From http://www.turbotbird.com
(they have install and tech articles explaining each
procedure)
Stage 1 - Modifications for more horsepower
These are essential modifications that should be performed
first and foremost when trying to increase the horsepower
output. This article is a "what to do", not a "how to do".
How to can be found elsewhere on this site or in the
product instructions. The first things that can/should be
done are as follows and we recommend you do them in the
order presented and will explain why as we go. A good
tune-up, using the correct Ford parts is a prerequisite.
See other articles for tune up details.
K&N Air Filter:
First get rid of the stock air filter box and tubing from
the fender well to the VAM (vane air meter, which sits
under the air box and is connected to it by tubing from the
bottom of the box. Save these pieces for other use or in
case you want to revert to original equipment. Replace the
filter with a 6" cone filter from K&N part # RE-0930,
available from many parts stores, beware of cheap
imitations). Why: The stock air box and related plumbing is
very restrictive and convoluted. Horsepower is all about
getting air and fuel in and out of the engine. The stock
air box is the first bottleneck in the system. You can
locate the K&N right on the end of the vane air meter
or plumb it out to cold air in front of the radiator
support wall or into the fender well. See the "Cold Air
Induction Install" article in the Technical articles
Section for more information. The benefit of this, For
about $50 you will gain an estimated 6- 10 HP. It will be
very noticeable when driving. It may increase your boost by
1 to 2 psi with no other changes. Note, a stock replacement
filter from K & N is also available as a drop-in for
the stock air box. This will be a slight improvement,
though not as significant as the removing the air box and
replacing with the cone. See K & N’s application page
for part numbers. (http://www.knfilters.com/appinq.htm)
Ric Gillis Adjustable Boost Control Valve:
Next Modification is adding an after market boost control
valve. It is relatively easy to do and can be accomplished
in about an hour with a minimum of tools. Why: Each psi of
boost is worth 6-10 HP. The factory system limits the
amount of boost the car will produce and on some limits
full boost until high in the rpm range. The after market
boost valve eliminates some of the limiting components,
allowing you to set your desired boost limit and get full
boost much lower in the rpm range. Most valves come with
instructions. Many of us run the Ric Gillis valve
(http://www.boostvalve.com) as it is inexpensive and
reliable. See the vendors links page for more information.
CAUTIONS: For those with pre 87 TC that do not have an
intercooler, we recommend you do not run more than 14 psi
of boost. Higher levels could cause detonation which can
lead to blown head gaskets or worse. Use of premium fuel is
a requirement for raising boost levels on any year TC. For
the 87-88 TC, we recommend you don't exceed 17-18 psi. The
IHI turbo on these cars is a smaller turbo for quick boost
response. Because it is small it runs out of steam at
higher rpms and at higher boost levels it heats up the
compressed air which can lead to detonation. Running boost
levels above 17-18 also probably shortens the life of the
turbo. We also recommend the installation of an after
market boost gauge as the factory ones are not known for
accuracy.
Exhaust System:
The next step is to open up the exhaust system. Changing
the factory 2.5 " down pipe (DP) for an after market 3" DP
is the first step. High flow catalytic converters are
available, if your area requires them. After the down pipe
there are some options. You can run a single 2.5 " or 3"
all the way back or run dual 2.5" back. The single 3 flows
the most followed by 2.5" duals. A single 2.5 is still an
improvement over the factory set up which neck down to less
than 2" behind the muffler's). Advanced Technologies
Research (ATR) makes stainless steel systems for TCs and
SVOs. Some of the after market Mustang systems can be used
although extensions will be needed behind the rear axle.
Mandrel bent tubing is much preferable to crush bent tubing
for smoother flow. Straight through mufflers (Dynomax,
Magnaflow, Walker Turbo) work better on turbos than
chambered mufflers (Flowmaster and others). This is the
most expensive of the early modifications but a very
necessary one in opening up bottlenecks.
Fuel Pump & Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator:
To increase horse power, an engine needs to flow more air
and burn more fuel. The stock fuel pump's were barely
adequate when new and it is thought they lose some capacity
as they age. If your car still has the original pump or a
stock sized replacement, it is not going to be adequate as
you modify the engine. The early cars had a two pump
arrangement, one in the tank and also an inline pump. the
later cars had a single, 88 LPH pump in the tank. We
recommend you use a good brand of aftermarket pump. A lot
of us run Walbro brand pumps. They come in 155, 190, 255
and 255 HP liter per hour capacity. The 190 is good choice
for the above mentioned modifications, but if you are
shooting for big HP and high boost, go straight for the
255HP (high pressure). It is made to deliver volume at high
pressure, a necessity for high boost applications. There
are many places to get fuel pump and Walbro isn't the only
brand. We have found that the place linked below offers
good prices.
http://www.jdsperformance.com/index.asp?initemuid=436&fcmd=item&inmake=all
See the pumps for the 1987 to 1995 Mustangs.
You may also want to consider adding an adjustable fuel
pressure regulator but that certainly is not required at
this stage of the game. The Kirban KIR5005 AFPR for 86-93
Mustangs is a bolt on replacement for the stock FPR.
Other:
The last two we clue you in on are free. We mention them
last for emphasis to the fact that they can cause harm if
you don't know what detonation sounds like. Again we stress
the need for premium fuel. Timing: Running 11-13 degrees of
advance as opposed to the factory recommended 10 degrees is
good for a slight performance increase. Disconnecting the
knock sensor (KS) is also good for a noticeable increase.
The KS tells the EEC to pull out boost and (we think) also
timing and boost when sounds in the frequency range of
detonation occur. It is, however, subject to false alarms.
To avoid this just unplug the KS. But remember the KS is a
safety device. Detonation is hard on any engine but much
more so in a turbocharged engine. If you don't know what a
detonation is and what it sounds like don't do these last
two.