98 GT 5.4 swap

[MetalMechanical]

Hey guys, my 98 mustang developed a rod knock recently and its getting pretty bad so I parked it for now. The body is extremely clean but the car has 163xxx miles on it so I figured its time for the 4.6 npi to go. I recently got a set of complete PI heads from a Lightning and might be able to score the bottom end also. I also have the chance to pick up another 5.4 liter from my dad's friends shop for free. Its supposedly "locked up" but I figured I may as well pick it up. I figured since I am now rolling in 5.4s for no reason at all, why not put one in my vehicle. I was wondering if anyone on here has done the swap and if they could give me any tips. I plan on getting the HPS manifold and a cheap summit racing H pipe that I could modify to fit. Im a college student so Im balling on a budget so I thought this swap would add some fun to my car for now until I graduate and start making enough money so that I could slowly build up a 4v and boost it like I eventually would like to do. For now, Im going to port and polish the heads and while Im at it, I kind of want to get some cams like the comp 270s(unless you guys recommend something else). What kind of injectors do you guys think I should get, 30#, and should I get a new fuel pump and throttle body? Also, I know that I will need a tune. What kind of tuner do you recommend getting and is a precanned tune enough or do you think I should take it to a dyno shop and spend the extra $$$? And since the write ups Ive read told me that I cant use long tubes(even though the one youtube video shows a 5.4 new edge car supposedly equipped with pypes longtubes...), are shorty headers even worth it or should I stick with the stock manifolds and the grind them down so they don't rub the car with the wider engine? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[cLockWise]

Not to drive any activity away from SCS considering it's always nice to talk with people around here who's done it so you can go to them for advice or even call them up and have them come over but I know quite a few people who have done it on the ModdedMustangs forum. I've saw both the 5.4 and the brand new 5.0 dropped into 94-04 cars, which is pretty sweet.

Some basics for you:

A) 30# injectors should handle the build without issue considering you're not boosting the 5.4L.
B) I would upgrade the fuel system just in case you decide you want to go bigger. You can get a Focus SVT fuel pump that would work just fine for this build.
C) Throttle Body's are claimed to be a waste of money. However, the whole point in picking up any type of HP is the transference of air through the system. I personally would upgrade the TB, but I would look on forums to see if you could snag one for a deal. I think MM had someone parting out a 5.4L car. Check on there to see if something might fit into your budget.
D) I would most likely stick with the basic tuner such as the SCT. There are other types of tuners out there, but it's relatively easy to use
E) Shorty Headers vs LT Headers vs Stock Manifolds is a continuous fight in the aspect of does it really add up? At higher horsepower it does, but again if you're looking to get full potential out of this car, get LT's. Shorty's won't be a terrible idea, but I would just stick with the stock manifolds rather than spending a few hundred on shorty's. I just feel shorty's are a waste of money, but that's my personal opinion.
F) I would definitely take the car to a Dyno shop such as Wolfpack Speed or anything that might be in your location so that the car can be properly tuned. While a canned tune might get you a pretty good base, the drivability of the car might not be on par. I know that my American Muscle tune put down the exact same peak HP as did my pro-tune, but the difference was drivebility which was a huge change. My car is a ton faster since the pro-tune mainly because it doesn't run like crap under the curve anymore.

Word of advice, as I've told many people this and I always tell myself this. Think about what you want to do with the car in the future, research builds. Don't do a build, then turn around and sell it a year later. I feel like it's such wasted money. You'll get some of it back, but if you just saved and bought the stuff you want for a future build over time, that you know will be awesome that you'll keep and enjoy. I see all too often someone builds something, then turns around and parts it out and sells it. I just feel it's wasted money and time, but again, my personal opinion.