More HP On A 5.0L 302 Small Block Push Rod

[RedSN95Cobra]

I think a lot of it had to do with tuning back in the day and shitty fuel . Tons of cars making well over 500 with aftermarket ecu’s and living .

Thx brother. I appriciate your input.

 

[badass98svt]

I think a lot of it had to do with tuning back in the day and shitty fuel . Tons of cars making well over 500 with aftermarket ecu’s and living .

Yes, that goes back to what I said about tuning.

 

[RedSN95Cobra]

If the budget allows best heads would be some trick flow 11r’s . I’ve always liked the comp cams . The ford racing letter cams work great and pick up decent gains . Anderson ford Motorsports makes some really stout camshafts as well . As far as intake manifolds go the gt40 stuff is a restriction if you’re going for the nostalgic look they’re ok but you pick up a good bit of power with a Holley systemax or similar .

Thx again.

 

[RedSN95Cobra]

Very open-ended question, and really hard to answer because it's so broad. The biggest factor here will be budget. What do you want to spend?

With it being a Cobra, he already has GT40-style goodies (heads, rockers, intake).

What is your target for HP? You trailering it to the track or driving it to Sonic for an ice cream with the old lady on Saturday night? "How much HP it can handle" is largely a factor of tuning. A good tune and it'll live at 500HP+ for a long time. A bad tune and it will window the block on the first WOT pull. Without spending boat loads of cash, it isn't going to live at high RPM long, regardless of the route you take.

There are two basic ways to build power with a SBF - NA, or boost (turbo, supercharger). Budget will determine which route you go for the most part. High HP NA builds typically aren't a whole lot of fun on the street. Turbo/SC will drive like stock until you get into boost.

NA - heads, cam, intake. $3000+ to get in the door. Probably more now with the way things have gone up. I think good heads are $2000 now.
Turbo - On3 kit. 400HP all day. I think they're in the $2000 neighborhood to start before you add any upgrades.
SC - Figure $5000+ unless you come across a good deal on a used one, and you never know what you're getting with used hot rod parts. The used Eaton from the Cobra on FB Marketplace won't work on your car (unless someone has made an intake for them I'm not aware of, DOB maybe?). They're good at making heat, not power anyway.

Again, give us more details/goals, and we can be more than helpful.

For now I'm looking at a budget of $4,000 possibility $5,000. I'm just looking to add alittle more HP and torq and just enjoy it driving on the street. I haven't been able to enjoy the car like I want to. What I failed to mention on my thread is the car has BBK cold air intake, BBK short tube headers, BBK straight pipes and flowmaster 3 chamber mufflers. Everyhing else is just stock. Thanks for your help man I appriciate it.

 

[badass98svt]

Id save just a bit more and throw a Vortech on it.
Reliable and safe power

 

[ttocs]

it also depends on your schedule and how fast you want it done. I wanted to go supercharged as well but didn't want to pay the new prices, and didn't want to worry about the used market. I was surprised that after a little while a vortech V3 that had only been taken out of the box to inspect before he wrecked the car came up for sale. Every other little part was there and it had a fair discount for what was a new system.

 

[Musturd]

I agree I’d just do the blower now and heads down the road

 

[Mustang5L5]

it also depends on your schedule and how fast you want it done.

I agree. You can install a Vortech in a weekend or two.


When i did my H/C/I 302, it took me 2 years to do due to waiting for parts, finding time in between family events, and being held up for one little missing bolt or nut. The nickel and diming sucked too. All those little things add up.

 

[ttocs]

it didn't take me that long and it was my first install. The instructions had great pics and there honestly wasn't a single surprise while doing the install.

 

[96blak54]

Quick power improvements naturally aspirated is uncorking the intake tract with an aftermarket intake manifold. The stock gt40 stuff is cool to look at and great in stock form, but is still a restriction. Round runner tubes just dont allow the characteristics of air flow to move through efficiently. An inside radius turn of the round intake runner restricts how air wants to move through naturally. The improvement can be seen with almost any aftermarket intake plenum where their runner inside radius are flat and square-ish. This is known as the coanda affect, where air passes over a turn and the vortices on the exit side of the radius aids pulling the jet stream of air around the turn. A jet stream of air does not like to bend and will disburse out of form unless using its own characteristics to retain the desired path. A simple round tube with turns is considered an orifice A good 20hp can be had with an aftermarket intake manifold, but at a cost of $1000.

$1000 intake manifold
$2000 aftermarket heads / rockers / pushrods / bolts / gaskets
$300 cam
$600 for a tune

Maybe an additional 50hp, possible 100hp. All depends on if you want to drive the car or trailer it.

 

[Musturd]

Vortech can be done in an afternoon with a box of cold snacks . Heads cam intakes a weekend job easily . You might be waiting on pushrods , I usually like to measure mine with an adjustable push rod and order accordingly.

 

[RedSN95Cobra]

Thank you man. I appriciate your advise and input. Will definitely look into it.

 

[RedSN95Cobra]

Quick power improvements naturally aspirated is uncorking the intake tract with an aftermarket intake manifold. The stock gt40 stuff is cool to look at and great in stock form, but is still a restriction. Round runner tubes just dont allow the characteristics of air flow to move through efficiently. An inside radius turn of the round intake runner restricts how air wants to move through naturally. The improvement can be seen with almost any aftermarket intake plenum where their runner inside radius are flat and square-ish. This is known as the coanda affect, where air passes over a turn and the vortices on the exit side of the radius aids pulling the jet stream of air around the turn. A jet stream of air does not like to bend and will disburse out of form unless using its own characteristics to retain the desired path. A simple round tube with turns is considered an orifice A good 20hp can be had with an aftermarket intake manifold, but at a cost of $1000.

$1000 intake manifold
$2000 aftermarket heads / rockers / pushrods / bolts / gaskets
$300 cam
$600 for a tune

Maybe an additional 50hp, possible 100hp. All depends on if you want to drive the car or trailer it.

Thank you man. I appriciate your advise and input. Will definitely look into it.

 

[ttocs]

Quick power improvements naturally aspirated is uncorking the intake tract with an aftermarket intake manifold. The stock gt40 stuff is cool to look at and great in stock form, but is still a restriction. Round runner tubes just dont allow the characteristics of air flow to move through efficiently. An inside radius turn of the round intake runner restricts how air wants to move through naturally. The improvement can be seen with almost any aftermarket intake plenum where their runner inside radius are flat and square-ish. This is known as the coanda affect, where air passes over a turn and the vortices on the exit side of the radius aids pulling the jet stream of air around the turn. A jet stream of air does not like to bend and will disburse out of form unless using its own characteristics to retain the desired path. A simple round tube with turns is considered an orifice A good 20hp can be had with an aftermarket intake manifold, but at a cost of $1000.

$1000 intake manifold
$2000 aftermarket heads / rockers / pushrods / bolts / gaskets
$300 cam
$600 for a tune

Maybe an additional 50hp, possible 100hp. All depends on if you want to drive the car or trailer it.

interesting for some reason I would have thought the round shape would have been better but fluid/air dynamics is some strange stuff. Good info, thanks.

 

[96blak54]

Your welcome!

 

[95opal]

With your budget here is my suggestion.
3.55 gears
Used vortech v1
Upgrade fuel pump
42# injectors
tune

 

[joemomma]

For now I'm looking at a budget of $4,000 possibility $5,000. I'm just looking to add alittle more HP and torq and just enjoy it driving on the street. I haven't been able to enjoy the car like I want to. What I failed to mention on my thread is the car has BBK cold air intake, BBK short tube headers, BBK straight pipes and flowmaster 3 chamber mufflers. Everyhing else is just stock. Thanks for your help man I appriciate it.

I think your best bet here for your stated goals/budget is going to be a Vortech of some flavor. The V3 is the easy button here (self contained so no drilling/tapping the oil pan). It'll give you a nice increase in both HP/TQ and still drive like stock until you step on the loud pedal, and can be had without an intercooler for $5500.

 

[RedSN95Cobra]

I think your best bet here for your stated goals/budget is going to be a Vortech of some flavor. The V3 is the easy button here (self contained so no drilling/tapping the oil pan). It'll give you a nice increase in both HP/TQ and still drive like stock until you step on the loud pedal, and can be had without an intercooler for $5500.

Thx man. I appriciate it and will look into it.

 

[Boosted94vert]

I agree with the supercharger… i’m driving just a basic bolt on v1 supercharged 94 vert … just ditch that FMU in the vortech kit .. bigger injectors and fuel pump. My car runs on 1990 technology of the FMU and I hate it. Lol

 

[ttocs]

I ended up going with the V3 as that was the one I came across new/used and as he said install could not have been easier. I know I was lucky to find it for only $3k but remember that they are rebuildable and can be sent back to have new seals and parts installed.