The 4.6- and 5.4-liter modular Ford engines are finally catching up with the legendary 5.0L in terms of aftermarket support and performance parts availability. Having a lot of parts to choose from is great for the enthusiast, but it can also make it harder to figure out what parts and modifications will work best. Building 4.6/5.4L Ford Horsepower on the Dyno takes the guesswork out of modification and parts selection by showing you the types of horsepower and torque gains expected by each modification.
Author Richard Holdener uses over 340 photos and 185 back-to-back dyno graphs to show you which parts increase horsepower and torque, and which parts don't deliver on their promises. Unlike sources that only give you peak numbers and gains, Building 4.6/5.4L Ford Horsepower on the Dyno includes complete before-and-after dyno graphs, so you can see where in the RPM range these parts make (or lose) the most horsepower and torque. Holdener covers upgrades for 2-, 3-, and 4-valve modular engines, with chapters on throttle bodies and inlet elbows, intake manifolds, cylinder heads, camshafts, nitrous oxide, supercharging, turbocharging, headers, exhaust systems, and complete engine buildups.
Introduction: On the Dyno
Chapter 1 Throttle Bodies and Inlet Elbows
Test 1: PI 2-Valve GT: Throttle Body & Intake Elbow Shoot-Out
Test 2: Vortech Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Throttle Body & Intake Elbow Shoot-Out
Test 3: Ford Racing Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing 70-mm Throttle Body
Test 4: Kenne Bell Supercharged Early 2-Valve GT: Cold Air, MAF, & Throttle Body
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 2-Valve 5.4L Lightning: Throttle Body Upgrade
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: Accufab Throttle Body
Test 7: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Accufab Throttle Body & Inlet
Test 8: 5.0L Stroker 2-Valve: Accufab 75-mm Throttle Body & Inlet
Chapter 2 Intake Manifolds
Test 1: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Truck Intake
Test 2: 4.6L 2-Valve Truck Divided Intake Plenum Test
Test 3: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Ford Racing Bullitt Intake
Test 4: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Reichard Racing Short-Runner Intake
Test 5: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Fox Lake P51 Intake
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: SHM Ported ‘01 Cobra Intake vs. Ford Racing FR500 Intake
Test 7: Ford Racing FR500 Intake: Long vs. Short Runners
Test 8: Vortech Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Effect of Runner Length
Test 9: 5.0L Stroker 2-Valve GT: Variable Runner Intake
Chapter 3 Cylinder Heads
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT vs. PI 2-Valve GT
Test 2: Early 2-Valve GT Heads vs. TEA CNC-Ported PI 2-Valve GT Heads
Test 3: Early 2-Valve GT vs. FPS Early 2-Valve GT Heads, Cams, & PI Intake
Test 4: PI 2-Valve GT: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 2-Valve GT: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 6: 4-Valve 5.4L: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 7: ATI Supercharged 4-Valve 5.4L: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 8: 2-Valve PI GT vs. 3-Valve ’05 GT
Chapter 4 Camshafts
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE274H Camshafts
Test 2: PI 2-Valve GT: Six Sets of Comp Cams Xtreme Energy Camshafts
Test 3: Ford Racing Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE262H Camshafts
Test 4: Vortech Supercharged Early 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE274H Camshafts
Test 5: Naturally Aspirated ‘03 4-Valve: Cobra Cams vs. Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: Degreeing Comp XE262AH Cams
Test 7: Eaton Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 8: Kenne Bell Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 9: Kenne Bell Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Crower Stage 2 Camshafts
Test 10: PI 2-Valve GT: Crane Cams HR-212/550-25-15 Camshafts
Chapter 5 Nitrous Oxide
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: With a 100-hp Zex Kit
Test 2: Early 2-Valve GT: With a 125-hp Zex Kit
Test 3: Naturally Aspirated 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: With a 125-hp NOS NOSzle Setup
Test 4: Naturally Aspirated 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Effect of Reduced Timing in Anticipation of Nitrous
Test 5: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: With a 125-hp Zex Kit
Test 6: Kenne Bell Boost-A-Spark Cured Misfire with Supercharger & Nitrous
Test 7: Paxton Supercharged 4-Valve Cobra: With a 75-hp Zex Kit
Test 8: ’05 3-Valve GT: With a 75-hp Zex Kit
Chapter 6: 2-Valve Supercharging
Test 1: PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing Supercharger
Test 2: Ford Racing Supercharged 2-Valve GT: 3.6-inch Pulley vs. 3.4-inch Pulley
Test 3: Early 2-Valve GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Test 4: PI 2-Valve GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Test 5: PI 2-Valve GT: Vortech T-Trim Supercharger
Test 6: Vortech T-Trim Supercharged 2-Valve GT: 12 psi vs. 16.9 psi
Test 7: Kenne Bell Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: 1.7L vs. 2.2L
Test 8: 2-Valve 5.4L Lightning: Kenne Bell Supercharger Upgrade
Test 9: PI 2-Valve GT: Vortech T-Trim vs. JT-Trim
Chapter 7: Supercharging 3- and 4-Valve Modular Engines
Test 1: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Naturally Apirated vs. Eaton Supercharger
Test 2: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Pulley Upgrades
Test 3: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Eaton Supercharger vs. Kenne Bell Upgrade
Test 4: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Eaton Supercharger vs. Vortech T-Trim Upgrade
Test 5: 3-Valve ’05 GT: Paxton Novi 1200 Supercharger
Test 6: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: 16.5 psi vs. 19.5 psi
Test 7: 4-Valve 5.4L: ATI F2M Supercharger
Test 8: 4-Valve Cobra: Paxton Novi 2000 Supercharger
Test 9: Paxton Supercharged 4-Valve Cobra: Effect of Intercooling
Test 10: 3-Valve ’05 GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Chapter 8: Turbocharging
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: HP Performance Twin-Turbo Kit
Test 2: HP Twin-Turbo Early 2-Valve GT: 10 psi vs. 14 psi
Test 3: Early 4-Valve Cobra: HP Twin-Turbo Kit
Test 4: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Turbo vs. Blower, Blower, & Blower (11 psi)
Test 5: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Turbo vs. Blower, Blower, & Blower (14 psi)
Test 6: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: NA vs. HP Twin-Turbo Kit (20.8 psi)
Test 7: Mihovitz 4.6L Twin-Turbo Race Motor: 25 psi vs. 29 psi
Test 8: 3-Valve ’05 GT: HP Twin-Turbo Kit
Chapter 9: Exhaust Systems
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: Hooker Long-Tube Headers
Test 2: PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing Shorty Headers
Test 3: PI 2-Valve GT: Kooks 15⁄8-inch Long-Tube Headers
Test 4: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Flow-Tech Long-Tube Headers
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Bassani Cat-Back Exhaust
Test 6: 3-Valve ’05 GT: JBA Long-Tube Headers
Test 7: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Kooks 15⁄8- vs. 13⁄4-inch Headers
Test 8: 4-Valve Cobra: Ford Racing Shorty Headers
Test 9: 4-Valve Cobra: Hooker Long-Tube Headers
Chapter 10: Engine Buildups
Test 1: 407-hp PI 2-Valve GT
Test 2: 490-hp 5.0L Stroker PI 2-Valve GT
Test 3: 800-hp Vortech Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT
Test 4: 990-hp Twin-Turbo 4-Valve ’03 Cobra
Test 5: 1,350-hp ATI F2M Supercharged 5.4L 4-Valve
The 4.6- and 5.4-liter modular Ford engines are finally catching up with the legendary 5.0L in terms of aftermarket support and performance parts availability. Having a lot of parts to choose from is great for the enthusiast, but it can also make it harder to figure out what parts and modifications will work best. Building 4.6/5.4L Ford Horsepower on the Dyno takes the guesswork out of modification and parts selection by showing you the types of horsepower and torque gains expected by each modification.
Author Richard Holdener uses over 340 photos and 185 back-to-back dyno graphs to show you which parts increase horsepower and torque, and which parts don't deliver on their promises. Unlike sources that only give you peak numbers and gains, Building 4.6/5.4L Ford Horsepower on the Dyno includes complete before-and-after dyno graphs, so you can see where in the RPM range these parts make (or lose) the most horsepower and torque. Holdener covers upgrades for 2-, 3-, and 4-valve modular engines, with chapters on throttle bodies and inlet elbows, intake manifolds, cylinder heads, camshafts, nitrous oxide, supercharging, turbocharging, headers, exhaust systems, and complete engine buildups.
Introduction: On the Dyno
Chapter 1 Throttle Bodies and Inlet Elbows
Test 1: PI 2-Valve GT: Throttle Body & Intake Elbow Shoot-Out
Test 2: Vortech Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Throttle Body & Intake Elbow Shoot-Out
Test 3: Ford Racing Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing 70-mm Throttle Body
Test 4: Kenne Bell Supercharged Early 2-Valve GT: Cold Air, MAF, & Throttle Body
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 2-Valve 5.4L Lightning: Throttle Body Upgrade
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: Accufab Throttle Body
Test 7: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Accufab Throttle Body & Inlet
Test 8: 5.0L Stroker 2-Valve: Accufab 75-mm Throttle Body & Inlet
Chapter 2 Intake Manifolds
Test 1: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Truck Intake
Test 2: 4.6L 2-Valve Truck Divided Intake Plenum Test
Test 3: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Ford Racing Bullitt Intake
Test 4: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Reichard Racing Short-Runner Intake
Test 5: 2-Valve GT: PI Intake vs. Fox Lake P51 Intake
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: SHM Ported ‘01 Cobra Intake vs. Ford Racing FR500 Intake
Test 7: Ford Racing FR500 Intake: Long vs. Short Runners
Test 8: Vortech Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Effect of Runner Length
Test 9: 5.0L Stroker 2-Valve GT: Variable Runner Intake
Chapter 3 Cylinder Heads
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT vs. PI 2-Valve GT
Test 2: Early 2-Valve GT Heads vs. TEA CNC-Ported PI 2-Valve GT Heads
Test 3: Early 2-Valve GT vs. FPS Early 2-Valve GT Heads, Cams, & PI Intake
Test 4: PI 2-Valve GT: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 2-Valve GT: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 6: 4-Valve 5.4L: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 7: ATI Supercharged 4-Valve 5.4L: Effect of Compression Ratio
Test 8: 2-Valve PI GT vs. 3-Valve ’05 GT
Chapter 4 Camshafts
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE274H Camshafts
Test 2: PI 2-Valve GT: Six Sets of Comp Cams Xtreme Energy Camshafts
Test 3: Ford Racing Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE262H Camshafts
Test 4: Vortech Supercharged Early 2-Valve GT: Comp Cams XE274H Camshafts
Test 5: Naturally Aspirated ‘03 4-Valve: Cobra Cams vs. Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 6: 4-Valve Cobra: Degreeing Comp XE262AH Cams
Test 7: Eaton Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 8: Kenne Bell Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Comp Cams XE262AH Camshafts
Test 9: Kenne Bell Supercharged ‘03 4-Valve Cobra: Crower Stage 2 Camshafts
Test 10: PI 2-Valve GT: Crane Cams HR-212/550-25-15 Camshafts
Chapter 5 Nitrous Oxide
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: With a 100-hp Zex Kit
Test 2: Early 2-Valve GT: With a 125-hp Zex Kit
Test 3: Naturally Aspirated 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: With a 125-hp NOS NOSzle Setup
Test 4: Naturally Aspirated 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Effect of Reduced Timing in Anticipation of Nitrous
Test 5: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: With a 125-hp Zex Kit
Test 6: Kenne Bell Boost-A-Spark Cured Misfire with Supercharger & Nitrous
Test 7: Paxton Supercharged 4-Valve Cobra: With a 75-hp Zex Kit
Test 8: ’05 3-Valve GT: With a 75-hp Zex Kit
Chapter 6: 2-Valve Supercharging
Test 1: PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing Supercharger
Test 2: Ford Racing Supercharged 2-Valve GT: 3.6-inch Pulley vs. 3.4-inch Pulley
Test 3: Early 2-Valve GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Test 4: PI 2-Valve GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Test 5: PI 2-Valve GT: Vortech T-Trim Supercharger
Test 6: Vortech T-Trim Supercharged 2-Valve GT: 12 psi vs. 16.9 psi
Test 7: Kenne Bell Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT: 1.7L vs. 2.2L
Test 8: 2-Valve 5.4L Lightning: Kenne Bell Supercharger Upgrade
Test 9: PI 2-Valve GT: Vortech T-Trim vs. JT-Trim
Chapter 7: Supercharging 3- and 4-Valve Modular Engines
Test 1: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Naturally Apirated vs. Eaton Supercharger
Test 2: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ‘03 Cobra: Pulley Upgrades
Test 3: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Eaton Supercharger vs. Kenne Bell Upgrade
Test 4: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Eaton Supercharger vs. Vortech T-Trim Upgrade
Test 5: 3-Valve ’05 GT: Paxton Novi 1200 Supercharger
Test 6: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: 16.5 psi vs. 19.5 psi
Test 7: 4-Valve 5.4L: ATI F2M Supercharger
Test 8: 4-Valve Cobra: Paxton Novi 2000 Supercharger
Test 9: Paxton Supercharged 4-Valve Cobra: Effect of Intercooling
Test 10: 3-Valve ’05 GT: Kenne Bell Supercharger
Chapter 8: Turbocharging
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: HP Performance Twin-Turbo Kit
Test 2: HP Twin-Turbo Early 2-Valve GT: 10 psi vs. 14 psi
Test 3: Early 4-Valve Cobra: HP Twin-Turbo Kit
Test 4: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Turbo vs. Blower, Blower, & Blower (11 psi)
Test 5: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Turbo vs. Blower, Blower, & Blower (14 psi)
Test 6: 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: NA vs. HP Twin-Turbo Kit (20.8 psi)
Test 7: Mihovitz 4.6L Twin-Turbo Race Motor: 25 psi vs. 29 psi
Test 8: 3-Valve ’05 GT: HP Twin-Turbo Kit
Chapter 9: Exhaust Systems
Test 1: Early 2-Valve GT: Hooker Long-Tube Headers
Test 2: PI 2-Valve GT: Ford Racing Shorty Headers
Test 3: PI 2-Valve GT: Kooks 15⁄8-inch Long-Tube Headers
Test 4: Eaton Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Flow-Tech Long-Tube Headers
Test 5: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Bassani Cat-Back Exhaust
Test 6: 3-Valve ’05 GT: JBA Long-Tube Headers
Test 7: Kenne Bell Supercharged 4-Valve ’03 Cobra: Kooks 15⁄8- vs. 13⁄4-inch Headers
Test 8: 4-Valve Cobra: Ford Racing Shorty Headers
Test 9: 4-Valve Cobra: Hooker Long-Tube Headers
Chapter 10: Engine Buildups
Test 1: 407-hp PI 2-Valve GT
Test 2: 490-hp 5.0L Stroker PI 2-Valve GT
Test 3: 800-hp Vortech Supercharged PI 2-Valve GT
Test 4: 990-hp Twin-Turbo 4-Valve ’03 Cobra
Test 5: 1,350-hp ATI F2M Supercharged 5.4L 4-Valve