Hey, Im looking to increase power in my f150 on a budget. What should i do first? would like to spend 500-1000. Thanks! Also anything that could help with fuel economy let me know. Not trying to build a race truck here, just something that works better for a daily and maybe consumes fuel more efficiently

 

Right about now economy would be on top of the list.
Correct Mororcraft plugs set to spec would be a good start. After that comes tire pressures , maintain them as close to recommended as possible. Then comes the heavy foot on the accelerator pedal.

If you want take off power you could change the rear axle ratio at the loss of economy.
If you want economy you will have to sacrifice take off power, Physics says you can't have your cake and eat it too. Depending which axle ratio is presently in your vehicle could be one or the other,
Hang on to your $$$, the 5.0 engines in those years had problems with soft valve guides`. If the heads haven't been fitted with the better guides, there may be a little work ahead. The amount you want to spend , should be just enough to take care of that.

Check around and get other opinions it should help you make a good decision..

 

Had no idea about the soft valve guides, thank you very much. Is there a good write up on what to replace them with/ how to go about replacing them? I will also change the plugs. Thanks a lot man.

 

I you are planning to do your own work, suggest you get the special bolts that hold the water pump on. Unfortunately. if you need to replace the water pump those bolts will wring off due to corrosion and if you don't have the bolts , you can't finish the job. As I recall, one of them is about 4 inches long with a threaded extension on the head.

Little tips like , keep an eye on the front pads. They have no squealers and if you don't catch them in time the pad backing plate will destroy the rotor.

Your best bet is to take the heads to a machine shop and have them replace the guides,,,if necessary.

You may or may not find this necessary, but if you need to replace the exhaust system you can purchase muffler , tailpipe and clamps locally.
I have found the when i needed to replace the exhaust system, I bought it from Ford, It comes in a one piece unit is a dog job to install in one piece, but The trucks ran 7 days a week and I never had to replace the system again because the quality of the parts was much better.

 

Do some diagnostic work first, don't assume the heads have bad guides. A vacuum gauge connected off the intake manifold will indicate bad guides with rapid fluctuations of the gauge's needle. If you have a steady 18-22 inches of vacuum, don't waste your time with the guides. Also, with bad guides, the valve seals will likey be in bad shape from the excessive play. You will have a great deal of oil consumption and worst case the plugs will foul. You never stated if you will be doing the work yourself which is going to mean a lot with the money you have allocated for any upgrades. If you have to pay someone, a $1000 won't go far.Your best bet is to maintain your engine's systems the way Ford designed them. If you make changes to increase performance, fuel economy will take a hit unfortunately.

 

Yeah Ill be doing any work needed, Ill check the vacuum off the intake. It doesnt really burn oil at all, so far at least. Thank you for your insight.