Ford Mustang Power is Easy With a Cold-Air Induction
Performance enthusiasts know there is an simple route to horsepower, in fact Ford Mustang Power is Easy With a Cold-Air Induction. Ram Air and cold-air induction has been a part of hot rodding since the early years, but feeding your Ford’s engine with fresh air got easier in the late 1980s when companies like BBK began developing and selling dedicated bolt-on cold-air kits that added horsepower and were affordable and easy to install.
Even the last carbureted 5.0 Liter Mustangs in 1985 used a system that drew air from the inner fenders, rather than under the hood. The 1986 EFI Mustang followed suit with a similar system and Ford has refined the Mustang induction system ever since. You may not know the factory induction is compromised because of concerns with underhood noise. Ford limits induction noise with inlet silencers built into the system, unfortunately, on some models this can serve as a restriction to air flow. Ford also designs and engine and its components to reach a desired power level, so as you increase the output, certain parts may be maxed out. Thankfully, Brothers Performance.com has your solution, with a variety of cold-air inlet kits for all late-model EFI Mustangs.
Getting more air into your engine is the very first step in creating more horsepower, and installing a cold-air kit is something you can do at home with basic tools. Newer models will work best with a recalibrated “tune” using a hand-held flash tuner like the SCT X4, to ensure your engine is operating with the proper air/fuel ratio. This will not only give you the most power, but also the best drivability and durability.
Depending on your combination, a cold-air kit can be worth as much as 15 horsepower at the wheels, but we’ve seen more in supercharged combinations. A properly built cold-air kit will include a free-flowing inlet elbow and air filter, but also a shield or box that limits or prevents hot underhood air from being fed to the engine. You'll also get installation hardware and instructions.
Along with any cold-air kit, we recommend the aforementioned "tune" and you can take your Ford Mustang to the next level with a larger throttle body and free-flowing exhaust. Modding your Mustang is fun, and it never hurts to have extra horsepower and torque under your right foot.