Darryl's '00 GT was John Urist's...
Darryl's '00 GT was John Urist's development mule and our photo subject. When we arrived at the Bassani shop, the battery had been disconnected, the airbox and air inlet pipes had been removed, and the radiator hose was off. John had already installed the high-flow fuel pump and 42-lb/hr injectors. He swapped the stock platinum spark plugs for non-platinum plugs, which are less prone to detonation when the engine is under boost.
The HPS turbo kit for '94-'04 Two-Valve Mustangs is not 50-state legal, but it may pass smog in other, less-restrictive states. A turbo kit under development for '05 Mustangs will be CARB-legal, says John Urist.
With the hood closed and the engine idling, Xhaust guru Darryl Bassani's '00 GT looks absolutely bone-stock. Other than the polished stainless exhaust tips, there's no external clue to the true nature of this basic black coupe. If you were to putt-putt around town with a light right foot, you'd be hard-pressed to notice anything unusual about the car.
That first freeway on-ramp, though, would wake you right up.
Several tasks were needed...
Several tasks were needed to make room for the turbo assembly. Key sections of pipe will run through existing holes in the Mustang's inner fenderwell, but before that can happen, these wiring bundles-for the ABS system, headlights, and other components-have to be relocated from this hole to the air inlet hole nearer the front of the car. John also unbolted the radiator's overflow/fill bottle and moved it out of the way, though there was enough play in the lines to leave them connected.
You see, when John Urist set out to build a street turbo-charger kit to offer through Hellion Power Systems, the word "street" was foremost in his planning. This is not a light-switch motor, with nothing down low and the jump to hyperspace coming only after the tach passes four grand. As John put it, "This is everything a street guy would want, and no more." Meaning: docile driveability when getting groceries, pin-you-in-your-seat acceleration when the hammer is down.
In our April issue, we showed you the HPS kit John built for his '91 LX ("Turbo Lover," p. 58); what you see here is a just-about-production-ready version of a similar kit for mod motors. John spent months prototyping the system, using Darryl's GT as his test mule, and the results are impressive.
Hellion Power Systems' new...
Hellion Power Systems' new 4.6 Two-Valve turbo kit is one of the most comprehensive on the market. It includes a Turbonetics 62-1 standard-bearing turbo, a Turbonetics Evolution wastegate, stainless-steel tubing from Bassani, a custom intercooler, Ford Racing Performance Parts 42-lb/hr injectors and a high-flow fuel pump, NGK spark plugs, steel-braided oil lines, silicone hoses, T-bolt clamps, and all the necessary mounting hardware-and that's just the turbo-related equipment. Also in the kit is a Granatelli Motorsports tubular K-member and related suspension components, to make room for the turbo's undercar piping.
For one thing, this is a true bolt-on system, with no welding or cutting required to complete the installation. The development time John spent on the system is readily evident in its extensive parts list. Every nut, bolt, bracket, spacer, and clamp you could possibly need is there, as are fuel injectors, a fuel pump, even spark plugs. The components are top-quality, too: Turbonetics turbocharger, silicone hoses, T-bolt clamps, and Bassani stainless-steel tubing. And unlike some other turbo installations, the HPS kit not only retains the stock A/C system, but also doesn't require a system recharge.
Fitting the turbo's plumbing under the car does require some modifications beyond the engine bay. To make room for the tubing, the car's stock K-member is replaced by a Granatelli Motorsports' tubular K-member, to which are bolted Granatelli control arms and coilovers. Yes, it adds to the complexity of the kit and its installation time but when all the work is done, the car owner will enjoy improved power and the ability to tune his Mustang's ride height and handling qualities.
How much power will the turbo produce? How does almost doubling the engine's stock output sound? While stock 4.6 Two-Valves dyno anywhere from 220 to 230 hp at the wheels, John designed his kit to produce "between 375 and 380 hp at the wheels when it's bolted to a stock engine. But you can crank it up to 500 horses or so if you have the right parts and the right tune" (See The Right Tune sidebar).
Rather than uncorking the...
Rather than uncorking the air conditioner (and necessitating a recharge) or losing it entirely, John simply unhooked the A/C's muffler from the stud that holds it to the front of the engine and pushed it down and out of the way. Likewise, the A/C hardlines were pushed out of the way of the turbo, which will mount to the front of the engine.
John figures the turbocharger...
John figures the turbocharger should be bolted to the car and then the rest of the system should be bolted to the turbo, so that the turbo can be used as a reference point for its piping. Before it goes on the car, though, the turbo is dressed with this oil return fitting (extra long to make it easier to attach the oil line when the snail is on the car) and a section of silicone hose on the compressor's boost outlet.
John bolts the turbo-mount...
John bolts the turbo-mount bracket to the front of the engine, leaving it just finger tight at this point. Slotted holes in the bracket will allow adjustment room for the rest of the install.
The turbo goes on the bracket...
The turbo goes on the bracket using existing bolts on the compressor. Note the spacers between the bracket and the front of the engine, to keep the assembly away from the serpentine belt.
In the background of this...
In the background of this photo, John Urist and Darryl Bassani intently watch Shawn Ellis' pull on the Superior Automotive dyno. They needn't have been so concerned; the car exceeded John's estimated power gains of 375-380 hp by producing 387 hp at 4,400 rpm and 459 lb-ft of torque at 4,000. Prior to our installation, John dyno'd this car using the stock exhaust instead of the Bassani Aft-Cat system, and pegged the meter at 370 hp, 17 hp below our results.
Though the car was dyno'd...
Though the car was dyno'd using a chip burned by Shawn, HPS offers other tuning options as well, right up to a programmer, such as the Anderson Ford Motorsport Programmable Management System shown here. The PMS piggybacks onto the stock computer and can alter engine control maps on the fly.
The Right Tune
This graph...
The Right Tune
This graph from Superior Automotive's chassis dyno compares two pulls made during the development of Hellion's 4.6 turbo kit. The lower curves represent the horsepower and torque made during our installation. The upper curves were generated when John Urist upped the turbo's output to 12 psi and used a straight-through 3-inch exhaust with no cat. The result: 430 hp and 517 lb-ft of torque. All this was done on an otherwise bone-stock engine. With added beef to the mod motor's bottom end, some cranking of the wastegate springs and the right engine programming, Hellion's kit should be good for 500-plus horsepower, says John.
Moving under the car, John...
Moving under the car, John had already installed the Granatelli Motorsports tubular K-member, control arms, and coilovers that are needed to make room for the turbo's undercar plumbing. Installing these pieces (and the fuel pump mentioned earlier) adds about a full day to this weekend project.
John removes the passenger-side...
John removes the passenger-side front tire and the inner fender to access the holes he will pass pipes through. This electric control box needs to slide forward about an inch to make room for the tubing. At this point, the car's stock exhaust system is taken off, though the exhaust manifolds are left in place.