Any suggestions on my 5.0?

David R.

Registered User
I've got a 93 lx and I'm looking to get a little more kick out of it without spending a fortune. Any suggestions?
 
tccoa might be a better forum to post your question. yet might be a few here that might be able to help you.
 
I'd upgrade the exhaust. You buy exhaust kits from Summit for pretty cheap. The car's not going to be fast no matter what you do to it but a nice sounding exhaust can make all the difference in the world.

Next thing I'd so is a set of UD pulleys and remove the clutch fan and replace it with an electric fan off a later model Tbird. Use a thermostatic switch to control the fan and install a 180 deg thermostat.

Then the last thing I'd do is install a set of 3.73 gears and a posi to help get it moving quicker.
 
how do you that?

Set the timing at 14 deg instead of 10. You'll need a shop manual to tell you how (you need one anyway if you are going to own one of these cars). You'll need a timing light. Find one of your buddies that knows how to do it and borrow his timing light. Be sure to follow the instruction in the manual for setting timing.
 
I'd upgrade the exhaust. You buy exhaust kits from Summit for pretty cheap. The car's not going to be fast no matter what you do to it but a nice sounding exhaust can make all the difference in the world.

Next thing I'd so is a set of UD pulleys and remove the clutch fan and replace it with an electric fan off a later model Tbird. Use a thermostatic switch to control the fan and install a 180 deg thermostat.

Then the last thing I'd do is install a set of 3.73 gears and a posi to help get it moving quicker.

Ya I plan to do exaust. Originally I was going to put a cut out right before the cat and put a glass pack on there or something, but I'm not really sure. I heard somewhere that if you strait pipe it, its not good for the engine over time. Any truth to this?

Would the thermstat switch be something on the doner car I get the fan from or would I get that at auto zone or somewhere?

I'm not sure, but I think it already has posi. Have to check that out. Would the gears come from the junk yard or a store?
 
Set the timing at 14 deg instead of 10. You'll need a shop manual to tell you how (you need one anyway if you are going to own one of these cars). You'll need a timing light. Find one of your buddies that knows how to do it and borrow his timing light. Be sure to follow the instruction in the manual for setting timing.

Ok I'll give that a shot. Ya I definately need a shop maual. Thanks for the advice!
 
i definatly need to put an electric fan on mine. Hope to get better fuel mileage instead of more PAH.
 
the stock ecu is actually capable of controlling an electric fan, something to think about later down the road when you do get it reprogrammed

i say drop a turbo on it and you'll have enough power to split the block if you want, you can get an on3 kit for next to nothing these days, i've tuned countless BONE stock 5.0s with either on3, hellion, pony down or the like, I have yet to have one of them make any less than 400rwhp

as a matter of fact i tuned a 92 lx last weekend with 240k original miles, made 476rwhp @14 #s, would have made a lot more if it wasn't so tired, can you say BLOW-BY :mad:
 
Get a nice set of gt40 heads iron for cheap and an explorer intake real cheap....That be a nice kick..Depends how mechanically inclined you are. Heads and intake combined can be had for under $500 used with a TB A cam swap will likely make youre EEC go nuts without a tune
 
the stock ecu is actually capable of controlling an electric fan, something to think about later down the road when you do get it reprogrammed

i say drop a turbo on it and you'll have enough power to split the block if you want, you can get an on3 kit for next to nothing these days, i've tuned countless BONE stock 5.0s with either on3, hellion, pony down or the like, I have yet to have one of them make any less than 400rwhp

as a matter of fact i tuned a 92 lx last weekend with 240k original miles, made 476rwhp @14 #s, would have made a lot more if it wasn't so tired, can you say BLOW-BY :mad:

Ya a turbo would be amazing- define next to nothing. I looked them up on ebay and saw a bunch for around 1800.
 
Get a nice set of gt40 heads iron for cheap and an explorer intake real cheap....That be a nice kick..Depends how mechanically inclined you are. Heads and intake combined can be had for under $500 used with a TB A cam swap will likely make youre EEC go nuts without a tune

Did the gt40 heads ever come on a car I could find at the junk yard very easily? Also, intake- are you talking about the manifold or the filter set up?
 
Does any one know know if I could put headers on without pulling the engine? Has any one done that?
 
IMO you are heading down the wrong road. Notice that the other main people who have experience with these cars immediately recommend a power adder? There is a reason for that.

You can spend a lot of time, effort, and money scrounging around for Mustang parts to try to fit on your Bird, some will fit some won't (like headers, for instance). You'll bolt yourself in circles and end up with a still pretty much slow Bird. The 5.0 just doesn't have the balls to move a heavy car. What works well in a Fox just pales when installed in the heavy MN12. Even a well built 347 will struggle to run 13's in these cars.

If you can fabricate then do as Mike said above and install a turbo. If you can't fabricate, then do as David said and install a 100hp nitrous shot. Keep in mind that either way you do that you'll have to tune and upgrade your fuel system. Count on $1000 right there just to do that part right (+/-) and then factor in your power adder of choice.

When it's easier to get 280rwhp out of an SC than it is to get 280rwhp out of a 5.0 without a power adder, that's why I say that a 5.0 is going to be slow regardless. It takes quite a few bucks to make one fast without a power adder, and if you do get a power adder then all the other bolt on mod stuff is a waste of time.

That's my advice and I'm sticking to it. :p (yes, I've dyno tuned plenty of 5.0's also)
 
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