Combs then unbolts the camshaft...
Combs then unbolts the camshaft retaining caps...
The next day, we hit the track at Gainesville Raceway. A few runs with Gonyon behind the wheel yielded equivalent to what it had run before-high-11.40s at 118 mph. Gonyon began looking at the data being logged by his laptop, and realized we were missing something. The power band had been moved up, requiring him to shift later.
...and removes the camsha...
...and removes the camshaft.
After icing down the intake (it was almost 90 degrees out, and even hotter on track), Gonyon rolled back to the starting line and waited for the tree. The results were impressive: 11.38 at 120 mph. "Instead of shifting at 7,200 rpm like before, I shifted at 7,500. Looking at the data log, rpm only dropped to 5,200, allowing us to stay in the power band and get down the track quicker," Gonyon said. The 60-ft time was equivalent to before-1.56. And that was at 3:15 in the afternoon.
With that, we called it a day. "I think the car will run in the 11-teens with some better weather," said Gon-yon. It's impressive for a naturally aspirated Three-Valve. Not to mention the clatter the car now makes. If you're looking to give your N/A Three-Valve some extra bark and bite, these are the cams for you. To see video of our track test and hear how this car sounds, visit www.musclemustangfastfords.com.
He places the new camshaft...
He places the new camshaft in place and torques the caps to 89 lb-in. Since the valve springs are constantly trying to keep the valves closed, it is necessary to take great care when installing the caps.
Do not torque any of the bolts...
Do not torque any of the bolts until all of the caps are flush with the cylinder head.
Combs then reinstalls the...
Combs then reinstalls the phaser bolt and tightens it.
The wedge can now be remo...
The wedge can now be removed.
Combs now uses engine oil...
Combs now uses engine oil to lubricate every lobe on the new camshaft before installing the valve covers.
Combs puts a dab of silicone...
Combs puts a dab of silicone each place the timing cover meets the cylinder head...
....and reinstalls the valve...
....and reinstalls the valve covers.
He then reinstalls the coils,...
He then reinstalls the coils, reconnects all the connectors, and remounts the intake tube and filter.
Tony Gonyon of TunersInc turned...
Tony Gonyon of TunersInc turned the key on the Three-Valve, bringing it to life. He monitored air/fuel ratio and then made a pull on the Dynojet.
After a long cool-down period,...
After a long cool-down period, the pale coupe pumped out a whopping 428 rwhp and 362 lb-ft of torque-16 hp and 5 lb-ft more than before.
The next day, at Gainesville...
The next day, at Gainesville Raceway, Gonyon made a few runs shifting at 7,200 rpm. The results were similar to before-11.50s at 118.
He then took a closer look...
He then took a closer look at the data being logged by his laptop and realized that we were not taking full advantage of the new higher power band.
With some time to kill and...
With some time to kill and the weather getting close to 90 degrees, we iced down the intake for about an hour.
Back out on the track, Gonyon...
Back out on the track, Gonyon upped his shift points to 7,500 rpm. When he went through the traps, the scoreboard lit up: 11.38 at 120 mph (7.27 at 95 mph in the eighth-mile). Since the 60-foot was equivalent at 1.56, the nearly 0.2 and 2 mph were achieved by the new higher shift points, thanks to an increase in torque and power output from the new AFM N-93 camshafts. See and hear these cams in action at www.musclemustangfastfords.com.