| Quick and Easy 5.0 Modifications / Upgrades |
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- Bumping the base timing to around 14 degrees BTDC and running premium gas is probably the easiest way to gain a little performance. All you need to do is FIRST fill the tank with premium and warm up the engine to normal operating temperature. Next pull the inline spout connector which is a small gray plug located near the test port on the firewall of the passenger side engine compartment. I have found it is easier to adjust the timing with the fan and fan shroud removed, but removing them can be tough to, and you have to watch the engine temp. Do not drive the car or let it idle to long without the fan and shroud installed. Next, with the car running, and a timing light attached, check the base timing. Should be 10 degrees BTDC. Loosen the distributor with a distributor wrench and turn the distributor until you have 14 degrees. If the timing mark is hard to read, you can mark it on the harmonic balancer with white out or whatever is easiest for you to see. If you bump the timing, you must use premium gas, and if you experience any pinging or detonation, back down the timing until you don?t have any. Also, it is not a bad idea to do a tune up with upgraded parts before this procedure. I use MSD wires, and Ford Motorsport are also very good wires. The FMS distributor cap and rotor is also a good set. I like to use Platinum plugs because they last very long. Copper plugs will provide a better spark, however they do not last as long. Choice is yours. Another option for boosting the timing is to use an MSD timing adjuster or similar. It has a knob that can be mounted inside the car. That way you can adjust the timing on the fly and choose to run regular or premium whenever you want to. The part number for cars with a MSD 5,6,7,8 or1o series ignition?MSD-8680.
For cars with TFI?MSD-8682
- It is a very good idea to remove the intake silencer if you are interested in better performance, sound and gas mileage. The intake silencer in the 93 and earlier cars is a large box below the filter box, in the fender well and it is very restrictive. It?s only purpose is to quiet down the incoming air noise. To remove it, unbolt the three bolts at the bottom of the filter box. Then jack up the passenger?s side of the car, and then remove the front wheel and the front part of the fender well liner. The box will be right there, just pull it out, button everything up and you are good to go.
- Another cheap and easy modification is to use a 70mm MAF from a 4.6l. The 4.6l T-Bird and Cougar MAFs are a direct replacement, and can be found cheap at a local wrecking yard. The stock 55mm MAF is very restrictive, and should be upgraded. You can use a Vortech or C&L housing, but they are much more costly than the factory bird/cat piece and will not gain all that much more performance on a stock motor. Basically, you just have to mount the 70mm MAF on your air box and swap the sensor from the 55mm MAF onto the 70mm(may not be necessary to swap sensors with 94-95 MAFs), hook up the existing intake tube and make sure all connections are tight. A 70mm MAF from a 4.6l Crown Victoria/Grand Marquee/Town Car can also be used, but it is a little more work. I used this MAF because it has the same bolt pattern as the LMAF and I am planning on upgrading to that when an injector upgrade is needed. This will facilitate fabricating a cold air induction system that will also work with the LMAF. To use this MAF, an adapter must be bought or fabricated. I used a piece of flat PVC and STY 3?pipe connector. The ID of the pipe connector is @3.25?, making it perfect for the 70mm MAF. First, I traced the outside dimensions of the face of the MAF onto the PVC, then cut it out. Next, cut the pipe connector in half, just to one side of the ridge in the middle if present. Make sure the cut end of the tube is flat and smooth. Next, a stencil must be made with paper of the face of the MAF. Use this stencil to mark the adapter plate for cutting out the opening in the middle and the four boltholes. Drill out the boltholes and cut out the opening in the PVC. Next is the mounting of the tube to the plate. I just butt glued the tube right up to the plate and used a dremel to smooth the opening. In retrospect this was not the best way. The better way is to open up the hole in the flat piece to fit the tube inside, and then glue it, but either way will work. I used Christy?s Red Hot Blue Glue. It was recommended to me as being the strongest glue there is for PVC. I tried another type of chemical bonding agent, but it was not nearly strong enough. My adapter is strong enough that I could not pull it apart. Caution: the Blue Glue melts the PVC and sets up in less than a minute, making it critical that you get everything together the way you want it right away. After it is all glued up, let it sit overnight to cure. Then bolt it up to the MAF with four ??/20 bolts, nuts and lock washers (on the MAF side) and you are ready to assemble the MAF onto your filter (I am using a K&N cone) or air box.
- An MSD ignition is a good way to upgrade the stock ignition system, but you really won?t see much of an improvement in HP, maybe 5HP at most and slightly better gas mileage. It basically will make the engine run better, especially if the timing is boosted or you have other modifications. Any will work, but the 6a or higher is a better piece. Let your requirements decide which will suit you best.
- Roller rockers offer reduced reciprocating mass, less friction, and if they are 1.7 ratio or higher, increased cam lift/duration. This is not as easy as boosting the timing, or swapping the MAF, but if you for some reason have the valve covers off, that is a good time to do this modification. Like the add says, an 8-10 HP increase, however it does raise your power band RPM, so on a stock motor they may not be beneficial.
JDG
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