McGee vs Stubbe: Mustang Dyno To Boost or Not to Boost

Longtime friends and teammates Brandon McGee and Tyler Stubbe spent an entire week at FuelTech USA in Ball Ground, Georgia with a pair of nasty Mustangs and couple of notebooks to write down everything they learned. The two racers not only chose to spend two days on the hub dyno with the Advanced Dyno Training, one day for each car, but also stay to participate in an FT Education three-day seminar. They learned the ins and outs of the PowerFT engine management system thanks to the industry-leading testing and educational experience available to all customers.

The first day was spent with the ProCharger-powered Mustang that belongs to Tyler and it made some insane power within a few pulls. The boosted small-block LS cranks out 1,779 WHP in what would-be legal X275 trim. The engine is rumored to check-in at 470ci and was built by Naiser Racing Engines. The foundation is a billet Noonan engine block and is topped with All-Pro cylinder heads and VED billet intake manifold. Boost is provided by a ProCharger F-3R-102 centrifugal supercharger. The car has run in X275 but is being switched over to All-Steel, All-Glass (ASAG), a category that is growing on the No Time scene around the country.

Once the supercharged car impressed the FuelTech group, it was put back in the trailer, and the nitrous-gulping ASAG Mustang of McGee was bolted to the Mainline Hub Dyno. The numbers will remain a closely guarded secret given the No Time nature of ASAG competition. We will, however, point out that notorious nitrous racer Jamie Hancock was on-site helping the team, so you know the Naiser Racing Engine powerplant made some big power. FuelTech’s Luis De Leon also wondered over due to his extensive experience with EFI/Nitrous combinations.

Both cars rely on PowerFT engine management systems—the supercharged combo sports an FT600 while the big-block, nitrous Mustang runs an FT550. Both systems are highly capable and offer many of the same features. Both include sequential injection and ignition, O2 closed loop, Data Logger, Traction Control, Delay Box, Boost Controller, and Nitrous Controller. The FT450, FT550, and FT600 ECU units also come with an LCD display and touchscreen, showing real-time data and allowing the user to perform adjusts without a PC connection. Additionally, all the PowerFT control units feature AMP SUPERSEAL automotive connectors, accelerometer and gyroscope, and 2 CAN networks. The FT600, FT550, and FT550LITE are capable of transmission controls with its built-in GearControl. If that isn’t enough, the FuelTech Input Expander is available, providing 24 additional inputs, including 20 analog inputs and 4 VR sensors.

The Pro Nitrous function can control up to 6 stages of nitrous injection. It could also set operation thresholds, offer custom timers and delays, complete ignition timing and fuel control, nitrous bottle pressure compensation, and individual cylinder trim. These are many of the reasons nitrous-powered racecars from Pro Modified to weekend warriors are making the switch to FuelTech.

Both combinations, regardless of the power adder, require a powerful spark and the FTSPARK Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI) box and matching individual coils are utilized in each vehicle. Some users run the groundbreaking Gen I system and it is a highly capable ignition system, but FuelTech replaced it nearly two years ago with the FTSPARK-8 Gen II. The Gen II box offers a minimum and guaranteed 750mj of energy at 140 amps and has been tested up to 850mj in certain applications. FuelTech tests every unit prior to boxing to ensure each one meets the 750mj minimum guarantee. That works out to a 25 percent increase in mj output over the FTSPARK Gen I as well as a 12.5 percent increase of amps at the primary coil. All Gen I ignition boxes are upgradable to Gen II and it utilizes the same enclosure, making the swap easy and quick.

Data acquisition is another highly touted feature of the PowerFT line of engine management systems with accelerometer, gyroscope, and the ability connect any sensor via the CAN bus system. The information is displayed with the engine and power management data, allowing the tuner to use only the FTManager software when analyzing the information. It streamlines the process for easy and quick changes for the next run. Each car utilizes FuelTech WB-O2 Nanos, which are connected to the FT600 or FT550 via CAN bus and without the use of an analog input.

From 5-second Sport Compact racers dominating around the globe to a couple of Texas-based Mustangs setup for ASAG No Time competition, reliable products and unmatched education is the reason you’re seeing #FuelTechEverywhere