Tuners and Maintenance
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Tuners and Maintenance
Any of you with long experience with tuners on F150's? I'm wondering about the longer term implications of running "tuned" vehicles. Has it resulted in increased maintenance costs or issues? How many of you have tuned your truck but maintained it on the normal Ford schedule? Any issues? Troyer, for example, recommends much more frequent changing of plugs, oxygen sensors, etc. Is this truly necessary? Opinions?
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: North Canton, Ohio
Originally Posted by acadianabob
Any of you with long experience with tuners on F150's? I'm wondering about the longer term implications of running "tuned" vehicles. Has it resulted in increased maintenance costs or issues? How many of you have tuned your truck but maintained it on the normal Ford schedule? Any issues? Troyer, for example, recommends much more frequent changing of plugs, oxygen sensors, etc. Is this truly necessary? Opinions?
Plugs will deteriorate much quicker than the 100,000 miles that Ford claims they will last. If you think about it you should realize why..
A properly maintained vehicle will run better, last longer, and give you all around better performance. And if you keep the "consumable" components fresh, well, just think about it and it all makes good sense...
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Houston and Lil ol' England
Marc
I've got 25,000 on my HD now.
I have changed the plugs (TR6's) to go with the 6 lower and obviously have changed the fluids and filters inc the gearbox.
The question is, how long before I should change the O2 sensors?
The truck is my daily driver with a 7 mile each way journey to work.
I've got 25,000 on my HD now.
I have changed the plugs (TR6's) to go with the 6 lower and obviously have changed the fluids and filters inc the gearbox.
The question is, how long before I should change the O2 sensors?
The truck is my daily driver with a 7 mile each way journey to work.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,390
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Originally Posted by EnglishAdam
Marc
I've got 25,000 on my HD now.
I have changed the plugs (TR6's) to go with the 6 lower and obviously have changed the fluids and filters inc the gearbox.
The question is, how long before I should change the O2 sensors?
The truck is my daily driver with a 7 mile each way journey to work.
I've got 25,000 on my HD now.
I have changed the plugs (TR6's) to go with the 6 lower and obviously have changed the fluids and filters inc the gearbox.
The question is, how long before I should change the O2 sensors?
The truck is my daily driver with a 7 mile each way journey to work.
I found this from a previous post:
Originally Posted by Superchips_Distributor
Regarding plugs - first, remember that the TR6's are only 1/2 heat range colder than stock, so I recommend going with a colder plug to raise the detonation threshold - I know many Lightning owners run TR6's, but I don't recommend it, I prefer to see at least one full heat range colder with forced induction on a non-Lightning F-150, or an F-150 with any raised-boost pulley, or anytime you have added 75 HP or larger power gains to the engine's flywheel output in these 2-valve modular motors.
With regard to your upstream O2 sensors, they are really a 30K miles maintenance part (the automaker will never tell you that, as it's an emissions part so if they said to replace it before 80K miles they would have to pay for it under the separate emissions warranty), so what we recommend is this: If the vehicle is naturally aspirated, you can run them to 50K miles. If it's forced induction, then replace the O2's at 30K mile intervals - anything more and they have deteriorated enough to affect the tune, performance, fuel mileage, as well as idle quality, and it happens *very* gradually, from the moment they are first put in service - it's a thermocouple, basically, so it stats deteriorating almost as soon as it goes in service, very slowly.
Use only Bosch name brand O2's, and only the 2 upstream O2's need to be replaced - the 2 downstream units can stay in until they fail outright.
With regard to your upstream O2 sensors, they are really a 30K miles maintenance part (the automaker will never tell you that, as it's an emissions part so if they said to replace it before 80K miles they would have to pay for it under the separate emissions warranty), so what we recommend is this: If the vehicle is naturally aspirated, you can run them to 50K miles. If it's forced induction, then replace the O2's at 30K mile intervals - anything more and they have deteriorated enough to affect the tune, performance, fuel mileage, as well as idle quality, and it happens *very* gradually, from the moment they are first put in service - it's a thermocouple, basically, so it stats deteriorating almost as soon as it goes in service, very slowly.
Use only Bosch name brand O2's, and only the 2 upstream O2's need to be replaced - the 2 downstream units can stay in until they fail outright.
It's my understanding that in a boosted application, A/F control is even more crucial than in a N/A application, hence the abbreviated maintenance interval - to be safe.
Hope this helps.
And that is a stunning truck...
Cheerio!
Grog
