The Coyote’s induction system is easily the most advanced in Mustang history. It is a composite design that has become mainstream today because it is both lighter and a great heat insulator. It stays cool and keeps the intake charge cooler. It is also easier to manufacture.

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Induction design and tuning has changed considerably thanks to computer-aided design and a lot of midnight oil at Ford. The Coyote’s intake Manifold, also known as a plenum, is single plane with long intake runners for a broad torque curve. These are long, 16.9-inch (430-mm), runners with gentle turns for improved flow. They are scrolled deep into the valley to allow for a lower hoodline. Because Ford has eliminated the coolant tube in the Modular engine’s valley, there’s more room for induction wizardry. The 80-mm throttle body is centered at the front of the engine on top. Another great evolution is a digital mass air sensor for extremes of fine-tuning as you drive.

The Coyote has traditional port injection because Ford engineers felt it didn’t need direct injection at that time. A lot of development work is yet to be done before Coyote receives direct injection. The Coyote’s cylinder head castings have a provision for direct injection, which tells you where Ford is headed with this engine. Ford just isn’t there yet, but look for the Coyote to get direct injection and even Ecoboost in time, perhaps by 2018–2019. The ultimate factory Coyote could be considered one with Ecoboost.

The Coyote is available with two basic types of induction packages: conventional single-plane long runner (2011–2014) and Charge Motion Control Valve (2015–2016) that allows you to change intake runner length via flapper valves, thereby improving idle and low-end performance quality. The factory Coyote induction system is an adequate performance manifold, especially with CMCV. However, optional factory and aftermarket manifolds are engineered to make it better. Edelbrock appears to be the front-runner with a new aftermarket intake manifold for the Coyote; other aftermarket companies are following suit.

Because there are two types of Coyote engines (2011–2014 and 2015–2016), there’s not much interchangeability. You can run 2015– 2016 heads on your 2011–2014, but you must be mindful of the broader intake port flange on the 2015–2016 cylinder head, which creates clearance issues with the 2011–2014 intake manifold. It does not fit out of the box. You can make minor modifications to the 2011–2014 to get this manifold to clear the flange.

BOSS 302

The 2012–2013 BOSS 302 intake manifold/plenum, M-9424-M50BR, is a high-performance single-plane piece that you can bolt onto your Coyote in a day to net a real increase in power. It is also priced to sell at just under $500 at press time. You also need the larger Ford Performance Parts 90-mm throttle body for best results. This manifold rocks for a factory induction system and it’s a perfect fit because it was factory installed on the 2012–2013 BOSS 302 Mustang. If you want to take this modification all the way, opt for the BOSS 302 cylinder heads (no longer available from Ford Performance Parts, but still on the shelves elsewhere) or a CNC head-port job from Total Engine Airflow. Fit your CNC-ported heads with more aggressive cams with good streetability yet excellent road course manners. With the Ford Performance Parts BOSS 302 intake manifold you can expect up to a 61-hp increase. A professional street/ strip tune is also encouraged to make the most of these modifications.

 

What you get from the BOSS 302 induction is a higher power band. Low- to mid-range torque moves the power band higher. At high RPM is where the BOSS 302 intake manifold does its best work, pushing your Coyote into the 7,000- to 7,500-rpm range. This is easily the best all-around performance intake manifold for the Coyote. It provides excellent drivability for the daily commute and weekend getaway while providing outrageous performance when it’s time to get it on.

Cobra Jet

Although it is easy to compare the BOSS 302 manifold to the Cobra Jet, the two manifolds are not the same. Each manifold is engineered to perform differently. Your 5.0L Coyote’s stock manifold, as well as the BOSS 302 manifold, is designed to perform well at low- to mid-range RPM; however, the stock manifold chokes off airflow at high RPM, which limits power.

When you want peak power on the drag strip or even on a road race course at high RPM, the Ford Racing Cobra Jet intake manifold (M-9424-M50CJ) is designed to channel more air directly into your Coyote’s chambers with runners tuned for high-RPM peak power with no loss of torque. The torque factor makes the Cobra Jet manifold productive for road racing as well as drag racing.

The Ford Racing Performance Parts Cobra Jet manifold is a lightweight composite all-out racing induction system with short runners engineered for high-RPM operation. The Cobra Jet is in no way a street plenum and should never be viewed as one. Peak power rolls in around 7,750 rpm at wide-open throttle on a racetrack. Total intake volume is 635 cfm. The Cobra Jet manifold is designed for the 2011–2014 GT and 2012–2013 BOSS 302 engines.

Installation of the Ford Racing Cobra Jet Intake Manifold requires either the GT500 Throttle Body (M-9926-CJ65) or a Cobra Jet Throttle Body (M-9926-SCJ). You also want to use the Cobra Jet 5.0L Cold-air Intake Kit (M-9603-M50CJ), to work with the oval Cobra Jet/GT500 throttle body.

Intake manifold selection depends on how you intend to operate your Coyote most of the time. Choose the BOSS 302 for street/ strip and the Cobra Jet for racing. The aftermarket is faced with a huge challenge with the Ford 5.0L Ti-VCT engine: how to make it better than Ford has with better heads and induction. Thus far, Ford has come up with an engine that is virtually unbeatable in every respect. Some race shops have developed and are producing sheet-metal aluminum intake manifolds for the Coyote for professional drag racers. These tend to be custom-built pieces that have not made their way to mass production at this time.

Edelbrock Victor II

Edelbrock is the first aftermarket performance company to introduce a true high-performance intake manifold for the 2011–2014 and 2015–up Ford Ti-VCT Coyote 5.0L V-8 engine combines long-tapered crossover runners with a large plenum for incredible performance numbers. Its cast-aluminum construction (yes, cast aluminum) makes the Victor II ideal for Nitrous, supercharged, and turbocharged applications. The Victor II is good for 1,500 to 7,500 rpm, making it one of the most versatile intake manifolds in history.

The Victor II manifold also includes provisions for all emissions equipment and reuses the stock fuel rail. Or, you can opt for an aftermarket billet fuel rail for an upgrade in appearance. The Victor II also features nitrous bosses for adding a direct port system for competition applications. This slightly lower design allows it to fit all 2011–2014 and 2015–up Mustang stock hoods and strut tower braces. Edelbrock’s engine dyno testing resulted in 27 more ft-lbs of torque over a common aftermarket plastic upgrade intake manifold and an additional 16 hp over a stock manifold.

 

You may opt for the base Coyote 80-mm throttle body from Ford or the optional 90-mm from Ford Performance Racing Parts. It is suggested you go with the larger 90-mm for best results. The Edelbrock Victor II is 50-state emissions legal.

GT350 5.2L Intake Manifold

Although this is the 5.2L GT350 intake manifold, you really need the cylinder heads that go along with it to get any real benefit. Moreover, you want to opt for the entire 5.2L engine package to get all of the benefits of Ford Performance Parts’ new increased-displacement Coyote. Because this manifold is fitted with CMCV, it is really not designed for 2011–2014 Coyote engines. Here’s what you get for your hard-earned money:

• GT350 intake manifold assembly with CMCV
• Requires GT350 87-mm throttle body
• Intake is tuned for 7,500-rpm peak power
• Fits 2015–2016 5.0L Coyote engines

Nitrous Oxide = Cheap Power?

Nitrous oxide technology dates back to at least World War II when it was used in classic war birds to help make large amounts of power on demand and at high altitudes. The use of nitrous oxide in racing has been commonplace for decades. Much of it began with the Pro 5.0 movement in the 1990s and has spread across drag racing in the years since. Nitrous is quick and easy bolt-on horsepower; however, you must know what you’re doing before making the investment. If you are careless or abusive with nitrous oxide it can cost you plenty, ranging from personal injury to complete and total engine destruction.

Summit Racing Equipment has available plenty of nitrous oxide systems for the 5.0L Ti-VCT Coyote. Should you opt for nitrous and, if so, why? Nitrous remains the easiest path to horsepower without having to knock an engine apart. You don’t have to increase or decrease compression, or swap cams and valvetrain parts. All you have to do is install the system and properly tune both the fuel and the ignition systems. However, you should be educated on how to operate nitrous oxide before getting started.

David Fuller of Summit Racing Equipment explains how nitrous oxide makes power in an engine: “The principle of nitrous oxide is simple: air and fuel plus ignition equals horsepower; therefore, more air and more fuel equals more horsepower. It’s the equation that nitrous systems manufacturers use to help produce incredible power gains (in some cases up to 400 extra ponies) in everything from sport compacts to dedicated race vehicles.”

David goes on to say, “Still, many performance enthusiasts don’t fully understand how nitrous systems make additional horsepower. More important, they don’t understand how to tune their nitrous system for optimal performance. Summit Racing Equipment sells nitrous kits and accessories from top nitrous system manufacturers like NOS, Nitrous Express, Zex, Edelbrock, Trick Flow Specialties, and Venom. A nitrous oxide system enhances this combustion process (and the resulting horsepower output) by altering the air/fuel mixture three ways.”

Dry Nitrous Systems

Summit Racing Equipment says that a dry nitrous system is generally the easiest way to add nitrous to a fuel-injected vehicle. Dry systems work with your existing fuel system to supply the needed fuel to make horsepower. Additional fuel is delivered in one of two ways. The first way is to “trick” the OEM fuel-injection system into supplying more fuel to the engine. In these cases, the nitrous system is designed to modify your factory computer’s fuel curve to get the necessary fuel delivered to your engine. A second way is to increase the fuel pressure to the injectors by applying nitrous pressure from the solenoid assembly when the system is activated.

Wet Nitrous Systems

Wet nitrous systems come with their own fuel components to introduce additional fuel to your intake system. Wet systems include a separate fuel solenoid and nozzle, which spray the fuel at the same location as the nitrous. In most carbureted applications, the fuel and nitrous is introduced just below the carburetor. In fuel-injected systems, the mixture is sprayed just ahead of the throttle body.

Wet nitrous systems mix nitrous and fuel at a common injector where both are sprayed into the intake port. American Muscle explains, “The wet nitrous kit mixes nitrous with the fuel directly. This mixture is then sprayed into the intake tube near the throttle body. Many Mustang tuners prefer the wet kit because it’s easier to deal with. After all, the PCM controls the air/fuel ratio. Normally, the tuner simply chooses how much timing to give the engine.

“Also, with a wet nitrous kit there is no need to upgrade your Mustang’s injectors. Because the nitrous is mixed directly with fuel, there is no need to upgrade the injectors as there is no need for additional fuel over what is regulated for any one given time. You also don’t run the risk of a failed sensor like the mass airflow sensor.” The downside to wet nitrous is that if it is not installed properly or it is poorly tuned, it results in a nitrous backfire/explosion, which can do significant damage.

A dry nitrous system is a standalone system that operates separately from the fuel system and is injected separately from the fuel. Dry nitrous is safer than wet and best for the beginner.

Direct-Port Nitrous Systems

The last type of nitrous system is the direct-port system. This system introduces the nitrous and fuel mixture directly into each engine cylinder. Generally, these systems inject nitrous and additional fuel together through a common nozzle. Because individual nozzles are placed above each cylinder, direct-port systems are the most accurate and most powerful. They have more tuning capabilities than other styles of nitrous systems because each nozzle can be adjusted to control the nitrous and fuel flow to the individual cylinders.

The drawback to direct-port nitrous systems is the complexity of the installation. They are typically the most complicated system to install because they require the intake manifold to be drilled and tapped to accommodate each nozzle. That’s why these systems are usually reserved for race vehicles.

Nitrous oxide is one of the more popular power adders for race vehicles and street rides alike. It’s generally affordable, easy to install, and delivers a power boost when you want it and normal engine operation when you don’t. The result is less stress on your engine, better overall drivability, and superior fuel economy over cylinder head porting, supercharging, and other power adders.

Squeeze Easy?

Although some refer to nitrous oxide or “squeeze” as free power, it is not. Anytime you can press a button and get 100 to 500 “free” horsepower at wide-open throttle you’re playing a game of Russian Roulette. If your electronic engine control isn’t in a proper state of tune for nitrous oxide operation, the damage you do to your engine can be permanent. This is why you must choose, install, and tune a nitrous oxide system to your engine’s best benefit. Too much nitrous and not enough fuel or perhaps too much timing and you destroy the engine in a nanosecond; it’s that simple.

If you intend to run large amounts of nitrous oxide, meaning anything beyond 100 to 150 hp, you need to design and build your Coyote for greater amounts of power. A stock Coyote handles a 100- to 150-hp shot of nitrous oxide and stays together. Anything beyond 100 to 150 hp calls for forged pistons, heavy-duty I- or H-beam rods, and more generous clearances. You need more generous clearances because, with nitrous, combustion temperatures go skyward and reciprocating mass grows accordingly.

A typical basic 100- to 150-shot nitrous system can net you anywhere from 90 to 130 hp and roughly 100 to 150 ft-lbs of torque depending on atmospheric conditions, bottle temperature, and your Coyote’s state of tune.

Supercharging

Manufacturers are making it easy to supercharge high-performance Fords these days. There are basically two types of supercharger systems available for the Coyote: positive displacement and centrifugal. Choice depends on what you want a supercharger to do and how you want it packaged. Positive displacement blowers are generally a drop-in replacement for the factory induction system and are located at the engine’s valley. Centrifugal blowers are mounted on the front of the engine and become part of the accessory drive system along with associated ducting. It can be debated endlessly which system is best for your Coyote engine. Much of it boils down to personal choice.

 

Centrifugal Superchargers

Vortech leads the pack when it comes to centrifugal blower technology for the Coyote. The centrifugal supercharger has long proven to be one of the most effective means of reaching increased power without making major engine modifications. You can bolt these guys on your Coyote and make quick power during a weekend. Power comes from compressing air before it enters combustion chambers. Pressurized air fills cylinder bores and mixes with atomized fuel. This results in improved cylinder filling, allowing more air and fuel to be burned in the combustion cycle, with dramatic increases in torque and horsepower.

Vortech centrifugal superchargers operate on fundamental and proven turbomachinery principles, first described by Euler’s turbomachinery equation, which was developed in the 18th Century. This principle relates the work imparted to a fluid by an impeller to the change in angular momentum of the fluid. Over the past century, the centrifugal compressor has evolved and found its way to become the most efficient and reliable means for delivering charged air at high pressures.

Advanced Compressor Stage

Vortech’s compressor stages have evolved considerably in more than 20 years of experience and thousands of production superchargers. All Vortech compressors incorporate sophisticated impeller designs, coupled to a parallel wall diffuser, with a progressive scroll, or volute exit stage, as air leaves the compressor. Impellers employ advanced aerodynamic features such as optimized inducer blading, splitters, and in some cases, exit rake and backsweep. Each of these elements depends on the particular pressure/flow objectives. Rather than a simple change of blower speed to effect different “models,” each Vortech supercharger is optimized aerodynamically so that best performance is attained for a specific vehicle application.

In order to effectively take advantage of impeller effort, flow must be efficiently diffused so that pressure rise can be generated with minimal flow losses. The diffuser is optimally matched to the impeller flow physics; many iterations are tested and verified until maximum efficiency is achieved with each supercharger design, in this case for the Coyote. Finally, a matched volute (manifold) effectively collects and diffuses further, resulting in additional pressure rise and improved performance.

Complete Vortech supercharger systems are available for manual transmission vehicles only at press time. Automatic transmission models are being developed. These blower systems for the Coyote are good for 605 hp and are 50-state smog legal. Complete, fully calibrated supercharging systems are available for the 2011–2016 5.0L Mustang GT, featuring the V-3 Si centrifugal supercharger with air-to-air charge cooler.

This complete, smog-legal system boosts the 2011–2014 Mustang GT to 605 hp and 473 ft-lbs torque with 7.5 to 8.5 psi from the V-3 supercharger at the factory redline. For 2015–2016, we’re talking 630 hp and 483 ft-lbs torque with 7.5 to 8.5 psi from the V-3 supercharger. Vortech’s 2011–2016 Mustang 5.0L Coyote GT Supercharging Systems are available as either a complete, fully calibrated bolt-on, or as a V-7 tuner kit for custom installations at up to 1,200 hp.

The new Mustang system uses Vortech’s V-3 Si supercharger. Continued development in Vortech’s lab resulted in the V-3 Si. The “i” stands for improved, with its new, patented oil control system and a state-of-the-art centrifugal compressor.

Centrifugal superchargers make more pressure and flow than a positive displacement–type blower and are more efficient.

Vortech V-3 Si Supercharger

Vortech is going to briefly walk you through the installation of its 2015–2016 Mustang GT Intercooled V-3 Si supercharger system. Although the 2015–2016 Mustang GT differs from the 2011–2014, installation is basically the same.

Vortech V-3 Si Supercharger Installation

Step1:

This Vortech support bracket bolts directly to the engine first. Then come pulleys and spacers, along with the supercharger support bracket. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 2:

Here’s the support bracket, which bolts directly to the Vortech V-3 Si. Note the belt routing and pulley locations. The drive belt is routed through the two brackets to the supercharger drive pulley. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 3:

This is the Vortech 87-mm throttle body, which is factory calibrated and ready to go. All you have to do is plug, play, and tune. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 4:

Once injector plugs are disconnected, four 10-mm hex nuts hold the fuel rails to the intake. Remove these and the entire rail assembly with injectors comes out. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 5:

With Vortech boost comes the real need for more fuel. Stock Coyote injectors are 24 lb/hr. The V-3 Si calls for EV-14 47 lb/hr injectors along with professional dyno tuning. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 6:

The Vortech V-3 Si is installed at this time and the drive belt is looped around the pulley. Installation is simple. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 7:

Belt installation is tricky because it gets tight in there. The main thing is to be sure the belt routing is correct. Fortunately, belt tension is automatic once you have it on the pulleys. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 8:

The several air intake ducts are next. Begin at the throttle body and work your way outward. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)

Step 9:

This is the stock air cleaner hous