Yeah. I'm just a college student right now so I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic.

 

80-100rwhp with those mods???? I must have missed where you mentioned the nitrous kit.... I would more realistically expect around 50rwhp....

 

built5.4 got 30 HP just out of his long tube headers....so you add that to a programmer, e-fans, etc.etc.etc. then yes, you can make AROUND 100 HP, but expect more around 70-80

 

built54 had the older 5.4L engine as well, and with all those mods saw over 100rwhp gains....

 

Built54 had a 1998 and the OP has a 1999 so basically the same motor for all intents and purposes. To get any obviously noticeable gains a truck owner would probably do what the OP is considering and that is to start with a minimum of $3000 or so and make many mods and get a tune to take all the mods into account.

Built54 also had Comp Cams and raised his compression to 10.5:1. Prior to his engine swap, he was running about 265 RWHP and 325 RWTQ, not easy numbers to achieve with only things like cat-backs, CAI's, and a tune. Much more has to be done. Takes $$$ to play.

 

Including a PI swap, no? I'm also very skeptical about the 30/35 he throws around in every exhaust thread, not that I have any reason to think he'd lie about it but I've never seen results anything like that from any other modular vehicle, truck, Mustang, etc..... I sure as hell wouldn't buy headers and cats expecting 30/35 at the wheels from it. Again, I have no reason to doubt built54, but those results are NOT typical from just headers and cats. I asked in a recent thread to confirm that nothing else was done at the same time (even changing wheels/tires) and didn't get a reply, I'd still like confirmation on that....

 

actually i did see a true 30hp/35ftlbs. I had the PI head swap, comp cams, higher compression, all the bolt ons and custom tuning. Im not just "throwing it around". I dont recall where you asked if anything else was done?

 

I was trying to word things carefully, but its hard to express extreme skepticism without it coming off poorly....hopefully it wasn't taken as an insult. There was some exhaust thread a few weeks ago where I asked you to confirm that the only changes made at that time were the headers and cats, no tuner, no other parts, no wheel swaps in between dyno sessions, etc.... I wasn't meaning to say I thought you avoided the question, you probably just didn't see it. That being said, I will still claim to the end that those results are NOT typical for those parts, and so therefore I hate to see those numbers thrown out everytime someone mentions longtubes as I think it creates false expectations. Case in point being this thread....someone parrots those numbers, adds up a bunch of other gains, and all of a sudden you can gain 80-100rwhp from bolt-ons and a tune....yikes...

Believe me I'd like to think I could throw longtubes on and pick up 30 at the wheels, but I've seen a lot of dyno results on mod motors and and haven't seen any of them pick up anywhere near that much with longtubes. I would love to have that opinion change if shown that those are typical results....

 

I was trying to word things carefully, but its hard to express extreme skepticism without it coming off poorly....hopefully it wasn't taken as an insult. There was some exhaust thread a few weeks ago where I asked you to confirm that the only changes made at that time were the headers and cats, no tuner, no other parts, no wheel swaps in between dyno sessions, etc.... I wasn't meaning to say I thought you avoided the question, you probably just didn't see it. That being said, I will still claim to the end that those results are NOT typical for those parts, and so therefore I hate to see those numbers thrown out everytime someone mentions longtubes as I think it creates false expectations. Case in point being this thread....someone parrots those numbers, adds up a bunch of other gains, and all of a sudden you can gain 80-100rwhp from bolt-ons and a tune....yikes...

Believe me I'd like to think I could throw longtubes on and pick up 30 at the wheels, but I've seen a lot of dyno results on mod motors and and haven't seen any of them pick up anywhere near that much with longtubes. I would love to have that opinion change if shown that those are typical results....

 

yeah nothing else was changed, but I agree, most may not see that, but then again, i have not heard anyone else do a b4 and after dyno with lts

 

Yea, I remember reading that thread where you asked that question as I was curious as well.

Also, if the OP has bigger tires, maybe gears should be considered?

EDIT: I see built54 posted an answer to my question. Also, I see my browser is showing two different sigs for him. I don't know if it's this site, or my computer that always displays sigs weird.

 

yeah gears would make it feel faster

 

HI!... Well if thats 388FWH.P then I'm not too impressed. I made 354RWH.P (430H.P flywheel)with 8.4:1 compression and turbo grind cams in N/A trim.

 

HI!... If you got $3000 to spend then I would get a set of FOX LAKE stage II heads and some custom COMP CAMS. Then work with the smaller bolt ons from there. I picked up 103RWH.P with my custom heads and cams. But remember I had every bolt on possible running in conjunction with the heads and cams.

 

^ X2 !!! ^

You get roughly 115 FWHP by bolting on a blower, much less the mods listed earlier...

2001 5.4L N/A - 265 HP

2001 5.4L S/C (Lightning) - 380 HP

To make more power, you gotta get more fuel and air into the engine - bolting on headers and pulleys and such, even with a tune, will not get you a 100 RWHP increase.

Cams, heads, higher compression, etc. is what you would need, along with the earlier mentioned bolt-ons. I agree with 01Roush - the headers offer the least bang for the buck.

We should all take up a collection and pay for Built54 to re-dyno his beast - 1st as-is, then with the headers removed and stock manifolds installed.

I too find it VERY unusual to see such a gain - it makes me think there was an error made in measurement, set-up or something between the two pulls.

No flame, but that is the ONLY mod motor I've ever seen that is supposed to have improved so dramatically with a header install.

I wish I had that kind of luck with mods....