1992 5.0 Automatic

[Matthew Etheredge]

Hello,
I have a 92, 5.0 auto. It’s all original (31k miles). Only changes I have made are the exhaust. I recently installed, Cat back American thunder. I would really like to do some basic mods to this car without changing too much, or risking damage. Just want to give it some more HP. Anyone with any suggestions? I appreciate it, thanks!

 

[broncojunkie]

Lower gear, headers, heads, upper/lower intake, throttle body/egr spacer, 1.7 roller rockers, cold air intake (or remove factory intake baffle). Also do a 3g alternator upgrade, aluminum 3-row radiator, and e-fan while you're at it. These will breath new life into the ol fox!

Those might be a little more than you were looking for, but I always seem to learn the hard way...do it right and do it once! Welcome to the group!

 

[Matthew Etheredge]

Wan considering the throttle body upgrade, as well as cold air induction. What are your thoughts on a chip?
Upper/Lower intake and roller rockers... hmm might consider that as well.
Probably won’t mess with gears, since I just had the transmission rebuilt, guess I could have done it then!

 

[broncojunkie]

Wan considering the throttle body upgrade, as well as cold air induction. What are your thoughts on a chip?
Upper/Lower intake and roller rockers... hmm might consider that as well.
Probably won’t mess with gears, since I just had the transmission rebuilt, guess I could have done it then!

By gears I meant in the rear end. These cars came with a high gear meant for highway use and fuel economy, but you can swap them for a lower gear. Your factory gear should be a 2.73 (maybe 3.08 for an auto)? A 3.73 or 4.10 would really make a big difference.

The list of engine mods I gave you would eliminate the bottle necks that cars of this era were plagued with. While picking and choosing a few of these upgrades might help a little, you won't get the full benefit. The cylinder heads (E7's) were particularly poor-flowing. In my opinion, you should replace them if you want the most out of it. Find a set of gt40's from an explorer, if you're on a budget. 1.7 roller rockers will give you more cam lift, without having to replace the cam. Grab the upper/lower intake off the same explorer. Buy an aftermarket egr spacer and throttle body. Find a nice used set of headers that will work with the gt40 heads (do a little research on this one, as the gt40p heads have a different spark plug angle and will cause fitment issues with plug wires and spark plug removal). There's a lot of info available online for the gt40 setup as a budget performance build. It can get you fairly close to the 300hp mark and with a lower rear-end gear, that will feel like a different car.

 

[reef blue 93]

easy stuff
headers,mid pipe, cat back (which you have)
bump timing to 13-15 degrees
cold air intake

more involved
torque converter/valve body upgrade
4.10 gears
good tires

The car will roll out pretty well at this point and be great to drive. From there you can get into suspension upgrades and bigger power like head/cam/intake and even a blower.

 

[Rifster]

Yeah man. Rear gears are a definite. You’ll notice the difference right away.

 

[Redtwilight]

Welcome to the site!

Your basic upgrades such as exhaust (which you already have half), rear gears, underdrive pullies, electric fan, and bump timing up will be a good starting point.
The rear gears will result in the most notable improvement.

Other areas to consider are the suspension, tires, and brakes. Better suspension components and tires will do wonders as to how the car feels, drives, and reacts. Then of course better brakes (even just better pads and rotors) are always good when increasing performance.

 

[Rifster]

I could use advise or rear springs. Brand and rate. And also shocks. I’m not racing or anything. I want comfort and handling. I’m old. Lol

 

[Redtwilight]

I could use advise or rear springs. Brand and rate. And also shocks. I’m not racing or anything. I want comfort and handling. I’m old. Lol

Eibach Sportlines seem to be a popular spring choice as are the H&R springs and Ford Racing springs.
My '93 is set up more for straight line; so I'm using Team Z rear drag springs with coil-overs up front. But I also have solid bushings on the rear tubular control arms. Ride harshness doesn't really bother me much. It just adds to the feel for me and I'm 38.

Koni, Bilstein, and Tokico are all good brands of shocks. Just take a look at what would be more appropriate for what you're wanting.