converting to mass air
 

I am considering converting my 86 5.0 to a mass air setup. Would the ford unit or an aftermarket setup work best.
Also, can anyone recommend an intake manifold that is better than the stock factory unit. I have heard of some guys using a modified explorer manifold, but i have no idea as to what year of explorer the manifold came from.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Even though massair is more adaptive to mods,
you can't beat the throttle response of speed
density 5.0s. To cope with my mods, I prefer
to alter fuel pressure and reprogram the ECU.
Go with the cobra mass air kit with the 24#
injectors and get the harness and bracket
that's not in the kit from a junkyard or other specialty suppliers in 5.0 magazine!
Stock meters are to restrictive.
The cobra manifold is the best bang for the
buck. It's got great lowend and sufficient
topend for cam swaps!

I would have to disagree with getting the Cobra kit. The computer with that kit is terrible, and the 24lb injectors are too much for your combo, by a long ways.

The 70mm Cobra mass air sensor be design is also quite restrictive for it's size.

I bought a mass air sensor pigtail(plug) from a Ford dealer. Got an aftermarket sensor and free used mass air intake bellows from a friend who went with the chrome cold air thingy-dingy. Then I bought a used mass air computer for like 50 bucks. Now all you have to do is add and remove a few wires in the main wiring harness and Viola' MASS AIR! CHEAP!

If you wanted to do it that way email me or post when you want to do it and i'll type you complete instructions.

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1988 Mustang GT
11.8 @ 123 (7/14/01)
11.6 @ 116 with a melted plug! (9/8/01)
1992 BadAzz Wrangler
1993 Explorer

See my car at: www.mustangworks.com/cgi-bin/moi-display.cgi?179

Before I move this to the Windsor Power Forum...

FWIW, I converted my '87 to mass air with used/boneyard parts, and I can't tell you how much better it is now in every way. Well, mebbe I can. I ran a half-second FASTER this year since the conversion! That's the only mod I did since last fall that'd make any difference. Going from 14.7 to 14.3 (with an AOD & completely stock motor) was nice. http://www.mustangworks.com/msgboard/cool.gif Now my mission (with some minor bolt-ons) is to break that damn 14-sec barrier. Wish me luck!!!

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I'd seriously look for another engine, preferrably an '87-'91. '92+ have cast (okay, hypereutectic) pistons, which suck. The '86s are infamous in the 5.0 community for offering basically nothing in performance, reasons too numerous to list.

As for an intake, the best bang-for-the-buck is still the Cobra. IMHO, fiddling with an Exploder intake is too much trouble (I know some will disagree, but there it is: my opinion http://www.mustangworks.com/msgboard/smile.gif ).

Mass air meters are pretty easy, you just have to make sure that it's calibrated/matched to the injectors. Apparently C&L is the one to beat, plus it uses your stock MAF element. MM&FF did a test on that and a Pro-Flo, and the C&L beat it across the board. 75mm should be considered a minimum for any performance application.

You need these mods to compliment each other though, and I think you're throwing money at a longblock that really needs some help, particularly the heads & pistons.

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Capri306, Moderator, The Mustang Works Online
1979 Mercury Capri, 5.0L -- C4 -- 2.73
1987 Mustang LX Notch