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2011-2014 Mustang GT 80mm TB How-to

whatdoyoufeedit?

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Synopsis: Seeing how the S197 V6s (all 2011-2017 3.7 throttle-bodies are interchangeable) shares the same throttle body with us I wanted to find an alternative for paying $400+ for a larger throttle body for a better cost/performance ratio. The 80mm TB is a huge success. There is a night and day difference in driveability, idle, and most importantly acceleration. Tip-in is so much better and the car continues to pull strong up top vs the 67mm unit which seemed to wheeze out for no reason. Keep in mind I am un-tuned and this mod still made noticeable difference in driveability.

After spending some hours looking for solutions or clues to make this 5.0 unit adapt to a 3.7 manifold I eventually found some dimensions (Courtesy of user(s) lowbwan & 14mustang from ME forums) to provide to a machine shop so the holes can be drilled accurately + correctly for the Cyclone bolt pattern. I gave up trying to do the drilling myself after messing up the test throttle body (this proves how cheap you can find these) and took it to a proper machine shop which I highly recommend.


Anyways here are the steps I promised (I will also include the dimensions to provide to a local machine shop to get this done). Each picture will be in the same order as each step to make things easier. I can also provide these for low cost as my local machine shop charges $50 (add trip costs + shipping as well) to drill out the holes correctly.

Also to note:


-I used the 2011-2014 Coyote throttle body as I noticed that there are separate units listed for the 2011-2014 S197 5.0 and the 2015+ S550 5.0. I knew the V6 throttle body remained unchanged (which is why the S197 BBK or OE unit works on our cars). However, I was not sure if the 2015+ throttle bodies were backwards compatible. I stuck with something I knew would have a higher probability of working. Lastly, I noticed that the 2011-2014 unit has more "meat" available where the v6 pattern could be drilled whereas the 2015 up unit looks like there's just enough for the 5.0 mounting holes. If you have a 2015+ Coyote throttle body and it works after testing it feel free to post here so I can update this how-to proving that the 2015+ up unit does work.
**UPDATE On 2015+ again. As of now it looks like the 2015+ is having issues running with our electronics (even after a tune). So far no updates have been made yet from users trying them. As of now the 2011-2014 unit is highly recommended. I will update this if this changes.

-There is absolutely no port matching that needs to be done to get this to work. My hypothesis (I am not an engineer) is to keep cost low ford used a 67mm unit across most of their Cyclone applications. That doesn't necessarily mean that the 67mm unit is optimal for the Mustang application. Pulling off the throttle body and measuring both the 5.0 throttle body and V6 intake manifold opening you will notice they share the same diameter when measured. I am clearing up that myth out the gate before anyone brings it up. Please do not turn this into a debate about how "80mm is too big for a V6" etc. this thread is to prove the unit does work safely without tuning/modifying electronics and how to adapt the unit to our S550 V6. Please start another thread for debates of that nature.


Step 1: First you will need to remove the fins. These impede with the 5.0 unit's butterfly operation so they have to be removed. If they are not removed the car will go into limp mode as the butterfly cannot open fully. Not to mention you will not be able to go into WOT. These dividers (aka "quiet fingers") nothing for driveability and are strictly there for Noise Vibration Harshness purposes. I used needle nose pliers and carefully broke off each of the fingers carefully making sure nothing went into the plenum (stuffing a rag inside is also a viable solution). From there I took some low grit sand paper and carefully sanded down each of the fins nearly flat to ensure that the butterfly clears. You do not have to go too overboard sanding as you have a thin layer of plastic to begin with holding the gasket in. Sandpaper would probably be preferable over a Dremel to make sure you do not cut into the gasket. Remember you are just sanding down the fins for butterfly clearance not port matching. Be sure to protect your engine or from pieces of plastic that might go into the plenum. It does not hurt to vacuum the dust out as well to ensure nothing gets inside of the engine.


Step 2:

Now here come the part where the machine shop comes in to play. When bringing your 5.0 throttle body to the machine shop, bring your V6 unit in as well and tell them you want it drilled out to the V6's bolt pattern using these dimensions:

Move 4 holes 0.187" towards center

Don't worry, that may seem confusing but a reputable machine shop will know exactly what to do. Once again make sure to bring your V6 unit with you so they can make sure everything is center. The dimensions listed above are key. Any more/less will screw up your alignment to your V6 throttle body mounting holes. It is much easier paying the machine shop $50 or less to drill 4 holes than sitting there trying to clamp two units together while potentially messing up your new 5.0 throttle body. They will get everything spot-on accurate to the V6 bolt pattern.


Step 3:

After all of your prep work is complete you will want to get your bolts ready to bolt the unit on. Your stock bolts will no longer fit correct so you will need to get some allen-style bolts so they can clear the throttle body neck correctly. I have pictures complete with the part numbers below. I recommend going to your local Fastenal as they always have the tough to find bolts in stock. Once everything is secure you can plug the electrical connector back in. The electronics are plug and play and there are no re-pins required!


Now for the pictures of the bolts/part numbers and the unit installed:

Addendum: You will notice the 5.0 throttle body will not clear the thermostat housing. To resolve this issue just flip the unit over. The only possible issue with this is hood clearance. My engine is dropped 1/4" using the BMR MM007 Polyurethane Engine Mount Kit. I do not have conclusive evidence to say this will/will not clear the hood on stock height engines but mine clears the hood decently. You may have to drop the engine 1/4" or 1/2" (your choice) to get it to clear. The stock mounts are mushy and should be replaced with better mounts if you're planning on doing anything performance oriented anyways. Another possible (not proven) option is cutting down the thermostat housing some to clear. That seemed like far too much work to get the throttle body to fit vs flipping it. To add I was not sure of the thickness of the aluminum so I did not chance it. Lastly, the 5.0 80mm is MASSIVE compared to the stock 67mm unit (and yes even the overpriced BBK 73mm unit). You will need a larger tube and couplers since you will have a much larger intake tract.

Tuning Related Info:

Once again I am on the stock tune. After an extended test drive with WOT pulls AFRS still look safe. The car actually ironically idles better, has better driveability, tip-in is high improved and the car pulls much harder in each gear (especially the 1-2 shift). I also monitored the vacuum gauge to ensured the gasket was sealing and not losing vacuum. Everything looked within spec! **Though this mod works great and is safe without a tune, I always recommend a tune to ensure everything is tied together perfectly. If you already have a tuner definitely shoot your tuner some datalogs so they can make sure everything is 100% and shoot you a better tune. If my car is doing this well on the stock tune an aftermarket tune will make this mod even better.

What if I already have the $400 73mm BBK unit? Is it worth swapping out?

-Though I tried to make this write-up as fool-proof (the only "real work" is removing the fins, sourcing a bigger intake tube, and possibly lowering your engine for your shiny new 80mm unit) as possible there are those who just want want simple bolt on and go. I also do not have dyno numbers or 1/4 mile slips to prove that the 80mm is better (improved drivability does not = translate into better 1/4 times). However I like the idea that everything is fairly matched instead of necked-down. For that I would recommend sticking with the BBK if you do not want to go through the slightly longer path of doing this.

-There are other cases where someone will not want to purchase another throttle body after forking $400 for the BBK 73mm unit. That is totally understandable; for that group this research has netted something good for your crowd as well. I still recommend doing the "quiet fingers" removal if you have the 73mm unit (or even the stock 67mm unit) any divider in the intake tract is not doing you any favors (other than slight NVH purposes).


In conclusion:

For as cheap as these 80mm units are going on Ebay (from $25-$80) + the price of having a machine shop properly align and drill the bolts I spent about $130 on a bigger and superior throttle body. This is compared to the overpriced $400+ BBK unit which is smaller, made with lower quality internals, the casting does not look as high quality as a Ford OE unit, and the BBK units are known to "slow down" over a period of time due to weaker springs. I'd say the extra research and small bit of fin removal was well worth the time. I could never go back to a 67mm unit again. Please PM me if you have any further questions.

Update: **Added link to purchase spacer for bolt-and-go-ness:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/LQ...ionId=61699428
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whatdoyoufeedit?

whatdoyoufeedit?

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Here is a comparison between the 67mm vs the 80mm unit


Comparison 1.jpg
Comparison 2.jpg
 
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whatdoyoufeedit?

whatdoyoufeedit?

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Beta testing phase with low quality Spectre couplers.
Beta Phase.jpg
 
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whatdoyoufeedit?

whatdoyoufeedit?

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And the final product

And the final product with using the appropriate 4" intercooler couplers + 4" intercooler tubing cut to fit! Hopefully I covered all of the bases or possible questions. :cheers:
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zackmd1

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Thanks for the write-up!! I have a 2015 throttle body on the way so I will let you know if I can get it working!
 

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whatdoyoufeedit?

whatdoyoufeedit?

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Thanks for the write-up!! I have a 2015 throttle body on the way so I will let you know if I can get it working!
No problem, glad I could contribute something. Definitely let us know. See, I left some discovery for you to accomplish as well. :D
 

s550v6

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And the final product with using the appropriate 4" intercooler couplers + 4" intercooler tubing cut to fit! Hopefully I covered all of the bases or possible questions. :cheers:
Well after seeing this 5 minutes ago I went ahead and bid on a GT throttle body only to realize it was a 2015! Looks like I better pray it works as easily. This is an awesome write up and find!! Thank you!
 

s550v6

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Thanks for the write-up!! I have a 2015 throttle body on the way so I will let you know if I can get it working!
Please let me know as well!!
 
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whatdoyoufeedit?

whatdoyoufeedit?

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Well after seeing this 5 minutes ago I went ahead and bid on a GT throttle body only to realize it was a 2015! Looks like I better pray it works as easily. This is an awesome write up and find!! Thank you!
Patience grasshopper lol. If Zack discovers it works you'll be set. If something somehow changed between the years (besides appearance) and it doesn't work then the 2011-2014 units are equally just as cheap on ebay. I lucked out and found a brand new 2011-2014 take-off that Roush had listed.
 

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Awesome find and great write up! I'm eager to see someone try this without having their engine lowered.

I love finds like this. I did this on my 2.5L V6 Cougar with a $20 TB off of a 3.0L Taurus. Until that find, people would pay $200+ for a SVT Contour throttle body. On that little Duratec V6, it made a huge improvemen! I can only imagine what it does for this 3.7L monster.
 

zackmd1

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I think I have an idea to solve any clearance issues by designing a custom adapter plate. That way I can slightly tilt the throttle body without having to completely flip it in order to clear the thermostat housing. This would also eliminate any machine shop visits for people. I will know more though when my TB arrives.
 

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My Procharger kit has a spacer that also clocks (tilts) the throttle body. It would be cool to have this spacer with the 5.0 TB holes so that that no machining of the 5.0 TB would be needed. Maybe if there is enough interest we could get someone with a CNC machine to make a batch of these spacers with the 5.0 TB holes.
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Terminator2

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How big is the stock V6 intake manifolds inlet? If it's 80mm that's great if not it needs to be port matched or within a couple mm of being port matched. OP put up a pic of the blade open with the GT throttle body bolted up. Also the electronics are definitely different on the 2015 and up GT throttle body so those will definitely require a tune to run.
 

zackmd1

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How big is the stock V6 intake manifolds inlet? If it's 80mm that's great if not it needs to be port matched or within a couple mm of being port matched. OP put up a pic of the blade open with the GT throttle body bolted up. Also the electronics are definitely different on the 2015 and up GT throttle body so those will definitely require a tune to run.
V6 intake manifold is about 79.5mm in diameter.
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