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S197 4.6 3V GT Bolt-Ons HP/TQ Gains

 

 

     (manual transmission)

 

Mods

WHP

WTQ

 

 

 

 

 

Stock 2005 GT

264

285

 

 

Stock 2006-2009 GT

271

289

 

 

Stock 2010 GT

279

296

 

 

CAI & Tune

289

303

 

 

UDPs

298

311

 

 

CMDPs

304

320

 

 

Ford Performance X-pipe/Stock Cats

306

324

 

 

Off-road X-pipe

312

327

 

 

3/4 Length LT Headers

320

333

 

 

Full Length LT Headers

321

338

 

 

Hot Rod NSR Cams

342

335

 

 

Mutha Thumpr NSR Cams

352

334

 

 

Stage 1 Heads

366

345

 

 

Stage 3 Heads

381

348

 

 

SPR 127500 Cams

384

354

 

 

Intake manifold (HCI)

394

349

 

 

302ci Stroker & HCI

413

359

 

 

323ci Stroker & HCI

426

384

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAI & Tune

+25

+18

 

 

UD Pulleys

+9

+8

 

 

CMDPs

+6

+9

 

 

62mm Throttle Body

+3

+1

 

 

Electric Water Pump

+7

+3

 

 

EWP & underdrive crank pulley

+12

+9

 

 

3/4 Length Headers/Off-road X-pipe

+16

+13

 

 

Full Length Headers/Off-road X-pipe

+17

+18

 

 

Mid Length Shorty Headers

+6

+3

 

 

Shorty Headers

+3

+2

 

 

Catted X-pipe

+3

+5

 

 

Off-road X-pipe

+8

+7

 

 

Axleback Mufflers

0

0

 

 

Fox Lake Stage 3 Heads

+26

 

 

 

FRPP Hot Rod NSR Cams

+21

 

 

 

Detroit Rocker NSR Cams

+23

 

 

 

Mutha Thumpr NSR Cams

+30

 

 

 

NSR 127050 Cams

+16

 

 

 

VSR 127100 Cams

+18

 

 

 

NSR 127200 Cams

+22

 

 

 

VSR 127300 Cams

+27

 

 

 

SPR 127400 Cams

+31

 

 

 

SPR 127500 Cams

+37

 

 

 

SPR 127600 Cams

+42

 

 

 

FRPP Intake Manifold

+13

 

 

 

 

What's Hot: Tune, CAI, CMDPs, UDPs, Off-Road Midpipe, Ported Stock Throttle Body

Debatable: LT Headers, Mid-Length Shorty Headers, EWP, Camshafts

What's Not: Shorty Headers, Catted Midpipe, Axleback Mufflers, FRPP Intake Manifold, 62mm Throttle Body, CNC Ported Heads, 302ci Stroker Kit

Bolt-On Performance Upgrades For A N/A 4.6L Modular 3V Engine.

CAI & tuner combo: Cost $580-700. Gain ~18-25rwhp or ~$23-39 per HP.

Installation time 30 minutes (DIY).

The JLT series 3 and Airaid MXP cold air intakes with an SCT tuner are the best of the bunch. Don't bother with any of the "no tune required" intakes. Most of the HP & TQ gains from a CAI/tuner combo are from the tune since the 2005-2009 GT's factory ECU is conservatively programmed to allow the engine to run on 87 octane gasoline. A 93 octane performance tune alone elevates the 4.6L 3V to ~284rwhp (326hp at crank) and produces significant HP & TQ gains across the whole rpm range. A larger diameter CAI doesn't produce much of a HP/TQ gain on its own but the increased airflow will support higher HP levels as you add further upgrades.

Steeda CMDPs: Cost $280. Gain ~6rwhp or ~$47 per HP (free if DIY conversion performed instead).

Installation time 1.5 hours. DIY possible.

Converting your stock CMCVs into delete plates would allow you to save the $280 towards other upgrades. Best done at the same time as CAI since a custom tune is required.

UDPs: Cost $250. Gain ~9rwhp or ~$28 per HP.

Installation time 1.5 hours. DIY possible.

Great bang for the buck with bonus of improved gas mileage.

Meziere electric water pump: Cost $420. Gain ~7rwhp or ~$60 per HP.

Installation time 1 hour. DIY possible.

Replacing the belt-driven mechanical water pump with an electric unit reduces parasitic engine HP loss. If installed together with an underdrive crank pulley, a shorter drivebelt is required and the combined gain is ~12rwhp.

Full-length headers/offroad X-pipe: Cost $1320. Gain ~17rwhp or ~$78 per HP.

Installation time 6 hours. DIY possible with car on a lift.

Note: Pypes 3/4 length headers cost a total of just $750 so assuming a 16rwhp gain, that's a much better ~$47 per HP. However off-road midpipes are no longer available so if a catted midpipe is installed instead, the peak-to-peak gain is reduced to ~14rwhp.

Shorty headers: Cost $220-760. Gain ~3rwhp or ~$70-250 per HP.

Installation time 6 hours. DIY possible with car on a lift.

Don’t bother. Some shorty headers e.g. Ford Racing, Pypes, MAC, and Bassani are little more than tubular versions of stock streamlined exhaust manifolds.

Mid-length shorty headers: Cost $350-450. Gain ~4rwhp (BBK) & ~6rwhp (JBA) or ~$75-87 per HP.

Installation time 6 hours. DIY possible with car on a lift.

Described as shorties because they can be used with the stock midpipe, but are functionally mid-length headers with unequal length primaries (JBA 10.0-21.0", BBK 8.5-26.5").
Peak 5-7rwhp gain with a useful gain of 6rwtq from 1300-2900rpm. Worth a look if long tube headers aren't street legal in your state, but only if you're going to install them yourself to save the labor cost.

Standard length catted X-pipe: Cost $380-660. Gain ~3rwhp or ~$127-220 per HP.

Installation time 2 hours. DIY possible with car on a lift.

Don’t bother unless the stock cats need to be replaced.

Standard length offroad X-pipe: Cost $230-350. Gain ~8rwhp or ~$29-44 per HP.

Installation time 2 hours. DIY possible with car on a lift.

No longer available as mandated by the EPA. In states where deleting the cats is illegal, the Ford Performance cut/clamp X-pipe (standard fitting on 2007 Shelby GT) is a low cost alternative that preserves the stock cats and still yields a useful 3rwhp and 5rwtq gain.

Axleback mufflers: Cost $250-720. Gain 0rwhp.

A mod purely for the sound.

Dual 62mm throttle body: Cost $280-600. Gain ~3rwhp or ~$93-200 per HP.

Installation time 30 minutes (DIY).

Don’t bother unless upgrading the heads/cams/intake manifold (HCI) at the same time. The stock dual 55mm throttle body already flows a generous 953cfm @ 28" H20 depression, and a dual 62mm throttle body flowing 1306cfm @ 28" H20 depression is overkill on an engine that's either stock or only has mild bolt-on upgrades.
Instead you could port the stock throttle body to streamline the airflow path. This increases airflow velocity, sharpens throttle response, and is free.

CNC ported cylinder heads: Cost $1800-3400 (including $100 head changing kit). Gain ~14rwhp (stage 1) and ~26rwhp (stage 3) or ~$130 per HP.

Installation time 8 hours. DIY installation possible but shop installation recommended.

Stage 1: No loss of torque at lower rpm, HP gains from 3200rpm to redline, suitable for street use.

Stage 2: Same as stage 1 but with upgraded valve springs.

Stage 3: Slight loss of torque below 4700rpm, HP gains from 4800rpm to redline, most suitable for racing applications.

The stock heads flow 225-235cfm (intake) & 150-160cfm (exhaust) @ 0.500" valve lift and are excellent for street use, with performance only dropping off at 6500+rpm. If you need to remove your stock heads for any reason, you could use the opportunity to port them yourself and achieve a good result.

Performance camshafts: Cost $1040 (including valve spring compressor, timing chain wedge, phaser bolts & cam lube) for NSR cams. Gain ~16-30rwhp or ~$35-65 per HP.

Installation time 4 hours NSR cams. DIY installation possible with recommended tools.

Installation time 6 hours VSR & 7 hours SPR cams. DIY installation possible with recommended tools.

The stock cams and VCT programming are already optimized to produce maximum TQ from idle to 4400rpm. Aftermarket performance cams shift the HP & TQ peaks higher up the rpm scale, resulting in a loss of TQ below ~4400rpm with HP gains thereafter to the rev limiter; varies depending on cam specs & tune. The cam that offers the best HP/TQ gains above 4400rpm with the smallest torque loss below that is the CompCams SPR stage 1 (CCA-127400) due to its combination of relatively short duration and high valve lift.

NSR cams most inexpensive but restricted to 6800rpm redline with stock valve springs. VSR cams more costly due to need to upgrade valve springs (total cost $1340 or ~$50-74 per HP), and SPR cams also require cam phaser limiters (total cost $1540). However SPR cams also represent the best value for money at ~$37-50 per HP.

Aftermarket performance cams require 3.73 or higher ratio axle gears to optimize performance, so add the purchase cost of a ring & pinion gear set with install kit (~$270) plus installation time (4 hours) when considering a cam swap. The combined cost of the most popular NSR cam swaps (Hot Rod & Detroit Rocker) plus a 4.10 ratio axle gear swap is $1310 (parts only) or $57-62 per HP.

The stock cams are excellent for street use, with performance only dropping off at 6200+rpm. 

Ford Performance intake manifold: Cost $610. Gain ~13whp over stock manifold with CMDPs or ~$47 per HP.

Installation time 2 hours. DIY possible.

Loss of up to 14rwtq between 3300-5100rpm, flattening the first 4300rpm torque peak of the stock intake manifold but preserving the second peak at 5100rpm.

HP gains from 5100rpm to redline so most appropriate for racing applications.

Best done at the same time as CNC ported heads, performance cams, and twin 62mm throttle body as a complete package so that the redline can be extended to 7400rpm.

The stock intake manifold with CMDPs flows 250-260cfm per runner @ 28" H20 depression and is excellent for street use, with performance only dropping off at 6300+rpm. 

302ci Stroker Kit: Cost $2300.

Includes a forged crankshaft, connecting rods, and pistons for a bulletproof short block engine. However it's only worthwhile if forced induction is going to be added at a later stage. A high volume oil pump with billet gears and a higher capacity road/race oil pan (further $800) are also recommended for high rpm reliability.

Pistons with 6cc dish used for a N/A stroker set-up.

Pistons with a deeper dish for a lower compression ratio required in forced induction applications. 


Reduction of Parasitic Drivetrain HP/TQ losses

The drivetrain loss through the S197 rear wheel drive platform and TR3650 5-speed manual transmission is ~13% at maximum HP and 12% at maximum TQ (stock 50lb wheel/tire combination), which means that 87% of the engine's HP and 88% of the engine's TQ output reaches the rear wheels. Lighter weight drivetrain components will reduce rotational inertia and increase rear wheel HP/TQ outputs:

Aluminum Flywheel:

The stock nodular iron flywheel that's bolted to the rear of the crankshaft weighs a hefty 22lb and, with a moment of inertia that's 5.1" from the center, requires 9.3lbft of the engine's torque output to rotate it. A 12lb aluminum racing flywheel is 10lb lighter and only requires 5.1lbft of the engine's torque output to rotate it, thus allowing an extra 4.2lbft to reach the rear wheels. The lighter flywheel also quickens throttle response and allows the engine to accelerate/decelerate faster, making it easier to upshift and downshift when racing on a circuit. Since it requires more torque to break traction with a clutch dump, initial acceleration may be slightly reduced with the same throttle opening until the engine gains momentum. Therefore the clutch is often dumped at higher rpm to prevent the engine from bogging at launch, making a lightweight flywheel unsuitable on a heavier vehicle.

Aluminum Driveshaft:

The stock two-piece steel driveshaft weighs a hefty 37lb and, with a moment of inertia that's 2.0" from the center, requires 6.2lbft of the engine's torque output to rotate it. The 3.5" Driveshaft Shop aluminum driveshaft is a whopping 19lb lighter and, with a moment of inertia that's 1.75" from the center, only requires 2.6lbft of the engine's torque output to rotate it, thus allowing an extra 3.6lbft to reach the rear wheels.

Lightweight Wheels:

Reducing wheel weight by 10lb on each axleshaft increases rear wheel torque output by 8.8lbft.

Lightweight Rear Brake Rotors:

Reducing rear brake rotor weight increases rear wheel torque output by 0.35lbft per lb saved on each axleshaft.

Performance Stages

Stage 1: CAI/tuner combination, CMDPs (DIY), UDPs, 305rwhp. Parts cost ~$850 for ~34rwhp gain (~$25 per HP).
Stage 2: LT headers/midpipe, 320rwhp. Parts cost ~$750 for ~16rwhp gain (~$47 per HP).
Stage 3: NSR camshafts, higher ratio rear axle gears, 340-345rwhp. Parts cost ~$1300 for ~23rwhp gain (~$57 per HP).
Stage 4: Intake manifold, 62mm TB, 355-360rwhp. Parts cost ~$1200 for ~14rwhp gain (~$86 per HP).
Stage 5: SPR camshafts, cam phaser limiters, CNC ported heads, 39lb injectors, 390-395rwhp. Parts cost ~$4000 for ~36rwhp gain (~$111 per HP).
Stage 6: 302ci stroker kit, high volume oil pump with billet oil pump gears, road/race oil pan, 410-415rwhp. Parts cost ~$3100 for ~20rwhp gain (~$155 per HP).

Parts costs can vary and change at any time, while labor costs for installation and tuning will vary widely depending on location. Any ancillary parts required to complete their installation (e.g. gaskets, seals, fasteners, fluids) will add to the cost, while installing two or more stages at the same time (especially stages 3, 5 & 6 which involve internal engine modifications) and doing the work yourself will substantially reduce the cost. Therefore it pays to plan ahead!

Summary

The best bang per buck bolt-on upgrades with the lowest installation costs are stage 1 plus a Ford Performance cut n' clamp X-pipe and ported stock throttle body for an easy ~310rwhp.

If you're going to add headers, go for long tubes but even the cheaper stainless steel ones e.g. Pypes, JBA become costly unless you install them yourself. LT headers plus the stage 1 upgrades will raise the HP output to ~320rwhp (stage 2).

Adding a 62mm TB, Meziere EWP, 12lb aluminum flywheel, and a 3.5" aluminum driveshaft will have an '05-'10 Mustang GT with stock HCI maxed out at 335rwhp 348rwtq (376hp 386lbft at crank).

A top end package of CNC ported heads/SPR cams/cam phaser limiters/FRPP intake manifold/62mm TB, plus a set of rear axle gears with install kit, costs a total of ~$6500 (stages 3, 4 & 5). Adding the cost of the previously-installed stage 1 & 2 upgrades brings the total parts cost required to get ~390rwhp from a N/A 4.6 3V engine running on pump gasoline up to ~$8100. A ~390rwhp stage 5 set-up is less street-friendly than a ~320rwhp stage 2 set-up, producing less torque up to 4500rpm, but the rev-limiter can be raised from 6500rpm to 7400rpm to extend the rpm range for racing applications.

An '05-'10 Mustang GT with stage 5 upgrades could break through the 400rwhp barrier if it's fitted with an EWP/aluminum flywheel/aluminum driveshaft or converted to run on E85 fuel. Alternatively, N/A diehards aiming at 400+rwhp could increase the engine displacement to 302ci with a stroker kit, but that (plus the recommended oiling system upgrades) would escalate the total parts cost to ~$11200. All for "only" ~410rwhp & ~360rwtq. For much less effort and expense, forced induction on a basically stock 4.6 engine could easily yield 480rwhp & 460rwtq (limit of stock connecting rods), with a whopping 140lbft more tire-shredding torque at 2500rpm than a N/A 302ci HCI stroker and more civilized street manners to boot.
 

If you want the engine to remain N/A for street performance, retain the stock heads plus the stock intake manifold with delete plates, and either retain the stock cams or upgrade to NSR cams (no valve spring upgrade required). A combination of CAI/CMDPs/UDPs/LT headers/midpipe/Thumpr NSR cams/tune will yield ~350rwhp (~400hp crank) and the rev limiter can be set at 6800rpm (limit of stock valve springs). You can install higher ratio rear axle gears (4.10 optimal) to exploit the higher rpm potential. Anything beyond performance stage 3 simply isn't cost effective, and even stage 3 is debatable given the torque loss below 5000rpm. Maximum HP & TQ would be close to the outputs of a stock '11-'12 Mustang 5.0L Coyote engine at a parts cost of just ~$2900 compared to the $10000+ parts cost of a Coyote swap.

The other option is forced induction in which case the only basic bolt-ons you’d need to enhance performance are CMDPs/LT headers/midpipe for a centrifugal supercharger, LT headers/midpipe alone for a positive displacement supercharger with integral intake manifold, and CMDPs/UDPs/mid-length shorty headers for a turbo.

These articles provide interesting reading:

Induction

Cold Air Intake Comparisons: Cold Score - An in-depth comparison of 11 cold-air intakes for the '05 Mustang GT

Installing Cold-Air Intake System - Size Matters - S197 Bolt-Ons

How to Install the Granatelli Cold Air Induction System - ’05-’10 Induction Upgrades

2010 Ford Mustang GT Cold Air Intake - '10 Mustang GT CAI

2010 Ford Mustang GT Cold-Air-Induction - 2010 GT CAI

S197 Mustang Intake Bolt-Ons - Fast And Easy

Installing CMRC Delete Kit - Clearing The Air - PHP's CMRC Delete Kit

Exhaust

'05 Mustang Exhaust Shootout, Part 1, Axlebacks

'05 Mustang Exhaust Shootout, Part 2, Catted Midpipes

'05 Mustang Exhaust Shootout, Part 3, Shorty Headers

Installing Bolt-On Exhaust System - Pocketful Of Bolt-Ons

'05-'10 Mustang BBK Tuned Length Shorty Headers - Install & Dyno Test

Installing JBA Long-Tube Headers - Long In The Tube

Bolt-On Packages

DiabloSports Predator – Handheld Horsepower

Mustang Bolt-Ons

S197 Mustang Bolt-Ons - The Power Of Three

S197 Bolt-On Enhancements - Three Squeeze - S197 Bolt-Ons

S197 Mustang GT Bolt-Ons - Key Changes

Granatelli Motor Sports Intake and Exhaust Upgrades

2006 Ford Mustang GT - Bolt-On Parts Installation

2010 Ford Mustang GT Bolt-Ons - Three On Three

2010 Mustang GT Bolt-On Buildup - Turning Wrenches

S197 Mustang GT Drag Pack - Throwback Pack

12s Or Bust - Bolt Ons Help Your S197 Go Deep 12s

2005 Ford Mustang GT - First in the 12's

Brenspeed High Mile Mustang Episode 1

Brenspeed High Mile Mustang Episode 2

Brenspeed High Mile Mustang Episode 3

Beyond Basic Bolt-Ons

Porting Stock Cylinder Heads

Cylinder Head Porting - Triple Threat - Ported Three Valve Heads

Ported Three-Valve 4.6 Cylinder Heads - Three's Company

Ford Racing Performance Parts Three Valve Cylinder Heads - Tri-Power

2010 Ford Mustang GT Billet Camshaft Swap

Ford Mustang Comp Cams - Three-Valve Thump - Tech

C&L Performance Three-Valve Intake Manifold Upgrade

Ford Racing Three Valve Intake Manifold Testing

Three-Valve Intake Manifold Dyno Test - Three's A Crowd

Heads, Cams

Blow By Racing Ford Mustang Ported Heads and Camshaft - Three-Valve Velocity

S197 Mustang Heads And Cams - CNC For Three

Heads, Cams, Intake Manifold

2005 Ford Mustang Head Cams Intake Install - Triple Play

3V Modular Head, Cam, Intake Install - New Life

Three Valve Head Cam Intake Package - Trey Cool

Stroker

Comp Cams Xtreme Energy XE253H Three-Valve Cam Test

C&L Performance Three Valve Intake Manifold Engine

C&L Performance's New Three-Valve Intake Manifold - Expand The Limits

Anderson Ford Motorsport Three-Valve Cam Install - Three-Valve Thrills