Twin-Turbo, Stock-Block 2018 Mustang Raises The Bar To 1,194 RWHP

There is no doubt that the 2018+ Mustang loves boost. With forced air its Gen 3 Coyote 5.0-liter engine has conquered numerous impressive milestones. The latest comes as a result of a Hellion Power Systems’ Eliminator twin-turbo system and a fully upgraded fuel system.

The key to the huge power now is the fact that we were taking full advantage of the direct injection. — John Urist, Hellion Power Systems

“As with all of our systems, the increased efficiency of a turbocharger will make more on any vehicle, and its is really apparent on the new dual-fuel Mustang,” John Urist, President of Hellion Power Systems, said. “We can fuel the engine using the direct injection, which is more efficient due to the smaller fuel droplets.​”

Aside from the turbos it looks pretty unassuming, and that is accurate. Under that factory intake cover is a stock Gen 3 Coyote 5.0-liter bolstered by a full fuel system upgrade, including a Fore Innovations triple-pump in-tank setup, Fuel Injector Clinic 1,000cc port injectors, and an Xtreme DI high-pressure direct-injection pump (see sidebar for the full setup). (Photo Credit: Hellion Power Systems)

One way that Hellion maximized the output of this engine is via an upgraded direct-injection system. Where its previous 2018 Mustang dyno runs were made with upgrades to only the port side of the system, this time around the turbo S550 gained more direct-injection fueling capability from an Xtreme DI high-pressure fuel pump (PN XDI-HPFP-60).

Hellion 2018 Mustang Mods

• Bassani 3-inch cat-back exhaust

• Fore Innovations triple-pump fuel system

Fuel Injector Clinic 1,000cc port injectors

• Hellion Eliminator twin-turbo system with 62/66 Precision turbos

• HP Tuners custom calibration by Eddie Rios/Addiction Motorsports and Chris Groves at the Dyno Edge

• E85 fuel

• Turbosmart eBoost 2 boost controller w/ four-port solenoid option

• Xtreme DI high-pressure direct injection pump

​“We had the first turbocharged 2018 GT, and we made amazing horsepower gains, but the key to the huge power now is the fact that we were taking full advantage of the direct injection, which cools the charge and lets us advance the timing and make more power in the end,” John said.

The addition of the larger high-pressure pump enables relying on the direct-injection system the way the factory intended, which allows for greater efficiency at all power levels.

Direct Power

While the huge horsepower and the two Hellion turbos are the attention grabbers of this story, a facilitator of this new level of power is that XDI high-pressure pump. Heretofore, most tuners have relied on upgrading the port side of the equation, but Xtreme DI has long advocated the benefits of relying more on direct injection.

“The 2018 Coyote engine is a new style of engine, a lot of high-tech features,” Uwe Ostmann, owner of Xtreme-DI, said. “We are still learning and identifying, what it really likes, but it for sure likes any kind of boost!”

Because the latest 5.0-liter engine was revised specifically to benefit from direct injection, relying too heavily on the port side of the fueling can have a negative side effect.

“The 2018 Coyote engine is optimized for DI fueling. It has an increased compression ratio of 12:1 from the factory. The intake ports are optimized for air/ fuel mixture mostly in the combustion chamber. When you push more air through this refined system now, everything changes again, makes it even more sensitive,” Uwe explained. “Adding too much fuel in the port causes an already wet air/fuel mixture with too many ‘heavy’ fuel drops coming through the intake valves. When this heavy wet air enters the combustion chamber and gets hit by ultra-fine fuel vapor at 2,900 psi, air/fuel mixing dynamics do not work anymore as intended by the Ford engineers. You get more local rich zones, which are known to cause auto ignition and inefficient burn. This effect gets even worse if you run high-ethanol content blends where you add another 30 percent or more of liquid mass to the equation.”

While upgrading the high-pressure pump (and eventually the direct injectors themselves) is a more expensive path, weaning a dual-fuel engine off its port injectors might just unlock more power.

“We have seen knock sensors react right away to increased port fueling, even at slightly increased power levels, especially on pump gas. With higher direct-injection-blend ratios or even better with 100-percent DI you can run more boost and more timing at the same time, even on 91-octane fuel,” Uwe elaborated. “You should even be able to still meet emissions that way at increased power levels. We have also seen drivability issues with increased port fueling, especially in daily driving situations.”

While Ford tuners are just starting to address the direct injection side of the equation, that means there is still room for improvement in performance and driveability as this becomes more mainstream.

“Keep in mind, that there is no delay with DI, the first combustion is perfect,” he added. “The ECU algorithms are optimized for this. If you take away DI fuel now, you shift this dynamic response more to conventional EFI again, with all the wall-wetting delays, etc. This translates to all dual-fueling applications, as we are seeing the same effects on the Gen 2 EcoBoost trucks now.”

“The new Xtreme DI pump will maintain full high-pressure at the rail to keep the injectors fueled and spraying properly,” John explained. ​“We installed a Fore Innovations triple-pump system to feed the direct and port side. The car also has 1,000cc port injectors to fuel the port side. It resulted in insane efficiency at 6 psi that has never been seen before — 712 rear-wheel horsepower!”

​Of course, running the base level of boost was great for verification of that efficiency, the real tale was told when John turned the boost knob up to 18.63 psi. The properly fueled Gen 3 Coyote responded by rocking the rollers to the tune of 1,194 horsepower and 969.5 lb-ft of torque at the tire.

Strapped to the Dynojet chassis dyno at The Dyno Edge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Hellion twin-turbocharged, stock-engine 2018 Mustang delivered an eye-watering 1,194 horsepower and 969 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Next, Hellion plans to hit the drag strip to see what this four-digit S550 will run.

“​We believe we have surpassed the stock capability with these pulls,” John added. “If one wants to have continued use at this level, a built short-block is recommended.​”

If you are looking to push the power envelope on your 2018+ Mustang, Hellion happily reports that it has these kits in stock and ready to ship right here.

About the author

Steve Turner

Steve Turner brings decades of passion and knowledge in the world of Ford performance, having covered it for over 20 years. From the swan song of the Fox Mustang to the birth of the Coyote, Steve had a front-row seat.
Read My Articles

Blue Oval Muscle in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from FordMuscle, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
FordMuscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

FordMuscle

We'll send you the most interesting FordMuscle articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

FordMuscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Ford Muscle

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


Muscle Car & Hot Rods
Muscle Car & Hot Rods
Drag Racing
Drag Racing

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • Muscle Car & Hot Rods Muscle Car & Hot Rods
  • Drag Racing Drag Racing

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Ford Muscle

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading