American Muscle's Definitive High-HP New Edge Mustang Tech Guide

[SID297]

From American Muscle:

How to Build a High Horsepower 1999-2004 Mustang GT

The 1999-2004 Mustang, AKA the ‘New Edge’, continues to maintain its place as the
go-to platform for budget builders due to its bulletproof drivetrain and
affordability. The factory engineering on the New Edge has its limitations, if you
plan to make big HP numbers, so the team at AmericanMuscle has procured their
definitive guide to building high HP 99-04 New Edge Mustangs.



How to Build a High Horsepower 1999-2004 Mustang GT

 

[black4vcobra]

Good writeup for people who know little to nothing about New Edge Mustangs. He did get it wrong about the aluminum blocks though, 99 Cobras and (apparently) some 01's had a Teksid block.

 

[Double"O"]

Good writeup for people who know little to nothing about New Edge Mustangs. He did get it wrong about the aluminum blocks though, 99 Cobras and (apparently) some 01's had a Teksid block.

My 01 has a teksid

 

[01yellercobra]

Eh. I don't know about definitive. There's a couple things I don't agree with. But I'm not a pro by any means.

 

[GodStang]

Good read. I can make it simpler.
Step 1: Pull motor
Step 2: insert Coyote motor
Step 3: Profit

 

[CV355]

Just do what I did, it makes plenty of power: (781 @ 14psi, 1190 at 27psi on 112)

MP2000 5.4l, 334ci, TFS heads, Bullet Cams w/ Comp gears, MMR timing set, MMR oil pump, 91mm Y2K turbo, MMR fab'd hotside, Tial wastegate, Lightning lower intake, 2000hp air/water intercooler in the passenger bay, Wilson 105 TB, MMR fab'd sheet metal intake upper, list goes on and on.

Conclusion: Not worth it. If you have a New Edge and want to go fast, just throw a KB 2.1l on it, get to 420rwhp and have a blast. If you pop the engine, throw in a budget forged shortblock and continue. You can lighten up a New Edge decently without sacrificing an interior, and 420rwhp on a 3100lb car is plenty of fun. My GT was 11.5-12.0 all day long with slicks with the stock engine and KB 2.1 @ 9psi, mild supporting mods. I should have left it alone and I'd probably still have it.

It is just far too expensive to make huge reliable numbers on the mod motor platform. Great engines, last forever, but expensive to do properly.

 

[SID297]

Just do what I did, it makes plenty of power: (781 @ 14psi, 1190 at 27psi on 112)

MP2000 5.4l, 334ci, TFS heads, Bullet Cams w/ Comp gears, MMR timing set, MMR oil pump, 91mm Y2K turbo, MMR fab'd hotside, Tial wastegate, Lightning lower intake, 2000hp air/water intercooler in the passenger bay, Wilson 105 TB, MMR fab'd sheet metal intake upper, list goes on and on.

Conclusion: Not worth it. If you have a New Edge and want to go fast, just throw a KB 2.1l on it, get to 420rwhp and have a blast. If you pop the engine, throw in a budget forged shortblock and continue. You can lighten up a New Edge decently without sacrificing an interior, and 420rwhp on a 3100lb car is plenty of fun. My GT was 11.5-12.0 all day long with slicks with the stock engine and KB 2.1 @ 9psi, mild supporting mods. I should have left it alone and I'd probably still have it.

It is just far too expensive to make huge reliable numbers on the mod motor platform. Great engines, last forever, but expensive to do properly.

How do you like the TFS heads?

 

[CV355]

How do you like the TFS heads?

To be honest, I changed too much all at once, so I couldn't definitively tell you the difference that just the heads made. When we first built that 5.4l monster up, I had my old KB 2.1l on top. It ran like a buzzsaw. I mean, between the cams, the KB, the heads, it had very similar street manners to the '14 GT500. Very smooth. Bulletproof. They slap 1.7s and 2.1s on 351s and 347s, so I assumed the compressor map would match up ok, which it did. In reality, I should have upgraded to a larger KB.

Once I went turbo, the streetability was gone. I blame that more on the compressor map, inlet size choice, TB, all poor decisions on my part made from inexperience at the time. Great for the dyno, bad for the street.

 

[IronSnake]

Just do what I did, it makes plenty of power: (781 @ 14psi, 1190 at 27psi on 112)

MP2000 5.4l, 334ci, TFS heads, Bullet Cams w/ Comp gears, MMR timing set, MMR oil pump, 91mm Y2K turbo, MMR fab'd hotside, Tial wastegate, Lightning lower intake, 2000hp air/water intercooler in the passenger bay, Wilson 105 TB, MMR fab'd sheet metal intake upper, list goes on and on.

Conclusion: Not worth it. If you have a New Edge and want to go fast, just throw a KB 2.1l on it, get to 420rwhp and have a blast. If you pop the engine, throw in a budget forged shortblock and continue. You can lighten up a New Edge decently without sacrificing an interior, and 420rwhp on a 3100lb car is plenty of fun. My GT was 11.5-12.0 all day long with slicks with the stock engine and KB 2.1 @ 9psi, mild supporting mods. I should have left it alone and I'd probably still have it.

It is just far too expensive to make huge reliable numbers on the mod motor platform. Great engines, last forever, but expensive to do properly.

I have to agree with this sentiment.

My entire plan for my GT is to do Longtubes, Tork Tech kit, Eaton with a small pulley, and enjoy. When it pops, do a later model 8 thread head PI motor with Coyote rods, forged pistons, baby cams, and good timing/OPG's. Pulley it down, make mid 5's with it and be happy.

 

[Coiled03]

I have to agree with this sentiment.

My entire plan for my GT is to do Longtubes, Tork Tech kit, Eaton with a small pulley, and enjoy. When it pops, do a later model 8 thread head PI motor with Coyote rods, forged pistons, baby cams, and good timing/OPG's. Pulley it down, make mid 5's with it and be happy.

That's what everybody says. Then, they drive with mid-5s for awhile, get bored, and go bigger. It's called the mod bug for a reason.

 

[CV355]

I have to agree with this sentiment.

My entire plan for my GT is to do Longtubes, Tork Tech kit, Eaton with a small pulley, and enjoy. When it pops, do a later model 8 thread head PI motor with Coyote rods, forged pistons, baby cams, and good timing/OPG's. Pulley it down, make mid 5's with it and be happy.

That's wise. Keep it minimal and realistic and you'll be WAY happier in the long run. That's the exact reason why I'm being so cautious with my Mach 1 build. It's too easy to go overboard.

That's what everybody says. Then, they drive with mid-5s for awhile, get bored, and go bigger. It's called the mod bug for a reason.

That's exactly it. I did a few basic mods to my '00 GT, got addicted, went from a supercharger, to an engine build, to the turbo build, cage, chassis... Aaaaaand didn't like driving it. When expectations don't match reality, we get disappointed. As long as our expectations are realistic, it's far easier to find long term satisfaction with a project.

I would LOVE to throw a KB on my '18 GT, but I'm forcing myself not to, because the car is perfect as-is for what I use it for. I would LOVE to have a 6-71 sticking through the hood on my Mach 1, but I know it would be a pain in the ass to drive, I wouldn't drive it much, lose interest, and sell it.

 

[IronSnake]

That's what everybody says. Then, they drive with mid-5s for awhile, get bored, and go bigger. It's called the mod bug for a reason.

Shh, I'm trying to fool myself.

 

[MachME]

Wait, 4v and 2v heads are directly interchangeable on any mod block with no modifications? I did not know this.

The block only handling 500 hp, there are lots of people running a lot more power then that on a stock block.

 

[01yellercobra]

Wait, 4v and 2v heads are directly interchangeable on any mod block with no modifications? I did not know this.

The block only handling 500 hp, there are lots of people running a lot more power then that on a stock block.

For the most part yes. I've heard of a coolant passage needing to be drilled somewhere, but I could be mistaking another block for that.

After reading the article I think he was interchanging what the block could handle and what the stock rotating assembly could handle. Overall I wasn't impressed, but I'm getting old.

 

[CV355]

For the most part yes. I've heard of a coolant passage needing to be drilled somewhere, but I could be mistaking another block for that.

After reading the article I think he was interchanging what the block could handle and what the stock rotating assembly could handle. Overall I wasn't impressed, but I'm getting old.

4v C-heads (Navigator) had the split exhaust port/divider, which required drilling with some blocks for coolant flow. Excellent for FI applications, but you have to port the hell out of the things to really see gains. I compared the flow numbers to that of what the TFS 2v heads were projecting (in early 2009), and went with the TFS heads instead. Sold my C-heads, waited until July 09 for the TFS heads to come in, then continued.

 

[bdcardinal]

Do the TFS heads still have issues with not working with some camshafts and valvetrain geometry? Trick Flow Cylinder Head & Camshaft Issues

 

[jaxbusa]

I have to agree with this sentiment.

My entire plan for my GT is to do Longtubes, Tork Tech kit, Eaton with a small pulley, and enjoy. When it pops, do a later model 8 thread head PI motor with Coyote rods, forged pistons, baby cams, and good timing/OPG's. Pulley it down, make mid 5's with it and be happy.

Would you get a forged crank?


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[jaxbusa]

4v C-heads (Navigator) had the split exhaust port/divider, which required drilling with some blocks for coolant flow. Excellent for FI applications, but you have to port the hell out of the things to really see gains. I compared the flow numbers to that of what the TFS 2v heads were projecting (in early 2009), and went with the TFS heads instead. Sold my C-heads, waited until July 09 for the TFS heads to come in, then continued.

Did you go with the 185 or 195 heads?


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[CV355]

Did you go with the 185 or 195 heads?

185

 

[RayNguyen01GT]

Do the TFS heads still have issues with not working with some camshafts and valvetrain geometry? Trick Flow Cylinder Head & Camshaft Issues

You can use cams designed for Stock 2V Heads but you will make more power if you have cams designed for the Trick Flow Heads. I ran "off the shelf" MMR "Stage 2" Blower Cams in my TFS 195 Heads for 4 years & 30,000 miles with no issues. Always have your cams degreed, don't just line up the marks on the timing chain.