Looking To Get To About 400hp

[Sparky714]

New member here and looking for some input. I bought an '89 hatchback a while back and have been having a lot of fun with it. Car is mildly modded and I've done quite a bit of upgrades to it myself. I would like to get to about 400hp eventually. The car is just a weekend cruiser I like to take out and have some fun with.

As it sits these are the current mods: B303 cam, Y303 aluminum heads, 65mm throttle body, T5 trans.(being rebuilt or replaced this winter),adjustable fuel pressure regulator, 30lb injectors, 3.73 rear end, sub frame connectors, aluminum radiator and contour electric fan, off road h pipe with warlock drag mufflers, all new brakes, 130amp alternator upgrade, SC wheels with 245/45/17's up front and 275/40/17's in back and more that I'm forgetting.

My question is, what is the best way to get to my goal? I'm thinking supercharger but being in the middle of North Dakota, dyno's and tuners are not easy to find. So I'm open to suggestions.

 

[stykthyn]

Vortech will be your best friend. @84Ttop could probably give you more details.

 

[A5literMan]

Like already stated a blower would be the best option IMO. Will probably need to tweak a few things like the fuel/MAF system. Will need at least a 255 pump(340lph is ideal),some 42#inj w/matching MAF sensor(pro-m). But other than that the blower kit is straight forward. Nick (84TTop) can probably mail you a chip that will get you up and running. Oh and welcome to Stangnet and post some pics of your car! We love pictures!!

 

[mikestang63]

Vortech S trim
60 # injectors
75mm Throttle Body
80 vMMPRO M MAF or a LMAF
Tune

 

[GroverDill]

I dont see the need for 60's

42's will support 500 rwhp, which is more than the block will take ( for long anyway )

I would also look into a slot maf

 

[Sparky714]

Ok, so I'm on the right track then. The problem that I run into is with the tune. There is only one dyno anywhere close to me and from what I've heard, I'm not taking my car to him. The other closest option is to haul it to a tuner in Minnesota. So can a chip be burned that would give me a safe tune so the blower could be installed and driven without putting it on a dyno? Don't know if I want to haul it to another state since it's just a weekend cruiser.

 

[A5literMan]

Nice car. And yes you can get a tuned chip sent to you. It just has to be a reputable person doing the tune. Would it be absolutely perfect? Maybe maybe not. It can be done "safely" though. Your purposed combo of parts have been done 1000's of times by most good tuners.

 

[kchaser]

^ what he said. And put a AFR gauge on it so you know if its good.


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[Sparky714]

Excellent! That's what I was hoping to hear. I know it may not be perfect, but if it gets me real close without destroying an engine I would be good with it. Transmission needs a little TLC and I'm going to start shopping for a supercharger

 

[a91what]

Go ahead and expect the t5 to fail... if you rebuild consider a g-force or astro gear set for them they will handle serious abuse. Or pony up for a tremec

 

[kchaser]

I'm at 420hp (dyno not guessing)at the rear with a t5. 2-3 nights at the track a yr and abused anytime it leaves the shop. The t5 will be fine with street tires....


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[Sparky714]

The T5 will be staying. Car will very seldom if ever see a track. I'm going to open it up and inspect it, if gears look good it will probably just get a rebuild. If not I'll look into a new z-spec or astro maybe. I would like the 2.95 first gear though.

 

[stykthyn]

I've killed t5s in the driveway on street tires. Sure they last if you baby them. Wot shifts where you never lift throttle on a stock engine breaks them pretty quick. If you drive like a blue hair I'm sure you can make it last.

 

[A5literMan]

I've killed t5s in the driveway on street tires. Sure they last if you baby them. Wot shifts where you never lift throttle on a stock engine breaks them pretty quick. If you drive like a blue hair I'm sure you can make it last.

X3 as in this is the 3rd time I've rebuilt/replaced broken t5's at well under 400hp. Just saying...(but I'm doing it again myself lol)

 

[stykthyn]

I know it's Apple's to oranges but when the day comes my tired t5 won't hold itself together anymore I'm going 6spd.

 

[Sparky714]

Haha, well I'm not a blue hair, although it is pretty gray . My first two foxbodies were an '87 GT that I totaled and a'90 notch that I beat on pretty hard and was my daily driver for 8 years. Both bought brand new. Got rid of the '90 with almost 160k on it and never touched the tranny. I'm quite a bit older and hopefully a little wiser since those days so I'll take my chances with the T5. I don't have to depend on it to get me to work every day anymore, so if it goes out it's not a huge deal either.

 

[kchaser]

Ive killed a $5000+ dynamic C4 in my 70 stang backing out of the garage, sometimes things break. But My 93 is a Low 12 Sec car (when I kick my wife out of the seat since it's her car) at 9500' DA and its Not driven like a blue hair. Just got to know how to shift them and they will last. The later t5 can handle 400hp.


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[Boosted92LX]

Ive killed a $5000+ dynamic C4 in my 70 stang backing out of the garage, sometimes things break. But My 93 is a Low 12 Sec car (when I kick my wife out of the seat since it's her car) at 9500' DA and its Not driven like a blue hair. Just got to know how to shift them and they will last. The later t5 can handle 400hp.


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Hi. Welcome to Stangnet!

The great T5 debacle.. it's been common knowledge for 20 years that the T5 was a weak design. The case and shafts are weak allowing the shafts to push away from each other (deflection) under heavy load or shock loading. This in turn causes the famous 3rd gear crunch resulting in massive failure. It's pretty common knowledge around the fox crowd, and also the reason numerous companies offer upgrade parts for this transmission. The statement that the latter T5, called the world class T5 by Ford, or simply w/c.. can handle 400 hp is false. Any stock T5 with that kind of hp in front of it is on borrowed time. It's owner just may not know it. Yet.

 

[stykthyn]

Hi. Welcome to Stangnet!

The great T5 debacle.. it's been common knowledge for 20 years that the T5 was a weak design. The case and shafts are weak allowing the shafts to push away from each other (deflection) under heavy load or shock loading. This in turn causes the famous 3rd gear crunch resulting in massive failure. It's pretty common knowledge around the fox crowd, and also the reason numerous companies offer upgrade parts for this transmission. The statement that the latter T5, called the world class T5 by Ford, or simply w/c.. can handle 400 hp is false. Any stock T5 with that kind of hp in front of it is on borrowed time. It's owner just may not know it. Yet.

You're overthinking this

 

[Sparky714]

I appreciate all the comments,. I'm aware of the T5 debate, but there are thousands of T5's out there in mildly modified cars living long and happy lives. With a little common sense and just some occasional spirited driving I'm not too worried about it holding up for my purposes. If I was going to be hammering on it at the track every weekend, I would definitely look into something more heavy duty. I also have to justify the expense to my wife, and if she's not happy nobody's happy