do or don't mass air?

Topic: do or don't mass air? (Read 1270 times) previous topic - next topic

do or don't mass air?

January 12, 2006, 07:39:04 PM

Greetings! I just stumbled into this site & it seems a rarity (T-birds & cougars). BUT I'm glad to have found it. To the point, I read the tech article on the mass air H.O. conversion here and in the begining it says that you MUST use an H.O. engine or serious damage to a nonH.O. will occur. ? Why? does anyone have any specific info or experience on this matter? I have an 88 5.0l Tbird and would like to convert to mass air. Why couldn't I? What damage? Thanx in advance for the replies, hope to hear from you soon!

do or don't mass air?

Reply #1 – January 12, 2006, 08:35:19 PM

To convert to mass air simply for the reason that you would like to is not a good reason. The non-HO motors found in the cougar/t-bird have a different, cam, firing order, fuel injectors, intake manifold, cylinder heads, and throttle body than their HO counterparts (among other things). Simply throwing a mass air setup from an HO on your stock non-HO 5.0 would make it run worse. For more in depth info go here:
http://www.coolcats.net/tech/advanced/ho_conversion.html

do or don't mass air?

Reply #2 – January 13, 2006, 03:06:00 PM

You can convert to mass air, but you have to, at the very least, move up to the 19lb injectors, make sure to install the mass air meter (and do the appropriate wiring) as well as making sure to change 4 of the wires that go into the computer connector (these four wires MUST be rerouted or the car will not fire with the proper firing order for the mass air computer.)

You also should get an HO Upper intake, egr spacer and throttle body. The place I got my mass air harness from had all of the wiring information with the harness for about $35, but you still have to have the other hardware....but the conversion CAN be done with no damage, you just can't really make your SO engine an HO, but if swapping the parts I listed above, it will make noticably more power until you can do something more.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #3 – January 13, 2006, 03:50:18 PM

Well I guess I left out some stuff, or misrepresented my question.So here's a bit more info... I have a new stock mustang GT H.O. cam, GT-40 heads, Edlebrok rpm intake/70mm T-body, 19lb injectors, the computer from 89 mustang GT,& EGR spacer,+ mass air sensor. So, abd... have you done a conversion starting with the non-H.O.? And I'm wondering do you suppose the different firing order is the only thing that would cause the" damage" to the engine? (providing of course you use the proper injectors?) Just have never heard of the engine not being able to be changed over until I read that article, & now I have most of my goodies & was shocked to see that it said "don't try this with a non-H.O..bla-bla...DAMAGE" Anyone who's already done this? Thanx for the input guys!

do or don't mass air?

Reply #4 – January 13, 2006, 04:08:43 PM

it would be fine on the mustang engine, basically, they dont know sothey are saying dont do it.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #5 – January 13, 2006, 06:37:32 PM

Quote

Well I guess I left out some stuff, or misrepresented my question.So here's a bit more info... I have a new stock mustang GT H.O. cam, GT-40 heads, Edlebrok rpm intake/70mm T-body, 19lb injectors, the computer from 89 mustang GT,& EGR spacer,+ mass air sensor. So, abd... have you done a conversion starting with the non-H.O.? And I'm wondering do you suppose the different firing order is the only thing that would cause the" damage" to the engine? (providing of course you use the proper injectors?) Just have never heard of the engine not being able to be changed over until I read that article, & now I have most of my goodies & was shocked to see that it said "don't try this with a non-H.O..bla-bla...DAMAGE" Anyone who's already done this? Thanx for the input guys!

if you install all that you will be fine but you leave the harness ALONE in reguards too the fireing order. the 89 mustang GT computer will have already done that for you. follow the directions in the coolcats section reguarding the MAF conversion and you should be pretty good providing you install the HO cam, and HO computer.

MAF is realy only required for more aggressive cams and engine flow upgrades. with the mods you listed above, you might even not need too convert too MAF. SD should be fine. the heads and intake might be a little too much. not sure. obviously if you allready have everything you listed id say go for it.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #6 – January 13, 2006, 08:07:30 PM

With the parts you listed you'll be fine. I was under the idea that you wanted to put an HO mass air system on a bone stock non HO motor while keeping the stock cam, injectors, etc.....

do or don't mass air?

Reply #7 – January 14, 2006, 10:08:36 AM

Thanks guys , sounds like we're all in agreement here that it'll work fine , and the tech article is just being really cautious or saving space by avoiding an explanation. I'm gonna start the mods at the begining of Feb.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #8 – January 14, 2006, 12:26:25 PM

I misread too....sorry about that. Are you going to use the SO bloack and rotating assembly? If so with the HO cam you will just want to make sure you have enough piston to valve clearance beforehand. One of the main reasons they say not to use the SO to make an HO is because the pistons in our cars don't have valve releifs like the HO motors and with the HO cam having more lift, you can run into a problem with the valveshiznitting the pistons.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #9 – January 14, 2006, 07:36:47 PM

Thanks, I've heard that, too. Probably have to get pistons & rings yet, but gonna check & see 1st, I pulled the heads off of a differentnon-H.O. and lo-& behold there WERE valve reliefs, so who knows. Thanks again to all!

do or don't mass air?

Reply #10 – January 15, 2006, 01:39:49 AM

I ran a FMS E cam on a stock Non H.O. long block with no problem after it was conveted to Mass Air the S/D didn't like the E cam a bit.

do or don't mass air?

Reply #11 – January 17, 2006, 02:48:44 PM

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S/D didn't like the E cam a bit.

S/D hates Ford alphabet cams. They don't have enough vacuum for S/D. A good high perf S/D cam is Crower part # 15511. Comp and crane actually make som hi=po cams designed to run with the SO computer for those with limited budgets AND the speed bug!