake as Turdle would say - haha) - installed
-1" Phenolic Spacer - to be bought
-1.6 RRs - to be bought
-.039" head gasket - still researching
-TMH - in hand
-Custom exhaust - 2.5" from collector to muffler - to be bought
-Magnaflow dual-in/dual-out with built-in x-pipe thingy - to be bought
-Screamin' Demon/DUI coil packs - to be bought
-Electric fan - to be scavenged
-Jet underdrive pulleys - still researching - maybe a bad idea given their reputation in general and i don't think our motors are internally balanced - again, still researching
-Tune - still researching - Lasota, Bama, etc
-Lowering blocks, TT up front - to reduce the cross sectional area of the front of the truck. Probably minimal gains given that we're driving bricks, but every little bit helps

Am I missing any pieces/parts that others would recommend? Thoughts? All input and constructive criticism is welcome.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

DIY CAI: have it your way

1" Intake Spacer: not a performance part. It is for clearing taller valve covers or in your case will make it easier to install the egr tube for the thm's. It will shift the power curve roughly 200rpm lower but will not add or free up any hp.

1.6 Rockers: worthy upgrade if you can get a deal on them and if you already have the motor out or torn down but not worth work for 5hp

Thinner head gasket: Not worth the effort tearing to motor down just for that. May get a couple hp at most.

TMH's:

Custom Exhaust: Until you install a cam with matching springs that makes power over 4800rpm (which the oem does not) and a torque converter that is safe to spin over 5000rpm (which the oem is not) a 2.5 dual exhaust will not gain/free up power. A dual in/single out 2.5" would be perfect for a stock or close to stock daily driver 5.0

Magnaflow and X Pipe: AP Exhaust makes stainless magnaflow knock off's and are good quality for half the price. And X pipe will do nothing for you if both exhaust banks run into a single muffler.

Sreamin' Demon Coil Packs: You will not see any performance increase if your oems are still in good working order. I personally don't use anything but motorcraft.

Electric Fan: They do free of some parasitic drag (I had mine off for most of the winter ) but at the cost of reliability. Many CARS came with electric fans from the factory but I've yet to see a TRUCK that was built to handle off road or towing come with one. Seeing that your from SC where it can get HOT and if you use your Ex as a reliable do everything daily driver not as a show toy, I'd recommend against them.

Underdrive Pullies: These to also free up some parasitic drag but at a cost, and the cost is not worth it. They are for track only cars. Under powering your alternator and water pump is not a good idea in daily driver SUV. The minute you get stuck on the highway at night in a down pour when its 85 degrees out, when your sitting there idling with all the lights, wipers, AC and stereo on, you'll thank me. Track cars don't do too much idling and are at WOT most of the time. Another thing they can help with is cavitation in the waterpump. Oem wp's are not designed to spin at 6000rpm+ and a pulley will slow it down some.

Tune: I would recommend finding a reputable Mustang shop to have it dyno tuned. Personally, I'm not a fan of mail-ording tunes for these trucks. You can get away with that with basic mods on newer lower mileage vehicles with the more sophisticated engine management, sensors and microchips. Mail order can never replace having an experienced professional physically check your rig all over and listening to it as its being tuned and street driven on a test drive. A pro can notice little (but crucial) things like vac leaks, floating valves, pinging, whiff of leaking fuel, bad wires (open circuits) and many other little things that can be easily overlooked by an owner than is not mechanically savy or will not show up on a computer read out. If your motor is in top operating condition, a tune should be a set-it-and-forget-it deal, not a recipe to be tinkered with and adjusted every other weekend. That is unless you have a race car an are trying to win a tittle or money then tinkering is what you do, but not a street driven suv.


Exhaust, Gears, Tune, Synthetic Fluids will give you the best bang for the buck.

If your removing the motor: Camshaft that makes power to 5800rpm with accompanying springs, 1.6 rockers and a torque converter (along with gears) will really wake it up. But I say again, a cam won't do you much good unless you also install a converter that won't balloon and blow out past 5000rpm.

K&N filters, bigger throttle bodies and mass air meters, spacers, cheap performance chips and high dollar plugs will profit you nothing.

If your just looking for mpg, then put in synthetics, check you tires air pressure religiously and keep it maintained while keeping it under 60mph as often as you can. And thats all I have to say about that.

Hope that helps.

 

[358R]

TMH's:

Thanks. All good info. Why the frowny-ish looking face? Not a fan or jealous?

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Thanks. All good info. Why the frowny-ish looking face? Not a fan or jealous?

The emoticon means 'cool' as in: it's cool you got them


Jealous??

 

[358R]

The emoticon means 'cool' as in: it's cool you got them


Jealous??

Ah, ok. Gotcha.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Missed the last one about lowering...

Lowering and installing a front air dam WILL make a difference to mpg.