Ok....so let me preface this question. The parts are ordered and the car goes into the shop in a few days. The car is less than a month old and its time to start modding it up. I havent even driven my car yet, test drove one before heading to Afghanistan. Typically I'll do all the work on my cars, but wanted to come home to my new car with the basic performance stuff completed. Ive got less than 50 days here, then its home to beat on the new ride.

Here is what is on the docket for now...

-Kooks LTs w/ highflow catted x-pipe
-Bassani Axelbacks
-Airraid intake
-Custom Dyno tune @ Big Daddy Perf/Outrageous Mustangs

OK so here goes....

What kind of benefit am I going to see with a dyno tune vs a off-the-shelft tune with these mods? Also, what kind of numbers you think I'll be looking at?

Im getting a good deal on the whole thing--family has been working with the guys at the shop for years, so price wasnt an issue. But im interested to get everyones thoughts on this topic.

 

Hey what's up brother I'm stations @ ft Jackson I just order a Jon lund 93 cammed tund. Long story short put it on the dyno and it wasn't good running lean lines were way off.. prodyno fixed it for me.... so I would def recommend a dyno tune just to be safe. With all of your mods you should have no problem pushing 440-450 HP good luck get the hell out of that **** hole my old company is their 1-24 inf

 

1. Go with a dyno tune. Much more safe and you can expect better gains because it's completly custom.

2. With those mods and a dyno tune, I'd expect 425-435RWHP. Not a bad thing to come home to.

3. Stay safe man. I'm enlisting again here pretty soon.

 

sweet deal. As noted, dyno tune is on the way! Looking forward to getting home to it in a couple months.

Good luck to both of you guys--if you are both serving Im sure you'll be back over here again soon...I know i will be. Maybe I'll see you guys out there

 

Personally, unless you're going with a Supercharger, I wouldn't bother with LT Headers. Going with an O/R X-Pipe will net you more gains and be much cheaper. The headers have a horrible $$ to gains ration on the new 5.0's IMHO. I'd rather save that thousand dollars towards F/I. If you plan on going turbo, you would HAVE to use the stock headers anyway. The stock shorty headers are the best headers Ford has ever put on a car. They are very efficient at scavenging the exhaust gases.

Also, I would have ZERO issues with using an email tune from a reputable online tuning outfit. Unless you have a Dyno tuner with EXTENSIVE, real world experience tuning the 5.0L engine, and I mean a brick and mortar outfit with a national reputation, then you could be setting yourself up for a #8 piston failure. The very large majority of the dyno tuners out there have no clue what adding timing to WOT or leaning out the fuel will do to these engines. And if they disable the knock sensors, you will for sure have some bad issues. I'd go as far to say that if the dyno shop you're planning on using doesn't have it's own 5.0L Mustang as a shop race car, I wouldn't even consider using them.

By all means though, get an email tune and then have it checked on a dyno. I'm running a Jon Lund tune and the dyno shows a perfectly safe tune. I also have a Bama tune that is perfectly safe. BBR's tune was also very good.

This BS that a dyno tune is the only way to go is just that, BS. This engine is too highly advanced for a run of the mill dyno shop to properly tune. The only time I would advise using a dyno shop is when/if you go F/I. And even then, I'd have Jon Lund do it remotely with that shop.

Now if you live near a shop with a national rep for tuning these engines, by all means, hit them up for a tune.

 

I agree with this. My post above does say go with the dyno tune BUT I agree that you should only go to a place that has extensive knowledge of the new 5.0 motor. If there's not a shop near by then yes, email tunes are the way to go. Like he said, Jon Lund, Bama or BBR would be my choices.

 

gents--thanks much for the input. I really appreciate it.

My family is tight with Dwayne over at BDP--he is a mustang expert and has been working on them forever. Ive trusted him with 2 mustangs in the past and have had nothing but fantastic service and performance.Anyone from the central jersey area--if you need a good shop check him out.

Dont think im blowing you guys off, I do appreciate the feedback. BUT like i said, ive got a long history with these guys, and they have consistantly impressed me!

 

It's all good man. Thanks for listening to us. Good luck with everything and let us know how it turns out for you.

 

I am really interested in this thread! I had the same ?'s, didn't think to ask it.

 

That's cool. Just go in with the knowledge to check up on them. Ask what timing they will run at WOT. Anything more than 25°, tell them to make 24° the target at WOT. No more than 12.3 AFR and DO NOT disable the knock sensors. Armed with that information, you can ensure your tuner is well informed and your car is safe. If they will tune the 5.0L as if it has a couple pounds of boost, you'll get great performance and a safe tune.

When a shop wants to get aggressive so they can show off some higher HP/TQ #'s on a 5.0L Mustang is where your wallet and their tuning will split ways. It has been amazing to me how many times I've heard your exact story over the years, then that person goes to their trusted, "Expert" tuner and they have a blown engine 1500 miles later and the shop claims no responsibility even though their tune obviously caused the failure. I saw too many SVO's with blown engines due to people thinking they knew tuning. Just a friendly heads up, brother.

 

I recommend the LTs but the stainless works over the kooks I'm going full bolt on and custom dyno tune. Have a buddy thats full bolt on and CDT and he put down 476whp so if u plan on doing more mods definitely go LT's. IMO this is the best way to go!

 

Quality and larger primaries son!

 

How big are the collectors on those?

 

3" dia slip fit collectors and merge spike for better unrestricted flow!

 

UPDATE!

Got a call from my brother who picked the car up for me. 442rwhp, he said he'll email me the dyno sheets this weekend from the before and after....but Im definately happy if the numbers are in that ballpark. I'll upload the sheets and video once i get them!

Also--he said it "sounds like a ****ing ferrari, low deep rumble below 3k but screams at higher rpms!"

 

Awesome! Can't wait to finish my work so I can't see the results! Glad too see u got the numbers u were looking for

 

dyno results
considering i wasnt there and still stuck in afghanland, im not sure if run 1 was bone stock or what. Regardless, im happy with the final numbers!

 

Sweet!

 

Can't wait to hear how much fun you're having with when you get home.

Thanks for your service to our nation.

 

That's awesome!!! 442rwhp and 413rwtq!!. I hope I get those numbers with the long tubes n steeda intake.