I'm completly lost on this sublect so some help and Links would be helpful.

I am looking to improve the MPG on my '04 f-150, and I am looking at getting a cold air intake, better exhaust, and a performance chip. My budget is around $1500. I know that this is not alot, and therefore the exhaust would be the last mod. Either way, I have heard hat K&N and Airade are two well known compaies, what CAI would you recomend? For the Exhaust and performance tuners/chips, I am like a fish out of water so help is needed in finding the best bang for my buck. Links, pictures and reviews would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

$1500? That can go a long way. Look into the gotts mod rather than a CAI. It is significantly cheaper.

Also look into the programmers like the PHP Gryphon.

 

your gonna get beaten up over this. its a 6000 pound truck with a 5.4 litre v8 in it. its not going to do great.

some will say to get a cai, cat back, pullies, e fans, bed cover, and a tuner, but that wont net you as much MPG as you might think. at least you'll have a fast gas guzzler in that case.

others will say (my opinion) to just keep everything in tip top shape, fluids, filters, maintenance, and get a tuner, and keep your loud pedal away from the floor, and thats the best your gonna get.

spending thosands of dollars wont provide you with 5+ more mpg, but its fun to mod trucsk so go ahead.

my setup is good maintanance standing, K&N filter, im gonna get a catback and a gryphon tuner, bed cover, and the dvw intake mod. those mods wont be for mpg though, i got the cover cause i like it, the k&n for cleaning purposes, tuner to help out with tire sizes, and trans shifting, ect. if i get 2-3 mpg better, ill be happy.


best free mods you can do is drive slowly, avoid braking as much as safely possible, run your tires over 35psi, and avoid long idle sessions.

 

None of those things will improve your MPG enough for you to ever tell, they will probably decrease your MPG, because you will be in the throttle more, that is what happened to me.

Even if they did anything for your MPG, how many miles would you have to drive to get back your $1500.....more than you could put on that engine.

After saying that, a good tuner Edge (no CAI) or Gryphon (CAI), Cai araid or a MIT Araid, exhaust don't buy a cat back kit--waste of money, go to your local muffler shop and have them custom bend one, way cheaper. The shorter the muffler the louder the sound, Magnaflow is good. All this under $900, easy.

 

Do not put a CAI on a 2004 5.4 without a custom tune. Too much risk of running lean. Besides, a CAi is a poor return for the money other than the visual effects. The Gotts mod in the How To section gives almost as good performance for about $!5. A good tuner with a custom tune is by far the best mod you can do. look at the "sticky" threads in the Tuner section.

 

1) CAI, no do the gotts modd, if you have to get one, S&B.
2) Exhaust, not gonna change MPG that much, do a SI/DO or SI/SO swap, I had my SI/DO done for $200.
A good true dual set up is gonna run you about $500-600, starting at the cats.
3) PHP gryphon.

E-fans? consider them if you don't have them, under-drive pulleys, also consider.

A PHP tuner is about $400, so that leaves $1,100. Spend for a Efan kit, and maybe even a set of UD pulleys. I bet you get better MPG this way along with the gotts modd.

Better throttle response, and maybe a MPG or two. I know you could build your own E-fan kit, get a tuner and have money for a exhaust out of $1,500.

Also, Fivespeed has strong valid points.

 

Intake and exhaust mods will do very little, if anything, for gas mileage. Do a DWV/Gotts mod to the stock airbox if you must. Do a custom exhaust if you want to hear it. E-fans *WILL* make a difference - more than just about anything else you can do.