For those of you just joining the party, the three previous episodes of Mods for 5.0L Coyote Mods included extensive testing on a Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote crate motor (PN M-6007-M50). The adventure started with simple bolt-ons, plus a Zex nitrous system.
For Part 2 we added a Kenne Bell supercharger, which we followed up with a quartet of Comp Stage 2 cams. Ford Racing Performance Parts supplied both the 5.0L crate motor (essentially a stock Coyote pulled off the '11 Mustang GT assembly line) and a Controls Pack, which is the computer and accessories used to run the engine. The combination of the crate engine and Controls Pack produced a ready-to-run engine, including ECU and wiring harness, MAF and air intake system, factory airbox, OBD-II diagnostic port, drive-by-wire throttle, and a complete calibration.
Our 5.0L Coyote motor came...
Our 5.0L Coyote motor came courtesy of Ford Racing Performance Parts. Despite subjecting it to basic bolt-ons, a Kenne Bell supercharger and even nitrous, the Coyote was just begging for more.
Run on the dyno in stock trim, the motor produced 448 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Headers increased this to 462 hp and 411 lb-ft, while the Zex kit pushed peak power to 554 hp and 540 lb-ft of torque. Adding the Kenne Bell resulted in 704 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque at just under 10 psi of boost! Thanks in part to a JLT air intake and Comp Stage 2 cams, the (normally aspirated) 5.0L exceeded 500 hp (in normally aspirated trim) with peak numbers of 515 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.
Though it would be interesting to see how the blower responded to the new cam timing, then jump up in boost, we decided to take our Coyote straight to hell--with the installation of a Hellion turbo system.
Turbos and blowers differ in their approach, but from a performance standpoint, they both offer exceptional power gains. It is a simple matter to improve the power output of a normally aspirated combination by 50-percent or more with boost. In contrast, improving the power output a like amount on an already impressive normally aspirated Coyote motor with basic bolt-ons would be difficult to say the least.
Part 3 of our Mods for Coyote...
Part 3 of our Mods for Coyote Mods brought a quartet of Comp Cams. The dual-pattern, Stage 2 NSR cams (PN 191100) featured a 0.492/0.453 lift split, a 228/231 duration split at 0.050-inch, and an adjustable lobe separation angle. The NSR cams also required phase limiters. These limiters provided physical stops to limit the amount of cam travel offered by the variable cam system. Limiting the cam phasing by 50 percent provided the necessary piston-to-valve clearance to allow use of the more aggressive cam profiles.
We have yet to dyno a normally aspirated 5.0L Coyote motor that exceeded 600 hp, let alone the 672 hp required to achieve a 50-percent improvement on a stock motor. Power gains on a turbo motor are simply a matter of boost and tuning. Of course, it helps to start with a good motor and a proper turbo kit.
The turbo kit from Hellion was designed for installation on a '11-'12 Mustang GT. The base kit included all-stainless steel tubing, a 67mm turbo, Turbosmart wastegate and BOV, 52-lb/hr injectors and a handheld tuner. Toss in an air-to-air intercooler, all the necessary tubing, clamps, and hardware, and the Hellion system was one complete turbo kit.
The one change we did make was to upgrade the 67mm turbo to a larger 76mm unit from Turbonetics. We expected to exceed 800 hp so we figured why not go big on the turbo to keep things efficient. Besides, the 76mm Turbonetics turbo would allow us to crank things up at a later date once we upgraded to forged internals.
The tight confines of the engine bay necessitated a lowered turbo position. Oil drain back from the turbo was accomplished via an electric scavenge pump. The oil drained from the bottom of the turbo and was then pumped back up into an existing breather in the driver-side valve cover. This system eliminated the need to remove, drill, and tap (or weld) the oil pan.
Rather than design and build dedicated turbo manifolds, the Hellion kit utilized the factory exhaust manifolds. Some might feel that this is the easy way out, but the reality is that the factory stainless steel manifolds were designed to retain and channel the exhaust heat directly to the catalytic converters, making them an excellent choice for a turbo application.
Exhaust flow from the two factory manifolds was channeled through the stainless tubing to a Y-pipe equipped with a T4 turbo flange to mount the single turbo. The Y-pipe also featured a two-bolt mounting flange for the 38mm Turbosmart wastegate.
1 In addition to the turbo...
1 In addition to the turbo kit from Hellion, we decided to take Accufab up on its offer to run a new 80mm drive-by-wire throttle body for the Coyote motor. This was a direct bolt-on for the 5.0L motor and offered significantly more airflow than the stock 80mm unit.
2 Though the base '11-'12...
2 Though the base '11-'12 turbo kit from Hellion included a 67mm turbo, we stepped up to the larger 76mm turbo from Turbonetics. Available with a billet wheel (ours was cast), 76mm turbos are capable of supporting 1,000-plus horsepower on the right application.
3 The trick T4 75mm turbine...
3 The trick T4 75mm turbine side of the Turbonetics turbo featured a 1.15 A/R ratio.
4 Rather than producing dedicated...
4 Rather than producing dedicated units, the Hellion turbo kit utilized the factory stainless exhaust manifolds. Since they were designed to keep heat directed to the catalytic converters for quick light off, they were ideally suited for turbo use.
5 A Y-pipe was used to merge...
5 A Y-pipe was used to merge the exhaust energy from each side of the V-8 and direct it to the 76mm turbo. Note the two-bolt flange for the 38mm Turbosmart wastegate. We liked the fact that the exhaust and intercooler tubing were bagged and labeled for easy installation.
6 After installation of the...
6 After installation of the exhaust tubing, we installed the Turbonetics turbocharger. The position of the turbo allowed a short, straight shot to the intercooling. Note the oil drain back tube, position of the Turbosmart blow-off valve, and fitting for the manual boost controller.