I am kind of new to the forum and I have been wondering what can I do to my truck to add some HP?

I have an 1989 f150 with a 5.0 in it and I'm not sure what to do after adding headers and dual exaust and stuff like that.

are there any sites that have recommendations on what order to do things?

What are the differences between between my engine and a HO?

is getting a MAF conversion really worth it?

Would I be better off going back to carb? At least I know some about building power on thoses but since the computer controls everyhting what can i do that won't make it act funny?

 

The only things that are going to get you some power that you can really feel is getting new heads, cam, super charger or changing gears. The mass air kit I purchased works well but isn't worth it if your not going to do anything else. It will allow you to do these mods with no problems.

The Mustang engines have an HO version, the pistons are different and they have a roller valve train. The Mustang blocks are the same as the truck blocks, they just don't have a place for the knock sensor, you can get around this with the use of the mass air kit. The mass air kit is just a Mustang computer, wire harness that plugs into your trucks harness, intake tubes to go from a single hose to the double hoses on the truck throttle bodies, new single tube airbox cover.

You can make power with a carb and all the extras also and spend less money but I think it is way easier to let the computer adjust to modifications, temperatures and elevation then messing around with a carb. You can't have remote start that will work very well with a carb either. If you like to tinker with your truck all the time I would put a carb on it.

 

but if i changed heads and cam would I have to do anything to the computer?

 

Yes, you would need a new chip burnt to take advantage of all the modifications.

 

The mass air kit computer can adjust with no problem to any head, cam or both change you would use on the street for your truck. You will not need a new chip. You would only need a chip that would gain you some more power and allow things to work if you were doing some radical upgrades, NOS, supercharger, heads, cam, intake, way bigger fuel system. The mass air kit computer with the stock 19lb injector fuel system is good up to 275 rear wheel horsepower.

 

Read Project MPG.