Just my notes...........
Steve’s Summary
Figure out what mods you are going to make before buying a
tuner, since you may need to customize the tune based on the other mods.
1.
K&N Air Filter
2.
Throttle Body 80mm ( 10 to 15 HP) Performance
Power-Plus throttle Body $320
3.
UnderDrive Pulleys (8 to 15HP, 12HP, more with
Tuner)
4.
Electric Fans
5.
Headers, if doing at all, do long tube headers.
6.
Tuner - customizable
Not researched
Throttle body spacer
Tuner above, requires custom tunes created by “local tuner
expert”
RE throttle body
wondering if the added
horsepower/torque is moved up the rpm range? looking for more low end torque
for towing.
Asked by: Greg - 10/25/2015
When installed on its own, the throttle body does tend to
skew horsepower and torque higher into the rpm range, though once you start
throwing other modifications and tuning at your truck, the range tends to
normalize. However, the best upgrades for low-end
torque on the 5.4L F150s are long tube headers, a matching mid-pipe, and
appropriate tuning.
Troyer Performance numbers for the following:
Pulleys: 11.8 HP with stock settings – 14 HP with a Superchips programmer.
Don’t know the numbers but I would guess you’d see similar numbers with just
about any programmer.
JBA Headers: 4.6L = 13 -15 HP, 5.4L = 14 – 17 HP
Cats: No numbers given but Troyer states that the Magnaflow cats they sell can
support engines making over 800 HP. They also say that these cats cheaper ($$)
than OEM.
Other items I am considering at some point down the road along with the above
upgrades:
1) Y-pipe – kind’a complicated but would free the exhaust up even further with
the headers and 3.0” cats. Probably should have this done in a muffler shop.
2) 75mm throttle body would also compliment the K&N FIPK intake.
Just my two
cent everyone but would stay away from headers unless your putting on a major
power adder. Stock exhausts are prettyy good and a swap is really just for the
sound on a basically stock truck. Had a friend put shorties on a 01 5.4 and after
he ran .1 better on a gtech. Tried it before and after.... not alot for the 500
bucks.
Long tub hoarders not shortys. Pacesetters are a good one to
get, 1 3/4 tubing with 3" collector can get for around $250
Two things come to mind, first electric cooling fans and
under drive pulleys. Now, for some plain general stuff, clean the MAF sensor,
clean the throttle body assembly, use a good injector cleaner like
"SeaFoam".
And, you could add a high flow air filter.
Where is the best place to start
looking for underdrive pulleys and e-fans? Do you guys think someone that isn't
that good with vehicles can do either of those, or should I take it to a good
mechanic?
Thanks for all the info everyone, this site kicks a**!!!!
While a cold air intake is nice,
by far the mos effective power upgrade for your 2004 to 2008 F150 is
PCM tuning, and we here at Stage
3 can provide tuners from some of the best names in the business, as well as
even more potent custom tunes from 5-Star Tuning. A performance PCM tune works
by changing key parameters of your truck's Powertrain Control Module, adjusting
things like fuel curves, ignition timing, shift points, and other
computer-controlled functions of your engine to help your truck get improved
horsepower, torque, fuel economy, and transmission function all in one go. Most
tuners come with fairly standard "canned" tunes that are pre-built
for use with just about any truck that the tuner or monitor is hooked into. A
custom tune is a whole different animal and is specifically programmed for use
with your particular truck. Our
custom tunes come from 5-Star Tuning,
one of the leaders in F150 custom tuning, and their custom tunes can be built
around both your preferred fuel octane and application to get you the perfect
tune for your aggressive truck.
Top of Form
The last of the "first"
modifications is generally a cat-back exhaust kit. While a 2004 to 2008 F150 cat-back exhaust
system generally won't give you much or a performance gain, they
do give your V8-powered F150 a very impressive sound. We here at Stage 3 carry
both single-exit and dual-exit cat-back kits for your truck, all of them from
some of the biggest and best names in the performance exhaust industry. We have
kits that can give your everything from a mellow purr to a ferocious roar so
that you get the exact sound you want for your custom F150 build. We've even
done an impressive amount of our own exhaust system testing on our 2004 Project
truck. Check out the videos below:
2004 to 2008 F150 Lighting
Components and Upgrades
Lift Kits and Suspension Upgrades
Want to turn your 2004 to 2008 F150
into a brutal desert runner? How about a potent rock crawler? Or do you just
want some extra ride height to fit on those 33" tires? Whatever your
reason, we here at Stage 3 have you covered with a ton of lift and leveling
kits from some of the best names in the business. Spacer Leveling kits
are our most popular suspension modifications and get rid of your truck's front
rake and let you squeeze on slightly larger wheel and tire combinations. Coilover Leveling Kits
do the same thing, but also give your truck better off-road performance. For
anything else, there's our selection of complete
suspension lift kits. Lift kits are the go-to options for
getting your truck higher in the air and fitting on truly massive wheels and
tires. Our current lineup of trucks have all been graced by lift kits of some
sort. Our 2005 F150 Project Truck
has a Zone 4" Suspension Lift Kit,
our 2004 F150 Project Truck
has a Pro Comp 6" Suspension Lift
Kit, and our 2007 F150 Project Truck
has a Zone 6" Suspension Lift Kit.
The end result on all of these trucks was nothing short of incredible, and the
lift kits, wheels, and tires dramatically changed their looks for the better.
