Need advice on my new to me 04 GT with Bolt ons.

Dub Jones

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Hey Guys,

Just picked this one up yesterday, power feels a bit off for the mods list, has low kms and likely wasn't abused too much (60+ year old Mustang fanatic/retired mechanic owned it).

04 GT, 5-Speed Manual
Flowmaster Cat Back
Trick Flow Intake with CAI
75mm TB
Crower Stage 2 cams (they sound like factory??)
Diablo Tune
4.10 gears.

It feels a bit down on power and response. I think its the tune, Previous Owner says its just the canned diablo tune....

-What should I do for a tune? Are there good pre loaded tunes out there from Bama etc?

Also with the cam and Intake I think its choked off with the factory cats in there so I plan to add an Offroad H pipe ASAP.

-Any suggestions for which O/R - H-pipe to get. Car has factory headers.

I'm hoping these two changes are enough to wake this car up. Any other input?
I'll be doing basics also like spark plugs, synthetic oil, new cone filter on the CAI etc.
 
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Dub Jones

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Did you get the handheld with the car by chance?

Yes I did!
Is a handheld even suitable for use with cams? Can I get a custom tune sent to me from Bama or someone for my specific mods and upload it to the car with this diablo tuner?

Thx
 

chris91

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Did he give you receipts for the cams? Every set of stage 2 cams I've heard in a 2v have been very noticeable. As for the cats, yes it will make a noticeable difference in power for sure. I have had Mac Prochambers on all of my Mustangs and LOVE the way they sound. As for a canned tune, get rid of that junk asap and hit up a real tuner and have them do their work. If you dont have a local tuner there are a few reliable tuners that will do a remote tune for you. I had Willie at Dirty Dirty Racing tune my heads and cams 2v and it runs killer.
 
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Dub Jones

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Did he give you receipts for the cams? Every set of stage 2 cams I've heard in a 2v have been very noticeable. As for the cats, yes it will make a noticeable difference in power for sure. I have had Mac Prochambers on all of my Mustangs and LOVE the way they sound. As for a canned tune, get rid of that junk asap and hit up a real tuner and have them do their work. If you dont have a local tuner there are a few reliable tuners that will do a remote tune for you. I had Willie at Dirty Dirty Racing tune my heads and cams 2v and it runs killer.

Thanks man!
 
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Dub Jones

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And yeah I will see if the dyno proves that the cams are in there. I found a few threads on these crower stage 2 cams and people were calling them very mild and sleeper cams.... What a waste of time putting them in if they are in there.
 

chris91

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Well there arent many stage 2 cams you can use without notching the pistons or using slimmer valves. My Fox Lake Stage 2 heads have the slimmer oversized ferrea valves but I have heard quite a few people that have used Hitech Stage 2's without worrying about notching the pistons or using the slimmer valves.
 
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Dub Jones

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Yeah I've heard of some clearance issue's. I want this car to make the power it should. The previous owner apparently ran 13.8's in it at 98mph. I think with Cat deletes, and a good tune I can get it down to 13.5's but for me even that feels slow. Kinda sucks. The car has looks to kill for sure. I was hoping I could easily make it a high 12 second car....
 

lwarrior1016

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I had MHS stage 2 cams in mine and they were installed straight up with no ptv clearance issues. Ogreawesome98 has my old cams in his car right now and they were installed straight up. There is a guy around here with a new edge gt that's stock with exhaust and he went 13.8 in the 1/4 and has the video to prove it, so I think you could be down on power. I would definitely get the tune straightened out first.
 
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Dub Jones

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I had MHS stage 2 cams in mine and they were installed straight up with no ptv clearance issues. Ogreawesome98 has my old cams in his car right now and they were installed straight up. There is a guy around here with a new edge gt that's stock with exhaust and he went 13.8 in the 1/4 and has the video to prove it, so I think you could be down on power. I would definitely get the tune straightened out first.

Yep the throttle response is nothing in this car. No bottom end. Gah.
 
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Dub Jones

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And its supposed to have 4.10 gears? Sounds like you need to inspect all that.

Hard to say I'm coming from a high 10 Second Viper, But I swear this doesn't feel like it should. If I wring its neck it gets going but otherwise not much punch IMO
 
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Dub Jones

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Also wonder if the cams need to be degreed. Not even sure how I would check for that?
 

chris91

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When you say Trick Flow intake are you talking about Plenum or the full intake they offer? If it's the full intake that's where the power loss down low is.
 
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Dub Jones

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When you say Trick Flow intake are you talking about Plenum or the full intake they offer? If it's the full intake that's where the power loss down low is.

Good point! I'm 99% sure its the full trickflow manifold with plenum.

Drove it all day, Im leaning towards shorty headers, hfc's and a tune and call it good for now.
 

chris91

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The full TF manifold looks pretty similar to the Bullitt manifold.

Don't waste your money on shorty headers. They don't do a damn thing for a 2v. Go with Long Tubes or just stick to stock manifolds.
 
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Dub Jones

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The full TF manifold looks pretty similar to the Bullitt manifold.

Don't waste your money on shorty headers. They don't do a damn thing for a 2v. Go with Long Tubes or just stick to stock manifolds.

Hmm, I saw some dyno charts showing a decent gain in torque down low with the shorty headers, granted only a few 5-7 horse's gained up top and through the band.

I'll do them if its going to gain me torque. There isn't much punch to the car below 4,000rpm IMO. I am working with Willie to get a tune but I have an antique Predator handheld and its not connecting to my computer. Was hoping to have it tuned today.
 

lwarrior1016

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Hmm, I saw some dyno charts showing a decent gain in torque down low with the shorty headers, granted only a few 5-7 horse's gained up top and through the band.

I'll do them if its going to gain me torque. There isn't much punch to the car below 4,000rpm IMO. I am working with Willie to get a tune but I have an antique Predator handheld and its not connecting to my computer. Was hoping to have it tuned today.

Do you have the drivers and software downloaded for the predator? Also, you need drivers for the serial cable that you are using.
 
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Dub Jones

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Do you have the drivers and software downloaded for the predator? Also, you need drivers for the serial cable that you are using.

No I don't!! And I'm fighting with it like crazy!!! I bought a serial to USB from Staples... I now know that I need the drivers from diablosport.com... Jeebus.

I have no idea how to get drivers for the serial cable I bought?? I'd like to get this tuned right away by Willie.

Also had the rear cats removed earlier.... so its just front cats. Sounds a lot nice, and well frankly I feel like the car can breathe a bit better (I honestly thought it was quite noticeable).
 

lwarrior1016

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No I don't!! And I'm fighting with it like crazy!!! I bought a serial to USB from Staples... I now know that I need the drivers from diablosport.com... Jeebus.

I have no idea how to get drivers for the serial cable I bought?? I'd like to get this tuned right away by Willie.

Also had the rear cats removed earlier.... so its just front cats. Sounds a lot nice, and well frankly I feel like the car can breathe a bit better (I honestly thought it was quite noticeable).

It could have been that the cats were clogged up. You can you tube how to load tunes to a diablosport predator and some videos come up. You will need a program called DSDownloader. I will try to find a link. With your cable, when you plug it in to the computer at the bottom does it say that the cable is ready to use? Also, do you have a power source for your predator?
 

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