Need more POWER!

1,165

Asked by Pete Jul 18, 2008 at 09:22 PM about the 1994 Ford F-150 XLT Extended Cab LB

Question type: Car Customization

I have the 302 (5.0) V8 in my 1994 Ford F-150, and i want more HP and torque. What should i start with if i'm on a budget? And if i'm not on a budget what should i do?

43 Answers

not to much on a truck unless you want to spend $$$$$.

30 people found this helpful.
1,165

My thoughts were an intake and exhaust. Will those help much?

24 people found this helpful.
215

I'd start with a computer upgrade, then go with dual exhaust and cold-air intake upgrades. Then again, you could always go all out and bore and stroke it. Depends on how much budget you plan to put into it.

17 people found this helpful.
1,165

Thanks for the advice, hopefully pretty soon i'll have done some of those things, thanks.

12 people found this helpful.
200

swith your gears in the rearend its cheap and if u know how to do its cheeper than doing a computer upgrade

20 people found this helpful.
255

agreed gears in the rear, Intake and or exhaust will give some power. Anything will be costly. other than that turbo or supercharge it. Easier said than done though.

15 people found this helpful.
135

If you put on a CAI and a dual exhaust it would be good idea to get it retuned.

13 people found this helpful.
1,165

What do you mean change the gears?

19 people found this helpful.
350

They are prob talking about Cat Back Duel Exhaust, that would barly give you much more power.. prob wouldn't really notice it, and a cold air kit might give you 5 to8 horse power on that moter. The computer upgrade would be the best, but what I would do would be pull out the old 302 and drop in a Ho.... so personally I think the computer upgrade.. but thats me...

35 people found this helpful.
300

headers and intake. i've got a K&N CAI on my '94 bronco along with a throttle body spacer. some guys swear by them, others say they're pointless, but what the hell. headers will give you more power than the stock exhaust manifolds do. punch out your catylitic converters, they don't run emissions on our trucks anymore. tuning a '94 OBD 1 computer, which we have, is extremely difficult nowadays, and it won't need a retune if all you do is intake and exhaust, anyhow. if you've got the ford 8.8 inch rearend, you're running 3.55 gears. swap them out for 4.56s, and you'll get gobs more pulling power, but less top-end speed. you could look into doing a high-output upgrade (heads, cam, pistons, intake manifold, and computer).

30 people found this helpful.
55

LOL If you dont already have an electric fan, get one your wont get much more hp though. Just a thought.

4 people found this helpful.
1,165

Hey, thanks a bunch for the help.

6 people found this helpful.
155

simple upgrades like a k&n air filter, throttle body spacer, and a tornade fuel saver can add hp and torque. then for big upgrades, go for headers, and exhaust. (i prefer flowmaster)

12 people found this helpful.
165

start with a k@n factory filter and some hotter spark plugs. a free flowing muffler like a glasspack

12 people found this helpful.
1,325

i own a 1995 f150 w/ 5.0l. i put in true duals, H-pipe, long tube headers, K&n intake and filter, and a performance computer chip... with the chip i bumped the timing 20 degrees before TDC(with premium only) i noticed instantly more power, im running 6" lift, 35" mudders, stock gears and i can squawk the tires where before i couldnt even get the truck to budge

32 people found this helpful.
1,165

At what point did you have to start using premium? These things are beasts when it comes to gas, and filling up with premium isn't an option for me

7 people found this helpful.
1,325

when i put the chip in...i was living at an extremely high altitude(10k ft, 4wheeled around 11.5k ft) and i was looking for every bit of power i could get from it for the 4wheeling trails... you can run the chip without premium, its just recommended. i ran from colorado to florida on regular, had it on 10 degrees b4 tdc... you might have to play with the timing to find that sweet spot if you run regular. just dont let the engine detonate(ping.) i have mine set at 22 degrees b4 tdc...

15 people found this helpful.
250

what performance chip did you get for your truck? i too have a 95 f150 with a 5.0L V8 but I can't find any chips for it. Plus I think I have a OBD1 port so I have no idea how I could connect it

25 people found this helpful.
190

Bigger intake manifold , bigger pushrods, rocker arms, bigger exhuast manifold and alotta this you can find at a junkyard just look for em or go to Ford ask a mechanic i mean people on here know there stuff but id look for a master mechanics answer

4 people found this helpful.
60

roush cold air intake. flowmaster 3" pipes with no mufflers or cats. a single glasspack aftermarket fuel injectors. msd flamethrower ignition and distributer. hotter plugs and wiring. bbk or hooker headers. and a posi track 9" rear end. fairly cheap and a VERY noticable power increase

6 people found this helpful.
170

Fords main problem is air flow though the engine so I would open up the intake, cold air intake, headers ( buy shortys off a 93 mustang), ALUMINUM HEADS WITH 2.02 INTAKE AND 1.60 EHAUST VALVES, openup the exhaust. My 1991 f150 5.0L has underdrive pulley kit, and that helped a little. but you also need a sligtly larger cam. Fords are known for having small factory cams. Do all this and yo will be happy. Im in the process of doing all this.

17 people found this helpful.
100

My IQ just decreased... long tube headers, TFS twisted Wedge 180 heads, roller rockers, upgraded springs and rods. Not enough? Then a cam, and maybe later bore it.

6 people found this helpful.
100

But yes gears are awesome for low end, turns 38s like nobody's business (in a 1500 that is)

4 people found this helpful.
90

I haves a 96 extended cab iams fixing up n i lives in virginia. I failed inspection for i needs n exhaust system in it . Ives decided id like dual exhaust on it .. any suggestion on the best way to do it . Ives gots to hace converters also.ives been told i can just gets by with the small 1s on the back ..

6 people found this helpful.
60

So I have an 89 f150 5.0. I plan on doing heads, headers, true duels, cam, intake, and that's about it. What horsepower am I looking at and will it break my tranny or rear end??? Also I'm thinking about switching to 4:10's I have the 8.8 rear end right now so that's a 3.55.

5 people found this helpful.
150

Don't Google truck parts Google mustang parts From 89 to 93 it will fit your truck I have a 1994 f150 my drive train from the motor to the rear end is the something as a mustang I had the same problem till I was told what to look for I can put a turbo or supercharger on my truck

15 people found this helpful.
140

whattttt what all did you swap with mustang parts on your truck?

7 people found this helpful.
140

so this will swap on just fine on my 91 f150 302? http://www.protuninglab.com/89fomu5v8gtl1.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=140851311418

4 people found this helpful.
140

or this 90 mm tb or a 75 mm ? http://www.americanmuscle.com/90mm-race-throttle-body.html

1 people found this helpful.

Look up budget builds for 302's online. You can get 400 hp for around a grand if you can do the work yourself.

13 people found this helpful.
60

If it's got the EFI I'd take it off and change it over to a 4 Barrell carb with short tube headers and some hot plugs and wires that will help alot

6 people found this helpful.
130

i have a 94 f150 5.0. all i have on mine is short headers off a ford mustang and i can smoke my tires for a city block like its nothing twist a little on take off and thats it. you really dont need to many high purformace up grades on these motors. just need to know were to go and what to get.

7 people found this helpful.
130

and of course how to install it properly. ive worked on several fords and i know them well

6 people found this helpful.
120

All the upgrades everyone is saying are small increases. Just because the box you buy a chip says so much power increase doesn't mean your vehicle they take the beat increase from different makes and use that spec. If you want noticeable increases in power. Go with heads and a cam that would get you to 300 hp. With your engine cause it's efi best cam can get that doesn't mess with the efi is comp cam 31-255-5. And head for cheap but alright ones gt40 head should be able to get a used set for couple hundred bucks or go with a set of ford racing gt40x heads a lot more money but would put you to around 320 to 350hp

12 people found this helpful.
10

As i have just got my first 89 f150 EFI 5speed 4x4 LWB, what is a good fuel economy old school Miles per Gel or new age KM per LT not sure what everyone uses. as it is mixed up with hi-way and around town.

1 people found this helpful.
170

Your best bet is to avoid throttle spacers! Waste of money and time. Replace all of your fuel injectors and go with hotter plugs and wires. Eliminate the fan and install an electric fan kit. Remove the stock exhaust for a set of headers and run 3" exhaust tubing. Change the rear end gears. Chances are your running 3.55. put in 4.56 gears. Run an msd 45k and distributor and if your a lil crafty like me Fab you up a set of custom made air intake tubing and rid the air box. You'll notice the hp and torque! I've been doing this kind of work for over 17 years and I helped alot of ppl become happy with the results!

17 people found this helpful.
30

colder plugs and 170 degree thermostat headers and intake, then a dyno tune

3 people found this helpful.
30

Is my 92 flareside single cab has the same engine as the mustangs 5.0 of this year?

3 people found this helpful.
20

Ive got 82 f250 6.6 400modified..im putting out over 500 horse my truck bloeing new cheveys off the road .i had her up to 148 racing a vet on freesay I put hookers hesders hsd my motor rebuilt .750 eidel btock carb .

2 people found this helpful.

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