OK, new to the DOHC, where to start 'street' mods?

[chief455]

Already installed:
Cold air intake
rear cat delete
fresh/improved trans
4.10 gears
tuned

What else can be done without going into, or breaking the 82k mile engine?

I'm trying NOT to make this a race car on the street, like I've done too many times.
Budget won't allow that anyway. It's all spent my other car:
Purple Paycheck Eater v v v
http://youtu.be/QDQ2fLuEwog

Marauder:
I love it as it is - BUT - goal is make it as fast as possible, yet maintain street manners and pump gas. No power adders on this car. I blow that stuff up too often.

Any throttle body, MAF, pulleys, etc that actually do anything?

My next guess would be headers, by looking at the tiny exhaust manifolds - but with matching exhaust and installation labor - ouch.
Is that worth saving for and starting with?
Stall convertors - I love them on the street. Do these cars, in basically stock form, respond well to a mild convertor?
With a bit of power brake, the car fries the tires (fun) - will it fry them(reduced 60ft time) dead stop with a 2800-3200 convertor?
Do we have a good source for lock up stall convertors in a heavy car?

Forgive the novice questions, but I'm learning that these engines are unique, and can't just throw name brand perf parts at it. Or read for a week and be an expert.
I've been reading your signatures, looking at many mod lists - lot's of supercharged cars and ones like mine - a few mods.
What is inbetween?
Even if I can't afford suggestions, I'll learn what does and doesn't work at least. And can grow from there.
Thanks for any experienced insight into bolting on power and more fun :cool:

[TP Derrick D]

Cold air intake
rear cat delete
fresh/improved trans
4.10 gears
tuned

What else can be done without going into, or breaking the 82k mile engine?

I'm trying NOT to make this a race car on the street, like I've done too many times.
Budget won't allow that anyway. It's all spent in this car:
http://youtu.be/QDQ2fLuEwog

Marauder:
I love it as it is - BUT - goal is make it as fast as possible, yet maintain street manners and pump gas. No power adders on this car. I blow that stuff up too often.

Any throttle body, MAF, pulleys, etc that actually do anything?

My next guess would be headers, by looking at the tiny exhaust manifolds - but with matching exhaust and installation labor - ouch.
Is that worth saving for and starting with?
Stall convertors - I love them on the street. Do these cars, in basically stock form, respond well to a mild convertor?
With a bit of power brake, the car fries the tires (fun) - will it fry them(reduced 60ft time) dead stop with a 2800-3200 convertor?
Do we have a good source for lock up stall convertors in a heavy car?

Forgive the novice questions, but I'm learning that these engines are unique, and can't just throw name brand perf parts at it. Or read for a week and be an expert.
I've been reading your signatures, looking at many mod lists - lot's of supercharged cars and ones like mine - a few mods.
What is inbetween?
Even if I can't afford suggestions, I'll learn what does and doesn't work at least. And can grow from there.
Thanks for any experienced insight into bolting on power and more fun :cool:
My 1st Marauder had all that, then I totaled it. Got an all stock one, what a dog...I was so used to the performance mods I had on my 1st one I could not take it, so I parked it until the performance shop I use could get me in to transfer all my performance mods off the totaled one onto the stock one.
Never drove this one at the level of my 1st one because after they installed all the basic mods from the totaled one they did the Eaton swap also that I had bought for the one I totaled but didn't get to have it installed.
So if you want to wake it up, do everything you got listed I promise you will see an amazing difference and will fry the tires . Find out what you're missing.

[yjmud]

Eaton swap and don't look back

[lji372]

Eaton swap and don't look back

:2thumbs: yep yep

[Limited360]

Slam it to the ground!


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/04/arudyzy7.jpg


Seriously though, eaton swap it and be done with it :)

[lji372]

DO NOT slam it to the ground!:lol:


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/12/04/arudyzy7.jpg


Seriously though, eaton swap it and be done with it :)

Fixed!!!!!:D

[Limited360]

Fixed!!!!!:D

Psh. She rides just like stock on the QA1's

[justbob]

First off, awesome play toy you already have!

As for easy mods, I caught the mod disease years ago so I'm probably about the last guy you want to take advice from. :D

Slam it. Night and day handling over stock, best part, free...

BUT, if you chose to hang with the bad kids, it reaps rewards. :) Welcome to the dark side.

EACkAK5gZFE




Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
"Since 2004"

[fastblackmerc]

Underdrive pulleys

[fastblackmerc]

Port & polish intake, cam swap, degree cams, intake spacer, larger throttle body, J mod.

[RubberCtyRauder]

Although not DOHC related. Metco or Sparta performance control arms and watts link, Addco sway bars. Heavy car will handle much better in curves, straight away launching etc.

[RF Overlord]

Cheap and easy mods?

Underdrive pulleys
PHP intake spacer
J-mod
Sparta/Metco rear control arms
Addco sway bars

[chief455]

Thanks for the tips so far.
My car is lowered 1" up front, but stock air ride in rear?
How do we lower that?

nobody goes right for a convertor?
I'd think a high rpm, heavy car like this would get out of the gate much better with some flash, even mostly stock?
Please keep tips coming - things that worked for you.
thanks!

[fastblackmerc]

Thanks for the tips so far.
My car is lowered 1" up front, but stock air ride in rear?
How do we lower that?

nobody goes right for a convertor?
I'd think a high rpm, heavy car like this would get out of the gate much better with some flash, even mostly stock?
Please keep tips coming - things that worked for you.
thanks!

Rear ride height adjustment is on the Watts link.
Stock stall is 2800 I believe. I have a 3200 PI.

[MOTOWN]

Rear ride height adjustment is on the Watts link.
Stock stall is 2800 I believe. I have a 3200 PI.

2800???????NOT

Stock stall is 1800-2000

[na svt]

Porting adds little power and cost a lot of money. CAIs add little power and cost a lot also.

[Limited360]

2800???????NOT

Stock stall is 1800-2000

This is correct. 1800-2000 is stall from the factory.

[Limited360]

Porting adds little power and cost a lot of money. CAIs add little power and cost a lot also.

CAI's cost a lot of money? Hmmm I would have to disagree with that. They are a wonderful efficiency improvement in the breathing side of the engine. Combine these with exhaust breathing mods and the number begin to add up... Not like a blower,... But still adds up.

[babbage]

I got a nice ported lower (nasvt) and love it. I think I'm the fastest N/A MM with 3.73's

I'd suggest an EMP Waterpump, reische 170 tstat, good dynotune. Also SW headers..
I got a full mods list in sig.

Good luck!

[LANDY]

Just boost it.

[Limited360]

Just boost it.

+1 on this. I started down the NA road and realized quickly how mistaken I was once I threaded for the trilogy car I have now.

[chief455]

All the post are great, and I'm reading up on the suggested items.
BOOST!!!!
I fully appreciate what this can do for a car, look at the video clip in my first post.
I just won't go this route- for a few years anyway - because total cost.
Correctly installed forced induction, in my experience, starts with a fully prepared short block, matched cam and head selection, fully upgraded fuel system, fully upgraded exhaust system, air/fuel data monitoring ability and some quality dyno tuning.
Then the transmission, convertor and rear end must be up for the power. Now the stock brakes are challenged....SNOWBALLL!!!!
I just got my other blower car dialed in, it took everything I listed and about ~$20k
I just don't have the coin, or desire to do that on my Marauder, at this time.
I'll be real happy mid 14 - high 13's N/A, mostly because I just drive weekends on the street, and want Marauder to be good for all week to work too.


I'll be chipping away at bolt on's as I can afford them.
Thanks!

[lifespeed]

All the post are great, and I'm reading up on the suggested items.
BOOST!!!!
I fully appreciate what this can do for a car, look at the video clip in my first post.
I just won't go this route- for a few years anyway - because total cost.

I would just leave the motor alone for now. There's not a lot of Return On Investment on a N/A motor, these 4V engines are somewhat optimized from the factory. Only thing worth a real kick in the pants in the engine department is forced induction.

I would stick with a tune, maybe a CAI, and possibly exhaust if she needs maintenance.

Fix up your suspension and enjoy the ride with low maintenance on the engine for awhile. The stock engine is not too god-awful gutless. Real power, as you point out, starts with a completely new forged engine and a blower - a big $$ project.

[chief455]

I would just leave the motor alone for now. There's not a lot of Return On Investment on a N/A motor, these 4V engines are somewhat optimized from the factory. Only thing worth a real kick in the pants in the engine department is forced induction.

I would stick with a tune, maybe a CAI, and possibly exhaust if she needs maintenance.

Fix up your suspension and enjoy the ride with low maintenance on the engine for awhile. The stock engine is not too god-awful gutless. Real power, as you point out, starts with a completely new forged engine and a blower - a big $$ project.
What you said! :burnout:

The exhaust pipes are crusty in areas, and the manifolds, pipe diameter seems low flowing to me.
I think my first higher dollar upgrade to engine will be headers and new exhaust.
If I do more later, at least the exhaust will be ready for it.

[lifespeed]

What you said! :burnout:

The exhaust pipes are crusty in areas, and the manifolds, pipe diameter seems low flowing to me.
I think my first higher dollar upgrade to engine will be headers and new exhaust.
If I do more later, at least the exhaust will be ready for it.

The Stainless Works exhaust is very nice. I wish I did not have the Kalifornia issue for the headers and cats.

[Limited360]

I love my kooks headers.... works well with the custom built stainless exhaust... previous owner did it. Kept the stock tips. All people hear is the blower whine as I pull away on them!

[chief455]

The Stainless Works exhaust is very nice. I wish I did not have the Kalifornia issue for the headers and cats.
I just need cats for visual inspection, they don't have to be real :)

I love my kooks headers.... works well with the custom built stainless exhaust... previous owner did it. Kept the stock tips. All people hear is the blower whine as I pull away on them!

Kooks or Stainless Works headers is what I'm saving for, I've seen some really nice systems looking through threads on this site :beer:

[chief455]

Just scored brand new Steeda underdrive pulley set for $169.99 shipped :)

Line on a Circle D convertor, scored an Addco rear bar for $100...it's coming along faster than I get paid! ;)

[Motorhead350]

Boost gets you layed on the ground constantly working on the hot rod wreck. Unless you only drive it 200 miles a year.

[lifespeed]

Stall converters can be annoying!

[chief455]

Boost gets you layed on the ground constantly working on the hot rod wreck. Unless you only drive it 200 miles a year.
That's funny ;) As soon as I sold a supercharged car that I took in trade, the crank balancer came off, destroying the short block. It ran great for me - bad for the new owner.
I bought my supercharged Trans Am, dynoed and driven ~1500 miles - and on my first drive the tranny blew. I upgraded that and put a 9" Ford rear in, was driving again. The fuel pump starved for a SECOND = detonation, rod knock = total engine rebuild.
It is finally built by me, my way, and know that it does not detonate.
BUT - one small blip and it's all over but the crying.
Guys that have not had these things happen, and their boosted car runs without issue - don't understand.

Stall converters can be annoying!
I love stall convertors!! It may take a few trys to get the right one, but every day driving is a blast, plus the hard hit on full throttle makes me love the car all over again.
Agreed, it is a preference, and if the experience had was with a slipping, loose convertor - that is bad.

[lifespeed]

I bought my supercharged Trans Am, dynoed and driven ~1500 miles - and on my first drive the tranny blew. I upgraded that and put a 9" Ford rear in, was driving again. The fuel pump starved for a SECOND = detonation, rod knock = total engine rebuild.
It is finally built by me, my way, and know that it does not detonate.
BUT - one small blip and it's all over but the crying.
Guys that have not had these things happen, and their boosted car runs without issue - don't understand.

Absolutely correct. Success in building a hotrod is not a high horsepower pull on the dyno or a few fast runs down the track. It is all that, plus being tuned properly and built with enough strength margin in key areas (engine bottom end, trans, axle, etc) to accommodate years of hard driving and applying that high power RELIABLY without leaving you sitting on the side of the road, or worse.

As to the stall converter, definitely a preference like rear end gears.

[babbage]

What you said! :burnout:

The exhaust pipes are crusty in areas, and the manifolds, pipe diameter seems low flowing to me.
I think my first higher dollar upgrade to engine will be headers and new exhaust.
If I do more later, at least the exhaust will be ready for it.


Check out stainless works they are a site vendor and sell a really nice long tube header kit. bolts right on! No welding - kit for the marauder. 25hp gain and almost as much torque.

[na svt]

25rw gain from headers?

[babbage]

25rw gain from headers?

Headers and a dynotune yes. Several members got 25 rwhp gains n/a after getting SW/Kooks Long tube headers.
Boosted the gain is around 50 rwhp...

Torque gains N/A across the board too.

Pic of my SW Headers for MM

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/vbgarage.php?do=getimage&id=628

[na svt]

Headers and a tune I can understand. If the car is already tuned there will not be a 25rwhp gain. As for the boosted gains, the gains are minimal unless the boost is quite high.

[babbage]

25 N/A (some 20-25)
50 Boosted (some 45-50)

Several members with dynos for these. These are the measured longtube header gains on a dyno.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69223

one such old thread there are many.

[na svt]

Is that going from a totally stock exhaust to longtubes, mid pipes, mufflers and tailpipes?

[chief455]

25 N/A (some 20-25)
50 Boosted (some 45-50)

Several members with dynos for these. These are the measured longtube header gains on a dyno.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69223

one such old thread there are many.


Is that going from a totally stock exhaust to longtubes, mid pipes, mufflers and tailpipes?
:eek: Doesn't matter guys - every single car will have different dyno results from baseline with the exact same products installed ;)
Looking at those little exhaust manifolds, headers can only help.
I'll put the entire system on, when a few $grand fall my way! Thanks:burnout:

[jsignorelli]

Cold Air kit, better plug coils, long tube headers, a dyno tune with an SCT chip, 4.10 gears, 60 mm Accufab TB
.
If finances allow, then get a blower.