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DEC 8, 2020 | Wes Duenkel

No-Hassle Horsepower - How to Install a Ford Performance Parts Power Pack 3 in a '15-'17 Mustang GT

DEARBORN - Adding more top-end punch to a 2015-2017 Mustang GT with the Ford Performance Parts Power Pack 3.

Front of a black Mustang with hood open and parts in front

Got a 2015-2017 Mustang GT and want more top-end muscle from your Gen-2 Coyote engine? Ford Performance Parts has you covered with their Power Pack 3 (P/N M-9452-M8). It’s a complete power upgrade solution that injects DNA from the Shelby GT350 into pedestrian GTs using a high-RPM intake manifold, freer-breathing cold air intake setup, and 87mm throttle body. A specific PCM calibration straight from the experts at Ford Performance makes the Power Pack 3 a complete power upgrade solution for both manual and automatic-transmission equipped Mustang GTs. No guesswork or trips to the custom tuner are required!

There’s really no downside to the Power Pack 3 kit. The benefit of the Ford calibration cannot be overstated, especially with the larger 87mm throttle body. Aftermarket throttle bodies can wreak havoc with Ford’s torque-demand-based throttle control if not tuned correctly, but Ford’s calibrators have done the work for you. A Power Pack 3-equipped 2015 Mustang GT drives just like stock (until wide-open throttle, that is). Even automatic transmission shift points are tweaked for the higher RPM range and power level. The Power Pack 3 kit is the industry’s only 50-state legal kit with an intake manifold upgrade, so enthusiasts nationwide can enjoy the benefits of higher-RPM performance from their 2015-2017 Mustang GT.

Utilizing mostly factory parts straight from the GT350 parts bins, installation is simple. We’ll show you how!

Man sitting in front seat of Mustang with laptop

The Ford Performance Parts Power Pack 3 (P/N M-9452-M8) is a complete, no-hassle bolt-on power package that includes a GT350 intake manifold, 87mm throttle body, cold air intake, and ProCal calibration tool that plugs into the Mustang’s OBDII port and loads the tune using laptop software downloaded from the Ford Performance Parts website.
*Laptop not included

Rear profile of black Mustang lifted in a garage

Before tearing apart this 2015 Mustang GT, we headed to Boost Addicts in Gallatin, Tennessee for a baseline power measurement. The auto-transmission-equipped GT made 324 horsepower and 314 lb-ft of torque on Boost Addicts’ in-house Mustang dynamometer.

Hands working on the under hood fuse box

With the baseline measurement out of the way, we got to work. First, we removed the fuel pump fuse and relay from the under-hood fuse box and cranked the engine using the starter button to depressurize the fuel system.

Hands taking off the engine cover Next, we disconnected the battery, removed the strut tower brace, and pulled off the engine cover.

Hands removing the GT air intake setup

We disconnected the relevant hoses and removed the GT air intake setup as an assembly.

Hands working on the brake booster hose clamp

We used two pliers to slide the brake booster hose clamp higher on the hose and disconnected it from the intake manifold.

Hands taking off brake booster We pulled the brake booster fitting from the brake booster and removed the complete brake booster hose assembly.

Hands removing heater hose supports

Next, we removed the heater hose supports, fuel rail foam insulators, and disconnected the fuel injector connectors.

Hands disconnecting fuel supply tube With a rag ready to catch excess fuel, we disconnected the fuel supply tube.

Hands disconnecting purge valve and purge hose

Next, we disconnected the purge valve electrical connector and purge hose.

Hands working on the cylinder head flange We used compressed air to blow any debris that collected around the base of the intake manifold on the cylinder head flange so it didn’t fall down the intake ports when removing the intake manifold.

Hands working on the intake manifold Then, we removed the six bolts holding down the intake manifold.

Hands lifting the manifold

We carefully lifted the manifold forward so we could reach the intake manifold runner control connectors at the back and then removed the intake.

Hands taping intake ports As a precaution, we covered the intake ports with tape.

Close up of the trottle body We used the supplied fasteners to bolt the 87mm throttle body to the GT350 intake manifold.

Two manifolds side by side Besides the obviously larger throttle body, the GT350 intake manifold has taller runners and a higher plenum than the factory GT manifold. Even though the GT350 intake manifold has a higher profile, the intake still fits under the factory Mustang GT strut tower brace.

Hands working on the manifold Before inserting them into the GT350 manifold, we cleaned and lubricated the fuel injector O-rings with oil.

Hands working on the runner controls The fuel rails clear and fuel injectors seat into the GT350 manifold just like stock.

Hands working on the runner controls

Because the GT350 runner controls are in a different location, we extended the electrical harness by removing the harness tape and freeing more wire from the loom.

Hands installing manifold With the harness modifications complete, we lowered the GT350 intake manifold into position.

Hands working on manifold Then, we torqued the intake manifold bolts in the sequence and specification outlined in the instructions.

Hands installing supplied hoses for manifold We replaced the PCV hoses with the supplied hoses designed for the GT350 manifold.

Hands taping throttle body connector Next, we un-taped the throttle body connector, fed it around the main harness, and connected it to the GT350 throttle body.

Hand holding air duct

The profile of the ram air duct is slightly different on the GT350 than on the GT, so we made two slits at the bottom of the duct per the instructions so that it sealed properly.

Hands installing cold air duct We installed the GT350 cold air duct as an assembly.

Hands connecting mass air flow sensor connector To secure the mass air flow harness to the cold air box, we drilled a 15/64” hole for the harness anchor and reconnected the mass air flow sensor connector.

Hands working on air intake tube We made the final hose connections to the GT350 air intake tube.

Hands installing air box We installed the supplied air box seal.

Hands installing GT strut tower brace Note there’s plenty of clearance between the intake manifold and the factory GT strut tower brace.

Close up of power pack 3 setup We were really pleased with the overall fit and ease of the installation. The Power Pack 3 setup looks clean and mean in this 2015 Mustang GT’s engine compartment.

Man sitting in front seat of Mustang with laptop After reinstalling the fuel pump relay and fuse and disconnecting the battery, we downloaded the ProCal 3 software, we connected our laptop, loaded the tune, and fired up the 2015 Mustang GT. (Ford’s ProCal 3 software is available for both Windows AND Macintosh platforms, which is very convenient for Mac owners.)

After installing the Ford Performance Parts tune, we were back at Boost Addicts to see the results.

The Ford Performance Parts Power Pack 3 is really impressive. While we lost a little peak torque, we gained 22 peak wheel horsepower…but peak numbers only tell half of the story. With the stock setup, the horsepower party was over after 6500 RPM. But after 5700 RPM, the GT350 manifold keeps on truckin’—all the way to 7300 RPM! Boost Addicts’ dyno guru David Hines reasoned that the minor torque loss is irrelevant because at wide open throttle, the engine spends all its time in the top end of the RPM range, where the gains are. The only time the engine is at WOT down low is from a stop in first gear…and performance is probably traction-limited there anyway. More top-end power…more RPM…stock drivability. That’s what Ford Performance Parts Power Pack 3 is all about!

Front of black Mustang with hood open lifted in a garage