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The Most Powerful N/A 3L Built?

Hydrargyrum

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Messages
531
Location
Chicago, IL
What is the most power someone got out of a N/A 3L? Also, what were the mods needed to get there.

I am getting a big refund (finally) and have decided now is the time to get this done. Besides having an intake, getting headers, optimized Y-pipe and a more open exhaust, what can I do to get the most out of it?

Lets see some numbers people have out of their 3L, and the things that they have done.

Thanks guys.
 
Hmmm, I see. Most of the guys that get around 220hp have little more than headers, the y pipe, a better flowing exhaust and a good tune. Seems this guy went ahead and did a whole bunch of other stuff to get to the insane 238 number...

Interesting.
 
hopefully in a couple years I'm gonna be going all out to see how much power I can push out of these engines N/A. I have alot figured out but I can't share my secrets. The problem that I have run into in my plans is that there isn't a large aftermarket. (as most of us have realized) so if you want to get serious gains you have to work with all sorts of machine shops to get custom parts made and most of your gains will be made by machining. The gains from this are that you don't have to buy something thats out there because if youre gonna fork up the cash anyways you can get something made that meets exactly what you want to get out of your engine.

If this is something you want to go for I would research ways of "building" horsepower and go from there with what you would like to do.
 
To get power you have to open up the intake and exhaust, find a cam with some lift, duration and overlap, and bring the compression up. Or for the same amount of money buy a turbo kit and double the NA power of these engines.

I think SVT#49 on here is putting a powerful engine together and doing it right. It will be turbod but the basics are the same.

An engine is a big air pump, pull more air in, exhale more air out and it will make more power. I went with the FI direction because you don't have to tear the engine apart to make 350 HP. My next step will be rods and pistons and some head work but right now this thing is fun as it sits.

Just look at your budget, if you don't have $2500 to waste then do simple stuff, but expect small gains too.
 
Like HYDRDRGYRUM said, somewhere in the 210-220 range is what you'll see for most people in the N/A class.

Heres my dyno #

http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?50004-Just-got-tuned!&highlight=

I know its not the highest, but it'll give you an idea on what a setup like mine will give ya.

04 Taurus 3L- Portmatched, optimized TB, MSDS headers and y-pipe, Tune. Stock SVT intake with paper filter. Resonator delete
 
My Full 3l with tune, headers, a crap rusted Y pipe, stock cat back exhaust, and a optimized TB netted me 191 at the wheels.

allruns-1.jpg
 
Tricker's 3L put down some nice numbers with a tune. I believe it was 219hp... which is right in-line with the 220 everyone has been saying. I bet if I ran my motor without FI I'd be in the mid/high 200's.

If your going for big power and want it done right with good components your looking at about $3k into your engine if you do the work yourself. If not more along the line of like $5k. This would consist of rods, pistons, bearings, gaskets, rotating assembly balance, cylinder hone, and if you really wanted to do some head work tack on another $1k (if you do some work yourself, ie disassembly and cleaning). That's just a quick summary of it. Good luck.
 
Well, I am definitely set on buying my 3L, but to be honest I am still on the fence if I should do the Turbo. I read a whole bunch of stuff, and it just seems the sensible thing to do is go for the Turbo. I mean, when you're spending that much money, may as well go all the way.

Right now the way I look at it, a good 3L will cost between 500-700 bucks. Tack on an additional 300 for the headers, and another 300 for the Y pipe. Plus there is the tune, and if you have to regasket the whole thing there is more. Plus the labor. And the hp is around 220.... I drove a few 3Ls, and they are definitely awesome compared to my stock 2.5 SVT, with an open exhaust and intake. But compared to the 3L/T cars, it's night and day.... I just don't think it's worth messing with the engine unless you can bump it up to around 300hp. And the only way to get there appears to be the Turbo route.

Either way, by the end of next month, I will buy a 3L. Then we'll get to work on it.

Thanks for the input guys.
 
My CSVT is arguably the fastest N/A non nitrous build out there. Unfortunately, I have yet to have it Dyno'd but it has one hell of a wicked sharp torque curve. I estimate I'm in the 240-245 hp to the wheels range.
Here's whats under the hood....

=Performance=
3.0L Duratec Engine (Hybrid build, 11:5:1 compression)
Kinger PnP 2.5 SVT Heads with ST220 3L valves (5 angle valve job)
Clevite Trimetal Rod Bearings
SVT Cams
SVT UIM (Extrude Honed MAX Honed Upper Intake Manifold) & (Jet Hot coated)
SVT LIM (SHO-Source Extreme Port-Matched Big Bored Lower Intake Manifold)
SVT 60mm TB, optimized
SVT Focus 255 lph smart fuel pump
Escape Oil Pan (improved baffle & drainback)
DMD (Dual Mode Damper) Crank Pulley
Sean Highland Motorsport Headers (long tube), (Jet Hot coated)
Sean Highland Motorsport Y-Pipe
CTA intake pipe, (Jet Hot coated)
K&N 3530 Open Air Filter
Custom intake heat shield (Pudmunkie)
Bassani 2.5 cat-back exhaust
Magnaflow High Flow Catalytic Converter
Edelbrock muffler (resonator)
Torsen T2 Limited Slip Differential
SPEC Stage 1 clutch
SPEC lightened flywheel (9 lbs)
Focus MTX-75 Shift Tower
Fully Rebuilt Transmission (New Syncro's, Shift Forks, etc)
Oil Filter Relocation kit w/steel braided lines (FL-1Z filter)
Oil/Air separator
Superchip tuned, (Arizona Dyno Co)
 
Kinda makes me want to run my 3.0L without the turbo just to see what it could do... I bet I could hit 300... just say'n :laugh:
 
250-300whp all N/A seems like a longshot in these cars...you will be running low comp, so wouldn't that mean you will make less power? My next 3L will be full boltons and everything to make as much power n/a as possible until next year when I start a boost build, but I'm only expecting to make TOPS, 230ish at the wheels (even that seems like a lot though, considering most people can hit 220 with everything)
 
hey cktour98 where do you plan on buying the 3l motor from(still looking on buying a good 3l from around here)
 
I'm hoping I can start a N/A project when I get out of school and all the power will be in the machining because I think that is alot of fun. Now before everybody tells me it's a waste of time I don't think so because when you build an engine for a turbo alot of people overlook things because the extra 10 HP from a lot of work "isn't a big deal" when you go N/A yuo try to squeeze every last bit out of it. Like #49 is doing with the turbo build I hope to do the same with my N/A build and hold a record. I'm shooting for 300HP.
 
My CSVT is arguably the fastest N/A non nitrous build out there. Unfortunately, I have yet to have it Dyno'd but it has one hell of a wicked sharp torque curve. I estimate I'm in the 240-245 hp to the wheels range.
Here's whats under the hood....


Show me a dyno sheet. Unless your, dyno-tuned or somehow ADC managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat with a mail order tune (I always lost power with them), you'll be lucky to be clearing 230whp. Just being honest.
 
Show me a dyno sheet. Unless your, dyno-tuned or somehow ADC managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat with a mail order tune (I always lost power with them), you'll be lucky to be clearing 230whp. Just being honest.

I have always been concerned about mail order tunes but it seems like a tune from joey is like the only thing I can go with. Any experience with him?
 
I have always been concerned about mail order tunes but it seems like a tune from joey is like the only thing I can go with. Any experience with him?

He's been on here for a while and has been working on 3L's for quite sometime. He's done enough of them to know a thing or two. He is the only one that still builds and offers a turbo kit for our cars. He's a pretty good guy to work with and does what he can to make things right. While I have not contacted him about a tune for the turbo kit he sold me he has worked through a few issues I had and does a stand up job from what I've seen. Because of the amount of work I'm putting into my car I've kind of opt'd out of having him tune my car as I'm going to break my engine in on the dyno and tune it with DB Performance by my house (or at least that is the plan for now). There is a thing to be said about having someone working on the car in person versus over the computer looking at data logs. However if you are not going extreme I see no reason why a mail tune can't work the way Joey does it.
 
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