Need serious help with my car

[Yon]

Somethings wrong, I have a 94 Cobra indy 500 pace car which started backfiring about 3 weeks ago. My tuner said it was a loose exhaust valve that wasnt sitting properly.

He had to rip apart the whole motor so while he was in there i told him to upgrade everything. the following parts went in:

Sniper Chip
AFR 165's
BBK stainless headers
C&L intake
75mm throttle body
larger MAF (not sure what kind)
B303 cam
42 lb injectors
new fuel pump, regulator
MAC exhaust

She was only putting down about 180hp to the wheels on a mustang dyno before,

he called me and said she put down 230hp to the wheels after all those mods, i was expecting a MUCH higher increase in power and i have no idea what went wrong. I have not gone to see the car yet or drive it but i am definitely disappointed. He told me she would be putting down 300 to the wheels easy.

im very disheartened by all of this, i spent a ton of money on this project thinking it would be a one and done deal.

Do you guys think he tuned it wrong? all of the research ive done says those mods should have made her into a monster. His suggestion as to why it was so underperforming is because i told him it needed to pass emissions, which meant drawing air from the heads to the Cats to cool them. i still dont believe that it would lose 70hp to make the car emissions legal.

I need your suggestions.

 

[MG0h3]

I could see maybe 260rwhp or so with that combo. Torque would be higher though.

I think you mean C&L maf...not aware that they make intakes. Are you running the factory intake?

And no, running emissions isn't going to cost you that kind of power.

Somebody else may be able to chime in that actually dynoed a similar combo. I had the 58cc 165s, Cobra intake, stock cam and it felt like more than 230whp to me.

 

[Yon]

Factory cobra intake, its a C&L CAI, and prob MAF. He told me the cobra intake manifold is a great manifold so i kept it. He still told me 300rwhp with those heads and cam, think he just tuned it wrong.

 

[MG0h3]

Ok gotcha. Id put it back on him. He built the motor and did the tune. Ask him where the problem lies.

He didn't say anything when he told you 230whp? Not sure what your elevation and weather were during the run.

Im not real familiar with that year but I remember hearing that they were held back by the heads or intake...cant recall which. Been out of 5.0s for a bit so I can't remember if that cobra intake was the same as the others.

A 50rwhp gain off those heads and cam isn't terrible but ya, Id expect more.

 

[Yon]

As a side note, about a month or two ago my car was running way way rich, you could smell raw fuel driving around. I was referred to this guy and thats when he put the chip in. He said that when i put the cold air intake on it threw off the diagnostic computer. After he dynoed the car with the new heads, cam, etc. the honeycomb in my catalytic converter blew. Do you think the month's of running rich clogged the cats, and was killing my horsepower? I called Lynn at K&G speed shop to hear his opinion and he thinks its definitely a possibiliy. When the new cats come in ill have him dyno it again.

 

[MG0h3]

They can become clogged from running rich or break apart from heat/age. Either can cause a restriction.

I wouldn't expect a cold air kit to cause that problem, but I could see a MAF causing that if you changed that at the same time.

If you were smelling raw fuel, something other than just a cold air kit was causing the problem.

 

[Mustangtcs]

What shop was this? Those heads and that cam aren't big power makers. They are more for daily driving. AFR states they made 300 flywheel hp with a similar combo. And you know when they post these numbers they get every bit they can to look good. I would say after drivetrain loss your car is pretty close. Here is their link http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles/article001/A1-P1.php

 

[Yon]

Are you sure those are flywheel numbers? Edit- yea, definitely flywheel. But the 185's didnt seem to produce any more power. This is kinda bogus. I was told 300rwhp, not to mention there are people all over the internet claiming 300rwhp with similar setups. I just have to say, im very disappointed. This came out to a huge amount of money, and im not happy with the gains.

 

[Yon]

Collingdale performance near sharon hill

 

[Yon]

Cats were completely melted and one was blocked. Re Dynoed at 250hp/ 280ftlbs to the wheels... Around 320 to the flywheel

 

[MG0h3]

Glad you found that!!

drivetrain loss is usually about 12% or so...

You picked up 70whp which sounds right on for those heads and a cam. You'll be happy.

 

[Mustangtcs]

awesome!

 

[Yon]

Now the real question is.. How much more could i add with a low boost procharger?... Now that the fuel pump/injectors have been upgraded.

 

[Yon]

By the way, total timing was set at 30