Air & Fuel
Exhaust Exterior Trim
Suspension & Steering
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| Air & Fuel Drivetrain Electrical (Ignition/Electronics) Engine Exhaust
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BASIC ENGINE ADJUSTMENTS Throttle Position Sensor Adjustment (Green and Black Wires) To maintain optimum performance of your 5.0 L checkthe setting of the throttle position (located onthetop of the throttle body). Accurate adjustmentwill provide smooth idle and good acceleration.Usinga digitalvolt meter or a multi-meter with the ignition keyin the "on" position; but with the engine off, voltage should read between .997-999; 1.1 to 1.25 for supercharged cars. Adjust (elongate the slots if necessary) the sensor to obtain proper setting by loosening the mounting screws and moving the sensor side to side. Ignition Timing Most 5.0 Mustangs are delivered from the factorywith the ignition timing set from 4-6° BTDC (Before Top Dead Center). Stock is 10°. With premium fuel, start at 13°-14°. If you have no detonation, increase upward. Timing is free horsepower and will run better up to 19°-21° of timing. Camshaft Installation When installing a flat tappet cam (non-roller) it is important to install new tappets or lifters, valve springs and retainers. When installing a roller cam, '85 and up H.O. blocks, you don't have to change the lifters until 40,000 miles unless the lifters show wear. Also, if your motor has high mileage or if you are changing to a cam with very high lift, change your valve springs.
We suggest changing the fluid in a T-5 transmission at least every 10,000 miles, more often if the car is driven hard. It requires less than 3 quarts of Dextron-Mercon automotive transmission fluid - nothing else can be used. You can use synthetic Dextron-Mercon. Cylinder Head Torque When tightening head bolts, torque the upper bolts (near the intake manifold) to 80 ft-lbs and the lower bolts near the exhaust manifolds to 72 ft-lbs. When you tighten the intake manifold, this tends to generate a lot of upward pressure on the heads. The additional tightening of the upper bolts compensates for the upward pressure. Be sure to coat head bolts or studs with non-synthetic oil before installation. Roller Rockers The selection of rocker arms will be dictated by the type of camshaft and heads. Any 5.0 worth its weight should use roller rockers. Stock rockers are adequate at best. They are designed as 1.60 but seldom are. Stock rockers vary in ratio from 1.45 to 1.66 and flex too much. When installing roller rockers, be sure to remove the valve cover baffle on the right hand side of the valve cover. And shim the rocker arms if necessary. Silencer Removal One of the easiest modifications you can make on an '86-93 5.0 Mustang is to remove the air cleaner silencer as soon as you get it. The air silencer is located behind the right hand side fender. Removal allows increased air flow to the engine. Also, install a K&N air filter as it will be the last filter you buy and will increase performance. Keeping Cool A cooler engine produces more power. The stock 5.0 Mustang thermostat is rated at 192° which is fine for most. Installing a 180° thermostat will cause the engine to run slightly richer thus producing more power. Don't install a thermostat cooler than 180° or remove it altogether. This will prevent the engine from reaching proper operating temperature and performance will suffer. Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulators Fuel starvation with modified 5.0 Mustangs is a common problem. By installing an adjustable fuel pressure regulator you'll be able to increase pressure from the 38-39 lbs factory setting up to 55 lbs (if needed). Fuel System One of the most commonly overlooked upgrades is the fuel pump. When changing intakes, heads or injectors, depending on modifications, the pump will need to be changed to a 110 lph or 155 lph. If you use a supercharger or nitrous, a 155 lph pump minimum will be required. Depending on boost levels or nitrous levels, a 190 lph pump may be required. When upgrading the pump, it's recommended to change the regulator to an adjustable type with a gauge so exact fuel pressure can be set and monitored. Exhaust Improvements One of the most restrictive elements of a stock 5.0 Mustang is the factory exhaust system. With all the dimples and bends in the factory headers and pipes, unnecessary back pressure is created in the exhaust system. Installing headers and a performance exhaust system will not only make your Mustang sound better but the performance gains are quite noticeable. Ignition When supercharging your mustang, it is necessary to upgrade your ignition system. With the high boost levels, a stock coil cannot keep up with the requirements to properly fire the increased mixture. A MSD multiple spark box will be required along with a high performance coil (like a Motorsport or MSD). If you have a lot of modifications (cam, heads, intake, injectors, and NOS or a supercharger) the addition of the Motorsport RPM extender can increase the power output dramatically by increasing air/fuel ratio and RPM limit. (back to top) SUSPENSION IMPROVEMENTS Dieting Time Mustangs are very weight conscious! Removing any unnecessary weight will only help performance. Hint: Try removing the insulation under the carpeting in the hatch area on hatchback models. This is usually about 15-20 lbs. Strut Removal When removing stock McPherson struts make sure you have the proper "slotted socket" to hold the upper shaft in position. It's available through Craftsman and other leading tool manufacturers. Front Suspension Alignment Most Mustangs are delivered from the factory with the camber set at 0° or slightly negative. Ideal setting is -3/4° to -1° for aggressive street driving. This will reduce the "feathering" effect commonly seen on the outside edge of the tires while improving handling through corners. Lowered Mustangs Many Mustang owners like to lower their Mustang for improved handling and appearance. As with anything, there is a right way and a wrong way. Cutting the stock springs will certainly lower the car but handling will suffer. We suggest installing aftermarket springs made specifically for this purpose. Several varieties are available and directly replace the stock springs. Lowering a Mustang more than 1 1/2" lower than stock is not recommended without major suspension modifications. The stock suspension geometry is not designed to operate at that level. Chassis Stiffening If you drive your Mustang on a regular basis, consider installing subframe connectors. Not only will they stiffen the chassis (reducing body flex), but our subframe connectors support the floor pan at the seat mounting area which has been know to stretch and tear over time. Our strut tower brace and lower chassis will reduce flex and stiffen the front suspension (keeping the front end tighter during cornering). (back to top) DRIVETRAIN IMPROVEMENTS Hurst Shifters Installing a Hurst shifter is the best preventive maintenance you can perform on a T-5 transmission. The adjustable positive stops prevent over-shifting and bending the shift forks. When installing a Hurst shifter be sure to properly adjust the positive stops. Incorrect adjustment will result in the transmission "popping" out of gear or bent shift forks. (back to top) STEERED STRAIGHT Increasing steering accuracy is easy on lowered Fox Mustangs with a simple bushing change (Taken from June 1993 Super Ford article by Earl Davis) What is bump steer and where does it come from? Bump steer is not the name of a new carnival ride although it could describe the way some people drive. Bump steer is the term used to describe the steering misalignment or geometric inaccuracies resulting from suspension travel. Okay, so that doesn't exactly make the concept of bump steer clarion clear in your mind. Think of it this way. Bump steer is any unwanted toeing in or out of the front wheels as the suspension is compressed or extended. It is caused by the geometry or relationship, between the steering linkage (rack, tie-rod ends) and the suspension (especially the steering knuckle, upright or whatever you want to call the piece where the tie rod end attaches to the suspension). If the steering and suspension move in different arcs (and they always do, somewhat), then the distance between the center of the steering system and the suspension will vary. That forces the wheel to toe in out as the steering alternately "lengthens" or "shortens." Then the car does not steer accurately during cornering. Lowered cars usually suffer from increased bump steer because the suspension geometry has been changed where the rack has been lowered in relation to the centerline of the spindle. To help remedy this problem we offer off-set rack bushings for '79-93 models or the 1990-93 tie-rod ends for 1979-89 models. Either solution works equally well by itself but not together. (back to top) REPLACING INSTRUMENT BEZELS To remove the dash cluster on a 1968 Mustang, remove the bezel screws and then the speedometer cable. On some years, you may need to drop the steering column and remove the wiring. (back to top)
(back to top) DECAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
LARGE DECAL APPLICATION For large decal application, hold the decal in position and stick the top or one side in place. Then using the sharp edge of a credit card working your way from top to bottom with firm pressure to prevent any air bubbles. To apply extra large decals we recommend getting someone to hold the decal in position while the other person rubs it in place. If you are uncomfortable with the process you may consider professional installation at your local sign shop. (back to top) MACH 1 SPOILER INSTALLATION Click here for full instructions (with photos) on how to install a front spoiler on your Mach 1! (back to top) EMBLEM INSTALLATION Most aftermarket or original emblems usually have the prongs on the back along with an adhesive backing. In most cases if your car does not have existing provisions for this you can use a razor or Dremel tool to remove these prongs and use the adhesive backing for installation. (back to top) 1979-2010 SUBFRAME CONNECTOR INSTALLATION
(back to top) DOUBLE CROSS SUBFRAME CONNECTORS
(back to top) CALCULATORS/DECODERS Axle ratio/Tire size calculator Speedometer error calculator VIN calculator VIN Dataplate decoder Tire size calculator GEAR INFO What you will want to do is count the teeth on your drive gear, wrap a string around your new tires to figure out the revolutions per mile. Now multiply the drive gear (x) rear gear (x) tire revolutions per mile. Divide that number by 1000 and that will give you your approx. driven gear teeth needed. Example: drive gear teeth = 7 rear axle ratio = 3.73 tire rev. per mile = 815 7 x 3.73 x 815 / 1000 = 21.3 (21 tooth gear needed) (back to top) 8-TRACK AUDIO REPAIR http://www.8trackheaven.com/repair.html http://www.enhancedaudio.com/8track.htm (back to top) CONVERTIBLE TOP INSTALLATION (83-90) Old top removal:
New top installation:
(back to top) 4.6L TECH TIPS
(back to top) UNDERLAYMENT INSTALLATION Through customer responses we have found, it is best that the sandy side is down to the floor pan. This is because the sandy side offers more of a solid bond if you are working with adhesive. The grainy texture helps to provide a better seal to the flat smooth floor pan. (back to top) |