Hey guys, I need some advice here. I have a 2001 4.6L 4x4 with modded intake, custom exhaust, and Superchips "Max Performance" tune. I know the intake and exhaust aren't helping much, but I would consider replacing the intake if I don't go with the Procharger, but the exhaust stays because it's the only way to get the sound I want. Anyway, the truck has 54,000 mi. and will be paid off in 6 months. I have been tossing around the idea of getting a used Procharger for approx. $2,500 and doing the install myself for an approx. 100 RWHP gain using the stock, out of the box kit.

It seems, however that there are several issues with this idea, including PCV blow-by, maxing out of stock MAF, injectors, and fuel pump, changing head unit oil and fuel filters every 6K miles, spark plugs every 10K mi., decreased fuel mileage, finding a GOOD used kit to begin with and then theirs the install itself.

I would like to weigh my options, and get an idea of what kind of RWHP I can still wring out of my NA 4.6L without spending as much, or having as many issues as the Procharger would. I also want a DIY project. I'm thinking I could pickup a used intake, sell my Microtuner for the SCT tuner, and toss around the idea of e-fans. I'm not interested in pullys because my amp draws 80A and I don't like the idea of underdriving accessories. I have also shy'd away from the e-fans so far because I like the simplicity and worry-free mechanical fan setup, but depending on what the gains are, I would consider it.

Another question I have is regarding the stock MAF, FP, and injectors on a tuned NA setup. Can I get aggressive enough with the tune to warrant injectors and MAF that I will see even greater gains? I plan to port / polish the TB and elbow this next weekend, but I still have the non-PI heads as my 2001 4.6 is a late 2000 build.

Basically I'm wondering if it would be possible to pickup another 40 or so RWHP pre-blower and about how much. I wouldn't want to drop more than say $1,500 to do so. Heads? Cams? Headers?

Ideally, I'm hoping I can see most of these gains with a custom tune if I upgrade the injectors, etc. That way, I'd be in better shape to throw the blower on a few more years down the line. I'm plenty happy with it the way it is, (Hurst short-throw is fun) but I barely spanked a "ricer" V-6 S10 last night, and we can't have that can we? Thanks for your time!!!

 

Your first mistake is trying to cut corners with used parts - I would NEVER buy a used supercharger! And yes, it will STILL need injectors,m MAF, a better fuel pump than the noisy 240 l/hr Airtex in-line fuel pump ATI uses as well, so you are never going to do a proper supercharger setup (even used) for that kind of money. And with a mod as serious as a supercharger, you want a warranty to protect you when you have a problem - forced induction 101 for anyone who is not a true F-150 & FI performance *expert* - and there aren't many of those.

It seems you just don't want to spend what it takes to do things right - you are also dismissing parts that will in fact work well and do in fact provide excellent power gains that WILL work with your power amps (the e-fans U& underdrive pulleys), etc., etc. One simple tuning adjustment can take care of that issue.

The first thing to do is to educate yourself, and then commit yourself to dong things *right* - stop trying to look for every way to cut corners. Save up whatever it takes to get the performance of that vehicle where you want it using top-quality parts that will NOT cause problems, so you will have a fully reliable vehicle that you can be proud of and not have problems with.

It's *easy* for us to add another 40 HP (and more) to that engine without having to go the blower route, or doing ported heads, etc. And by the way, your non-PI heads actually flow significantly BETTER than PI heads do once you get to about .490 (gross) valve lift and above - and that's in either stock OR ported trim. It's only at the low valve lifts using STOCK TRUCK cams that the PI heads have a slight flow advantage.

If you want to do this right, give us a call at our number listed below & we can help you with this.

 

Thanks for the input Mike...you're right, I have been trying to cut corners on the blower, but I was at least looking for one with under 10K mi. that someone took off for a turbo. It's likely the only way I can afford a blower, as I don't see having an extra $5,000 to throw around anytime soon. If I could get at least 40 more RWHP with a tune (keep in mind I'm already running the "Max Performance" tune, so it'd be more like 65 - 70 RWHP) I'd likely explore that route up to the point of blowing my budget. I'll do a little more research on some of these products before taking your time on the phone. Will let you know man...thanks again.

 

Welp, I checked out the site and have come up with what I believe to be a good plan. Instead of hacking a Procharger in there and forcing my stock components to do a job they weren't meant for, I have decided to instead free up some HP and make it more reliable for half the cost.

Here's what I was thinking. WMS intake tube to retain my "custom" heat shield, Xcaliber tuner, e-fans, pulleys (+100 RPM from custom tune) Denso plugs, and Gatorback. I know you can't simply add up HP numbers to get an accurate total, but I'm estimating almost 40 RWHP gains (after removing "Max Performance" tune) and 1 - 2 mpg increase. Does this sound right to you guys?

How hard of a job are the pullies and e-fans? What is the main difference between the Xcaliber and X2? Can't you guage the engine temp for the e-fans off the odometer readout trick? Should I consider the AF1 intake for other reasons?

 

Hi Jackal;

Good plan.

My input ( point by point):

"How hard of a job are the pullies and e-fans?" - Doable with the right tools and mindset - key here is patience and to budget plenty of time. Instructions included are good. Helps to have a buddy present ( to get the cold ones, at least ;-))

"What is the main difference between the Xcaliber and X2?" -- Delivers same superb custom tunes by Mike. X1 is Less expensive. X2 has way more features ( datalogging, code display/clear, etc ). Check Mike's or SCT's website for more details.

"Can't you guage the engine temp for the e-fans off the odometer readout trick?" -- Well, maybe - the dash display is the cylinder head temp I've been told, so you would need a fudge factor to translate that into actual water temp at the rad location where the dry sensors would be mounted. The IR heat gun and/or an accurate water temp guage is best.

"Should I consider the AF1 intake for other reasons?" -- Yes. AF1 has been throroughly tested by TP and has proven gains. Superb build quality. Looks terrific ( I keep mine all nice and shiney ;-)). Lots of positive feedback here on these forums.

Meanwhile, keep saving up for that Stage 5 kit! (I'm kinda hoping Mike will have a clearance sale someday ;-)).

Cheers!
Vic

 

Thanks man!!! I just got off the phone with them, Mike was busy. I had a few specific questions about the pulleys and e-fans.

Does the water pump pully require grinding to make it fit as I have seen posted on this site? (Possibly a 2004+ issue.) If they bump my idle 100 rpm, will my electrical system still be alright when idleing at a light with 1,432W stereo bumpin, AC running, etc.?

Will e-fans raise my power steering temps as it does with the tranny temps? Does it totally delete the upper part of the radiator shroud where the belt routing stickers go? (under the rod for removing the spare tire)

How much of a gain will I see at the wheels with the pulleys, e-fans, and custom 92 octane tune? (I will first lose about 30 when I detune it now.) I know the fans and pulleys don't make power, rather than to free it up, but it's all the same to me at the wheels.

Do you have any pics or could you tell me more about the wiring of the fans? Does the kit come with any in-cab LED indicators or switches?

BTW, I ordered the WMS because I was told the ceremic coating helped as much as 20 degrees (are these Canadian numbers? ) on a hot day and I wanted to retain my heat shield. It also saved me $80.

 

Hey Jackal;

We can jaw over this until the Man checks in ;-))

Grinding: I dunno about 2004+'s, but on pre-2004 5.4's only it was required.

Idle bump: wow, that's some load. Do you have a high-output alternator and battery system installed? I'll defer that one to the expert, but depending on your electrical system, an idle increase would certainly help ;-)). Mine's at 725 rpm, but I don't have your combo of loads.

E-fans: where did you get the notion that those temps would increase? TP E-fan cooling is much more efficient - those temps should not be a factor. The Label shroud can stay. BTW - I devised my own e-fan setup (see sig), so I can't speak from experience w.r.t the TP kit, but others certainly can.

I won't touch the power gain question - again, I'll leave that to the expert - these things will vary but the gains from a holistic approach are real and solid. Don't expect Supercharger levels of performance though.;-)).

I hear ya about the $$ savings on the intake. I believe the AF1 also demonstrated a cooler intake charge compared to competitor's AL or plastic units, but 20 degrees, if factual, is impressive.

Save-Save-Save!

Cheers
Vic

 

Well, I have the 4.6 so I should be good on the pully then. The lady at TP wasn't aware of any grinding issues is why I asked. (Saw it posted on the site.) I think I'll be able to get a decent reading using the odometer trick and a point-n-shoot. Yeah, I'm running a Cadence A7 that cranks out 1,432W, but it's super efficient at only 80A. I'm running a dual-voice coil sub at 1 Ohm so I had to run 8 ga. wire for my speaker wires. If I remember right it was like 36 - 38A through the speaker wires. I don't have much of a dimming issue at idle, but I rarely run the AC. I also turn it way down at lights so as to not **** anyone off so it's prob. not much of an issue. I don't know what alt. I have...I assumed it was 130A stock...??? If the ceramic coated tube and heat shield actually work right, I should have a pretty decent intake on the cheap. I didn't mind spending the money on the AF1, but that polished 303 SS looked like a big ol heatsink to me. I'm not under the hood too often so I don't mind the dull silver of the WMS, though I would have prefered the black power coating since it looks so sexy, but it's not ceramic. $20 cheaper however.

I don't mind dropping a grand now that I'm not saving $3K for a used Procharger. $1,000 doesn't seem like ***** now. LOL!!! I am either going to just do the WMS and e-fans, or I will go the Xcal2 route and add pulleys to the equasion depending on gains.

I saw the tranny temp increase issue on a thread here somewhere. Searched for "e-fans controller" I believe. They said since the stock fan isn't constantly drawing in mass amounts of air flow, at a stop, they said the tranny temps went from about 160 I think it was to over 200 when the e-fan swap. I was wondering if that would be an issue for the power steering as well. Don't have the tranny cooler with the M5OD.

 

Hey Jackal;

Thanks for the info on temps. Now I know why I want to add a TP active tranny cooler ;-)). Honestly did not think that the stock fan would flow that much at idle to make much of a difference. I've been manually overriding my controllers with my in-dash switches if I'm stopped in a logjam for any length of time anyway...

Contrary to appearances, the AF1 tube isn't a real heatsink. And remember, at speed, the IAT is just about at ambient anyway.

Cheers
Vic

 

Holy "Out-of-Control Signatures" Batman!! wow!

 

Hey, we likey the signatures. Hahaha...I can't edit mine either because now it'll chop it. Gonna have to do something with it when I get these new goodies.

Did the TP kit come with those switches and LEDs?

 

Nope. Real easy to do , though. Use external relays and fuses.

A tip: put the L.E.D's across the relay coils - otherwise the fans, when freewheeling ( not powered), will generate enough voltage to illuminate them.

Cheers

 

What about just picking the top one or two important things, and listing those?


If I had your truck, I'd think people only care about/list something like:

Honestly, the things I cut out of your sig aren't really 'mods' - most (wipers, oil, headlights, etc) are maintenance items.

No hard feelings, I hope...

 

Newp...you're right. I'll be editing it.

Anyway, I've been reading up on the e-fans here and it seems that many aren't buying into the 15-20 RWHP gains, or the approx. 12 HP from pulleys. Does anyone have dyno runs for these mods?

 

Hey DMP - what if they're ALL important ( to me ) ;-)).

You should see some of the sigs around here - this is nothing!

IMHO - the more info the better - it's just disk space, after all!

Cheers!