Introduction to Turbocharging in Ford-Small Block Engines

In the interest of practicality, we’ll discuss supercharging via a turbocharger compared to a centrifugal supercharger, such as the familiar Paxton or Vortech belt-driven blowers. Rather than being driven with a belt off the crankshaft, a turbocharger’s impeller is mounted on a common shaft with a turbine wheel, which is spun by the exhaust gas. Turbos are similar in appearance to a centrifugal supercharger but very different in operation. The turbine wheel must deal with unbelievable temperatures and insane rotational speeds (RPM) even under normal operating conditions.

 

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The efficiency advantages of turbocharging are many, but the biggest is the fact that a turbocharger is almost completely divorced from the engine’s overall functionality until it begins producing boost. That fact alone has made the turbocharger the darling of the something-for-nothing set.

Without getting into the ugly calculations required to quantify these powerful little dynamos, the basic difference between your average turbocharger and a centrifugal supercharger is low RPM engine performance. With a crankshaftdriven centrifugal impeller, boost is proportional to RPM. Turbocharger design mandates that exhaust gas volume and flow must be at or above a certain energy level to efficiently drive its turbine wheel before the turbo’s compressor will reach a speed sufficient to boost intake tract pressure.

 

 

This is very different from the beltdriven supercharger, where the impeller speed is governed entirely by engine RPM and the under/overdrive pulley ratio. With a properly engineered turbocharging system, there’s a more flexible relationship between the exhaust energy of the engine and how fast the impeller spins.

The fact that airflow through the two wheels occurs in opposite directions is another fundamental difference between impellers and turbines. The airflow through an impeller begins near its center and exits the circumference. In the case of the turbine wheel, the exhaust gases first fill a surrounding housing, called a scroll, where they’re directed into a curving volume with a diminishing cross sectional area. This accelerates the gases as they interact with the circumference of the turbine wheel. The exhaust exits through the cavities in the turbine wheel, toward the small area near its center. From there, the exhaust flow remainder of the system is normal. This directional difference between impeller and turbine is responsible for their radically different blade or vane shapes, especially their smaller diameters. A turbine wheel is designed to capture as much gas energy as possible, so these wheels feature a more enclosed appearance. An impeller, on the other hand, must be shaped to provide less restriction and freer flowing.

Driving the impeller with an exhaust turbine is a very effective way to do it. The exhaust gases are full of heat energy, but there are other reasons for the efficiency of the system. The first is the presence of a continuous series of very high-energy impulses resulting from – and timed with – the pressure waves exiting each exhaust valve as the engine operates.

Secondly, the generally high speed of exhaust gases provides the pressure to spin the turbine and put the impeller smack dab in the middle of its sweet spot.

Of course, this all presumes that the exhaust gases are applied to the turbine almost immediately after leaving the combustion chambers, before any diffusion or significant temperature loss can occur. That’s the tough part in designing a turbocharging system. If you’ve studied turbo setups that have made it into the win column of any sanctioning body’s record books, you’ve seen that great pains were taken to present the turbine with as much heat as possible, through as little ducting as possible.

It may look like the shape and routing of the exhaust system were relatively unimportant. However, a closer look will reveal that the temperature of the gases takes priority over a streamlined tubing structure.

Exhaust manifolds for turbocharger installations are often surprisingly compact – at least between the cylinder heads and the turbocharger(s). In fact, some of the best Ford small-block turbo systems involve what appears to be a simple (and often surprisingly narrow) tube-like plenum running along the length of each head, with very short connections running to the exhaust ports. The plenum tube is then routed as directly as possible to connect with a similar collector for the other cylinder head, then pointed straight toward the turbo.

As the engine speed approaches the point where its volumetric efficiency is within about 10 percent of its naturally aspirated maximum, the pulses issuing from the exhaust ports are carrying very high amounts of wave energy and speed, which is what the turbine needs. The turbine wheel responds by stepping up its rotational speed and spins the impeller within its preferred range. That’s the point when you begin to feel the seat-of-the-pants acceleration that is typical of a turbo, and you know you’re in for a great ride.

The time it takes you to get to that sweet spot is called turbo lag. An extremely well matched turbo and engine will have less lag, but it will always be there to some degree. Some of that lag is caused by the need to overcome the inertial mass of the rotor and bring it up to speed. This can be somewhat alleviated by using a smaller-size turbo, perhaps a pair of much smaller turbos, or by making refinements in the exhaust system to intensify the exhaust pulses as much as possible, providing more energy against the turbine wheel.

The last point encompasses the various factors involved in the selection of engine components such as its camshaft(s) and valvetrain components, valve sizes, and port shapes. The actual size or volume of the exhaust system tubing is one of the most crucial decisions to be made, because it must be small enough to avoid diffusing the pulse energy, yet be large enough to accommodate a much higher flow created when your small-block Ford is operating under heavy boost.

Of course, most well-designed street turbocharger systems will also feature a blow-by valve, or wastegate to relieve excess turbo boost, and there isn’t a Ford small-block turbocharger application worth its salt that wouldn’t directly benefit from the introduction of a heat exchanger or intercooler of some type. Obviously, all of the above makes for a tough balancing “act,” and for that reason the street turbocharger industry is more of a “tuner” industry than a commercial bolt-on kit enterprise. Working with a specialist who understands your specific goals is the best approach for most turbocharger enthusiasts.

 

Turbo Kits and Components

The street turbocharger segment of the automotive performance aftermarket is more of a tuner’s niche market than a bolt-on kit market. Just look around and you’ll quickly discover that for every small-block Ford street turbocharger kit available (5.0L, 5.8L, or 4.6L), there are at least a good half-dozen centrifugal, twin-screw, and/or Roots-based street supercharger kits available.

But why is this? We thought that we would ask Full Throttle TV show cohost Eric Kozeluh, who along with twin brother, Marc, operates Twins Turbo, one of the nation’s top small car tuner shops.

“The main reason behind the lack of (although not complete absence of) small-block Ford-based turbo kits is because of the complex nature of the turbocharger versus the easy bolt-on nature of your average street supercharger kit. With a street supercharger you have your headers and you have your exhaust system. All you have to do is bolt one up (supercharger) to your engine, run your oil feed and return lines, and you’re good to go!

“A turbocharger is so much more sophisticated a system than a supercharger. For example, you have to fabricate a new exhaust system and new down pipes. And you have to have a proper set of headers built to support the weight and torque curve generated by the turbocharger or the system may crack, and you’ll lose crucial boost and power.

“With a turbocharger system, you also need to have a wastegate, or blowby valve, and an intercooler, which are both essential components to the operation of any well-engineered turbocharger system. You’ll also have to have the electronics to control the wastegate along with governing fuel and timing control functions. I guess you could say that while the supercharger lends itself to the backyard kind of mechanic, a turbocharger needs to be set up by a competent automotive technician, and be set up properly!”

 

 

 

 

With this in mind, where might budding turbocharger converts go to have a competent turbo specialist install a street turbo system on a 260-302, 351W/351-C, or 4.6/5.4L SOHC or DOHC small-block Ford V-8?

There are a number of top-flight turbo specialty shops located throughout the country. Names that immediately come to mind include Innovative Turbo Systems, Bob Norwood Autocraft, Rusty’s Total Performance, Texas Turbo, Turbo City, and of course, Twins Turbo. You can also go on the Internet and find any number of competent turbo tuners by logging on to www.turbomustangs.com.

However, all of these shops share one thing in common. They all get most of their domestically manufactured turbos from one of three manufacturers.

Garrett Air Research

First you have the Garrett Air Research “GT” Performance Distribution Network, which features a total of five national distributors for Garrett Air Research Turbochargers and Intercooler products. To locate the nearest Garrett GT Turbo retailer and/or a qualified Garrett GT Turbo installer, log on to www.turbobygarrett.com.

Borg Warner/Air Werks

You also have Borg Warner Turbo Systems Air Werks aftermarket turbocharger program, which like Garrett Air Research’s GT Performance Distribution Network, also boasts a complete list of national distributors and dealer/installers. They can be found by logging on to www.turbodriven.com.

Turbonetics/Spearco

Another big player in the street/ strip turbocharger game is Turbonetics Turbochargers/Spearco Intercoolers, which is a division of Kelly Aerospace Company. However, unlike Garrett Air Research and Borg Warner’s Air Werks aftermarket turbo programs, Turbonetics/Spearco not only sells to dealers and turbo specialty installation shops, they also sell direct retail. To learn more about these products, you can log on to www.turboneticsinc.com, or you can call the Turbonetics/Spearco technical hot line at (805) 581-0333.

 

Choosing a Turbo

Of course, there are a myriad of offshore turbocharger manufacturers with products primarily intended for import applications, and while it’s true that some of these turbocharger products may work just fine for your small-block, the reality is you can’t beat the product availability, quality, technical support, and warranty offered by the above domestic turbocharger manufacturers. But how do you select the right size turbocharger to suit your specific application?

Obviously, consulting your local installation shop or turbo specialist is always helpful, but at this juncture, you may have yet to choose one. All three turbocharger manufacturing houses offer their own formulas for choosing the right turbo, ranging from complex algebraic equations to handy bar graphs and charts. We’ll start with the most complicated and simplify as we progress.

 

 

Air Werks by Borg Warner

Borg Warner’s Air Werks Turbo Systems program offers a formula (and man, do we mean formula) to determine both pressure ratio and the airflow ratio in pounds per minute.

Pressure Ratio

Before calculating the compressor pressure ratio, you must decide what the maximum boost pressure will be (e.g., 7 psi). Then follow this formula:

Pressure Ratio/Atmospheric Pressure = Boost Pressure + Atmospheric Pressure

7 psi + 14.7 psi = 21.7 psi 21.7 psi/14.7 = 1.476 Pressure Ratio

So, we need our turbo to be able to produce about a 1.5 pressure ratio. We’ll use this figure in the formula below to find the airflow requirement for our turbo.

Turbocharged Airflow

The following formula is used to calculate the required cfm for 4-cycle engines, which we can then covert to lbs/min. Note! It will be necessary to subtract 0.5 psi from 14.7 psi for each 1,000 feet altitude above sea level to determine approximate atmospheric pressure at those altitudes.

Now let’s work through this step by step. To make things easy, let’s assume we’re talking about a 302. This displacement is divided by 2, (or multiplied by 1 ⁄2) because the cylinders in a four-cycle engine ingest on every other revolution.

302/2 = 151 ci

You multiply that number by the engine’s maximum RPM to get cubic inches of air per minute. Next, you divide this figure by 1,728 to convert cubic inches per minute to cubic feet of air per minute (cfm)

151 ci x 6,000 rpm = 906,000 ci/min / 1,728 ci/cubic feet = 524.3 cfm

However, your average small-block Ford V-8 will only run at 80 percent VE, so you must multiply the cubic feet of air per minute by 0.80.

524.3 cfm x 0.80 = 419.4 cfm

Now you have a figure that represents the naturally aspirated airflow. This figure must be multiplied by the DR rating, or density ratio, to find the turbocharged volume of air. To find the DR, first you must locate the 1.476 pressure ratio (as determined earlier) on the “Pressure Ratio vs. Density Ratio” chart. Now move up to the 70 percent compressor efficiency point, then move left to the DR, which in this case is about 1.25. You would then multiply the DR times the naturally aspirated airflow to arrive at the turbocharged air requirements in cfm.

419.4 cfm x 1.25 = 524.25 cfm

With that accomplished, you can complete the formula by dividing the cfm amount by 14.5 to get the engine lbs/min airflow requirements.

524.25 cfm / 14.5 = 36.1 lbs/min

Using the accompanying compressor map, you can locate the 1.7 pressure ratio line and move across to the 36 lbs/min point. If the point falls between the surge line and choke line, the compressor is a good match. If the lbs/min point falls to the left of the surge line, the compressor could be damaged if used for your application. If the point falls to the right of the choke line, the compressor will be less efficient than desired for your application. As you can see, this compressor is too small for our hypothetical 302.

 

 

Borg Warner Air Werks Turbo Systems manufactures a total of 15 different turbocharger models, 7 in their S-Series, which covers diesel engines with horsepower ranges of 100 to 1,600 hp, and 8 in their K-Series, meant for gasoline engines from 140 to 430 hp. Of course, you could always opt for a pair.

Garrett

Garrett Air Research is renowned as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of turbochargers for both diesel and gasoline engines. Garrett’s line of aftermarket GT Turbochargers is extensive to say the least. Rather than going through complicated mathematical formulas, Garrett has published a handy bar graph that matches turbo size to engine displacement to horsepower rating. By sheer coincidence, Ford small-block V-8 turbo applications fall within the GT40- Series (e.g., GT40, GT40R, GT-42-R, GT-45R) designations, making them quite easy to remember.

Turbo Displacement/hp Range

GT12 .4L-1.2L 50-130 hp

GT15 1.0L-1.6L 100-220 hp

GT20 1.4L-2.0L 140-260 hp

GT22 1.7L-2.2L 160-280 hp

GT25R 1.4L-2.2L 170-250 hp

GT28R 1.6L-2.5L 200-280 hp

GT28RS 1.8L-2.7L 250-320 hp

GT2871R 1.8L-3.0L 300-460 hp

GT3071RWG 1.8L-3.0L 300-460 hp

GT3071R 1.8L-3.0L 300-460 hp

GT30R 2.0L-3.0L 350-500 hp

GT32 2.0L-2.7L 200-420 hp

GT35 2.5L-3.2L 260-510 hp

GT35R 3.0L-4.5L 400-600 hp

GT37 2.8L-3.8L 300-550 hp

GT3782R 3.0L-4.0L 300-550 hp

GT3788R 3.5L-4.8L 400-675 hp

GT40 3.5L-5.0L 370-650 hp

GT40R 2.5L-5.7L 400-700 hp

GT42 4.4L-6.5L 500-1,000 hp

GT42R 4.4L-6.5L 500-1,000 hp

GT45R 4.6L-8.1L 600-1,200 hp

GT60 6.2L-10L 1,450-2,000 hp

 

 

 

Turbonetics/Spearco

Prior to their corporate acquisition and consolidation as divisions of Kelly Aerospace, both Turbonetics and Spearco company’s were founded by ex-racers R. A. “Bob” Keller and George Spears, respectively. Therefore, it makes sense that the turbocharger and intercooler conglomerate take a more hands- on approach when it comes to helping the would-be street turbo buyer/installer select exactly the right turbocharger. Rather than complex formulas or graphs, Turbonetics/Spearco cuts to the chase and offers a special Turbo Application Worksheet/Fax Form. To get your hands on one, just contact Turbonetics/Spearco or pick up a copy of their latest catalog.

Turbonetics/Spearco offers a total of 10 different turbochargers, including their T3 and T4, as well as their T3/T4 Hybrid models. Also available is the 60-Series, 60- 1 and 62-1, along with their TO4B and TO4E Super Series and their T and Super T-Series models. For racing applications, the company also offers the Y2K-Series and Big Thumper Series turbochargers.  

 

Wastegates & Intercoolers

There isn’t a turbocharger system around that doesn’t utilize a wastegate. As boost builds, the pressure in the combustion chambers becomes so phenomenal that at a certain point, it can blow out the spark, or worse, break parts. That’s why you need either a mechanical or electrical wastegate to bleed off excess boost. This also allows you to tune your timing and air/fuel ratio based on a consistent maximum boost level. Various manufacturers like ARC, Mitsubishi, and Spearco manufacture these wastegates, and they are worth their weight in gold.

Since turbocharger systems inevitably add heat to the intake charge, an intercooler is a must-have item with any Ford small-block turbo system. Keeping the intake charge relatively cool helps you tune for maximum power while avoiding detonation. There are two popular types of intercoolers on the market. The first is the more compact, air-to-liquid intercooler that has become popular with Roush, Saleen, and Ford SVT on their Eaton supercharged Mustangs.

The second is the air-to-air design, which is preferred by Ford turbo kit manufacturers like Hellion Power Systems, HP Performance, Pro Turbo, and Turbo Technology, Inc.

One of the drawbacks with liquid-toair intercooler systems is that you need a coolant reservoir. When it comes to popular street applications like the Ford Mustang that does not appear to be a major issue. Some of your more popular intercooler manufacturers include ARC, Forge Motorsport, Hellion Power Systems, Super Chiller, Spearco, and Garrett.

Of course, the actual temperature drop (roughly 40 to 60 percent ambient) with either design largely depends on the amount of boost you’re running and the size of intercooler being used. Quite typically your average streetdriven, single-turbo 5.0L/4.6L Mustang can accept up to a 24 x 6 x 3-inch size intercooler without having to move too much around.

 

The Street Turbo Kit Market

Perhaps the subtitle of this paragraph should have just read, “Mustang Street Turbo Kit Market,” because these days, that’s where all the action is. Just take a look at all of the discussion taking place at www.turbomustangs.com.

I found four (4) companies that are producing 5.0L and/or 4.6L turbo kits for smallblock Ford V-8s. They are detailed below.

 

 

 

Hellion Power Systems

Hellion Power Systems manufactures intercooled single street turbo systems for 5.0L 1987-1993 Mustangs and 4.6L SOHC 1999-2004 Mustangs. The main pieces of the Hellion turbo kits are the Turbonetics 62-Series turbo, a Mitsubishi 12-psi wastegate, and the Hellion Power Systems intercooler. Dyno tests with Hellion’s 4.6L modular-engine kit have produced a best of 430.2 hp at 4,400 rpm and 517 ft-lbs torque at 4,250 rpm.

Hellion Power Systems

2735 Della Road Albuquerque, NM 87105

Phone: (505) 873-4670

Fax: (505) 880-9758

www.hellionpowersystems.com

Email: john@hellionpowersystems.com

HP Performance

HP Performance offers intercooled street turbo kits for all Mustangs from 1979 to 2004. HP’s 5.0L intercooled system, available for 1979 to 1993 and 1994 to 1995 Mustangs, revolves around an in-houseassembled and blueprinted turbocharger essentially built from Garrett components. HP’s base package is capable of producing between 7 and 9 psi, but there are optional turbo upgrades for even more boost.

HP also offers a 7- to 9-psi street setup for both the 4.6L SOHC and DOHC Mustangs (1996-2004) centered on Garrett GT40/42 models. Of course, larger turbos are optional. The company also offers an intercooled 2003-2004 4.6L Cobra street turbo kit that is a direct replacement for the factory Eaton supercharger. None of these kits are listed by part number. You must ask for them by name and/or specific application.

HP Performance

301 E. 4th Street

Roswell, NM 88201

Phone: (505) 623-2555

Fax: (505) 622-1451

www.hpturbos.com

Pro Turbo Kits

Pro Turbo Kits offers a wide variety of 5.0L, 5.8L, and 4.6L intercooled singleturbo kits for street/strip Mustangs. Based around the popular Garrett GT40 turbocharger, Pro Turbo Kits offers the following kits:

1987-1995 5.0L Mustang intercooled single-turbo kit, p/n PTKFS-50

1994-1995 5.0L Mustang intercooled single-turbo kit, p/n PTKFS-95

1987-1995 5.8L/351W Mustang intercooled single-turbo kit, p/n PTKFS-58

1996-2004 4.6L SOHC Mustang GT intercooled single-turbo kit, p/n PTKFS-462V

1996-2004 4.6L DOHC Mustang Cobra intercooled single-turbo kit, p/n PTKFS-464V

1996-2002 4.6L DOHC 1,100HP intercooled single-turbo competition kit, p/n PTKFS-464V-T04 2003-2004 SVT Mustang Cobra intercooled single-turbo conversion kit, p/n PTKFS-46COBRA

Entry level, non-intercooled Cost Saver kits and custom-fabricated twinturbo systems are also available upon request.

Pro Turbo Kits

6630 Topper Run #7

San Antonio, TX 78233

Phone: (210) 657-2706

Fax: (210) 599-4507

www.proturbokits.com

Turbo Technology, Inc.

Turbo Technology is unique in the fact that the company offers intercooled versions of both single (street) and twinturbo (race) kits. Each of these systems is based around the Turbonetics “60-1” Series turbocharger(s). Listed below are actual applications:

1986-1993 5.0L single-turbo intercooled street kit, p/n 508693-S

1986-1993 5.0L twin-turbo intercooled race kit, p/n 508693-R76

1994-1995 5.0L single-turbo intercooled street kit, p/n 5094955-S

1994-1995 5.0L twin-turbo intercooled race kit, p/n R50TT-1

5.0L/5.8L Big Thumper intercooled race kit, 50RTH

2005 4.6L SOHC 3-Valve twin-turbo intercooled street kit, No p/n yet assigned

Turbo Technology, Inc.

6211 S. Adams

Tacoma, WA 98409

Phone: (253) 475-8319

Fax: (253) 474-7413

www.turbotechnologyinc.com

 

THE HELLION MOD-MOTOR TURBO MUSTANG

Hellion Power Systems is already known for their no-nonsense, 100 percent bolt-on turbo kits for the 5.0L 1986 to 1993 Mustang. However, their latest effort, a 4.6L turbo kit for the 1996 to 2004 4.6L SOHC Mustang GT may be their crowning achievement.

Just hours before we met up with Hellion Power Systems’ John Urist at the 2004 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, John and the technicians from Bassani Manufacturing had just completed a prototype system. The system was installed on owner Darryl Bassani’s 2000 4.6L, SOHC-equipped Mustang GT, and it received rave revues at SEMA. But how much power does Hellion Power Systems, 4.6L SOHC Mustang mod motor turbo kit actually make? And just as importantly, how easy is it to install?

Post-SEMA dyno tests conducted at Superior Automotive showed the car made 430.2 hp at 4,400 rpm and 517 ftlbs torque at 4,250 rpm, at 12 psi. Yes, you read it right, 430 hp with a stock 4.6L 2-valve mod motor with safe timing (10-degrees BTDC) and 91 octane!

“We initially wanted to keep this kit simple like our 5.0L pushrod engine turbo kit, but the reality was that with space limitations being what they are with the massive 4.6L mod motors, we really had to get creative with the packaging,” said Urist.

“That required some re-engineering of the SN-95 Mustang front suspension system itself. For example, in order to achieve the necessary clearance needed to route the ducting from exhaust-toturbocharger, from turbocharger-todown-stream exhaust, and from intercooler-to-throttle body, it immediately became obvious that we would first have to replace that bulky factory stamped-steel K-member with something that offered less space restriction. “In its place, we’ve substituted a Granatelli Motor Sports tubular front K-member that also utilizes a set of Granatelli tubular front A-arms, a Granatelli coil-over shock conversion kit, and a set of Granatelli camber/castor plates. Since this is such a critical factor in the installation of our system, we have made all of these components part of our kit. These initial modifications are undoubtedly the most labor-intensive parts of the entire turbo system’s installation. After that, virtually everything else involved is bolt-on.”

Obviously, hardcore mod motor Mustang enthusiasts will immediately pick up on the fact that the Granatelli K-member is considerably lighter than stock. However, that is not the initial intent.
“Functionality (read “more space”) is the prime consideration behind the changeover. In reality, the added weight of the Turbonetics 62-1H turbo and other related components basically offsets any serious weight advantage,” says Urist.

Now let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of the kit.

“Hellion Power Systems’ 4.6L SOHC mod motor turbo kit was designed to utilize the stock OE castiron exhaust manifolds for ease in installation,” says John. “Our kit also features stainless-steel piping (21 ⁄4-inch stainlesssteel crossover, 3-inch stainless-steel turbocharger entry pipe, and 3-inch stainless-steel down pipe), which splits into a pair of 21 ⁄2-inch stainless-steel joiner pipes that can either be hooked up to the factory cat-back system, or run ‘offroad style.’”

Aside from the aforementioned Granatelli suspension, other key components include the (crankcase) oil-fed Turbonetics 62-1-Series Performance Turbocharger and the Hellion Power Systems intercooler and wastegate.

According to Turbonetics factory literature, “the Turbonetics 62-1-Series turbocharger is a premium street/strip turbocharger for the engine builder looking for that extra edge.”

According to John Urist, the 62-1- Series turbo used in their kit was built exclusively for Hellion by Turbonetics, and features a 0.55-ratio polished turbocharger housing and a 0.81-ratio turbine housing with 4-inch inlet and 2.5-inch discharge tube or scroll. It also features a 62-mm compressor wheel and P-trim turbine wheel affixed to a heavyduty main shaft rotating on a single ballbearing drive. This unit is extremely durable and unsurpassed in quality. Spool up time is incredibly quick. Unlike other turbocharger ball-bearing housing designs, the Hellion-Turbonetics 62-1-H is totally rebuildable.

The aluminum intercooler measures 24 x 6 x 3 inches and features a pair of tapered-aluminum cooling tanks with 21 ⁄2-inch inlets and outlets that run from the turbo to the intercooler and from the intercooler to the 75-mm throttle body. This compact unit mounts ahead of the front radiator bulkhead, directly below the Mustang’s air-conditioning radiator, thereby taking full advantage of the car’s front air intake opening in the bodywork.

In order to successfully install this intercooler and the requisite ducting, it will first be necessary for installers to remove the pliable Mustang front fascia. Compared to replacing a front K-member, this is certainly not a difficult procedure. Basically, everything is “pop on, pop off,” via the factory “Christmas tree” fastener method.

“We also use a Mitsubishi 12-psi bypass valve, which is considered to be one of the best on the market, along with a Turbonetics Evolution wastegate, which again are two of the best in the industry.

“This kit also comes with its own fuel system, which includes a set of 42- lb/hr Bosch fuel injectors, a Ford Focus in-tank high-volume electric fuel pump, and a K&N-filtered Granatelli 90-mm MAF. The reason why we include our own fuel system is because aftermarket hard parts (like custom cylinder heads, hot cams, etc.) are so scarce with these (modular engine) cars, we know that we can hit the nail right on the head with our own calibrated fuel system.”

Urist was just as quick to point out that it is absolutely mandatory that once the kit is installed, the owner must take the car to a reputable chassis dyno shop to have the DiabloSport chips reprogrammed (tuned) for the new setup.

“Every computer is different, and every car is different,” replied John. “It needs to be done locally on the dyno. With the wide range of altitudes and climates across the country, and with the different grades of fuels available in certain geographic locales, we have found that we cannot include an ideal performance chip to everyone with our kit. It just isn’t possible.

“At the present, we do have one option. You can order polished stainlesssteel air ducting, which really looks great when you open the hood. At the present, we’re looking at federal (emissions) certification. However, at this writing, both this kit and our 5.0L pushrod V-8 turbo kit are for off-road use only!”

 

 

Now follow along with us as we show you how to install one of these systems. For the sake of time, and the fact that we’re actually performing this installation using Bassani’s R&D mule, the Granatelli tubular K-member and related suspension components have already been installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Bob McClurg and Posted with Permission of CarTechBooks

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