I'm new to modding my ride (very). Would someone be willing to suggest the easiest/cheapest way (for now) to grab some extra hp/torque. All i can tell you is that the vehicle is a 2002 S281 SC... bone stock. any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Well of course a smaller pulley and tune would be a good start.

 

Not sure what is in those saleens..but uh... pulley, tune, is the cheapest as already stated. Do aftermarket work obviously, exhaust, iirc something like a powerpipe or w/e uhh..yea thats about all I got.

Now, is it HP/Torque you want, or is it a faster time down the track?

 

I'd agree with 08mustang_gt. The absolute cheapest way to get more power is a pulley and tune.

 

agreed

 

At the risk of being laughed off the board...

By tune, do you mean reprogram the computer?

What would be the step after the pulley and tune?

 

We'd never laugh at you for not knowing. After all, thats why we're here!

Yes, by using a handheld or flip-switch programmer from SCT (or Diablo) you can retune the ECU for a little bit more aggressive setup than what it has from factory.

The smaller pulley will spin the super charger faster, therefore creating more boost. But usually a smaller belt, and in my situation on my 04 Cobra a secondary idler pulley, is needed to keep the belt from slipping.

 

Ok, one last thing, then I'll stop torturing everyone with my incompetance.

How much boost would I be able to get away with before I start really hurting the engine? Any idea what kind of hp/tq gains i might be able to expect after this is done?

...I guess NASA won't be calling me anytime soon.

 

The blower on your saleen will create a lot of heat when you pulley down. But dont fret, you can still get it up to the 10psi range and still make decent horsepower with it. Just anything after that point (10psi) the blower starts to creat too much heat and not make big imporvements. 9-10psi is about the max you want to run on your stock motor. FYI, you have the same exact motor as a Mustang GT.

With 10psi I will assume the car to make around 380hp/380tq to the wheels. That is decent for the saleen series IV roots blower.

 

I run 16 pounds on my cobra.....and the difference from 12 to 16 pounds was a hefty 40rwhp. So the difference can be there.

I would say get the smallest upper you can, and then get yourself a good tune. Drive it like a civil human being and it'll last you just as long as stock would.

Further mods would be a CAI, and full exhaust. Anything else would be a waste until you built the motor.

 

That eaton must scream! you ported that thing or what? Must be itching for that 500hp mark.

 

Yes sir. Ported it myself. 540rwhp has already been accomplished.

 

Biggest bang for the buck after a pulley: Gears. For less than a set of long tube headers (way less than for headers installed), you will feel like you added 100 HP.

On a 2v motor with stock heads you will reach a point of diminishing returns quicker than with a 4v Cobra. If it were me, I would start with 9 - 10 lbs, then do gears, then cams (if you can afford them) and exhaust. See how much the boost drops off from the reduced restriction and bump the pulley size again to get back to 9 - 10 lbs.

On the subject of cams, bigger isn't always better, especially in a blown car. Talk to MHS or CMS about a nice pair of stage I or II blower cams. Anything larger on a stock head / stock block PI motor and you will run into piston / valve clearance issues. Take your time and degree them, or take them to someone who will and see if you can watch. Don't get an N/A cam for the lopey idle: on a blown car your mileage will suffer and you'll move your powerband to a range where it isn't usable with a stock block and heads.

Much beyond this point, your bottom end, trans, and rear axles will be living on borrowed time, so enjoy your ride and start saving for the inevitable upgrades.