There's no doubt that the original 5.0L left a lot to be desired in stock form. A mere 225 hp was enough to make the 3,000-pound ponycars a blast to drive, but a few tweaks were always irresistible. Cold-air kits, throttle bodies, gears, exhaust systems, pulleys, and timing have always been staples in the Fox Mustang aftermarket. These few items could help take your stock-as-a-rock Fox from a mid-14-second snoozer to a 13-second, tire-frying ... snoozer.
So what's the next thing after the simple bolt-ons? Well, you could upgrade to a Cobra or GT-40 intake, opt for a set of GT-40P heads off Craigslist, or pony up for an E303 camshaft. All of these things are good, but as we've told you countless times in the past, you can't beat a matching heads/cam/intake combination. Thankfully, there are countless top-end kits available on the market, depending on what you're trying to accomplish.
This month, we were able to get our hands on a '93 LX hatch owned by Ian Johnson of Jacksonville, Florida. He is in Iraq now, serving our country in the U.S. Army. The LX is equipped with a low-mile original 5.0L and an AOD. The only mods to the car are shorty headers, an off-road H-style mid-pipe, an after-cat exhaust, a cold-air intake, and 3.55 gears. On the chassis dyno at TunersInc, the Fox made 196 rwhp and 260 lb-ft of torque.
Since we don't usually get our hands on Fox-bodies this original, we jumped at the opportunity to give this soldier's Pony some extra muscle. We headed to Hurricane Performance in Orange Park, Florida, to see what owner Jason Combs and his crew had in their goody bag. Combs had already selected a Trick Flow Specialties Twisted Wedge top-end kit (PN TFS-K514-360-350; $2,599.95), available through Summit Racing Equipment.
The all-inclusive kit is estimated to increase power output of a stock 5.0L to 360 hp. Included in the kit are TFS Twisted Wedge aluminum cylinder heads, TFS Track Heat intake manifold, TFS Track Max camshaft, billet steel timing set, valve covers, lifters, roller rockers, chrome-moly pushrods, ARP bolts, and all the necessary gaskets. Short of tuning, this kit comes with everything needed for installation.
The Trick Flow Specialties...
The Trick Flow Specialties Twisted Wedge top-end kit features a pair of Twisted Wedge 170cc aluminum cylinder heads (1.60/2.02-inch valves), a Track Max camshaft (0.499/0.510 lift; 220/226 at 0.050 duration), valve covers, timing chain, Track Heat intake manifold, gaskets, ARP bolts, roller rocker arms, and pushrods—everything needed for installation.
Since our test subject was sporting a stock AOD, we also opted to go with a street/strip torque converter from TCI. The Streetfighter (PN 432700; $477.39) offers a raised stall of 3,000 rpm to complement the new camshaft. Lastly, we decided to go with a set of 30-lb/hr injectors from FRPP (and a matching MAF), though the stock pieces would be fine. Combs wanted to upgrade while he had everything apart, knowing it would only be a matter of time before Johnson would be ready for more upgrades. Back on the chassis dyno, the new parts helped Johnson's Pony lay down 270 rwhp and 298 lb-ft of torque. That's a 74hp and 38-lb-ft increase. Or, to put it more plainly, almost a 38 percent increase in power output.
We jumped at the opportunity to give this soldier's Pony some extra muscle.
The Trick Flow Specialties...
The Trick Flow Specialties Twisted Wedge top-end kit features a pair of Twisted Wedge 170cc aluminum cylinder heads (1.60/2.02-inch valves)...
...a Track Max camshaft (0.499/0.510...
...a Track Max camshaft (0.499/0.510 lift; 220/226 at 0.050 duration)...
...valve covers, timing chain,...
...valve covers, timing chain, Track Heat intake manifold, gaskets, ARP bolts, roller rocker arms, and pushrods—everything needed for installation.
1 At Hurricane Performance...
1 At Hurricane Performance in Orange Park, Florida, Jason Combs began by draining the fluids and removing the intake manifold from the old LX (which appeared to have never been removed before).
2 He then removed the timing...
2 He then removed the timing cover and water pump.
3 The stock cast cylinder...
3 The stock cast cylinder heads were next.
4 He also removed the emissions...
4 He also removed the emissions plumbing from their stock locations on the back of the heads.
5 The original timing chain...
5 The original timing chain was then removed, as well as the pushrods and lifters.
6 Combs cleaned the gasket...
6 Combs cleaned the gasket mating surfaces with a soft plastic pad on a die grinder.
7 He then lubricated and...
7 He then lubricated and installed the new camshaft.
8 Next the new double-roller...
8 Next the new double-roller timing chain was installed. Made of billet steel, this chain is a direct replacement for the stock piece.
9 After soaking them in oil...
9 After soaking them in oil overnight, Combs installed the set of new hydraulic lifters.
10 He then prepped the heads...
10 He then prepped the heads by installing the emissions plugs (included in the kit) using a medium-strength thread locker.
11 Combs next installed the...
11 Combs next installed the new head gaskets and cylinder heads.
12 Using the ARP head bolts...
12 Using the ARP head bolts included, he bolted and torqued the heads.
13 The 1.6-ratio roller rockers...
13 The 1.6-ratio roller rockers by Trick Flow feature an aluminum design and include locking retaining hardware.
14 Combs then reinstalled...
14 Combs then reinstalled the timing cover and water pump.
15 The TFS Track Heat intake...
15 The TFS Track Heat intake manifold features a 1,500-to-6,500-rpm operating range, 2-inch by 1.2-inch ports (at cylinder heads), and a 75mm throttle body inlet.
16 Combs then installed the...
16 Combs then installed the lower intake gaskets and ran a bead of RTV silicone where the lower intake mounts to the block.
17 He next installed the...
17 He next installed the assembled lower intake and tightened it to specification. Notice he used FRPP 30-lb/hr injectors in preparation for further mods down the road.
18 The matching Trick Flow...
18 The matching Trick Flow valve covers were next.
19 Combs double-nutted the...
19 Combs double-nutted the throttle body studs to remove them from the original upper plenum.
20 He then installed a new...
20 He then installed a new 70mm Summit Racing throttle body and matching EGR plate. The throttle body (PN SUM-227204) costs $139.95 and the EGR plate (PN SUM-227504) runs $44.95.
21 Combs installed the upper...
21 Combs installed the upper plenum and the rest of the components and wiring.
BEFORE
AFTER