Suggestions To Add HP To My '87 TC

[kvnpease]

Could anyone help me figure out what's the best way to get some extra horsepower for my 1987 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series. It's seem a little sluggish but I'm sure it's because of the size of the car. I want to help it so it doesn't work so hard. plus, it wouldn't be all that bad to make it sportier, also.

Help???

[[email protected]]

I cant see any Town not having enough Hp.

If it is not running right that is a different story.

Familiarize yourself with it.

Go to AutoZone or other site and put your car year in and bring up Drivability
Parts and look at the pictures, go to the component location guide to find where they are and go on in. check connectors and loose vaccum lines while
you are looking for all the stuff that might make it run crappy other than tune up.

Good Luck

[lamehonda]

I would be afraid to drive an '87 town car with much HP.

[kvnpease]

My main concern is that I live in Nebraska, and so there are many big hills and high speed traffic. You struggle on a hill or you don't get going fast quick = problems. My back yard is a highway (I-680).

Example: I'm taking a right from my school, and I have to go from stopped on a hill to at least speed limit which is 45, but most all taffic travels 50-55 mph. If I don't go constitant traffic goes for 3-4 minutes. I can't go. Plus, some hills I go up, I must hit 4,500 rpms while I drive normal.

My car is old, but no rust and minor body damage (less than $1,000). Needs new leather interior. Then, done. So, after this I would want to add some life. It has a 302 V8 Winsor (orginal, 135,000 mi.). It could use some performance parts, but I don't know outside of cold air intake, new intake manifold with air gap in it, headers, and cat back exhaust. I rebuilt the transmission this year.

Advice

[kvnpease]

Some Specs on the year of my Town Car:

5.0L/302 Winsor V8

150 HP/270 Torque

4 speed AOD Automatic Transmission

Rebuilt Transmission this year

[cavaliercrazy]

Yikes... 150hp! Aside from getting a whole replacement engine...lol. I guess throw some flowmasters on there and replace the plugs/wires with new stuff...There's a million things you could do... It just depends on how much money you want to sink into it.

Since its a V8 I would def. put an exhaust on it. Atleast then it will sound good...

Oh yea... If there is any way to remove any unnecessary weight that would help.

Good luck and have fun.

[[email protected]]

My car would sputter when you gave it gas and putt about 0 t0 5 then gain speed.

It was the Mass Air Flow Sensor and the last I would have Checked. May be called the MAP sensor on your year Im not sure.

Was a little pricey at 70 bucks but well worth it. In the hood they just disconnet it and it seems to run pretty good also.

Old aint dead. get it right and treat it that way and an old one will last ya.

Good Luck

[Bearfoot]

Old ain't dead...

Whew, I'm sure glad to hear that...I've been thinking I was dead.

[junk yard doggie]

That's good that you got your transmission rebuilt, that will help performance. I would say the dual exhaust is good. Headers are a pain the cheep ones rust out in a year or two and the gaskets always leak. I would sugest you just use you cast iron manifolds, and run your duals from there. A good tune up plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and fuel filter. A 5.0 302 with 135k on it should have plenty of power left in it, regardless of the size of the car.

As far as replacing parts look in to a new high performance distributor and coil. You also could get a valve job done on your heads. The boys are right it all depends on how much money you want to spend. The stuff I mentioned above isn't at all unreasonable in price, and should give you a fair amount of performance. Don't waste your money on performance chips those aren't worth a damn.

Mike

[kvnpease]

I looked my year of the 302 up and came up with that my motor is basically fine but has very strict emissions control. The next year apparently is when got MAP and MAF sensors or at least better technology with them. So based off that if I got better flow through my motor, I should get tons of "hidden" power.

List of suggested parts from Forum Members and Friends (in order):

1. Cold air intake - would imediatly effect the motors breathing alone.
2. Intake manifold - this will increase HP in the 1,500 to 6,000 RPM range. air gap will allow a better mix of oxygenated fuel.
3. Headers & a cat-back dual exhaust system - This could potentionaly give my car the it's own HP back and plus some. Pressure off the exhuast will give some MPG back too. I'm not complaining though, I get over 20 MPG going with the cruise on 70 MPH.
4. New firing plugs and wires w/ distributor cap - My old distributor cap exploded because of high conduction 2 months ago (condensation under cap). This would fire my better mixed gas and out my better exhaust system.

So, anything else or does that sound good?

How much would all this cost me to have done? It would be spread out, but I think about 1,200 to 1,500 dollars.

[daytona3_8]

well i have a 90 tc with the same 302...yes the come with 150 hp wtf lol
but my buddy was telling me i could get a new mass airflow sensor and an new fuel pessure reguator...the stock one runs at only 26-30 psi the new one is about 45-50 big change gave me about 45 more hp and you can feel it.