[6stang]

I'm just finishing the motor I got for my '97 V6 Mustang. I bought a used 3.8L out of a '98 Mustang with 73K miles on it with the auto tranny for $300. I had the heads machined: intake ports cut and bowls bored, Fel Pro MLS head gaskets, installed a miled Comp Cam shaft, new timing chain and gear set, high flow water pump, new stock replacement oil pump, and all new main and rod bearings. Most for reliability while the engine is on the stand, I might as well. I just ordered the SCT XCal 2. I really would like to replace the stock exhaust with a true dual from the manifolds back with an X pipe but I can't seem to find any complete systems for sale like that. Any advice? What other mods would you recommend? Any advice on using the XCal 2? I have 2 good trannies, Mod one? Fuel efficiancy is a concern for me as well, as I commute at least 60 miles every day.
-Thanks in advance, Nathan

 

[itschristorres8]

well if you a motor apart and didnt replace the bearings its a job wasted
should have done piston rings too

xcal2 is VERY EASY to use and is a good mod.
flows or mac on a stock motor is the best idea IMO

 

[MWWarlord]

Welcome to MM. Flowmaster sells a good cat back system. You will need to buy your midpipe elsewhere. Mac makes a pretty good one. That commute is gonna be rough on your car man. Click the link in my sig. The guy there writes custom tunes for the Xcal2. $40 for 2 years of custom tunes! He'll be able to help you out and answer any questions that you might have concerning the tuner. Hope this helps.

 

[6stang]

Thanks

I was actually trying to avoid removing the crank if I could. That's why I didn't do rings. I like the sound of Flowmaster and will look into X pipes. How about tranny mods? What kind of gains can I expect from a cold air intake and /or throttle body? BBK seems pretty good for either or both of these. What other mods could I look into for later?

Also, I'm getting dark gray rear leather seats out of an '03 GT and bidding on matching front buckets on eBay. That should fit, right? What about the plugs for the power driver's side?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks, itschristorres8. I'm thinking Flowmaster on a cammed engine with modded heads should sound cool. What about cats? Any good high flow cats you'd recommend?

Thanks MWWarlord I've already bookmarked that HMUSN guy's site. I can't wait to get my 'stang up and running again. I'll probably have the motor ready to go in by the end of tomorrow. Then I just need to remove the one with the thrown rod and replace it with the one that has all my money in it. I'm interested to see how it will perform with my new mods and then the difference when I hook up the Xcal 2!

-Thanks again, Nathan

 

[HMUSN]

the seats will hook up fine with a little splicing of the wires.

welcome to the forums

 

[itschristorres8]

i dont get it
you tried to avoid removing the crank but had the bearings replaced on the rods and mains?

 

[mustangjeff1997]

Before you do much else, check into chris' dual port intake swap. Well worth your time and it's affordable...unless you're a teenager like me lol

 

[1BADSTANG]

the seats will hook up fine with a little splicing of the wires.

welcome to the forums

I feel like your headmaster

 

[RavensChild]

Before you do much else, check into chris' dual port intake swap. Well worth your time and it's affordable...unless you're a teenager like me lol

+1

 

[Cricket]

I was actually trying to avoid removing the crank if I could. That's why I didn't do rings. I like the sound of Flowmaster and will look into X pipes. How about tranny mods? What kind of gains can I expect from a cold air intake and /or throttle body? BBK seems pretty good for either or both of these. What other mods could I look into for later?

Also, I'm getting dark gray rear leather seats out of an '03 GT and bidding on matching front buckets on eBay. That should fit, right? What about the plugs for the power driver's side?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks, itschristorres8. I'm thinking Flowmaster on a cammed engine with modded heads should sound cool. What about cats? Any good high flow cats you'd recommend?

Thanks MWWarlord I've already bookmarked that HMUSN guy's site. I can't wait to get my 'stang up and running again. I'll probably have the motor ready to go in by the end of tomorrow. Then I just need to remove the one with the thrown rod and replace it with the one that has all my money in it. I'm interested to see how it will perform with my new mods and then the difference when I hook up the Xcal 2!

-Thanks again, Nathan

PM Sent

Welcome to the boards

 

[6stang]

Thanks alot!

Hey, thanks. Looks like the next mod will be a dual exhaust. Starting with a Pypes catted X pipe. What cat back system would sound good on my '98 3.8L with a mild cam and modified heads? And by the way, I never actually 'removed' the crank, only lifted it up an inch or two to slide the main bearings out and in. I left all the rods attached until I was ready to install the bearings in them. Even then I did them one at a time. Anyways, thanks, everybody. Please continue to post other ideas for future mods for me to consider. And could someone please tell me more about this dual port intake mentioned earlier? Hopefully I'll be able to finish this as soon as I figure out this camshaft issue and get the synchro positioning tool I need. Thanks again, I'll keep you all posted as things progress!

 

[6stang]

Hey, What's that thing with the dual port intake swap? Is that the Windstar intake thing? Can someone link me to the thread or something that talks about it?
Thanks, Nathan

 

[Onemanzu]

imo you didn't go split port so you wasted a lot of energy on this project, but welcome either which way

 

[MWWarlord]

He still can. And his old engine had a thrown rod. So broken engine vs working engine = not a waste of money. Stang 3.8...since you keep asking the split port is the biggest difference between an SN95(single port) and a new edge(split port). It would give you close to 40 hp at the crank.

 

[6stang]

I'm interested!

I haven't even gotten the front cover back on the engine yet. It's still on the stand and I still have quite a bit of re-assembly left to do. I am going to finish putting the engine together on Saturday so I could still do the split port if I had some more info about it. Is it just swapping the intake manifolds from the 94 - 98 ones I have now for the 99 - 04 ones? What would I need to know about this before I started it?

 

[RavensChild]

from what i understand, a split port swap is new upper and lower intakes. Maybe something else in there but i dont think so

 

[shadow5403]

from what i understand, a split port swap is new upper and lower intakes. Maybe something else in there but i dont think so

ummm NO

split port swap is the HEADS.

 

[Onemanzu]

from what i understand, a split port swap is new upper and lower intakes. Maybe something else in there but i dont think so

ummm NO

split port swap is the HEADS.

you both are right while failing at the same time

with a split port swap you get the top half of the engine off of a 99-04 ... in a sense...

what the split port swap comes with most of the time is a modified fuel rail that is of a returnless style... you get the heads off of a 99-04 V6 as well as the upper and lower intake... now depending on how complete the kit is, that should be it some might have other things like throttle body cables and what not but that should be majority of what you get

 

[shadow5403]

you both are right while failing at the same time

with a split port swap you get the top half of the engine off of a 99-04 ... in a sense...

what the split port swap comes with most of the time is a modified fuel rail that is of a returnless style... you get the heads off of a 99-04 V6 as well as the upper and lower intake... now depending on how complete the kit is, that should be it some might have other things like throttle body cables and what not but that should be majority of what you get

you took me too literally OMZ.....i meant yur going from single port heads to split port heads.

 

[wadepetersen]

just talk to chris he can hook u up and you should get the intakers ported and polished a long with the tb