New results on a stock 2015 Coyote Mustang!
“The
result of the installation and tuning of the Snow system was not only increased
(+24 hp without tuning) but consistent power. The injection system eliminated
any trace of detonation (no knock counts) and significantly reduced the inlet
air temperature.”
See:
ACME All-Motor Coyote
Bolt-On 11s
Words
And Photos: Richard Holdener
If
you are a Mustang guy (or gal), this is a great time to be alive. Blue-Oval
performance is alive and well, and there is no denying the latest generation of
5.0L Mustangs is the baddest of the bunch. Carrying on the proud tradition of
the Trans-Am winning Boss 302s and fabulous Fox fuelie motors, the current
Coyote represents an evolutionary step to the power of four. Two valves
replaced by four, one cam replaced by four, and power outputs in the 200 to 300
hp range, also replaced by four (hundred, that is!).
Look
back through the history books and see how many Mustangs rolled right off the
showroom floor and ran 12s at over 110 mph! Yes, fellow Ford fanatics, the new
Coyote is the real deal. But the problem with enthusiasts is that, no matter
how good it is, it is never quite good enough. Running 12s is all well and
good, but the first question about any 12-second car should always be, how do
we get it to run 11s?
Truth
be told, getting a stock 2015-16 Coyote Mustang into the 11s is as easy as
bolting on a power adder (any power adder). Toss on a ZEX Nitrous kit, Kenne
Bell supercharger, or boost from a turbo and you have an easy 11-second car,
possibly a high 10.
Obviously, part of the success of the project
goes to the amazing Mustang GT. Even in stock trim, this 5.0L Ford offered
serious power and despite a hefty curb weight, knocked down some impressive ETs
and trap speeds right off the showroom floor.
Yes,
power adders make it look easy, but far be it from us to actually take that
route. Rather than go boost or juice, we decided all-motor was best for our
Coyote. Taking things one step further, we decided to stick with your most
basic bolt-ons, including tuning, exhaust and air intakes, thus leaving the
big-boy, bolt-ons like ported heads, COMP Cams and Cobra Jet intakes for Part
2. Rather than go whole hog and install everything at once, we took our time
and installed and tested the components on the dyno individually.
Limited
track testing meant we could not run the components individually at the strip,
but know there was a definite correlation between the power gains and trap
speed (and drop in ET). The testing performed was obviously on the performance
components, but know that success was not possible without Brian Anderson of
Anderfab Racing, the Dyno Dynamics chassis dyno and, of course, the endless
hours Jimmy Hittle spent tuning and testing.
The
first step in any test was to establish a baseline. Having power numbers would
help us correlate the change in ET and trap speed. Run in stock trim, the 2016
GT produced peak numbers of 345 hp and 341 lb-ft of torque. The Dyno Dynamics
software included a Dynojet conversion, which put the stock power output at 385
hp and 379 lb-ft of torque.
The
first step was to run the Coyote in stock trim to establish a baseline.
Equipped with an automatic and run on the Dyno Dynamics chassis dyno, the stock
Coyote produced 345 hp and 341 lb-ft of torque. These numbers equate to a 385
hp and 379 lb-ft of torque on a typical Dynojet (the Dyno Dynamics software
offered a Dynojet conversion).
Having run the Mustang on the chassis dyno in
stock trim, the car was then taken to a local drag strip to make some passes.
Run in full stock trim with street tires, the Mustang knocked out a string of
12.60 passes, with the best being a 12.607 at 111.01 mph. The air was very good
(63 degree and DA of only 448 ft), so this was a best-case scenario for the
stock GT.
After
the dyno session, the Mustang was taken to a local track where it ran a best of
12.607 at 111.01 mph. The times were impressive for a stock Stang, but the
63-degree air and density altitude of just 448 feet produced near-ideal
conditions.
Having
established our baselines, Jimmy tore into the factory programming using HP
Tuners. Rather than load up one of the available (shelf) tunes, he spent hours
making adjustments to ignition timing, air/fuel, and cam timing and was
eventually rewarded an extra 12 hp.
One
thing Jimmy noticed while tuning (especially at the track) was the ECU kept the
Coyote on the verge of detonation. By maximizing timing, the factory ECU relied
heavily on the knock sensors to detect problems and relay the signal to the
ECU. The result was always a reduction in ignition timing, which in turn
reduced power (even running on 93-octane fuel). The cure was to install a Snow
water/methanol injection system. The result of the installation and tuning of
the Snow system was not only increased but consistent power. The injection
system eliminated any trace of detonation (no knock counts) and significantly
reduced the inlet air temperature.
After
adding some Snow, we turned our attention to the exhaust. Hooker stepped up in
a big way with their BlackHeart exhaust system for the Coyote. The system featured
high-quality stainless construction, bolted right on, and even dropped almost
50 pounds off the curb weight. When it comes to acceleration, less weight is
the same as more power. Speaking of power, the combination of long-tube,
BlackHeart headers, cat-back and x pipe produced impressive results. Swapping
out the exhaust resulted in extra 41 hp and 46 lb-ft of torque. The BlackHeart
exhaust offered the biggest power gain of any of our bolt-ons!
First
on the list of modifications was a tune using HP Tuners. Owner Jimmy Hittle
(you might recognize the name from his days at HP Performance), spent endless
hours on the chassis dyno (and street) dialing in not only the stock, but every
new combination. Each modification required retuning to optimize the performance.
Naturally,
Ford left some power on the table in the factory programming, but real power
gains came after we installed this BlackHeart exhaust from Hooker. The system
included a cat back with X-pipe and 1 ¾-inch, long-tube headers. After
installation of the exhaust, the Mustang sounded like it meant serious
business.
Not
surprisingly, an 11-second Mustang needs plenty of traction, something the
stock street tires just can’t provide. To maximize traction, we stepped up to
these Mickey Thompson 305/35R20 ET Streets. The more power we add, the more
critical this upgrade will become.
Despite
the availability of 93 octane pump gas, testing (especially at the track)
indicated continual knock counts. To combat the potentially harmful detonation
and allow the ECU to dial in full timing to maximize power production, we
installed this Snow Performance water/methanol injection system.
The
Snow system featured a micro-processor to control the high-pressure pump (being
installed) feeding a pair of Hypersonic nozzles. It is interesting to note even
after switching from 93 octane pump gas to E85, knock counts (and timing
retard) continued without the Snow system activated.
The
final engine modification employed for Part 1 was a cold-air intake system from
JLT Performance. The air intake provided the final push necessary to get the
ACME All-Motor Coyote out of the 12s and into the high 11s.
The
key to the past and continued success of this project is information. Chassis
dyno, street and track-strip testing all included extensive data to help
illustrate not just what was working, but why.
After dialing in the combination of parts,
Jimmy was eventually rewarded with back-to-back 11s, as the Coyote nailed an
11.91 at 118.53 mph. It is obvious the trap speed indicated the motor was
making plenty of power, but our focus for Part 2 will also include knocking
down the 60-foot time using a high-stall converter. After that, look for COMP
Cams, ported heads, and a Cobra Jet intake. Is it possible to run 10s on the
motor? We’ll find out.
Happy
with the newfound power (and aggressive sound quality) offered by the
BlackHeart exhaust, it was time for some alcohol. No not in celebration, but we
did treat the Mustang to some E85. The cooling properties of E85 help a motor
make more power, and that is exactly what happened. Switching over to E85
(again with the requisite tuning) resulted in another slight jump in power, but
every little bit helps.
Looking
to improve the 60-foot times, we also installed a set of Mickey Thompson drag
radials. The 305/35R20 ET Streets offered improved traction, but the ultra-low
stall speed of the factory converter kept us from taking full advantage of what
the MTs really had to offer. Trips to the track showed serious improvements,
but the best run thus far had been a 12.109 at 116 mph (60-foots in the high
1.8s).
What
finally pushed us into the 11s was the installation of the JLT air intake
system. Despite a warmer ambient temperature (76 degrees) and higher density
altitude (1514 ft) than the baseline runs, the ACME All-Motor Coyote ripped off
a couple of 11.90s, the best being n 11.91 at 118.53 mph.
Our
12-second Mustang was now officially an 11-second Mustang, but you know what we
were thinking. Is it possible to go 10s with bolt-ons and no power adders?
The
dyno results were promising, as the bevy of bolt-ons increased the power output
from 345 hp to 402 hp (Dynojet numbers: 385 hp to 451 hp), but the real test
would come at the track. The goal of the project was not simply to gain power,
but to run the number.
Sources
