I am looking at buying a 92-96 F150. I am told the 5.0L has between 200-205 horsepower. I have researched computer chips and power programmers but they just don't add the power I want. I come from the old school 70's fords so will some one please tell me what I can do to one of these to push the power up around say 235-250HP without getting to wild. Something along the lines of a chip, bigger throttle body stuff like that.

 

well I have the heads shaved down and it makes a diff but i have crappy gas milage. Um to get 50hp exhaust system and maybe like heads best i can think of i don't know if they make a chip for a gas engine that will make 50hp i know they do for the powerstroke. All i can think of anyone else?

 

Open up the exhaust and get the engine breathing better with some intake work.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some kablamo Firestoner Wilderness ATs .

Pictures coming soon.


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

>I am looking at buying a 92-96 F150. I am told the 5.0L has
>between 200-205 horsepower. I have researched computer
>chips and power programmers but they just don't add the
>power I want.

Why have you already decided on a 5.0L, if it won't deliver the power you want?
Sure, you can do it, but it'll cost you $hundreds in performance mods to make a 302 have the power and torque of a stocker 351.

>Something along the lines of a chip, bigger throttle
>body stuff like that.

Why don't you buy a truck with a 351 5.8L to begin with?

 

An MSD 6a will give you about 15-20 hp for 140 bucks. I have one for sale. They are easy to install, takes about 30 min.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some kablamo Firestoner Wilderness ATs .

Pictures coming soon.


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

Paarrothead, keep in mind he only wants 235-250 which isn't that hard of a task. If you play with the exhaust, get an FIPK or custom make one for even less money, and get an MSD, you could get 30-40hp. To get a 351, means u need an auto (he might have a stick i duno) and 351 will push the cost of the truck up but a few hunred bucks. I agree that theres no replacement for displacement but if hes only looking for 235-250hp...its probably more fun to do a few hundred in mods than pay the extra for a 351 in buying the truck. Who knows, maybe its even cheaper to mod out a 302 a little than buy a 351...i duno how much more a 351 is than a 302.

Sorry for so many posts i keep thinking of things as i go.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some kablamo Firestoner Wilderness ATs .

Pictures coming soon.


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

Hey motorcraft, Berlin, MA eh? Sounds familiar, i'm in Danvers, MA.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some kablamo Firestoner Wilderness ATs .

Pictures coming soon.


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

haven't a clue where you are but berlin is right next to marlborough and hudson. I go To Assabet Vally you might have heard of it.

 

I know where that is...haha..you're only an hour from where i live.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some kablamo Firestoner Wilderness ATs .

Pictures coming soon.


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

cool

 

The 351 doesn't really add anything to the cost in my experience. I was in the market for a 'new' truck back in Feb and I found trucks all over the price range. Only a couple had the 351 and they were no more than any of the 302s I looked at. I bought a nearly mint shape 94 reg cab, short bed 4x4 xlt w/351 for $9000. It had 84k miles. This was just about the best truck for the price I could find. I used to own this exact truck as a 95 w/302 and the 351 definitely has more grunt and my mileage is within 1 - 1.5 mpg of the 302 but with extra power. I have been pulling a boat and a 6x12 trailer and the 351 does it a little easier. I'm not going to do anything serious to it for extra power but I could see where a set of heads and a mild cam could really bring this engine to life but I'm pretty happy with the power I have now.

1994 Black/Silver F150 XLT 4x4 Reg Cab / Short Bed, 3.55 LSD, 5.8L w/90k miles, K&N drop-in
Upgrade wish list: 31x10.5, better exhaust, helper springs, lights

 

The reason I didn't say anything about a 351 is that I want a regular cab short wheel base 2wd. I understand it is very rare to find one in one of these trucks. I just want enough power to keep up with my best friend's 240HP vortec 350 GMC Sierra. One question. If I get a chip can I still install a MSD 6a ingnition box or will the chip increase the firing power of the stock ingnition bow

 

After doing quite a bit of research on the subject here is what I concluded. Chances are you wont gain that much "actual" HP figures from bolt ons. They do add power. But not near what the manufacturers claim or what people think they do. The only way to truely know what a bolt on adds is to dyno the truck before and after. Guessing doesn't mean squat. Who is to know what 10, 20, or 30 HP feels like if they don't have access to a dyno? The more you do to your truck the less you will notice when you add another performance part into the mix. For example, an FIPK might be good for 15HP by itself, but when you add headers, exhaust, T body, chip, etc; that FIPK will probably only be adding 5-10 by itself. Reason being is obvious. Your engine already breaths quite well with all the other parts you added so there isn't much room for improvment. Be very carefull when doing mods to an engine. I personally don't think they are quite the ticket that many companies claim. Besides what I mentioned above about the modifications interrelating, I will throw this out at you......How many miles does your truck have on it? Lets use mine as an example. I have 90,000. My 302 wasn't exactly a speed demon even before I added my lift and tires. Quite sluggish; its getting old. Say I lost 20% of my power when I added my bigger tires, and I go out and spend 600-700 dollares (EASILY)just to get back to 100% of what my engine was before. Guess what I have? 100% tired motor. And on top of that, how much longer are those mods going to keep my truck going strong and RELIABLY? Yeah, you do sometimes hear of people with over 200k on their engines but its extremely rare and that is reaching a maximum. Unless you are under a very strict budget I wouldn't bother with adding a whole swooping list of bolt ons. Which you will most likely need to do in order to gain 50 horse in real life with bolt ons. Also keep in mind, if you want to get to 250, you will need to add quite a bit more than 50 depending on how old your engine is once again. I priced out a 351W rebuild long block with a 36month 36000 mile warranty from Chechers auto at 1000 bucks. Thats just 300-400 bucks more. and for a brand new engine with warranty.



I wouldn't worry to much about keeping up with that Great Mass of Crapola 350 of your friends. I raced my buddies new truck he got last week (been bragging nonstop). It wasn't a real drag, just from about 15mph-65mph. I started in 2nd gear and he started to pull on me and about the time I hit 3500rpm he was already at my tailgate. He caught up a lil when I shifted to 3rd but I held him off. At 65mph he had gained about 4ft from the rear of my box. His truck: 92 Chevrolet regular cab short box 4x4 350 V8 5 speed manual with granny low. He told me he was flooring it, but even though its a chev its hard to believe a light little truck like that with a bigger V8 would get beat by my worn out 302 with 33" muds.

 

My god that was long winded. Many good points though. I spent alot of money getting my truck running the way it does, and if I would have had a 351, I could have spent about half for the same performance. The upside to my truck was it was a mass air, roller motor. That let me do alot of the 5.0 Mustang mods to my truck. Now I have about 120,000 miles on the bottom end of my 5.0. The mods I made have been there for the last 20,000 to 30,000. I haven't had any reliabilty probs, and I drive it hard. I drive it to work every day, and race it from time to time. I have run 5.34 in 200 foot sand drags, and 6.16 in the 200 foot mud pit. The truck also still gets 12 mpg. I love my 5.0 truck, and it gives me pleasure telling my chevy driving opponents I beat their 350 with a 302. Ok there is my long winded response. lol. Good luck with your truck. Hippie.

 

lol Hey, what can I say. it was late, or really early whatever you prefer. I guess everyone has an opinion and not everyone will agree. That lump sum for a new engine is a killer, and is probably what deters most people to go ahead and do the bolt ons. Hippie, you must have a crankin 5.0 to move those 39's that fast. I wonder what it would be like with stock tires on...Have you ever considered that for just a weekend? The truck would probably look goofy as anything with all that lift.