Quick question...

I'm XCALIBRATOR tuned (Troyer Performance). I've been thinking about adding an Air Raid intake or simply adding a K&N drop-in filter. (probably just the K&N)

Will this affect my tune in any way and, if so, is there any way to correct it?

 

Hi RockPick,

Good to see you again!

This is a *very* important question, as this has changed on the 3-valve modular motors, which all have a new MAS setup. Where you can install virtually any decent intake kit on virtually any FoMoCo vehicle with a 2-valve or 4-valve modular motor, you cannot do that on the 3-valve motors (4.6, 5.4 or 6.8 V10)without throwing them badly lean with the vast majority of aftermarket intake kits - and I mean potentially piston-melting lean.

As it stands right now for the 2004 & up 5.4 3V F-150, only the Airaid intake kit is safe to use on either the stock factory tuning or with our custom tuning *and* actually gains significant power anywhere. The Airaid kit adds a whopping 20 more HP at the rear wheels at just 3000 rpm, so that is what most 5.4 3V owners are using on these new F-150's. Bottom line - yes, you can use the newer Airaid intake kits for the 5.4 3V F-150 and not require tuning changes when using either the stock factory tuning or our custom tuning.

And yes, you can also do a drop-in K&N air filter element in the stock factory air filter drawer too, and not need tuning changes when using our custom tuning.

However, where a drop-in K&N air filter element on a 1997-2003 5.4 F-150 will net you about a 4-5 HP gain, on these 5.4 3V's the drop-in filter will get you about 2-4 HP - and even that is generally only in the 2000-3500 rpm range. But you *can* do that safely, to answer your question.

 

Thank you very much for the reply Mike.

I just left a message with the sales desk voice mail a moment ago. I know you're an ultra-busy guy but, if you have a moment, I'd be intested in speaking with you about intakes in general.

It's certainly good news that a new tune wouldn't be necessary for a drop in K&N or a Airaid... I should've thought that through a little bit better when I decided I wanted to do some performance upgrading on the KR.

THANKS again Mike.

-RP-

 

LOL, I knew you wouldn't last very long without getting one.

 

Glad that I ain't the only one with ponies screamin to get out from under my hood Kevin

 

LOL! Yeah yeah yeah....

 

When’s the Air Force One going to surface for the 3-valve? Long time no see

 

Mike, I just got my XCalibrator today. During my reading through your instructions you made a bold note specifically identifying my K&N AirCharger as a possible potential problem (lean engine).

After reading this I immediately start searching here and then see your post above... the "piston melting".... comment got me worried.

Do I need to worry about my K&N?? It was one of my first mod's, and I haven't seen an Engine light or had any visual or sounds of any concern.

Please put my mind at ease...........

Will have my truck tuned tomorrow. Can't wait!!!!

-Lou

 

If you search, you will find many post about after market intake kits causing dangerously lean conditions in the 3-valve engine.
Here’s a couple

we've seen 19:1 lean not throw a code

dangerously lean

 

jpdadeo,

thanks man, but i DID search... and i'm specifically asking about the K&N. not volant or any other aftermarket intake kit.

i haven't found anything on here from anyone saying they've had any problems "lean" wise from the K&N (just a warning from Mike that it "might or might not run lean", and everyone else requoting mike). i've only heard positive comments and actual improvements in performance.

see the dyno test:
http://www.kandn.com/dynocharts/57-2556.jpg

if anyone has actually had a problem with the K&N Generation II FIPK please let me know.

why would a company like K&N put out a product that could cause significant damage to one of the biggest selling vehicles on the market???? sounds like business suicide to me, if so.

lou

 

jpdadeo,

btw: are you the "search" police? during my "searches" i've noticed you telling many people, many times to "SEARCH".... even dropping a SEARCH icon into the text box.

careful fellas... and make sure you "search" first, or jp gonna gitcha.

"Search" on brother.

 

Hi Lou,

With regard to info provided in our custom tuning documentation, any questions you may have in that regard you'll want to call us about that, as I'm sure you saw mentioned in our documentation in that first section titled "How to Get Tech Support" - where we talk about what to do if you have any questions, need help, etc.

If you'd like more info on the subject of air intake tract changes in the 5.4 3V F-150, just use the SEARCH feature here to retrieve & read any of our many previous posts where we have discussed this previously regarding to the new MAS system used on all 3-valve modular motors, & specifically with regard to air intake tract changes on these newer 3V vehicles, many times.

We don't carry the K&N systems as we prefer other intakes that our testing has shown to do a better job, but that *doesn't* mean the K&N intake for the 5.4 3V can't do a decent job for you - just that we prefer other intake kits, and that you would need to datalog that vehicle to be sure. It may very well be that your vehicle is "tolerating" that K&N intake just fine, with no problems - but you don't know for certain unless you datalog the vehicle according to our instructions, recording those parameters as we describe, including fuel trims, A/F ratios, MAS voltages, etc., all of which is easy to do with the very detailed instructions we provide to every one of our Troyer Performance custom tuning customers that is written for the first-time datalogger.

In general, as long as you aren't getting lean codes reported within a few dozen drive cycles, it should be within the PCM's adaptive strategy range to compensate for - so as long as you aren't getting SES lights, etc., you're probably OK. BTW, the problem we saw with the PCM not reporting a lean condition was on the dyno during a full-throttle pull, and many PCM's cannot react that fast anyway - it's up to us to view that info in real time & thus be ready to instantly get out of the throttle when we see something we don't like - that scenario was a while back in the very first (of several) testing sessions of intake kits for these 5.4 3V vehicles.

To date, only the Airaid & Air Force One intake systems have shown to us in our testing that they consistently do not cause lean conditions on these vehicles - and by consistently, I mean roughly 99+% of the time. And they do in fact add significant power gains - more than other intakes we've tested. We have seen a couple other intakes that didn't cause lean A/F's, but they also didn't add nearly as much power, so we don't talk about them & don't carry them.

I did want to comment with regard to jpdadeo showing people the value of the SEARCH feature, just a little perspective for anyone reading this post in general............................ (and I know you were just kidding with him of course, this is for anyone reading this post)

John (jpdadeo) is *very* helpful to many people coming here every day, a large number of whom fail to even bother to look ate existing thread titles, let alone spend any time reading their content before posting the same questions that virtually everyone who comes here wants to know, and that are thus very easy to look up in the SEARCH feature to get that info right away - and not waste others' time porting responses to the exact same thing 1000 times over. The excellent SEARCH feature is provided here for that very purpose - so that anyone can easily & quickly look up & read anything that has ever been posted here. (It's along the same lines as, just for example, people who refuse to read or pay attention to their product's documentation, but instead will come here to type up question after question expecting others to report back to them what they were too lazy to read for themselves.)

John (jpdadeo) very helpfully mentions the SEARCH feature - but he doesn't stop there, he even goes on to take a very large amount of time to use the SEARCH feature to look up whatever the poster wanted to know FOR them and then post the link to the results of that exact search so they can see what they could have easily done for themselves had they simply bothered to use the SEARCH feature. That takes an incredible amount of time to do, and John is to be thanked and highly commended for his efforts in helping so very many people here by what he does. John spends quite a bit of time helping the members here, and is a valuable asset to the F-150 Online community.

Anyway, I thought I'd just talk about that in general for a minute, for others reading these posts.................

Thanks for your post Lou, & if there are any questions you have regarding anything in our documentation of your tuning, etc., please feel free to give us a call.

Have fun,

 

Mike,
Thanks for the reply. So far, so good! Here's the lowdown on the tuner so far:

1. Read instructions from you 3 times. Read XCalibrators instructions 3x.
2. Stopped off at Shell (good gas) to fill her up with the second tankfull of 87.
3. Read XCalibrators instructions again. Read your instructions again.
4. Made sure ALL devices were off or unplugged. Shut the door. Buckled in.
5. Plugged in the God send (XCalibrator).
6. Let it rip... upload the factory setting.... download the 87 performance tune.
7. Blinking lights one way... Blinking lights the other way... Done. 13 minutes.
8. Start her up. ROAR.
9. I've got to watch the kids. Wife's going to pottery class. Can't drive.
10. Wife gets home, I'm glued to a RIDES episode (Shelby COBRA)!!!!
11. Goto sleep. Dream about driving.... FAST.
12. Wake up. Grab keys. Kiss kids and wife. Get in car. Start. ROAR. Idle for 10 min.
13. Put her in drive. Slow through the neighborhood.
14. Get the green arrow on Atlantic Blvd. No one around. Gun it.
15. Dude.
16. Ohhhhh.... expletive...... this thing rocks.
17. Firm shifts. Up to speed in no time. Throttle lag. Gone.
18. Call Scott. "It's true what they say!" This thing is SICK!!!!!!
19. Drive 200 miles. All over Jacksonville. 10 cycles.
20. Get to office and get online. Express GRATITUDE to Mike, Anita & Crystal!!!!

Boys and girls. This thing is the best buy so far.... and may be the best buy...period. Oh, and Mike tells others not to think "SEAT OF THE PANTS". I felt it in the SEAT OF MY PANTS... and even laid some brown skids.

I got to go drive. Late.

PS: JPDadeo.... just jazzin' ya. I know you're a legend around here. Thanks for your good works....

PPS: K&N. No problems. No lights. Doesn't feel lean. If you can even feel lean.

 

You can’t feel lean but you can hear lean, it sounds like this:

Varoom, Varoom KABOOM…

 

Thank you for the extremely kind words Mike. I don’t mind using the “search” feature at all to help out; it refreshes my recollection of previously discussed concerns too!