more horsepower!?

[ford man]

Why do you think the trucks are batch fire? More fuel to the mix for a safer calibration for truck service or what?

[sinistral]

efi ho conversion, some better heads, headers and free flowing exhaust.........i picked up almost 100 rwhp on my town car from stock

i'm liking this line of thought-- i don't wanna swap an engine... surely this 302 can be built up to my liking. bonus points if i don't have to pull it and can do the mods w/ it still in the car.

i've seen a few thread titles re: "HO", so i guess i need to search around a bit. are you suggesting aftermarket heads, or is part of the HO upgrade taking OEM heads from an exploder or pony car?

header recommendations?

time to start making a list...

[johnunit]

Part of the HO swap is getting heads from an "HO" equipped mustang (E7TE stamped on them). Those are an upgrade worth doing from what you have now, but the GT40 heads are better yet, worth somewhere around 20-40HP on top of the E7s.

If you can afford it though, it's a good idea to get aftermarket heads. Skip the commercially ported E7s, they're lucky if they outflow stock GT40s. If you're going aftermarket, try AFR185s, or TFS170 or 185s. the TFS (trickflow systems) heads are the best option if you want to keep EGR/heat crossover, AFRs don't support that. The added bonus is the significant weight loss from aluminum heads.

For headers, you can grab OEM Mustang headers from an 86-93, I think they came on other "Fox" chassis cars too. If you're going with aftermarket heads it may be worthwhile getting aftermarket headers, but beyond that it's a good idea to stick with unequal length headers I'm not sure which ones fit.

[FatNasty]

Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but since he's got an '85, thats not going to have a roller cam. So won't he need to go mass air as well to upgrade the cam for a true HO swap?

BTW if you have any access to an engine hoist and engine stand its worth it to pull the motor for all this work IMHO. These motors are not that hard to pull plus you can clean everything up properly and paint. Plus working on an engine is cake while its on a stand. Its only like 16 more bolts/nuts to pull the entire thing after you have off all the stuff you would be removing for an ho swap anyways.

[1980c10]

1 5/8'' headers and 2 1/2'' duals really woke my car up, and go for a straight through muffler NOT a flowmaster or chambered muffler. Here is my thread for my car you can see exactly what gained me what http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...e+modification good luck.

[1987cp]

i've seen a few thread titles re: "HO", so i guess i need to search around a bit. are you suggesting aftermarket heads

I made the suggestion I did early because that will allow you to learn about aftermarket heads, even if you end up making do with stock stuff. Which reminds me, how anal your emissions-nazis are about Thermactor systems can affect head selection. Amazing amounts of money are wasted on car upgrades because the end user didn't take the time to educate himself. Learn how to make a smallblock make power, decide what will work for you, then start looking at buying parts.

Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but since he's got an '85, thats not going to have a roller cam. So won't he need to go mass air as well to upgrade the cam for a true HO swap?

Does a MAF meter make power? No, it's just perceived to widen the "wiggle room" for adding bolt-ons to a stock HO motor without "having" to do any actual tuning. Meaning that many people who are fans of it probably ought to be doing some tuning, but they're too busy using their time and money to install chrome alternator brackets.

Also, I don't see what a MAF meter has to do with his need to either switch to roller configuration or find a flat cam that plays nicely with the intended induction system (again, assuming he intends to use stock stuff and not do any tuning, since that's what he'll be advised to do if he reads only here and nowhere else).

[keep in mind, of course, that I'm the idiot cruising around with a $300 carburetor based on a 50-year-old design, so if you want MAF and can't be convinced of any reason not to, get MAF]

1 5/8'' tubular exhaust manifolds and 2 1/2'' duals really woke my car up, and go for a straight through muffler NOT a flowmaster or chambered muffler. Here is my thread for my car you can see exactly what gained me what http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...e+modification good luck.

Just my , but I believe mufflers have very little affect on power for most GMN cars. Which is why I run quiet mufflers. But if you like loud and your neighbors and local police don't care, run loud.

[Mercracer]

Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but since he's got an '85, thats not going to have a roller cam. So won't he need to go mass air as well to upgrade the cam for a true HO swap?.

No....
There are about 10K posts about using a Lincoln SD computer for a full "true" HO upgrade...

[mrltd]

Just my , but I believe mufflers have very little affect on power for most GMN cars. Which is why I run quiet mufflers. But if you like loud and your neighbors and local police don't care, run loud.

You are wrong. I have, on a few cars left stock SINGLE exhaust on the car and put a flowmaster muffler and gained a noticable amount of power. Look inside a stock replacement muffler-the inlets and outlets are about 1" diameter.


Mass air and roller cam have nothing to do with one another. Leave the stock 85 cam in it (would have to repin the injectors) , or get a very mild flat tappet upgrade with (the 351W firing order) and stay SD. Since the car is an 85, the cruise is not integrated and using a mustang computer will not affect the cruise control.

[1980c10]

Just my , but I believe mufflers have very little affect on power for most GMN cars. Which is why I run quiet mufflers. But if you like loud and your neighbors and local police don't care, run loud.

I didnt say loud, I said straight through. I am just not a fan of flowmaster style chambered mufflers for any kind of performance. Its like running the exhaust into a wall that it has to find its way around. Why not just let it straight out.
They sound good, im just not a fan of their performance qualities.

This muffler is technically straight through but it flows more cfm than most which is what matter IMO http://www.jegs.com/p/Dynomax/Dynoma...44698/10002/-1
and they are pretty quiet.

If I ever sell my slp's I will get those dynomax muffs

[FatNasty]

Does a MAF meter make power? No, it's just perceived to widen the "wiggle room" for adding bolt-ons to a stock HO motor without "having" to do any actual tuning. Meaning that many people who are fans of it probably ought to be doing some tuning, but they're too busy using their time and money to install chrome alternator brackets.

Also, I don't see what a MAF meter has to do with his need to either switch to roller configuration or find a flat cam that plays nicely with the intended induction system (again, assuming he intends to use stock stuff and not do any tuning, since that's what he'll be advised to do if he reads only here and nowhere else).

[keep in mind, of course, that I'm the idiot cruising around with a $300 carburetor based on a 50-year-old design, so if you want MAF and can't be convinced of any reason not to, get MAF]

No....
There are about 10K posts about using a Lincoln SD computer for a full "true" HO upgrade...

I don't think I made my point very accurately. I know you can use the sd computer for the HO upgrade, i have one in both cars. From what I've heard though, the SD computers don't play nice with cams other than the stock ho ones, or explorer ones, which are roller cams. Basically, seems like the SD ecm's are picky about cams. I wasn't sure if there was a flat cam with similar enough specs to get along with the SD ecm. Maybe there are a ton though, I don't know.

[Lincolnmania]

alot of the 85 blocks are roller cam ready

[Tiggie]

SEFI conversion isn't too bad for an '85 CFI car from what I've heard. *85crownHPP (Pete) did it on his '85.

I would do the SEFI conversion first. It usually helps to go in steps (SEFI conversion then HO), but in this case you might as well do them both at once to save money.

You block may be roller cam ready or not. Check the casting number above the (starter I think). Look for an E5AE (or anything higher like an E6AE or E7TE which means you have a replacement engine but certainly roller ready). Usually these are roller blocks but you still can't be sure until you pull the intake and look at the top of the lifter bores and for the spyder retainer holes in the center of the valley.

SEFI upgrade first, then speed density HO computer (you can use a Mustang one or a Lincoln Mark VII one since you're is an '85), cam, upper HO intake with HO throttle body and bored stock Panther SEFI EGR cooler/spacer, shorty Fox mustang headers with H-pipe, duals or dumps, 3.55 or higher numerically gears. Someone might argue here, but the stock '85 heads will be okay until you get more cash.

[sinistral]

thanks for all of the replies

i appreciate the sentiment... if anything, i'm the type of person who goes overboard trying to educate myself and seek out opinions from a variety of sources. that's why i'm starting to ask questions now... though i will say, i'm getting pretty excited by all of this and may have to move my timeline up (to the extent that my wallet/wife allows).

I made the suggestion I did early because that will allow you to learn about aftermarket heads, even if you end up making do with stock stuff. ... Amazing amounts of money are wasted on car upgrades because the end user didn't take the time to educate himself. Learn how to make a smallblock make power, decide what will work for you, then start looking at buying parts.

[1987cp]

You are wrong. I have, on a few cars left stock SINGLE exhaust on the car and put a flowmaster muffler and gained a noticable amount of power. Look inside a stock replacement muffler-the inlets and outlets are about 1" diameter.

Don't recall noticing that on any of the mufflers I have currently in use (2.25" in / 2" out; 2.5" in / 2.25" out). It would surprise me very greatly to see that. My comment is of course assuming that one is running a muffler that isn't a significant restriction; obviously, a 1" in/out muffler on a 2" single exhaust is a pretty big bottleneck. Whether to use a Flowbastard or a Super Turbo is a completely different discussion, and one I feel is usually irrelevant.

Though come to think of it, the situation you describe would certainly help explain the whisper-quiet stock sound levels ... never had the opportunity to look inside the one original muffler I've had in my possession, though, as at the time I allowed myself to be talked into having it replaced by some ripoff artists masquerading as a Ford service department.