Rivals Automotive Performance
Expanding the Worlds Automotive Knowledge
3.7 V6 MUSTANG 66MM TURBO
2016 MUSTANG S550 V6
66/54MM BORGWARNER TURBO WITH CUSTOM TUBULAR HEADERS AND AIR-WATER INCOOLER
THIS WAS THE FIRST CAR I BOUGHT, AND BECAUSE I INSISTED ON NOT GETTING THE 4CYL TURBO AND REQUIRED A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, I HAD TO ORDER THE CAR.
THE CAR WAS DELIVERED IN LATE OCTOBER OF 2015 AND STAYED STOCK FOR ALMOST A YEAR, ASIDE FROM THE TINT PACKAGE I PUT ON.
THE FIRST REAL MODIFICATION I DID TO MY CAR WAS INSTALLING THE BBK SHORTY HEADERS. I HAD ALMOST NO TOOLS AND DIDNT HAVE A CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING!
TO RAISE THE CAR, I DROVE THE FRONT WHEELS ONTO STACKED PILES OF WOOD, JUST TALL ENOUGH TO GET MY BODY UNDER.
THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ME AND A BUDDY TWO DAYS TO FINISH, AND WHEN I STARTED IT UP, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
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THE EXHAUST WAS MAYBE 5% LOUDER, BUT I COULD CLEARLY HEAR THE INDIVIDUAL PULSES AND THE BURBLE THAT IT ADDED.
THEN IT ALL CAME GRINDING TO A HALT... ALMOST LITTERALLY...
RANDOMLY WHILE ACCELERATING OR BREAKING, THE CAR WOULD MAKE AN ALWFUL GRINDING AND CRUNCHING NOISE, SO I RUSHED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR HELP.
TURNS OUT MY "CAT" WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE FIREWALL, AND AS THE ENGINE MOUNTS ALLOWED MOVEMENT, IT WOULD VIBRATE ON THE BODY!
THAT $200 DIAGNOSIS FEE WAS A GOOD LESSON FOR A COLLEGE KID TO ALWAYS CHECK THE LITTLE THINGS!
AFTER ALL THAT TROUBLE I KNEW THAT MODIFYING CARS WAS MY LIFE, AND I NEEDED MORE!
ITS AMAZING LOOKING BACK AT MY EARLY DAYS WITH MY VERY LATE INTRODUCTION TO CARS, AND WHERE I AM NOW WITH ALL THE HALF RUNNING PROJECTS I HAVE.
I ALWAYS JOKE AND SAY THAT ANY DRUG ADDICTION WOULD BE CHEAPER, BECAUSE WHERE ELSE COULD SPEND $1K LIKE ITS NO BIG DEAL?
AFTER THE SHORTY HEADERS, I MOVED ON TO INSTALLING ROUSH MUFFLERS, COLD AIR INTAKE, CUSTOM H-PIPE, DUAL RESONATORS, DIFF BUSHINGS, MOTOR MOUNTS, DRIVE SHAFT, AND VERTICAL LINKS.
I FINALLY GOT THE CAR EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED IT, THE SOUND WAS AMAZING, ALWAYS BEING CONFUSED FOR A BIG V8, GOOD POWER, AND THEN SUDDENLY I HAD ANOTHER ISSUE.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY CLUTCH PEDAL FAILED TO RETURN AND I WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. QUICKY FOUND THE PEDAL AND PULLED IT UP, WHICH RESET THE PRESSURE PLATE AND CLUTCH.
I PULLED ONTO THE FORD LOT WITH 36,002 MILES ON MY CLOCK...
I MANAGED TO GET FORD TO COVER A NEW CLUTCH REPLACEMENT, BUT WORKED A DEAL WHERE THEY WOULD JUST INSTALL THE PARTS I GAVE THEM INSTEAD OF THE FACTORY PARTS, SO I GOT A STAGE 3 CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL SET UP.
THE TECHS ALL LAUGHED AT ME FOR HAVING A 850HP CLUTCH ON A 300HP MOTOR, BUT I KNEW WHAT WAS COMING.
EVENTUALLY I MOVED TO ARIZONA AND THE MUSTANG WENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR A FEW MONTHS.
WITH MY CHINA-SPECIAL $95 FLUX CORE WELDER AND ANGLE GRINDER, I BUILT MYSELF 3 DIFFERENT TURBO EXHAUSTS.
THE FIRST ONE RAN AND KEPT THE TURBO HAPPY, BUT IT HAD SIGNIFICANT FLOW RESTRICTIONS AND POOR DESIGN.
IT MADE POWER BUT DIDNT FEEL RIGHT.
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MY SECOND ATTEMPT WAS A TOTAL FAILURE BECAUSE IT PLACED THE TURBO BELOW THE OIL LEVEL IN THE PAN, AND ONLY EVER LEAKED INTO THE AIR SYSTEM AND OUT THE BACK EXHAUST.
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LAUNCH THIS SET UP FOR A DRAG TEST, FRIENDS STATED THAT I HAD A SNAKE OF FIRE UNDER MY CAR THE ENTIRE TIME!
MY THIRD ATTEMP HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCESSFUL, I RETURNED THE TURBO TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION, BUT REDESIGNED THE EXTIRE FLOW PATH OF THE HEADERS.
TO TEST THE FLOW OF THIS SET UP, I FORCED MY BLOW OF VALVE OPEN TO STOP BOOST FORMING, AND RACED A FULL-BOLT-ON 2013 COYOTE V8.
WHILE I TECHNICALLY LOST, ONLY LOOSING BY 3 FEET WHEN DOWN 2 CYLINDERS AND NOT HAVING BOOST WAS A SUBSTANTIAL RESULT.
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WHILE I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DIALING IN THE BOOST TUNE CALIBRATION, THE CAR ALWAYS PULLS HARD AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE!