TheLion
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I'll start off with the supporting hardware modifications, which are out lined in detail in the TST Optimization thread I started a while back (consequently those modifications are also good for use on stock PCM's so your S550 EB makes consistent and SAFE power).
1. Levels Gen 3 IC
2. Brisk RR14YS plugs
3. LMS 160F thermostat
4. UPR Dual Valve Catch Can
5. Boomba Racing ECU controlled BOV (with an outerwears filter)
6. Steed 35lb clutch assist spring
7. Partial Grill Shudder Delete (upper half in front of the radiator along wit the radiator ducting is still in tact and functional).
Stock intake and down pipe. I have a base model so my rear end is 3.31, not the 3.55 or 3.7. Tires are Goodyear Eagle F1's, which have surprisingly good dry grip for a 235 all season tire.
LMS delivered to me yesterday 4 PCM software profiles based off of my particular strategy code. Stock (which they retrieve directly from Ford), 91 Octane Stage 3 v7, 93 Octane Stage 3 v7 and the stage 3 Xv1 race tune, which can be used with 93 octane pump gas or with race fuel. They will also provide another version only upon request of the Xv1 that is dedicated for race fuel only for those wanting to run a track car.
If I make any changes, I can simply let them know ahead of time and they will make the appropriate adjustments and update the profiles which I can update from their online server (such as a down pipe, CAI etc.).
The 91 and 93 stage 3 tunes are also safe to use even with a fully loaded car (680lbs capacity), which is something that may occur when I travel out of state to visit family between myself, my wife, 7 year old son and luggage (you think I'm takin the 08 Focus 2.0L automatic when I have a 350hp mustang...?).
I'm currently running the most mild of the tunes, 91 stage 3 v7. I'm will probably run that tune at least until the first oil change around 10k for several reasons, I want the engine to be completely broken in before pushing it harder (rings are already mostly seated by 1k and fully seated by around 3k according to LMS), I would like to get a more heat tolerant and better load bearing oil than factory especially since I have a base model and no oil cooler (none of them do stock, that's next years upgrade along with track capable radiator and breaks).
Now for the meat and potatoes of what people want to hear. I'll start off with throttle profile. It's linear, thank the Lord! I absolutely hated the factory throttle profile which is very anemic for about 70% and then all the power is in the last 30%. I loved the linearity of my previous car, a cheap little 07 Focus ST 2.3L, I could modulate the exact power I wanted out of the engine, which was difficult if not impossible for me to do in the mustang (I'm sure if I spent a year or two I would eventually start to get used to the factory profile).
The LMS 91 Stg 3 v7 profile has a very linear throttle response comparatively. Starting also easier, with the factory PCM profile, I would often dump the momentum in the fly wheel as the response was difficult to gauge. With the LMS profile I can perform automatic like smooth starts without thinking (combined with the softer Steeda Clutch assist spring).
Fuel economy, yah, some of you are going to balk at this, but a very significant reason I chose the EB over the V6 or even the V8 and over the Camaro V6 which was faster from the factory wasn't just it's cost / performance / potential, it was it's fuel economy. My car is a daily driver, which I will have for another 10 years. Fuel economy matters, I don't step on it 24/7 (although I have no issue hammering it for on ramps, back country roads etc.) and when I'm not stepping on it I wanted a car that would get fuel mileage at least similar to a small SUV / full sized car. Over the last 100 miles my fuel mileage as not changed, I'm averaging 25.5 mpg, I travel about 50/50 highway/city for work and otherwise primarily town / city when running errands, visiting friends etc. Not bad for a car that's now capable of running 12 second 1/4 miles...
How about wheel spin? ZERO. However I have NOT performed any actual drag launches from dead stop, which I would expect smoke city on the tires at that point or having to really limit throttle off the line. All of my 1st gear WOT has been from a rolling start of 7~10 mph as I'm on public roads that have moderate traffic. With a rolling start, there's no chirping or slippage of the Eagle F1's (235's). However, this is in dry conditions, new tires and with a stock base model struts. The car squats like a kangaroo, which pushes all that weight onto the rear end, great for drag racing, not so great for track where breaking and cornering become more important than line grip. I have a feeling the F1's are going to be the bane once I get my Ford Racing X Street lowering springs installed as they are as stiff as the PP springs and sit 1" lower. Unless my car is making far less torque than it should, but it sure doesn't seem to be the case from the feel of it.
Gears 1-3 are STRONG. I haven't exceeded the speed limit of 80, so I haven't even gone all the way through 3rd, but it feels like is pulls as hard if not harder in 3rd then it used to in 2nd. Looking at the dyno of the LMS software, we can easily see why! Turbos and super chargers are torque multipliers. Holding full 20 psi boost broadens the torque curve significantly, pulling hard throughout the entire RPM range. The car as it is now would easily best any of the test cars it went up against in magazines with ample room to spare. There's is a vast swath of usable torque, which makes it very well suited for actual track use. That extremely good low end torque will get you out of the hole in a hurry. I've never driven a car nor ridden in a car at this price point with even close to as ideal of a usable torque / power band. It's amazing at how few changes it takes, applied in just the right areas, to bring out all this latent potential. Conservative is an understatement of the factory PCM software.
How about smoothness or ease of feel? Electric motor like is all I can say to describe the steady, constant pull. The engine does not in any way feel labored or gritty as a struggling engine would. It just makes strong, smooth power pull after pull, gear after gear. I did a WOT in 4th (already moving at 50) til I could no longer safely accelerate due to the road and it just pulled hard.
The upper end is also strong, once power peaks around 5500, it STAYS. It doesn't keep climbing like in a large turbo engine or a NA V8 like the coyote, but it's there to stay unlike power produced in the upper end with the stock PCM software, which flees with like it was stolen. Although many of the TST Optimizations help reduce that, they don't eliminate it, for that you need a whole new PCM software. I can see why a built short block will easily run in the mid 10's on race gas. I think Adam managed a 10.7 on pump gas with octane boosters on a customer car. While Ford may have only partially achieved "Fast, Fun and Affordable" on the stock EB, they created a hidden treasure trove of FAST for just a few thousand extra, which is hard to find in any other car currently on the market at this price point.
The mustang is a MUSCLE car, which means TORQUE and lots of it. The stock or lighly modified Mustang EB is not a muscle car, it's a hustle car. It's quick, but not fast. Now the car is fast. I paid just a hair under 26k for my base model grey EB Mustang brand new from Sterling Verginia with the 6 year tripple care program (fixes scratches, paint chips, dings, dents, flat tires, replace bent wheels from pot holes, chipped windows).
The total cost of all of the current modifications is $2,060 which includes the Ford Racing X Street springs which are not yet installed. So approximately $28k total for a car that gets about 26 mixed city / highway, pushes .98g lateral with good tires, is capable of running a 12 second 1/4 mile and is in my opinion one of the best looking cars in its price bracket...I'd call that a win.
Not only that is that in 10 years if I can keep the body in good condition, I'll drop in a built short block, strip the interior and turn it into a dedicated track car. There's also lots of room for growth yet, I have a stock intake, down pipe and exhaust, no front strut tower brace and base model 235/50R18 tires and wheels, but as it is now, it's an awesome daily driver that will smoke any of the WRX's, BRZ's and other "hustle cars" running around which cost surprisingly even more new. I have a buddy that paid 23k for a 2013 BRZ at the start of 2015 with 17k already on it and we looked for cheaper but couldn't find them...that car feels like a snail comparatively (runs a 14.8 stock on the best of days, throw in a passenger and you'll drop .3~.5 seconds as the 2.0L is all RPM, torque output is only 151lbs).
Long term reliability is unknown, however initial impressions are exceptionally good as is the track record with quite a few EB engines with well over 100k which are daily drivers using LMS. Their track record is spotless, again which is why I decided to use them despite the warranty concerns. Warranties matter, but only if something breaks. The more desirable situation is to NOT have to use the warranty and that is where their value stands, in the performance and reliability (based on their record).
I will work on adding to this thread my built photo log once I get some time showing the hardware upgrade process. I also want to show you guys how I modified the active grill shudders to work even with the humongous Levels Gen 3 IC, keeping the upper radiator ducting in tact and also some of the lower IC ducting.
Anyone with LMS, please feel free to comment on your 1/4 mile times or experiences (good or bad), I haven't had a chance to go to the local track yet, but there's plenty of LMS videos showing what they can do on a bone stock car (save tires). I'd imagine I'm making more power with a proper IC, a non-leaking BOV and better plugs. Before I go to the track however I want to get the Ford Racing X Street Springs installed which is the final mod for this year (well and mud flaps from ZL1). Thanks to everyone for their help and assistance. I hope that I have helped many of you, but you have also helped me through your input, experiences, knowledge and expertise. While anyone can do quite a bit on their own if they set their mind to it, which is what I did, they can do better when working with others!
1. Levels Gen 3 IC
2. Brisk RR14YS plugs
3. LMS 160F thermostat
4. UPR Dual Valve Catch Can
5. Boomba Racing ECU controlled BOV (with an outerwears filter)
6. Steed 35lb clutch assist spring
7. Partial Grill Shudder Delete (upper half in front of the radiator along wit the radiator ducting is still in tact and functional).
Stock intake and down pipe. I have a base model so my rear end is 3.31, not the 3.55 or 3.7. Tires are Goodyear Eagle F1's, which have surprisingly good dry grip for a 235 all season tire.
LMS delivered to me yesterday 4 PCM software profiles based off of my particular strategy code. Stock (which they retrieve directly from Ford), 91 Octane Stage 3 v7, 93 Octane Stage 3 v7 and the stage 3 Xv1 race tune, which can be used with 93 octane pump gas or with race fuel. They will also provide another version only upon request of the Xv1 that is dedicated for race fuel only for those wanting to run a track car.
If I make any changes, I can simply let them know ahead of time and they will make the appropriate adjustments and update the profiles which I can update from their online server (such as a down pipe, CAI etc.).
The 91 and 93 stage 3 tunes are also safe to use even with a fully loaded car (680lbs capacity), which is something that may occur when I travel out of state to visit family between myself, my wife, 7 year old son and luggage (you think I'm takin the 08 Focus 2.0L automatic when I have a 350hp mustang...?).
I'm currently running the most mild of the tunes, 91 stage 3 v7. I'm will probably run that tune at least until the first oil change around 10k for several reasons, I want the engine to be completely broken in before pushing it harder (rings are already mostly seated by 1k and fully seated by around 3k according to LMS), I would like to get a more heat tolerant and better load bearing oil than factory especially since I have a base model and no oil cooler (none of them do stock, that's next years upgrade along with track capable radiator and breaks).
Now for the meat and potatoes of what people want to hear. I'll start off with throttle profile. It's linear, thank the Lord! I absolutely hated the factory throttle profile which is very anemic for about 70% and then all the power is in the last 30%. I loved the linearity of my previous car, a cheap little 07 Focus ST 2.3L, I could modulate the exact power I wanted out of the engine, which was difficult if not impossible for me to do in the mustang (I'm sure if I spent a year or two I would eventually start to get used to the factory profile).
The LMS 91 Stg 3 v7 profile has a very linear throttle response comparatively. Starting also easier, with the factory PCM profile, I would often dump the momentum in the fly wheel as the response was difficult to gauge. With the LMS profile I can perform automatic like smooth starts without thinking (combined with the softer Steeda Clutch assist spring).
Fuel economy, yah, some of you are going to balk at this, but a very significant reason I chose the EB over the V6 or even the V8 and over the Camaro V6 which was faster from the factory wasn't just it's cost / performance / potential, it was it's fuel economy. My car is a daily driver, which I will have for another 10 years. Fuel economy matters, I don't step on it 24/7 (although I have no issue hammering it for on ramps, back country roads etc.) and when I'm not stepping on it I wanted a car that would get fuel mileage at least similar to a small SUV / full sized car. Over the last 100 miles my fuel mileage as not changed, I'm averaging 25.5 mpg, I travel about 50/50 highway/city for work and otherwise primarily town / city when running errands, visiting friends etc. Not bad for a car that's now capable of running 12 second 1/4 miles...
How about wheel spin? ZERO. However I have NOT performed any actual drag launches from dead stop, which I would expect smoke city on the tires at that point or having to really limit throttle off the line. All of my 1st gear WOT has been from a rolling start of 7~10 mph as I'm on public roads that have moderate traffic. With a rolling start, there's no chirping or slippage of the Eagle F1's (235's). However, this is in dry conditions, new tires and with a stock base model struts. The car squats like a kangaroo, which pushes all that weight onto the rear end, great for drag racing, not so great for track where breaking and cornering become more important than line grip. I have a feeling the F1's are going to be the bane once I get my Ford Racing X Street lowering springs installed as they are as stiff as the PP springs and sit 1" lower. Unless my car is making far less torque than it should, but it sure doesn't seem to be the case from the feel of it.
Gears 1-3 are STRONG. I haven't exceeded the speed limit of 80, so I haven't even gone all the way through 3rd, but it feels like is pulls as hard if not harder in 3rd then it used to in 2nd. Looking at the dyno of the LMS software, we can easily see why! Turbos and super chargers are torque multipliers. Holding full 20 psi boost broadens the torque curve significantly, pulling hard throughout the entire RPM range. The car as it is now would easily best any of the test cars it went up against in magazines with ample room to spare. There's is a vast swath of usable torque, which makes it very well suited for actual track use. That extremely good low end torque will get you out of the hole in a hurry. I've never driven a car nor ridden in a car at this price point with even close to as ideal of a usable torque / power band. It's amazing at how few changes it takes, applied in just the right areas, to bring out all this latent potential. Conservative is an understatement of the factory PCM software.
How about smoothness or ease of feel? Electric motor like is all I can say to describe the steady, constant pull. The engine does not in any way feel labored or gritty as a struggling engine would. It just makes strong, smooth power pull after pull, gear after gear. I did a WOT in 4th (already moving at 50) til I could no longer safely accelerate due to the road and it just pulled hard.
The upper end is also strong, once power peaks around 5500, it STAYS. It doesn't keep climbing like in a large turbo engine or a NA V8 like the coyote, but it's there to stay unlike power produced in the upper end with the stock PCM software, which flees with like it was stolen. Although many of the TST Optimizations help reduce that, they don't eliminate it, for that you need a whole new PCM software. I can see why a built short block will easily run in the mid 10's on race gas. I think Adam managed a 10.7 on pump gas with octane boosters on a customer car. While Ford may have only partially achieved "Fast, Fun and Affordable" on the stock EB, they created a hidden treasure trove of FAST for just a few thousand extra, which is hard to find in any other car currently on the market at this price point.
The mustang is a MUSCLE car, which means TORQUE and lots of it. The stock or lighly modified Mustang EB is not a muscle car, it's a hustle car. It's quick, but not fast. Now the car is fast. I paid just a hair under 26k for my base model grey EB Mustang brand new from Sterling Verginia with the 6 year tripple care program (fixes scratches, paint chips, dings, dents, flat tires, replace bent wheels from pot holes, chipped windows).
The total cost of all of the current modifications is $2,060 which includes the Ford Racing X Street springs which are not yet installed. So approximately $28k total for a car that gets about 26 mixed city / highway, pushes .98g lateral with good tires, is capable of running a 12 second 1/4 mile and is in my opinion one of the best looking cars in its price bracket...I'd call that a win.
Not only that is that in 10 years if I can keep the body in good condition, I'll drop in a built short block, strip the interior and turn it into a dedicated track car. There's also lots of room for growth yet, I have a stock intake, down pipe and exhaust, no front strut tower brace and base model 235/50R18 tires and wheels, but as it is now, it's an awesome daily driver that will smoke any of the WRX's, BRZ's and other "hustle cars" running around which cost surprisingly even more new. I have a buddy that paid 23k for a 2013 BRZ at the start of 2015 with 17k already on it and we looked for cheaper but couldn't find them...that car feels like a snail comparatively (runs a 14.8 stock on the best of days, throw in a passenger and you'll drop .3~.5 seconds as the 2.0L is all RPM, torque output is only 151lbs).
Long term reliability is unknown, however initial impressions are exceptionally good as is the track record with quite a few EB engines with well over 100k which are daily drivers using LMS. Their track record is spotless, again which is why I decided to use them despite the warranty concerns. Warranties matter, but only if something breaks. The more desirable situation is to NOT have to use the warranty and that is where their value stands, in the performance and reliability (based on their record).
I will work on adding to this thread my built photo log once I get some time showing the hardware upgrade process. I also want to show you guys how I modified the active grill shudders to work even with the humongous Levels Gen 3 IC, keeping the upper radiator ducting in tact and also some of the lower IC ducting.
Anyone with LMS, please feel free to comment on your 1/4 mile times or experiences (good or bad), I haven't had a chance to go to the local track yet, but there's plenty of LMS videos showing what they can do on a bone stock car (save tires). I'd imagine I'm making more power with a proper IC, a non-leaking BOV and better plugs. Before I go to the track however I want to get the Ford Racing X Street Springs installed which is the final mod for this year (well and mud flaps from ZL1). Thanks to everyone for their help and assistance. I hope that I have helped many of you, but you have also helped me through your input, experiences, knowledge and expertise. While anyone can do quite a bit on their own if they set their mind to it, which is what I did, they can do better when working with others!
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