hey guys...placed that call to troyer performance today, you know the one. they want to send the xcal 3 out which i didn't realize came with "canned tunes". does this mean i'll have something worth installing while i wait the couple months for troyer custom tunes to show up.

they are also gonna send an air force one CAI. what can i realistically expect from my 4.6, am i wasting money here....i hate wasting money. please be honest.

also i want to leave the exhaust stock....opinions???

 

I think the canned tunes and the intake will make a noticeable difference over stock, though it will be a noticably nice truck once the tuning is complete.

As for not wanting an exhaust, that is going to be leaving some power on the table, but to each is own.

 

P utting in a cold air intake without an aftermarket exhaust is sorta like, eating chips without dip!!??

 

You are correct, the XCAL III comes standard with 3 canned tunes that can be used while you are waiting for the custom tunes. FYI, if the AF1 you purchased is the 3.5" version, you cannot use this intake until you receive your custom tunes from Troyer, otherwise it can dangerously lean out your engine. If you ordered the 3.0" version, that will work fine with your XCAL III canned tunes while awaiting your custom tunes. One note though, I know this to be true on the 5.4 3V, which I just realized you have a 4.6. Whichever intake you ordered, I would call Troyer and double check to ensure it's safe to run with canned tunes.

As far as the exhaust, you can certainly leave it stock but you won't be realizing the full potential of your tunes and intake. More air in, more air out. The stock exhaust is heavy and reduces a bit of power. There are quite a few quality exhausts out there that I think will meet your noise requirements. One of the best out there in my opinion is the Magnaflow. Great sound, price, and excellent quality. Good luck with whatever you do.

By the way, I grew up on the Eastern Shore, whereabouts are you from?

 

thanks for the reply man. I have a feeling i'll be safe with the AF1 because when i order something like that, i put it in the hands of people who are supposed to know. When i called troyer i said " i have an 04 f-150 4.6, what can you do for me??" this is what they suggested.

that being said, i'll probably call and check anyway. i'm having a little trouble printing out that documents they e mailed me (printer issues) and that 12 pager on datalogging looks complex, i wasn't prepared for that.


i'll look into that magnaflow, what do you think about just having one of their mufflers spliced into the stock exhaust in place of the original??
any suggestions on which one?

thanks

p.s. born, raised, and currently residing in Queen Anne's county

 

Anytime! Are you able to open the docs ok? You could splice in a muffler, not sure on what size you would need though, I think some members here have done this and could chime in. Magnaflow among others do offer mufflers by themselves.

That's funny, Queen Annes County is where I grew up! I lived in Queenstown.

 

I had a muffler swapped into my stock piping for $80 including install.

However, a full exhaust system is going to have larger diameter piping, and will probably have mandrel bent pipe. That's where the power will come from- the larger pipe, mandrel bends, and the straight through muffler.