|
|
|
Bolt-On Performance
We've all seen it a thousand times.
It starts with a bone stock Mustang
of your choice. Then you start to add
bolt-on performance parts to your ride
as you can afford them, like a lot of us.
With each piece of the build-up you
wonder "How much horsepower did I really
add for my hard earned cash?" So then
you immediatly refer to the part manu-
facturer's claims of "Bolt on ____ HP in
minutes!"
So, you take your base flywheel
horsepower numbers supplied by the
factory and start to add up all of
the "extra horsepower" from the
pile of go fast goodies you have
added to your baby.
Sean's '99 Cobra was hooked up on
the SuperFlow Dynamometer to
get accurate base line numbers.
Then, after each mod was
installed, we took a couple more
pulls to see what increases, or
decreases, we saw in horsepower.
Some of the results we saw were
pretty surprising.
|
In this first installment of "Mod Madness" we will cover the installation and dyno results of the MagnaFlow Stainless Steel Cat-back exhaust, model #15644 (for the 99+ Cobra w/IRS). While not a true step by step account, it will give you a good idea of what is involved with this kit.
Upon opening the carton we were immediately impressed by how nice the finish looked on the mufflers, in fact it was almost a shame to put them on the dirty side of the car. All of the parts were well packed and protected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All told, you should have enough power on tap to thrash the quarter-mile in about 10 seconds. Yet your still not quite there. Did Ford lie about the Hp numbers of your car? Probably not. Did the performance part manufacturers exaggerate their numbers just to sell more parts? Could be, but again probably not.
There are a few things to consider before you break out the calculator to come up with your estimated Hp. First is the big one - driveline loss. The flywheel horsepower is just that - flywheel horsepower. You then have to transmit that power through the driveline to the wheels. On a manual transmission car you can knock of anywhere from 15-20% ,the power hungry automatics are more like 20-30%.
This is what the factory cat-back looks like when you get it off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The stock tail-pipes were pretty nasty and I had cleaned them up a bit... but it was time for a change.
Removing the stock exhaust is a simple procedure, just unbolt the factoy cat-back section from the H-pipe and remove the hangers from the rubber mounts.
|
|
|
|
Spraying a little WD-40 on the rubber will help alot when removing the hangers.
Take care not to damage the rear bumper cover when removing the pipe as the mufflers are heavy and will tilt the tips up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also consider that when a performance part manufacturer tests their product, it is often on a stock vehicle with the part in question being the only modification done to the car.
The "Mod Madness" series was created to give our readers an idea of the horsepower increases, or decreases, they can expect as they modify there own Mustang.
For this reason, ours will be a "cumulative" test showing net gains, or losses, as products are added along with previous modifications. We feel this will give real-world results to our readers on what to expect in the way of enhanced performance as you add pieces to your own "work in progress".
Also, great care has been taken to duplicate the conditions under which the dyno testing is performed. This is aided by the inherent accuracy of the SuperFlow Chassis Dyno and a skilled operator at Speedy Discount Muffler and Dyno Center.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Putting It All Together
We begin installing the new system by bolting on the front tubes. From there we move on to the muffler and tailpipes and tips. All of the pieces slide together and use high quality stainless clamps to secure them and the new tailpipes have hangers that utilize the factory mounting locations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DO NOT tighten anything yet! The hardest part of this install is getting the tips lined-up and centered where they need to be in relation to the rear bumper cover. Also, the hanger rods supplied with the tips are really long and take some time to place and adjust. This is where it pays to have expert help.
We had access to a vehicle lift for the exhaust install and removal. This made the job easier, but can still easily be done with a jack and stands.
|
|
|
|
|
When all of the pipes are adjusted to your liking, simply tighten all of the clamps working from the front to the back. Notice how we turned the clamps so the bolts would not be seen from the back of the car. The tips have clamps and a hex screw on top (hex wrench included with kit) that secures them to the hanger rod. Make sure you have at least a 1/2" clearance from any part of the chassis or body to avoid hitting the exhaust while driving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here is what it looks like when your done. A nice finish and mandrel-bent tubing makes for a clean looking installation.
We would like to thank Greg and all the guys at Speedy Discount Muffler for their help and expertise with this install, their work is truly top-notch. It should also be noted that while it's certainly possible to tackle this job on jack-stands, we would have to recommend that this system be professionally installed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Check back soon to see the next installment of Mod Madness when we install and dyno a BBK Cold Air Intake Kit on this '99 Cobra.
|
|
|
|
|
