I had planned on getting the 1745 but after reading numerous posts on the xcal/xcal2, I think I will be stepping up to the Troyer Custom tunes. I don't know which one would be best for me. I guess it would be best to call T.P., but I wanted some input from the forum first.

I have an 05 4.6L Auto w/ 3.55's non-l.s. and Airaid cai. The only other major mod is gonna be bigger tires. On good days I pull a 19' boat (approx 2400lbs, boat/motor/trailer) and would like more pulling power but as a daily driver I would like better fuel mpg w/ the possibility of an occasional power trip with the small V8. Any suggestions?

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be doing any datalogging, so how much more would I get out of the xcal2 over the xcal?

 

first off xcal2 is the better of the 2. either will load the tune.

second, its not the tuner that will give you more, its the tune loaded in.

out of curiousity why have you already written of datalogging?

 

You'd probably be tickled with the performance increase from the 1745 but it depends on what you're reaching for. IF you plan on doing alot of mods to your truck then maybe a customized tuner such as the Xcal series would be the right choice. But if you are looking to make just a few mods to upgrade the performance of your truck to where it should have been from the factory then maybe a 1745 is all you need. Larger tire sizes can be accomodated for using the Superchips tuners.

Keep researching, it took me 9 months to make my decision on the tuner for me. Its comes down to personal preference in the end, away.

Good luck

DN

 

check out post "best chip, for 2000 f150?- on my 03 4x4 sc 5.4 3.55 i used to regaually tow a 7x14 tall aluminum dual axle mx race trailer -approx. weight 5000-5000k lbs- around the hilss of pa with that bad 3.55 gearing i had - the towing improvements were amazing- my vehicle now- a 4 ton 3/4 ton van- the results are the same- i 've had a constant 2mpg improvement on the 93 performance towing tune-provided i drive it normal-do a search on posts by me on my personal experiences with mikes custom tuning, diablosport chip,& sct basic tuner- this should help ya out-phil

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have read alot of posts on these T.P. tuners and I have not come across any hard numbers on the 04 & up 4.6L. How different are the 04 & up 4.6L from the old body style 4.6L? All I'm planning on doing is bigger tires 295/70/17 and I installed the Airaid intake (tube, filter and that cool air dam thing). NO exhaust, gears, pulleys, injectors or any of that stuff, but I feel I can get a little bit more out of the custom tunes for a few more bucks even though I will probably stick to whatever tunes come installed after my "phone consultation".

rawzon - The data logging thing sounds complicated, I'm not mechanically inclined as far as performance and stuff like that goes. I like "bolt-on or no drilling required" kinda upgrades. I'm confused, you say the xcal2 is better and that either will load the tune but then you say its not the tuner its the tune. Can I get the same tune in either model and is the xcal2 easier to work with than the xcal?

 

You need to that truck breathe. Put in a decent exhaust system. I would prefer true dual exhaust but settled with single-in, dual-out and a Full Boar muffler.

L8r

DN

 

I had thought about an exhaust system but I'm not big on the loud throaty sound, if there was a system that had a sound similar to stock - then I would be interested. I looked into some dual exhaust systems made for the 05 F150 4.6L but some of them say the spare tire needs to be relocated. That doesn't make any sense to me, if it was made for this vehicle why would I need to alter said vehicle to make it fit?

 

That's a good question. Why would something that is made for the truck require you to remove the spare tire? Doesn't make sense to me. My exhaust goes straight out the back and I still have my spare tire. (take a look a my pictures)

I'm sure there are some mufflers that would be quiet enough to suit your interests. I'm not a real loud muffler fan either, I prefer a low throaty sound but not loud. The blapping sound that I hear on some trucks just makes the truck sound ragged out.

L8r

DN

 

I agree.......there are some times when you wish you had your dig. camera w/ you and this was one. I saw this old beat up country boy chevy p/u (early 80's) that had a used & abused big block w/ headers, a foot or two of pipe and then two big cherry bomb glasspacks hanging down a few inches from the ground. Talk about a poster child for the "Git'er done" generation.

 

The difference between the standard non-vehicle specific off-the-shelf tuning and our custom tuning, even for a *bone-stock* truck, with the 4.6 engine, is about 50% more power gain - so it's definitely worth it.

There is also quite a bit of difference in overall driveability, powertrain response, transmission shift characteristics & so many other aspects. It's really a no-brainer, and the datalogging is very simple to do, everything we need for a vehicle like yours, with those minor mods, can be gotten using the XCal 2 - we provide very clear, step-by-step instructions on how to do that, and they are written for the first-timer, not those who are experts, or mechanically inclined, etc - so don't let that scare you .

What you need to be worried about *FAR* more is the fact that every 2005 & up 4.6 F-150 we have ever seen runes dead lean from the factory, and I mean 15:1, not the 12.0:1 that is actually commanded - so they definitely need a true custom tune to protect the engine and get rid of that lean condition - that not only makes it much safer, but you will make more power.

There is no way I would use *any* off-the-shelf tuner for a 2005 & up 4.6 F-150, even bone-stock they need to be custom tuned to insure proper A/F ratios, and that is one of many things we do in our custom tuning for you.

I hope that explains it better, and if you would like to go over this in more detail, feel free to call us next week and I'll try to speak with you personally about this, so you will have a much better understanding about all of this, OK?

Thanks, & enjoy your New Year's!

 

Awesome!!!! Thats all I need to hear. The list prices are not that far apart, so the xcal2 was probably gonna be the choice. Thanks for the info, in all the posts I have read, I have never heard of this factory lean condition on the 05 4.6L. Just don't talk about a blower because I will buy it too, lol.
I will be calling your shop in about 3-6wks to purchase the xcal2.

Happy New Year's to you and everyone else!!!!

 

You're more than welcome, & Happy New Years to you & your family, too!