Ford 5.8L Power Improvements
I have a ’93 F-350 crew cab 4x4 with a 5.8L engine and C6 trans. I want some power upgrades and to possibly eliminate the smog pump, as well. I also want to put on headers and dual exhaust. What would you recommend or suggest to get more power from my 5.8L? I’m running 4.10 gears and 37-inch tires. Thanks.
John Ferguson
Via off-roadweb.com
We’d recommend not removing the smog pump since it’s against the law to tamper with emissions control, and there really isn’t much power to gain from removing it. Bolt on a set of underdrive pulleys from BBK (www.summitracing.com/parts/BBK-1553/?rtype=10) to slow down the accessories, which will result in less overall parasitic loss (improves throttle response).
We’d also steer away from running dual exhaust since the stock exhaust design is more efficient and doesn’t interfere with the front driveshaft. Instead, try running some 1 5/8-inch BBK shorty smog-legal headers (www.summitracing.com/parts/BBK-3511/?rtype=10). These headers will outflow the factory cast-iron exhaust manifolds. They just look plain cool under the hood, and the fact that they’re smog-legal makes it a no-brainer.
A good flowing throttle body will also help get the power to the ground. Luckily, BBK has a high-flow twin 56mm throttle body for your truck, too (www.summitracing.com/parts/BBK-3501).
As for the getting those 37-inch tires to spin easier, try swapping to a set of 4.88 gears to bring the 5.8L back into its powerband.
Hells Yeah!
Bravo! I have been sick of all the cookie-cutter poseur four-wheelers who go out and buy new Wranglers and call themselves Jeepers!
They are everywhere! They are like a virus; it just keeps growing. I’m especially tired of “TRAIL RATED.” My CJ never had to say trail rated ...Grrr.
I drive a ’79 CJ7 that I have been working on for about five years, and it’s just about done (although I’ve been saying that for about five years).
If you don’t know how to fix it, how it works off-road, or any other spec about your vehicle, just go home.
Great October 2012 editorial, and thumbs way up!
Master Sgt. Michael Mulvey,
Retired United States Air Force
Via off-roadweb.com
Not All Raptors!
Thanks for the article on the Texas Raptor Roundup. I noticed your caption stating that “all Raptors with stock bumpers caved in the skidplate.” I have a small correction for you. I convoyed in with several other guys. Most of us (five out of six) had stock bumpers/skidplates while only one of us caved in the skidplate. There were several others who left with theirs intact, too. Thanks again for covering our event!
Will Decker
Will, we must have missed your trucks. Sorry about that. We didn’t see any stock Raptors’ bumpers that hadn’t been touched by the ground in some way. It is no surprise—no other factory truck bumper (on a stock-height truck) would even have been able to survive that course with the steep approach and departure angles there were. The fact that the Raptors’ stock bumpers weren’t ripped off the frame and still looked as good as they did is a testament to how purpose-built Ford made them.