Well, here is my attempt to help my fellow stangers
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Cold Air Intake- Perhaps the best bang for the buck is the Cold Air Intake. Costing around $300 or so for one and getting solid gains of over 20 RWHP. However, the only way to properly utilize a cold air intake and to get that 20 RWHP is to get a tuner (or chip) to recalibrate the engine for the increased air volume. (see following section on tuners below) The 2 most popular and most powerful intakes for the S197 Mustang is the JLT II and the C&L intake with a properly calibrated tuner. With these new cars and all of their electronics you need to recalibrate your tune every time you adjust something to do with fuel or air going in or out of your engine. The install of the tuner itself is very simple, I myself who knew little about cars was able to do it by following these simple steps.
>>>>>>1)Remove the MAF sensor by using a Torx bit screwdriver (a “star” shaped bit that everybody might not have in their toolbox). Remove the stock intake by unscrewing the elbow from the throttle body. Remove the box by unscrewing the bolts from the body. Remove the tube that has the “quick-connects” attaching to the driver’s side of the block.
2)Install new CAI by installing the heat shield, then attach the elbow to the throttle body. Next attach the air filter or “cone” to the elbow which sill reside inside the heat shield. Attach the tube onto the driver’s side of the block where you disconnected the stock tube from. Screw the MAF sensor into the hole inside the elbow.
>>>>>>I daily drive my mustang through rain, sleet, snow, scorching heat, and icy cold and I have never had a problem with my CAI getting wet or anything that would inhibit me from driving because of this mod. It actually also has the nice side effect of making your exhaust tone a little deeper thanks to a greater volume of air entering the engine.
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Tuner- With running the tuner, you have the option of downloading tunes created specifically for 93 octane fuel, that will utilize the higher octane and be able to draw more power out of a tank of 93 (or whatever octane you desire to increase to) through your engine just to make sure that all of the lower octane is gone, purchase the higher octane fuel, upload the tune (which consist of plugging the tuner into the OBD port beneath your steering column and following the directions the tuner gives you which are self explanatory) and driving away with some more power. I highly recommend the the SCT tuner since most aftermarket tuners use this tuner and it will make finding someone to do custom work for your car (should you need it, even easier)
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Axle backs (mufflers)- Let me start off by saying do NOT “waste” your money by purchasing a “cat-back” system for the S197 GT mustang. The stock pipes flow very well and you will end up spending extra money and performing a much more aggravating install then a simple muffler swap for little to no horsepower gains. Now also keep in mind that swapping out the stock mufflers for a set of aftermarket ones is NOT going to net you any gains at all. Maybe a 1-2 HP increase but that’s about it. The stock muffler flow very well, they are just too quiet for most mustang owners so they swap them out to something aftermarket. I have had 3 different axle backs on my GT. The stock ones were far too quiet and the tips looks too small for the exhaust cut outs anyway. The second mufflers I owned were a set of FRPP (Ford Racing Performance Parts) GTA axle backs. I chose these mufflers because they feature a very nice looking 4” tip on each side and they also have NO DRONE as opposed to many other aftermarket mufflers are known to cause. “drone” is basically explained as a loud vibration that is obnoxious and not pleasant to most driver’s ears and frequently a change of rpms is needed to get rid of the noise. “drone” typically occurs between 2,000-2,5000 rpm’s (generally speaking) which ends up being where your engine is at most of the cruising time (generally speaking again), so think hard before choosing a muffler known to cause drone. The 3rd set of mufflers I have owned is a set of Pypes muffler deletes which can be compared to straight pipes basically since there is no real muffler to it at all. It’s a pipe with a tip on the end of it. Now the only reason I went with these is because of the fact that the FRPP GTA’s were not quite “loud” enough for me even though they were 10 times better than the stock mufflers. Now some states have a noise restriction on mufflers so make sure you know what your laws are before purchasing a muffler of similar stature. However, even though they are not 100% legal in the state of NJ, unless you are stepping on the gas very hard, they will not draw unwanted attention (primarily police) if you don’t want to. And driving around at night time in a residential area, just keep your foot lightly on the gas and you’ll do fine.
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Gears- The S197 mustang comes with 3.31’s (3.55’s are an option on the manual and 3.73’s are on the Bullitt mustang but generally speaking, most have 3.31’s) which are capable of getting considerably good mileage on the highway for a 300 horsepower mustang. Now in order to get into the “power-band” faster which occurs typically from 3,000-6,000 RPM’s, using a “shorter” gear can help you achieve it. Going to let’s say a 4.10 gears will cause the car to get into a higher gear at the same speed as a taller gear. For ex a mustang with 3.31’s doing 65MPH will be at 2,000 rpms where as a mustang with 4.10’s at the same 65 mph will be at 2,700 rpms (these are not precise numbers, just an example). So going to a 4.10 gear will give you the feel of more torque but you actually are not gaining any torque, if anything you lose a percent or two. But since you car generates different amounts of power at different RPM’s, if you match the proper gears with the rpm that you are going to be typically driving at, you can utilize the torque more efficiently since you will be closer to peak power. For ex the mustang generates 150 ft/lb’s of torque at 1,500 rpms but it generates 250 ft/lb’s at 3,500 rpms so if the engine is closer to 3,500 rpm’s it will be generating more power and hence go faster.
>>>>>> Gear install is HIGHLY recommended to be installed by a pro and follow their instructions about the proper “break-in” procedure.
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Spark plugs- The stock mustang GT along with a few other fords like the 5.4 block in the F-150 ect come with 2-piece spark plugs. The bottom section has been known to break off and become stuck inside the cylinder head. It is my recommendation that they either be replaced with a 1 piece spark plug, or maintained on a strict regiment to avoid them becoming stuck inside the engine and breaking. If they break inside the engine, it will take a $200 tool, and a ford tech to remove the broken plug so make sure to stay on top of it.
Rims&tires- The front of the S197 should only have a 9 inch wide rim or 9.5 at the most with a tire preferably at 255 width or smaller if you have a smaller rim. Anything wider ends up rubbing the brakes or the inside of the fender and causing damage. *note* that all 2007+ mustang have TPMS sensors installed and if you install an aftermarket set of rims and tires without them you are going to have the warning light beep at you telling you that your psi is too low in your tires so buy new bands and either reuse or buy an additional set of sensors to mount inside of your new rims and tires if you plan on having a summer and winter set. A simple transition tool can be used to switch the sensors that are linked to the car.
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Strut tower braces (STB)- Now there are several Strut tower braces out on the market for the S197 mustang. I personally have the Steeda STB and I love the styling that it gives the engine bay, and that’s why I purchased it. The S197 chassis, even the convertible like mine is extremely stiff, actually its 100% stiffer than the New edge mustang from the previous generation and there is no noticeable difference with the addition of the STB. So if you are going to buy one, buy it for aesthetics, not functionality. As for the clearance issue there are several factors to consider, first off with regard to the Plenum cover and clearance. I have the Steeda one like I mentioned before which is able to “clear the factory plenum” according to all websites, well it didn’t. I ended up having to place washers between the bolts on the towers and the STB in order to give it the slightest amount of clearance but enough so that it clears the plenum cover. The Agent 47 STB which is the highest clearance bar that will still fit under the stock hood, will not clear your positive displacement superchargers such as Whipple, Kenne Bell ect.
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Rear Lower Control Arms (LCA’s)- Now from the factory the stock GT suspension is very solid feeling to most owners and feels very comfortable at high speeds to many people. One of the weak points in the suspension is the rear lower control arms, which is an important factor in “wheel hop”/traction with taking off. Purchasing one of the many control arms that are offered for the S197 can reduce “wheel hop” (which is when your tires shake up and down while trying to hook up to the pavement) and increase your traction. It’s also one of the few suspension mods that are easily visible if you look between the front of the rear wheel and the rear of the door area.
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Twin-Screw positive displacement superchargers- Whipple, Roush TVS 2300, Kenne Bell, E-force, Saleen and Techno are most of this style of supercharger that is offered for the S197 GT 3V 4.6 engine. The twin screw design allows for lots of low end torque and off the line performance. It gives you that “push” into the back of your seat as soon as you stomp on the gas. It replaces the intake manifold with itself and sits right on top of the engine which makes it popular for “looking cool” to most.
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Centrifugal Superchargers- Vortech, Paxton, Procharger are most of this style of supercharger that is offered for the S197, V6 and GT models. They are generally speaking less expensive than the other style superchargers which makes them the least expensive power adder when comparing different superchargers and turbos. They make their power at higher RPM’s unlike the other style superchargers which is good for certain applications. Its also easier to retain driveability since full boost only will hit at a higher RPM which is easier to avoid then other superchargers. The centrifugal style superchargers mount in the air intake’s flow and in the S197 its generally behind the pax side headlight/foglight region. They all come with custom air intakes since it takes the location of the stock airbox unlike the roots and twin-screw style superchargers.
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Roots superchargers- Eaton, (Manacharger is a roots/hybrid design) and Roush along with others are among the Roots style superchargers. They have very few moving parts which help to make them more reliable than other superchargers but they generate incredibly high amounts of heat and often require intercoolers. Like twin-screw designs they offer great off the line performance. They also mount on top of the engine block itself.
*disclaimer*
>>>>>>>>now i am no expert by any means but i am writing this in the hopes to educate some newcomers to the modding world. If i am incorrect about something please feel free to PM me and i will make the appropriate changes. Enjoy the info everyone
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Tips for new S197 modders
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i don't know much about nitrous so i didn't put down any information on it. i'd rather not mention it then give someone false information. but from what i do know about it, its not my power adder of choice should i get a power adder. It has its advantages, but its just not me
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