Need help planning 5.0 build

Hello all, I'm a long time lurker/first time poster! I have a 1998 Explorer Limited with the 5.0L engine and have been planning on doing an engine swap/buildup for quite some time. My stock engine has 165k+ miles on it right now so I'm definitely starting to think toward the future.

Right now I'm beginning to collect the parts that I will need to make some big horsepower down the road. I'm thinking a 347 with eventually some type of supercharger/turbocharger system. I recently purchased a set of used emissions legal AFR 185 cylinder heads and I know that they will not bolt up to the stock manifolds. I'm thinking I could possibly order a set of torque monster headers that use the pre gt40p flange(1996-1997) with the external egr(1998+) header pipes, but I've got to call the guy who makes them because I haven't had much luck through email so far. What are you guys using for headers with non-stock heads?

That brings me to another question. Would any of the 5.0L mustang intake manifolds such as the Holley Systemax II or Edelbrock Performer RPM II work on our trucks or are there clearance issues or some other type of issue I'm neglecting?

I'm still in the planning stages on all of this but the ball started to roll when I got those AFR cylinder heads and I figure I might as well start figuring it all out now. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Ryan

 

[Turdle]

I think Bob can make a set of headers to fit about any head out there. He made flanges for my Edelbrock heads.

You should have no clearance issues with any intake manifold, even with a 1" phenolic spacer. My truck has a Profeesional Products typhoon, which is the same height as a Edelbrock performer, and I also have the spacer. I think there is still about 3" of clearance if not more.


Welcome to the forum.

 

[Limited02]

I could be wrong here but I read the other day about somone wanting AFR185's and another person said that you would have to get your pistons fly cut so that they don't hit the valves?

I always wondered if you 5.0 guys would have any luck with the Trick Flow topend kit?
http://www.summitracing.com/search/...-End-Engine-Kits-for-Ford-5-0L/?keyword=Trick Flow

 

[Grimace]

I think Bob can make a set of headers to fit about any head out there. He made flanges for my Edelbrock heads.

You should have no clearance issues with any intake manifold, even with a 1" phenolic spacer. My truck has a Profeesional Products typhoon, which is the same height as a Edelbrock performer, and I also have the spacer. I think there is still about 3" of clearance if not more.


Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the welcome and your input! I just contacted Bob today and ordered a set of headers that he said he would be hand making for me. It's funny you mention the phenolic spacer because one question I wasn't able to answer was whether I wanted him to design if for a 1" spacer or not. I haven't read much about them so he said to get back to him as he won't begin working on my headers for a little while anyway since I'm in the queue. I'm thinking about asking him to build it for no spacer unless someone can convince me that it's something I need. It's good to know that there aren't any intake clearance issues on these trucks.

I've seen the typhoon intake for substantially less than most 5.0 EFI intakes and I know it's basically a clone of the Edelbrock Performer RPM II. How do you like it? I'm thinking of getting a Holley Systemax II because I read that the ports match up well with the AFR heads.

 

[Grimace]

I could be wrong here but I read the other day about somone wanting AFR185's and another person said that you would have to get your pistons fly cut so that they don't hit the valves?

I always wondered if you 5.0 guys would have any luck with the Trick Flow topend kit?
http://www.summitracing.com/search/...-End-Engine-Kits-for-Ford-5-0L/?keyword=Trick Flow

I've heard the same thing about fly cutting the pistons. I'm not going to be putting these heads on until I get a new short block anyway so I'll figure out those details a little bit down the road. I'm guessing that the trick flow top end kit would work well on our trucks if you get a 2,500-3,000 rpm stall converter. Without a stall it would have a very hard time getting these heavy vehicles moving because it was designed primarily for a 2,800-3,200lb mustang, while our explorers are around 4,200lb.

 

[Spdrcer34]

I would say, WITH OUT A DOUBT, get a 1" Intake Spacer.

I don't think there is a person here that HAS a spacer that says they wouldn't do it again.

Call Bob, and tell him you ARE going to install a Spacer too.

Buy the TrickFlow Spacer for the Cobra Intake. Not the one for the GT40. The difference is the Bolts included in the kit. You need the Cobra bolts.

Ryan

 

[Grimace]

I would say, WITH OUT A DOUBT, get a 1" Intake Spacer.

I don't think there is a person here that HAS a spacer that says they wouldn't do it again.

Call Bob, and tell him you ARE going to install a Spacer too.

Buy the TrickFlow Spacer for the Cobra Intake. Not the one for the GT40. The difference is the Bolts included in the kit. You need the Cobra bolts.

Ryan

Thanks for your advice. I've been doing some more research and it seems that Trick Flow makes 1" spacers for virtually every 5.0 EFI intake manifold, so I should be safe asking Bob to design the headers for the 1" spacer regardless of what intake I end up going with.

One interesting article I read showed a modified gt40 intake outperforming the Systemax II and TFS-R intakes up until 5,250+ RPM. Since our explorer intake is pretty much the same as the gt40(if I'm not mistaken) getting my stock intake ported/modified in the same way may be a viable option. The gt40 made so much more torque down low than these other manifolds that it may be the best option for these heavy trucks. I'm not sure how the numbers would change if forced induction was used in the comparison but I imagine the gt40 would still make more torque down low. Anyway, just more things for me to consider.

 

[Grimace]

Forgot link to article

http://www.musclemustangfastfords.com/tech/173_0101_super/index3.html

 

[rookieshooter]

You might want to clay check the piston to valve clearance. Throw some clay on top of piston, bolt on head, turn over buy hand a few times and then mike the clay to see how much clearance you have.

 

[Spdrcer34]

That intake in the article is the REAL, Original GT40 intake. It used mandrel bent tubes welded to the plenum. It was used on the `93 Cobra and the F-150 Lightning. Obviously the Lower intake is different on the Lightning, as it used the 351. But the Upper is the same.

The intake we have on our Explorers are VERY close to that intake, they use the same Lower Intake, but the upper is a single piece cast aluminum. No welding/brazing in the manufacturing process. The Cobra GT40 intake uses smooth wall tubes, so it DOES flow a TINY bit better out of the box, compared to our Explorer intakes.

Ryan

 

[Grimace]

You might want to clay check the piston to valve clearance. Throw some clay on top of piston, bolt on head, turn over buy hand a few times and then mike the clay to see how much clearance you have.

When I get the new engine put together I'll make sure that the pistons I'm using are compatible with the heads. I don't think it's worth installing them on my 165,000 mile motor in the meantime. Thanks for the info on checking out the clearance though, it seems like an easy way to go about it!

 

[Grimace]

That intake in the article is the REAL, Original GT40 intake. It used mandrel bent tubes welded to the plenum. It was used on the `93 Cobra and the F-150 Lightning. Obviously the Lower intake is different on the Lightning, as it used the 351. But the Upper is the same.

The intake we have on our Explorers are VERY close to that intake, they use the same Lower Intake, but the upper is a single piece cast aluminum. No welding/brazing in the manufacturing process. The Cobra GT40 intake uses smooth wall tubes, so it DOES flow a TINY bit better out of the box, compared to our Explorer intakes.

Ryan

Thanks for the clarification! I looked up a dyno test between the gt40, cobra and explorer manifolds and they were within about 5 hp/tq for pretty much the entire rpm range. I was doing a little bit of hunting for ported lower intake but didn't have much luck. I'll just keep my eye out for one of those or possibly a systemax II like I originally planned. I do like the torque output of that modded gt40 intake though!