gotta 4.6l wondering if there are any tuners out there that make a big difference im a little weary of them cuttin down on the engine life. suggestions?

 

they will not hurt your truck. and yes they are worth it.

 

Yes a tuner is worth it just for shift firmness alone. If you plan on getting a cai than you have to have a tuner or you will run lean. I would suggest getting an Xcal 3 or Gryphon with custom tunes. As for a tuner its your choice as I don't this thread to get into who is the better tuner.

 

dollar for dollar, the single best mod you can do for your truck. Have had tunes on all four of my F150's and nothing but good things to say. I've used everything from SuperChips canned tunes, to Xcal 3 with Troyer Tunes. Currently running a tune from Justin @ VMP tuning, he's been really helpful and is super fast in responding to e-mails after the sale. More then I can say for some other tuners.

 

He has the 4.6L; not an issue.

I do agree with your recommendations for the tuner and the custom tunes.

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ch...ht=tuner+worth
https://www.f150online.com/forums/ch...ht=tuner+worth
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...ht=tuner+worth
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...ht=tuner+worth

 

I was under the impression that on all the 3v engines regardless if they are the 4.6 or the 5.4 are lean from the factory. I guess I just assumed that he had the newer 3v engine. Anyody else hear of this or am I wrong ?

 

most every 04 5.4 3v,-some 05 5.4 3v's were

 

ford didn't put 3v 4.6Ls in the trucks until 09. he has an 08, so he has a 2v.

 

Tuners are worth it for alot of reasons. Truck runs better, tire size change, and gear swap to mention a few.

 

depends on the application. when i had mine, my truck was basically completely stock. just intake/exhaust. my truck is a '98. there is not much that can be done for a truck as old as mine. '99 is when the tuners can start changing tire size/gear ratio etc.

if you have an automatic trans, you will notice a HUGE difference from the tuner. i have a manual transmission and noticed very little if any difference in performance. i'm convinced that most (about 90% i'd say) of the perceived performance increase is from automatic trans shift improvements only. overall for the price i paid, i was not very happy with the results and ended up getting rid of the tuner.

 

what type of tuner was it?who wrote the files?

 

it was a gryphon custom tuned by bill at php. i've used other tuners in the past as well with similar results. decided to try out the custom tune route and wasn't happy with the results either. i returned my truck to stock, sold the tuner and haven't looked back.

 

Wow, Sfam... you'd be the first person I've heard that wasn't happy in some way/shape or form. To each their own. Its odd because I always believed that the biggest change I'm going to see when I get my tunes (IF I ever get the damn things) is going to be in the shift points. I'm losing most of my power when it shifts from one gear to another, I can really feel it hesitate between some gears, mostly the lower ones. I read a forum post about a guy with a manual transmission and his tunes, and he felt like he REALLY noticed a difference in the vehicles get up and go and no hesitation even between manual shifts... hmmm, odd.

As for the CAI on a stock truck... I've got the 97" 4.6, i'm fine with a 3" intake Gotts Mod and Exhuast without having to have a tune on the truck.. right... or will I run lean? I did reset the PCM so adaptive learning to kick in.

 

i've since gone back to the factory intake, and i'll be trying out the gotts mod when i get the chance. it's not that i was unhappy with the tuner, it's just that i didn't really notice as big an improvement as i was expecting. maybe my expectations were too high. i've driven automatic trucks that were tuned and the difference is night and day between stock and custom tuned. a friend of mine also has a 2005 super duty with a powerstroke and the custom tuning on that truck is absolutely incredible!! it all depends on what you start with as a base.