How I got 250Hp from 160Hp for $1000.

[NeedForSpeed]

Case Study: 1996 Ford Explorer 4.0L 160HP 4WD. No existing Modifications before start of project. Budget $1000. +or-


Shopping list:
1)SuperChip $175 (Smarty Parts)

2)FlowMaster Force II Single 2 1/2 inch Factory Exit Aluminized Steel Cat-Back System $176.83 truck performance.com)

3)BBK Single 66mm High-Flow Replacement Throttle Body
$193.99 (truckperformance.com)

4)Jet Low Temp Thermostat $9.90 (truckperformance.com)

5)Hedman Hedders $176.94 (summitracing.com)

6)70mm Flanged Mass Air Sensor $200. (vanirtech.com)

7)KKM Air Induction Kit $90 or alternatively (my choice) the K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kit $149.97 (truckperformace.com)

Total with KKM in #7 is $1022.66
Total with K&N in #7 is $1082.63

These 7 items in my view povide the best bang for the buck and who needs to pay $2700 for a supercharger anyway when I can make up 90 ponies for a grand?

 

[NeedForSpeed]

160hp to 250hp for $1000

Forgot to mention my '96 is a Limited Edition.

 

[SteveVB]

Have you done this yet are are you planning to do it? Sounds like a good plan, or you did a good job with your engine if its already done.

I dont think your getting the 90 ponies you think though, check the 200Hp thread, the same mods from some dyno tests floating around put the engine in the 190-200 range. The only 225+ hp 4.0's that I have seen/read about got there with internal mods- cam, pistons,headwork and some $$$. Did you dyno this stuff or are you just adding up mfrs claims? I think from the mods you have you maybe have close to 200 which for the money is decent.

Best bang for the buck is Nitrous if Bang for the $ is what your looking for.

[Edited by SteveVB on 07-07-2000 at 06:35 AM]

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Dyno Tests?

Please float one of those tests my way. 30-40hp extra? You have got to be kidding me. The heads and chip alone brought nearly 35hp . I hope you can find one of these tests for me to read with the exact mods that I have DONE.

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Nitro?

I forgot who wants Nitro? Not me. Not practical for daily use, not at all.

 

[FMExplorer]

Interesting...

I think the mods you have done are good, however - what did you use to test the before AND after horsepower? Chips, headers, cat-back, FIPK and so on all claim certain horsepower gains - based on the stock vehicle configuration. They don't base their numbers on existing modifications. Basically what I am saying is you can't add the 4-7hp, 10-15%hp, etc... gains together to equal 240hp. If you truly got 240hp from these mods, great - I'll be out getting these things shortly. Also - a '96 limited - which V6 do you have? OHV or SOHC?

JonM

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Real gains?

Hey JonM. Testing takes place 14 days from today. The guy who is doing it says I should be close to the 230-250hp mark.

I had it done after the chip and headers and I was +32hp.

As Far as what engine. The SOHC came in 1997 did it not. I am not aware of any 1996 explorers with a 4.0L SOHC 205HP are you?

 

[NeedForSpeed]

I almost forgot

By the way, this thing is an animal now.....WOW. Vrooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Lets Play Guess The HorsePower

To all you doubters my question to you is just how many horses will this shopping list add? Please review the list carefully before guessing. I'll be sure to send the person who comes closest with their guess a little something....good luck

 

[GJarrett]

I hope all this didn't sound that way

As far as everyone being labeled "doubters". What you have to understand is that hp gain claims are bandied about all the time and dyno tests help cull the wheat from the chaff amongst all those claims.

You must remember that you titled this thread "How I got 250hp from 160hp for $1000". That's a claim of upping your hp output over 55% with bolt on items -- an extremely difficult feat without NO2, turbo, etc. Now that you have said your dyno guy thinks it's "close to the 230hp(+) mark", that's still impressive. We are all interested in your dyno results.

I have the 210hp SOHC. If I could duplicate your original claim of a 55%+ increase and end up with 325+ ponies under my hood with just a thousand bucks worth of bolt ons then heck yeah I'll be first in line to buy all that stuff too.

No matter if your dyno reading reveals you're not at 250hp, that doesn't negate the fact that you still have come up with a great shopping list of power gains on a budget. And I do agree that you can tell a huge difference in power. I've got just 210hp, and with my 4.10 rear the difference in felt power driving mine as opposed to an older OHV is extreme.

Peace,

 

[kps36]

It's one of 'it depends' answers. If your chip is configured AFTER all the other mods are done, you will get the most bang from the package. JonM is correct however in that the sum will not equal the total. There are gains that overlap.
If the chip is the last piece in, my guess is that you will probably dyno at 217hp.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[wabbit]

OK here's my guess...

I will say you have a total of..... 222 HP. OK, enter me in the contest. If I win I would prefer to get the annuity payment insted of all the money at once...
Warren

 

[GJarrett]

I'm in

Looks like we're all thinking alike. I'll go for 220 even. NFS, I assume that since you titled the thread that you got 250 that'll be your guess? Geez I hope you're right and I'm wrong.

Gerald

 

[NeedForSpeed]

My Dyno Test prediction..........

246 Big Ones is my guess...I rounded up in the title to get your attention, sue me!
The guy who is dyno testing it in 2 weeks said that his company has installed all the parts to optimize the most of them..I would hope the chip was done last or was reconfigured at the end of the other 6 installs.

Oh mama, what a shopping list boys, and the prices.....can't beat em!

 

[JAY]

NeedForSpeed,
What kind of loss is your shop estimating you'll get through the drivetrain? I'm asking because everybody, including yourself, is guessing the horsepower at the flywheel, but when you get the dyno testing done you'll only know rear wheel horsepower. The power lost between the engine and rear wheels is variable to many things. Gear ratio, tire size, tire tread, trans type (manual or auto) and even trans fluit temp (in the auto) all have an effect on the amount of loss you'll see. Over all contition or your drivetrain is also a factor, among other things. For example, I have seen a stock 160hp 4.0 dyno just over 100hp at the rear wheels (mine) but I have also witnesed one come close to 120hp at the rear with only a drop in K&N filter (it was only 2wd). Also are your dyno results going to be standard or corrected, corrected ones will show more hp than a standard. Both ways are acceptable, but for everyone to guess accuratly, we should know.

My Explorer will pull at an average of just shy of 230hp at the rear. The shop that did the runs estimated about a 25% loss. I'm am willing to guess that your corrected flywheel hp will be around the 220-225hp mark. That is assuming the chip is calibrated for the mods and not just a "one size fits all" plug in.

[Edited by JAY on 07-07-2000 at 03:44 PM]

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Okay

Great Commentary Jay. The chip has been calibrated correctly and the results will follow shortly. I should mention that Hedman is running short on headers for the 96-98 explorer, It will be a few wmonths before they get some more.....

 

[NeedForSpeed]

Price Update

Just thought I should let you guys know that I found a better price (by chance) on item #2 in my list. Drop the $176.83 from truckperformance.com and instead buy from summitracing.com at $158.95. I just spoke to them regarding roller rockers and power pulleys and I enquired about some of teh other items I had already bought elsewhere. I have told the guy doing the dyno testing that should she not test out at 250hp I want him to add a power pully and roller rockers. Then we will see who says 250hp can't be obtained with bolt ons.

The hunt is on................I will supply pricing for the Pully and rockers as soon as I have found the best price. I promise you I will have my 250.

 

[rock883]

Well, I have just been reading all this and I think what you are doing is pretty stupid (not getting extra horsepower), but trying to prove people wrong that you don't know. You told everyone to guess and now they are guessing, and you find out that you aren't gonna get the 250 you think you have, and so you go out and pay even more money because you were wrong?? I just think that is stupid, not trying to make anyone mad, or start a fight, just speaking my opinion.

 

[JBHexplorer]

NFS, did the chip remove the stock speed limiter?

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by NeedForSpeed
Case Study: 1996 Ford Explorer 4.0L 160HP 4WD. No existing Modifications before start of project. Budget $1000. +or-

Good Luck! I put on a 73mm MAS, K&N with 2"x6" holes at each end of my air-box, Exhaust-Tech cat-back exhaust, and a SuperChip on my '94 4.0L Ranger and all I picked up in the 1/4 mile was .266 seconds and 1.33 MPH. Using a formula that I can no longer find with a curb weight of 3208 lbs and my Trap speed, I calculated my rear-wheel horsepower to be 130.73 stock and 137.29 with the mods. You'll definately get your best boost from the headers though, at least I did on a 4-cyl Ranger that I put a Ford Motorsports Header on. Do you have a track locally that you could run it to see what it does after the mods? If you are making 250HP, you should be in the low to mid 15 second range since my 205HP '97 Explorer Sport did it in 16.374 @ 83.24MPH seconds stock with 55,000 miles on it and that was .009 seconds quicker than my '95 V8 T-birds best. My T-bird's gearing sucked though (3.08).