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Is there a real upside to CAI and tuning?

1488 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  bicbehr
Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like there are a lot of folks who are investing in a CAI / tuner / Dyno upgrade and gaining some 10 to 25 odd RWHP.

Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.

I guess if you want to beat other Mustang owners by a second in the 1/4 mile then go for it.

Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.

This is only my opinion, I am sure others will think I am losing it.
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mdprice said:
Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like there are a lot of folks who are investing in a CAI / tuner / Dyno upgrade and gaining some 10 to 25 odd RWHP.

Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.

I guess if you want to beat other Mustang owners by a second in the 1/4 mile then go for it.

Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.

This is only my opinion, I am sure others will think I am losing it.
Well, "Hello my name is Russ". (as the crowd responds) "welcome Russ".... "I have been an addict for the better part of my life.... getting this Mustang just brought out more of my addiction. I love to make her faster and sound tougher and use I it in every way to make me happier every day and I read, I read, I read,...ALL that I can to help her along to be better , faster and more important to me...."

get it?
G
mdprice said:
Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like there are a lot of folks who are investing in a CAI / tuner / Dyno upgrade and gaining some 10 to 25 odd RWHP.

Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.

I guess if you want to beat other Mustang owners by a second in the 1/4 mile then go for it.

Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.

This is only my opinion, I am sure others will think I am losing it.
Actually, the 20-30 rwhp/ rwtq you gain is very much appreciated at first drive. Moreover, the laggy, 87octane down tuned sluggish feel gets totally removed, the throttle response is snappier and the car actually sounds BETTER than stock at 92 octane tune.

Look at it like this, on the motor stand with no intake forward of the throttle body, and only stock manifolds aft of the heads, your '05 4.6 motor makes 375 HP @ crank.
That is the engine you paid for. Period.
Now then, Ford puts on a restrictive emmisions freindly intake box/ filter, and cat heavy exhausts (albeit one of the best exhausts from Ford Mustang ever), and "chokes" the engine down to 300 [email protected] crank.
Don't you want some of those Pony back?
I did.

I am waiting for my Long Tube headers now in the mail with catted X-pipe, to put my HP up hopefully another 15+ HP/ TQ.

Gas mileage is dependant on the lead foot factor. I can baby mine and get almost the same mileage, difference being about 1-2 mpg difference, small trade off given the fun factor I now have.

My dealer has seen my mods and KNOWS he has no room to wiggle if there is a OE issue that causes me greif. If it is my mods, thats my problem.

"Inviting engine problems", not really much to invite in a Naturally Aspirated motor. The SCT and Predator "canned" tunes are actually quite harmeless especially, when compared to Supercharged, Turbo Charged or Nitrous type issues/ tunes. Even then if you go with modest boost levels your ok. Nitrous can be bad if you don't have it down and get detonation, boom.

"Sound", lawl, my Borla's have the same stock sound mayby even quieter under no load but, when I stomp on it, they scream like a beast, I love 'em.

I think you may be misinformed and need to look a bit deeper at the historical safety of many mods. I have had zero issues for 6000 miles of mods thus far and I know there are guys with 100,000+ on older cars with similar mods.
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R3dF1r3 said:
Actually, the 20-30 rwhp/ rwtq you gain is very much appreciated at first drive...

... had zero issues for 6000 miles of mods thus far and I know there are guys with 100,000+ on older cars with similar mods.
Ditto.

LoL,

Mo
mdprice said:
Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like there are a lot of folks who are investing in a CAI / tuner / Dyno upgrade and gaining some 10 to 25 odd RWHP.

Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.

I guess if you want to beat other Mustang owners by a second in the 1/4 mile then go for it.

Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.

This is only my opinion, I am sure others will think I am losing it.
The extra 30RWHP is great, but I think the major benefit of the tune is in throttle lag and if you have an auto shift points etc. Now that I have a tune it drives much more like I expected before buying it. When I think of a muscle car I think of something that throws you back in the seat (not that it didn't before, but it does a heck of alot more now) and with an automatic when you can chirp the tires going into 2nd and then 3rd its a pretty impressive improvement over just chirping them off the line.
I added a CAI and a new exhaust and it is much nicer sounding and quicker. I even added the Ford Racing exhaust, and I think that is how they wanted the car to sound.

And to answer your question if it is worth it...
:kooky::kooky::kooky::kooky:
:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:
:kooky::kooky::kooky::kooky:
mdprice said:
Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.
The throttle response rocks, I can feel the 28hp/21tq I got from the CAI/tune. And ... I really don't care about gas mileage or a warranty.


mdprice said:
Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.
I don't think they did that great a job. But, I made it better (to me).





To each his own my man, to each his own.

:cool:
Madhouse said:
... ... I really don't care about gas mileage ...
Oh yeah... the gas mileage. I wouldn't have bought a V8 if I was concerned with gas mileage. Just take it easy on the pedal. Knowing it's there when you want it is what makes it fun.


Although, from what I've heard over the last few days, we're going to see the gas prices jump big time.

Oh well.
mdprice said:
Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like there are a lot of folks who are investing in a CAI / tuner / Dyno upgrade and gaining some 10 to 25 odd RWHP.

Whats the big payoff? With 300 HP coming from the factory, having 320 in return for decreased gas mileage, risking voiding a factory warranty, or worse inviting engine problems on a really sweet car seems to only offer downsides.

I guess if you want to beat other Mustang owners by a second in the 1/4 mile then go for it.

Last note, by modifying the intake / outtake aren't you messing up the sound that engineers worked endlessly so you could reproduce the sound from the Bullet car in the movie.

This is only my opinion, I am sure others will think I am losing it.
Why? Because you can, of course.:)
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