S197 4.6 3V GT Bolt-Ons HP/TQ Gains
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(manual
transmission) |
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Mods |
WHP |
WTQ |
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Stock 2005 GT |
264 |
285 |
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Stock 2006-2009 GT |
271 |
289 |
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Stock 2010 GT |
279 |
296 |
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CAI & Tune |
289 |
303 |
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UDPs |
298 |
311 |
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CMDPs |
304 |
320 |
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Ford Performance X-pipe/Stock Cats |
306 |
324 |
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Off-road X-pipe |
312 |
327 |
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3/4 Length LT Headers |
320 |
333 |
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Full Length LT Headers |
321 |
338 |
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Hot Rod NSR Cams |
342 |
335 |
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Mutha Thumpr NSR Cams |
352 |
334 |
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Stage 1 Heads |
366 |
345 |
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Stage 3 Heads |
381 |
348 |
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SPR 127500 Cams |
384 |
354 |
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Intake manifold (HCI) |
394 |
349 |
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302ci Stroker & HCI |
413 |
359 |
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323ci Stroker & HCI |
426 |
384 |
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CAI & Tune |
+25 |
+18 |
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UD Pulleys |
+9 |
+8 |
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CMDPs |
+6 |
+9 |
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62mm Throttle Body |
+3 |
+1 |
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Electric Water Pump |
+7 |
+3 |
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EWP & underdrive crank pulley |
+12 |
+9 |
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3/4 Length Headers/Off-road X-pipe |
+16 |
+13 |
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Full Length Headers/Off-road X-pipe |
+17 |
+18 |
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Mid Length Shorty Headers |
+6 |
+3 |
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Shorty Headers |
+3 |
+2 |
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Catted X-pipe |
+3 |
+5 |
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Off-road X-pipe |
+8 |
+7 |
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Axleback Mufflers |
0 |
0 |
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Fox Lake Stage 3 Heads |
+26 |
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FRPP Hot Rod NSR Cams |
+21 |
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Detroit Rocker NSR Cams |
+23 |
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Mutha Thumpr NSR Cams |
+30 |
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NSR 127050 Cams |
+16 |
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VSR 127100 Cams |
+18 |
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NSR 127200 Cams |
+22 |
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VSR 127300 Cams |
+27 |
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SPR 127400 Cams |
+31 |
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SPR 127500 Cams |
+37 |
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SPR 127600 Cams |
+42 |
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FRPP Intake Manifold |
+13 |
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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.
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.
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.
