Are aftermarket heads a "waste" with stock cam?

[ill advised]

I'm very close to buying an Aod 5.0 coupe I've been looking at and have been wondering about this. Although the car is going to be my daily driver I can never leave well enough alone. I'm keeping the hatch (see sig) so I have no reason/need to go all-out with this car. I do want to put it well past a stock aod 5.0 though...especially up top. My initial plans are: catback (less noise as possible), shift kit, gear, and I still have my brand new ProForm fan and 3g alternator I never installed on the hatch.

I thought about nitrous or small a-trim level s/c but I seriously doubt that'll happen.

So how 'bout it? BTW, no I will not be converting this car to 5-speed. That would go against the very reason I'm buying this car.

 

[89MustangGX]

Nope, not at all. The stock cam is actually pretty good. There are a LOT of fast cars out there with stock cams in them.

 

[90mustangGT]

The stock cam isn't a bad cam, as 89MustangGX stated. It won't be optimal, but it will still run well, with stock drivability.

 

[Michael Yount]

I agree with the other posters - aftermarket and heads and stock cam can be quite effective; but I'd add a set of rear gears to your mod list for the aod; 3.73's or 4.10's will wake things up quite nicely.

 

[NKau]

Yeah, from my understanding between the stock heads, intake, and cam, the cam is the one part Ford got right on the 5.0 HO engine. They are the last thing that really have to be changed, but are usually swapped out when you go with new heads.

 

[NKau]

Oh, and as far as aftermarket heads being a "waste" when being used with a stock cam; it all depends. You won't be giving up much if you are just putting on some GT40P's and keep the stock cam. If you go with a set of AFR's, Edelbrock's, Trick Flow's, or other more serious heads, then you will definitely be giving up a little by not switching to a different cam.

 

[ill advised]

Thanks for the input guys.

NKau - The GT40p are kind of what I had in mind. Although I would love to get a new set of Edelbrocks.

 

[BadAOD]

I agree! Stock cam is decent. A whole lot of work for a little return on a near stock engine. That said... I would probably not put a stock cam back into an engine if I had it out.

Rick

 

[TrophyHead]

I'd get some 1.7 roller rockers with the stock cam. The promblem with the 5.0 motor is the heads and lower intake which TMOSS could port for you pretty cheaply.

 

[ill advised]

Funny you should mention ported stockers 'cause I just remembered that I still have my stock heads and manifold sitting in my mother's garage. HMMMMM

 

[TrophyHead]

Funny you should mention ported stockers 'cause I just remembered that I still have my stock heads and manifold sitting in my mother's garage. HMMMMM

There ya go Thumper ported heads and Tmoss ported lower, I've heard this will get you in the 12's with gears and some traction. It'll be cheap as hell too. Get roller rockers on the stock cam (at least I would).

 

[wildstang347]

the gt40p head is still pretty reasonabley priced and you can still send them 2 thumper and end up with a set of heads that will flow damn close in comparison to a set of higher quality heads after he reworks them.

 

[stangbear427]

What everybody else said. The stock cam isn't a bad grind. There are ways you can alter the cam profile without swapping the cam too- the aforementioned roller rockers. However, there is one more step you can take that hasn't been mentioned. You can get two sets of RR's, and split them for optimal performance with the stock cam. Get one set of 1.6, and the other of 1.7 or 1.72. Put the 1.6's on the exhaust, and use the bigger ones on the intake side. Like everyone said, the problem witth the 5.0 is not enough air can get in. 1.7 RR's on only your intake valves will hold them open longer than the 1.6's are holding the exhaust open, allowing more air in. With better flowing heads and intake, 1.72's would even be advantageous on the intake valves. In the long run, this will give your stock bumpstick the performance of a mild alphabet cam (a stronger intake duration profile), but it's way cheaper/less time consuming than changing your cam out. It's particularly good when you have plus-sized your whole exhaust (1&5/8" headers and 2&1/2" h-pipe and catback) because most people who do that on a stock 5.0 notice a loss in low end torque because now there isn't as much backpressure as Ford intended that engine to run with. I would never recommend a split set of RR's on anything but a stock cam! But it will really get the most out of your stock profile. Good luck!

 

[ill advised]

Thanks stangbear. Right now I'm planning on keeping the stock h-pipe (what I really want is a catted 2 1/4" aftermarket h-pipe) while adding a catback and my FMS shorties that I still have sitting around. I like the rocker arm idea. Never thought/heard of that but it makes sense.

 

[stangbear427]

How much better it is is debatable- but it will get the very most out of our stock cam that it has to offer. The theory is sound, but it's kindof a engine builders nitpicky kind of thing. Still easier then a cam swap!

 

[90mustangGT]

There are classes of racing where you can't change the cam, and people are cutting some nice times and making a lot of power with the stock cam, but they can alter it to a point which brings me to the next idea...
Since it is probally original, and due anyways, do some tuning, and do a new timing chain, and get an adjustable one and try moving it around. Advancing helps bottom end and retarding helps top end. My B cam is advanced 2*, I don't have the low end problems many do with the B cam.

I also have an idea, how about a really mild cam, such as those "emmisions friendly" kinds, as step above stock but not enough to give up any drivability. Cam's don't cost that much.

I did the cam only a few months ago, I was running the stock cam on 1.7's, giving it about .480 lift.

 

[Michael Yount]

illadvised - making a wise cam choice is the most difficult and misunderstood step of putting together a solid combo -- especially for a street car. Consequently, it's an area where mistakes are made all the time - mainly because folks just don't have a solid understanding of how the cam does what it does. Be certain you understand the implications of altering the valve event timing before you change anything. Here are a couple of links that will help with that. Open all the tabs, and read it all. If you take your time, you'll come away with a better foundation for cam selection than most people have. I often think that most simply guess at an off the shelf choice based on advice like "dude, my girlfriend's brother's cousin had a cam sort of like that in his car, not the one he's driving now, but 2 before that, I think, and it sounded really sweet".

http://www.wighat.com/fcr3/

http://www.newcovenant.com/speedcrafter/Engine/Cam/default.asp

 

[Stump1000]

Micheal Yount, thats funny as hell.. the last sentence. But its true. You live in Knoxville? Have you ever run your Volvo at Englishmountain? anyways
You'll still pickup a lot of power from some aftermarket heads with the stock cam. Real Street uses stock cams and some of them have gone 9's. They are using power adders ofcourse.

 

[LXSTASY]

subscribing

 

[Michael Yount]

Haven't had the car on the strip - no desire on my part; just my daily driver. I'm content to watch others - Volvo voyeur. My bag is road course. Where's Englishmountain? Haven't been - is it in Newport? I was at 411 dragstrip today watching the spring fever take over.