I just bought a 2008 King ranch 4x4 5.4 liter. I'm having a CAI and magnaflow duals after CAT installed this saturday. My question is will I benefit from a tuner or programmer? what is the difference between the 2 ? I'm a mechanical idiot, can I install and operate one? or do i need someone else to do the programmimg ? I want better MPG what should i buy for my application ? Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome
Tuner and programmer are one in the same
Having mods done I would go with X calibrator 3 (Troyer performance with custom tunes by mike or VMP tuning -Justin I think-seem to be the most popular)

They are pricey, you may have to wait a little bit, but they are well worth the money.

http://www.troyerperformance.com/cgi...&link=mainpage

I have troyer tunes and love them-Im sure somebody will chime in about VMP tunes

Try to search troyer tunes and you should get alot of reading info

The programmer is simple enough that any body that can read can do it-the tuner tells you what to do

 

Do you think i will need to tune for the air/fuel mix after adding the AFE intake?

 

If you are referring to the air force one intake, as long as its the 3" you should be ok (im no expert though) but with the 3.5" one you need a custom tune

Ok found the following quote from another thread-its from troyer performance

[QUOTE=Superchips_Distributor]OK, this is easy to clear up, and this is EXACTLY what we have been telling everyone about ever since the 2004 F-150's first came out - ANY intake kit that actually increases power WILL lean the engine out. It's a matter of where and by how much.

The best results we have been able to get in this regard is with the 3.0" version of the AF1 intake kit we helped to design, as it does not lean the engine out anywhere in closed loop, and just a tad at WOT. Unless you are doing heavy towing up mountains day in and day out, it can generally be used on the stock tuning, though being a tuner, I always like to put in a bit of correction.

 

Hey king rancher, as someone went with just a cai and cat-back mod for about 7 months before getting custom tunes I can tell you that tuning makes a world of difference.

Your truck's gonna certainly sound a lot better with the intake and exhuast and you may feel a bit more power at mid to high rpm, but to make a real difference tunes are the way to go.

'05 4.6L Supercrew here, 3" AF1 intake and Borla SI/SO cat-back. Those helped, no doubt, but Troyers tunes gave me what feels like a completely different truck.

By all means at least give Troyer Perfomance a call and see what they think they can do for you.

Good luck, and let us know how ya decide to go!

 

Thanks guy's I will give Troyer a call today

 

I called Troyer today, the money is not a big thing if I can get better results, But what exactly are the differences with the tune, Better shift points, better acceleration, better MPG? what can I expect for $425.00

 

Ive only had my troyer tunes for about a week but ill tell ya what ive seen so far
-the slight lag that was there when it shifted gears, or the hesitation when down shifting to pass, or the hesitation under heavy acceleration-GONE
-much better acceleration with no hesitation
-feels like stock tune, other than shifts are a little firmer, but feels like stock under light acceleration but if you gun it its a whole new truck
-gas milage will suck for first tank or two or how ever many until you learn to control the urge to put the pedal to the floor then it will get better
-not to mention the other bonuses you get such as beeing able to look at CEL codes and so on

Had my tunes a week so far and every penny worth it

 

x2 what 2006 said!

Lag between hitting the pedal and moving is gone. The shifts are dead on, I'm pretty sure that this would be the way Ford would make them from the factory if they didn't have to cater to the entire population.

As 2006 said, when just puttering around the neighborhood or in slow traffic the shifts are very close to stock. When you need or want it though, it's just a night and day difference. Never violent shifts, no slamming the transmission, just very quick and firm. Passing on 2 lane highways is a freakin' joy now.. LOL.. The one thing I DO have to be careful of is taking off from a dead stop. Have to re-learn pressure on the throttle because the truck just "jumps" now with anything more than a very light touch.

I'm only going on 3 months with having the tunes, so I'm still in the lead foot phase of enjoying the extra power, so I can't speak to mpg gains, although I do suspect that there has been a bit. I'm doing a little 280 mile round trip tomorrow so I'll have a better idea afterwards how Troyer's 93 perf. tune does mileage-wise. I've been getting 19.2 highway with just the AF1 intake and Borla exhuast.

 

Okay, not a noticeable increase in highway mpg from what I can tell..

Didn't fill up and check check the mileage until the return trip and two other adults in the truck and about 150 lbs. of stuff in the bed, plus about a 15-20 mph headwind on the trip home.

133.7 miles / 7.3 gallons = 18.3 mpg, avg. speed on the highway probably 72.

Had to sit through every damn red light in McGregor and Belton tho.. lol..

This with Troyer's 93 perf. tune in '05 Screw 4.6L.

So the mileage would seem to be about the same as I got with just the 3" AF1 and Borla cat-back and stock tune.