New member from Ohio
#1
06-13-2005, 06:48 PM
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Canton, OH
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New member from Ohio
Hi everyone, my name is Mike, and I'm from Canton, OH. I just joined up here. I spent 6 years in the US Marine Corps (hence the username), and I work in IT in Cleveland.
I have two vehicles. A 98 Mustang GT that I run in the NMRA Mod Muscle class, and drive every once in awhile on nice days, and a 95 F-150 that I bought a few months ago. It has the 300 straight six, an E4OD, and a long bed with dual tanks...thats pretty much it. doesn't even have a headliner from the factory. It's a straight work truck and my D/D.
I know the straight sixes are known for thier reliability and low-end torque, as well as thier poor gas mileage and meager top-end performance. By no means do I want the truck to be a racer (that's what the Mustang is for).
I want to use it as my tow vehicle. The Mustang weighs exactly 3125 pounds in race trim with 1/8th tank of fuel. As far as tow ratings go, I have a 3.08 open diff as well, and the trailer weight rating is 5000 pounds IIRC (I don't have the manual with me). While I know the truck would pull the car/trailer fairly easily, take into account that some of the races I want to tow to are over 700 miles away. I want to make it as trouble and worry-free as possible for those long trips, here's my plan:
Easier stuff:
B & M plate style tranny cooler - largest GVWR I can find
Tranny Temp gauge - I'll tap the sender from the pan
Class IV or V hitch
K&N FIPK
Shift Kit - recommendations for a towing setup?
Air bags or leaf springs - which would you suggest and why?
Trailer brake controller
Chip
Questionable stuff:
Cam - has anyone dynoed a 4.9L before/ after a cam swap? I would much rather gain some more low end torque than top end HP
Exhaust/ header - same question, opposite statement. I could make up high end HP with a set of good headers. I've seen the clifford's version...they look very nice. Anyone with a dyno chart with preferebly ceramic coated versions? I'm assuming there are no long tubes out there for 300's. As far as a cat back, I'm not looking for a loud and burbly sound, just good performance...good sound is only a bonus...so I'm thinking some straight through mufflers.
Rear Diff - I had bought a FRPP 31 Spline posi unit for my Mustang, and never installed it...should fit right in the truck with no axle swap needed, correct? Probably get some ford 3.73's as well.
Auxillary Oil cooler/ Filter relocation - Think it would benefit from a reliability/ convienience standpoint?
Throttle Body spacer - Worth it or worthless? I would tend to believe there would be a slight increase (like 3-5 ft lbs.) in torque. Just from the slightly longer intake path
Intake Manifold spacer This is a toughy. Are there any phenolic spacers made that go between the upper and lower intake manifold runners to effectivley lengthen the runners and insulate for heat?
Torque Converter - What stall would you recommend for towing? It seems the stocker flashes at around 1800...which seems to me to be a pretty good RPM...think I'd want a new TC?
It's alot of stuff to read over, I know, but I'm new to the 300 and it's totally different powerband than my 4.6. Heck, I amost put "cams" instead of "cam" lol. Where I want the Mustang to breathe up high, I want the L-6 to grunt down low.
Advice is appreciated, guys. Thanks
I have two vehicles. A 98 Mustang GT that I run in the NMRA Mod Muscle class, and drive every once in awhile on nice days, and a 95 F-150 that I bought a few months ago. It has the 300 straight six, an E4OD, and a long bed with dual tanks...thats pretty much it. doesn't even have a headliner from the factory. It's a straight work truck and my D/D.
I know the straight sixes are known for thier reliability and low-end torque, as well as thier poor gas mileage and meager top-end performance. By no means do I want the truck to be a racer (that's what the Mustang is for).
I want to use it as my tow vehicle. The Mustang weighs exactly 3125 pounds in race trim with 1/8th tank of fuel. As far as tow ratings go, I have a 3.08 open diff as well, and the trailer weight rating is 5000 pounds IIRC (I don't have the manual with me). While I know the truck would pull the car/trailer fairly easily, take into account that some of the races I want to tow to are over 700 miles away. I want to make it as trouble and worry-free as possible for those long trips, here's my plan:
Easier stuff:
B & M plate style tranny cooler - largest GVWR I can find
Tranny Temp gauge - I'll tap the sender from the pan
Class IV or V hitch
K&N FIPK
Shift Kit - recommendations for a towing setup?
Air bags or leaf springs - which would you suggest and why?
Trailer brake controller
Chip
Questionable stuff:
Cam - has anyone dynoed a 4.9L before/ after a cam swap? I would much rather gain some more low end torque than top end HP
Exhaust/ header - same question, opposite statement. I could make up high end HP with a set of good headers. I've seen the clifford's version...they look very nice. Anyone with a dyno chart with preferebly ceramic coated versions? I'm assuming there are no long tubes out there for 300's. As far as a cat back, I'm not looking for a loud and burbly sound, just good performance...good sound is only a bonus...so I'm thinking some straight through mufflers.
Rear Diff - I had bought a FRPP 31 Spline posi unit for my Mustang, and never installed it...should fit right in the truck with no axle swap needed, correct? Probably get some ford 3.73's as well.
Auxillary Oil cooler/ Filter relocation - Think it would benefit from a reliability/ convienience standpoint?
Throttle Body spacer - Worth it or worthless? I would tend to believe there would be a slight increase (like 3-5 ft lbs.) in torque. Just from the slightly longer intake path
Intake Manifold spacer This is a toughy. Are there any phenolic spacers made that go between the upper and lower intake manifold runners to effectivley lengthen the runners and insulate for heat?
Torque Converter - What stall would you recommend for towing? It seems the stocker flashes at around 1800...which seems to me to be a pretty good RPM...think I'd want a new TC?
It's alot of stuff to read over, I know, but I'm new to the 300 and it's totally different powerband than my 4.6. Heck, I amost put "cams" instead of "cam" lol. Where I want the Mustang to breathe up high, I want the L-6 to grunt down low.
Advice is appreciated, guys. Thanks
Last edited by USMCStang; 06-13-2005 at 06:51 PM.
#3
06-14-2005, 11:07 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Copley, Ohio
Posts: 2,477
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You've obviously done your homework.
The 3.73s and the FMS Trac-lok are a big move in the right direction; they made a world of difference for towing on my 96. I highly recommend a remote tranny filter which improves filtration, cooling and gives you a place to mount your tranny temp sender without drilling, tapping the pan.
If you get an equalizing hitch, you don't need to do a thing to your suspension. If you do decide to beef it up, I'd vote for overload springs rather than bags. Bags work very well, when they work. Murphy's law says that you'll put a hole in one when you're 700 miles from home
The stock cam puts the torque peak at 2000. If you change camshafts, you will want to keep the RPM range as low as possible for towing; another possibility is high lift rockers. Any change to camshaft or rocker ratio is going to require that you lose the stock phenolic timing gears and replace them with metal ones.
Changing to headers can give you some significant low range torque gains, but you have to work out the EGR plumbing, which is not a simple task on a 95. The stock cast iron split manifolds are pretty good and are probably sufficient for your purposes on a near-stock engine.
Forget the T/B spacer. The gains, if any, aren't worth the effort. There is no commercial phenolic intake manifold spacer for the 300, but it shouldn't be had to fab one. Given the relative position of the intake and the exhaust manifolds, I'd exect some significant gains.
Check out www.fordsix.com. There's lots of discussion there about the 300.
The 3.73s and the FMS Trac-lok are a big move in the right direction; they made a world of difference for towing on my 96. I highly recommend a remote tranny filter which improves filtration, cooling and gives you a place to mount your tranny temp sender without drilling, tapping the pan.
If you get an equalizing hitch, you don't need to do a thing to your suspension. If you do decide to beef it up, I'd vote for overload springs rather than bags. Bags work very well, when they work. Murphy's law says that you'll put a hole in one when you're 700 miles from home
The stock cam puts the torque peak at 2000. If you change camshafts, you will want to keep the RPM range as low as possible for towing; another possibility is high lift rockers. Any change to camshaft or rocker ratio is going to require that you lose the stock phenolic timing gears and replace them with metal ones.
Changing to headers can give you some significant low range torque gains, but you have to work out the EGR plumbing, which is not a simple task on a 95. The stock cast iron split manifolds are pretty good and are probably sufficient for your purposes on a near-stock engine.
Forget the T/B spacer. The gains, if any, aren't worth the effort. There is no commercial phenolic intake manifold spacer for the 300, but it shouldn't be had to fab one. Given the relative position of the intake and the exhaust manifolds, I'd exect some significant gains.
Check out www.fordsix.com. There's lots of discussion there about the 300.
#4
06-14-2005, 02:27 PM
Senior Member
A 3.73 will really help. Your "weak" link in towing would be the auto tranny. If it was a stick, you could just go right ahead and pull, but to bet money on the E4OD, good idea on the temp gauge and aux cooler. Don't let the temp get over 200 for max safety, and happy pullin.
Adrianspeeder.
Adrianspeeder.
