Finished first set of mods, getting ready to order second set, definately UDPs, and was thinking anout CMDPs, but read that I will lose a bit of low end torque, and they are recommended for a minimum of 3.73s.

Problem here is I am already dissapointed with my low RPMs. Car doesn't really seem to grab until 2600-2800 RPMS.

Is there anything I can do to gain something in the low RPMs?

If the answer is new gears, is it true I will be seeing much higher rev-rate when I'm cruising say in 5th on the highway?

So much to do, so little time. ummm wait...

So many mods, so little $$$$$$!

 

281 cubic inches will never be strong down low. If thats what you want, save up for a twin screw supercharger. If that is in the future, udp's and delete plates are a waste of money. Have you tuned it?

 

I installed a Bullitt CAI and a "torque" tune last night. Check out this thread:

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=77238

You'll never get a lot of torque out of a small engine. Supercharging will help more than anything, but you still won't have locomotive torque like you would out of an Olds or Buick 455. There's no replacement for displacement.

 

I'm running a C&L intake with a 93 octane tune from Brenspeed. I think at this point I'm heading toward trying to get the most I can out of it N/A. I know it won't compare to a supercharger, but that's for another project, another day.

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

 

I am hoping to have a Saleen supercharger in 2 years to combat this problem. If I start saving now (I put $40 in my dresser yesterday) I should be there in a couple years. Might sound like a long time, but 3 kids and a full time mom on one income makes things take time.

Oh but how sweet it will be!

 

4.10's and a Whipple pretty much solved my feeling of no torque. I came from a cammed 350ci motor before my mustang, and the feeling of torque was much greater on that then the stock mustangs we have. 4.10's get into the upper RPM quicker, and the whipple gave me power all the way around. I'll probably be stepping the gears down sometime later, for traction.

you should be fine, RPM wise on the freeway even up to 4.10 gears. With 4.10 gears you'll cruise somewhere around 75-80mph at 3000rpm, depending on your tires.

 

t/s s/c

 

Gears will definently help with that low down feeling. I'd get some 4:10's if I was you.

 

More gear won't change your fuel economy much, if any. I have 4.10's in my 07 GT and I get about 15 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, which is as good - or better - than the EPA rates my car (with 3.31 gearing!). My car turns 2100 rpm's at 60 mph and just 2800 rpm's at 80 mph with the factory tires. Modern overdrives work wonders to keep rpm's in check in top gear.

4.10's are a great way to launch hard. Gearing is a torque multiplier, by definition, and a good substitute for cubic inches.

 

I have never had a Brenspeed tune but I do have tunes from Modular Depot and Bamachips and I can tell you that the Bamachips Racetune completely changes the feel of the car. The canned SCT tune and MD tune felt pretty much like stock at less than full throttle. The Bama Race tune is a whole different animal. Throttle response is instantaneous and the car is much more fun to drive. I don't know if the car would actually be faster in a foot to the floor drag race but in part throttle, normal driving conditions the Bama Race tune is noticeably quicker.

 

In theory, maybe not. But in practice, I would have to disagree. I think it usually gets a few MPG lower, at least when you jump to something like 4.10 or higher. It did on mine, and on others I've talked with. My opinion, is that it's a bit harder to drive with a light foot when your gear is so much steeper, so more gas gets 'wasted' on harder acceleration than you would normally do. As well as obvious faster spinning motor on the freeway.

 

long tube headers should help some??

 

I had the 4.10's installed in my '07 GT within the first 2 weeks of ownership, so I don't have any mpg figures for the stock 3.31's, but the car easily achieves the EPA's estimates even with the 4.10 gears so I trust I haven't lost much (if any) economy with the new gears.

For a real life example with numbers, I look to my last Mustang. With my '03 Mach 1, I religiously tracked every tank of gas for mpg. When I switched from the factory 3.55 gears to 4.30 gears, I lost about 0.5 mpg on the highway, and nothing in town. The in town numbers likely didn't change as less throttle is required to get the car accelerating due to the higher torque multiplication from the steeper gears. On the freeway, I lost virtually nothing (0.5 may as well be zero as far as I'm concerned).

Modern overdrive gearing keeps the revs relatively low even with steep gears unlike older cars without overdrive. For example, my '68 Pontiac GTO went from 10 mpg highway with 3.90 gears to 14 mpg highway with 2.56 gears, showing a very drastic change in economy (40% improvement) in a non-overdrive car musclecar. While the change in the modern overdrive cars is just a couple percent, worst case scenario. That couple of percent may not be an issue for the average enthusiast, but it's just enough to prevent Ford from doing 4.10's from the factory due to CAFE restrictions.

 

I appreciate all the input. DId some research myself as well, and I've decided that 4.10s will help satisfy my needs (at least for now ).

There are many opinions out there about our engines, including the idea that starting in 07 Ford decided to put the 3.31s in as stock to help avoid the gas guzzler tax. As for tunes, some say that the only true way to get your tune is to have it done on your car, at a shop, since all cars are unique. That's not to suggest that the custom tunes are not providing us with the addition HP/Torgue we desire, but that tweaking your specific car by monitoring the fine tuning is the ultimate way to go.

OK, so with that out of the way, I've got my appointment to have my 4.10s put in on friday!!!! UDPs ordered today, so it should be a very nice weekend Just hope it warms up abit, was about 10 degrees this morning...

 

I love my 4.10's and I am using Bama 93 octane torq tune. If I want to spin them, I put it in second and drop the hammer. Actually for 1st gear, 4.10's are about all you can do. I might consider after having them to have done 3.73's.

My MPG is still around 25 mpg going 65mph. I have not noticed a problem other than buying the 93 octane.

 

I guess it's different from case to case, depending on how you drive

 

I had a few Buick GS cars back in the day with 455's in them...man was that fun. My buddy had an Olds Cutlass..1973..with a 1970 Olds 455 out of a 98...he only put on a holley intake,headers,carb and slicks at track...car would pull left front tire and ran consistent 12.70's...I miss them big blocks!

 

Yep. You are correct that you may be more inclinded to get worse fuel economy with 4.10's, as the temptation to mash the throttle with the new found torque multiplication is always there. However, driven regularly, the city mpg shouldn't change with steep gears. Highway economy changes just negligibly, but the tiny loss in economy on the highway is more than compensated by the extra driving pleasure of the 4.10's.

 

They're in!!!!! Got them installed today,m and couldn;t be happier. Had about an hour drive to/from the shop, so I got a chance to see how the rev changed cruising the parkway. I was at around 2800 in 5th doing about 75-80, so no complaints! Definately worth doing, and the sluggishness isn;t as noticible since I'm getting through the lower RPMs faster

 

Glad you got the gears in and are happy with them. I have never read a post where someone was not "happy" going with 4.10 gears, and only gripe was spinning in first, and second, and third, ha! If you can call that a complaint.

I'm pretty happy with my setup. Twin Screw KB gives me all the torque I need, enough to bounce off the rev limiter in a heartbeat in first if I don't watch it. And the taller tires and 3.55 gives me the equal of 3.37 gears, which nets 25mpg on the highway with low/mid 2k rpms.