Hey guys, I have had "tunes on the way" in my sig for far too long lol. I finally installed the predator 87 performance tune yesterday. I immediately noticed the increase in throttle response and the power on the top end is so much better. I did not change any of the settings initially but rather drove the vehicle to get a feel for what I wanted. Since my initial test drives I have modded the following:

RPM shift point 1-2 5350
RPM shift point 2-3 5125
RPM shift point 3-4 5100

Shift pressure 1-2 +10
Shift pressure 2-3 +7
Shift pressure 3-4 +5

Speed Limiter Off

What I don't have in the menu options is the OBDII and Torque Modulation Options. I really want to remove the torque management in 1st gear. I mean it really feels like the engine is sandbagging it until about 20MPH and then she goes like a bat out of hell. In my mind I want to break those tires loose and smoke em all to hell on a whim LOL.

I would also like to have a better understanding of the MAF curve settings and all settings in general. The PDF doesn't really do a good job of defining their applications and effects on the overall performance (which may just be in an effort to avoid liability issues which I understand). FYI I have also posted this in the Diablo forums and will copy those responses here.

Over all after the first day and about 100 miles on the tune I am very pleased. As I previously mentioned the throttle response is great and the lag via drive by wire has been eliminated. My stock transmission took a dump a few months back so I had a stage 1 built transmission installed (stage one is the builders nomer, not mine) Upgraded stall converter, shift kit and red band Kevlar clutches. This tune has really made the most for the transmission. Ultra quick shifts. I love how the truck snaps out of OD when I want her to now making for much easier lane changes and passing maneuvers. There is no longer a delay when downshifting and grabbing gear. 3-4 at WOT causes significant belt squeal so I see a gator back in my future, but it is indicative of the massive torque I am laying down now prior to the tune. Additionally the adjustment in shift points has helped to curb the flat spot I was experiencing at 40-50 from the factory tune and 3.73 gears. Just being able to run 1st gear a little longer really helps put you in a better place power band wise when shifting into 2. 0-60 has also increased dramatically! I had "complained" to others that prior to the tune there was no way in hell this truck was getting to 60 in less than 9 seconds. Now she is definitely hitting the mark in the high 7s per my stop watch.

I really don't expect any significant increase in mileage, but I will say the time spent on the throttle getting up to speed is significantly less which may increase the fuel economy marginally.

Overall this tune has renewed my love for the truck. While I have appreciated her and all her potential to date, the Diablo Predator has really brought this truck to life and "renewed" my interest in continuing performance mods. Once I have a better understanding of the parameters in question I will try the 93 performance tune.

Diablo Mike, thank you for your responses and contributions to this forum as it was a significant factor in my tuner decision. I will post an update again some time this weekend with a more comprehensive review.

 

Awesome review, very thorough and informative, thanks.

The OBDII options are long gone, thank the EPA for that, they wont allow us to allow you to disable any emissions control devices. They can still be turned off in a custom tune iif needed
The MAF curve adjustment is there for dialing in a CAI if needed. Ideally, you would log the Short Term Fuel Trims and make an adjustment to the MAF curve to bring the trims as close to 0 as possible, but its not necessary for the stock intake, or for any of the intakes that we already offer tunes for.

TM is reduced heavily, alot of the issue with these F150s getting out of their own way out of the hole has to do with the converter, but if you'd like to try a little less TM, export a copy of the last tune written from the tool and email it to me, I'll make a few tweaks and send it back to see if it gets better.

Thanks!

 

I will run her this weekend and then shoot you the tune over on the Diablo forum. I want to reiterate again that your contributions to this forum and responses to the requests on the Diablo Forum are the reason I elected to go with the Diablo product line. Thank you for the exemplary customer service thus far! I look forward to custom tunes over the next month!

 

i got my predator last week. let me know if you find different but i didnt notice any change from 87 to 91 performance. the 87 is a big difference over stock. i ran it a few days then i tuned to 91. i started with the spark advance retarded 12 degrees so that i could run 87. no pinging so i reflashed again with 5 degrees retarded. drove for a day. no pinging. then i reflashed again with no adjustments. no pinging and no real difference was observed. reflashed back to 87 and left it.

im thinking the 91 would be better if you are running the gotts mod or a cai. i have stock intake.

fyi, i have been running a 91 torque tune on a predator with a cai in my 06 stang gt for the last 5 years on 89 octane. no spark advance adjustments. no pinging. no problems. awesome power. you just have to be careful. if it starts pinging under load. either retard the spark some or go higher octane.

in the winter when its really cold i will go ahead and put some 91 in her as an extra precaution. pre-detonation (pinging) is more likely with colder air due to the more dense oxygen charge.

i didnt mess with any shift points. happy with it stock.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Might be a good idea to try some different premium fuel, as quality can vary from station to station

 

Despite some miserable weather here in the Houston area I managed to get a few more miles on the 87 performance tune. I am still very pleased overall and rather surprised at what ford leaves on the table with these motors. As I have commented already, the tune along with the built transmission really make for a much more pleasant driving experience. I must note there may be an increase in mileage as well but I am waiting on the math after my next fill up to verify this. I have a 41 mile commute to the office which involves freeway and toll way driving. This morning was my first commute to the office with the tune. I drive rather conservatively to and from work as this is what traffic conditions permit. My typical avg MPG during my commute will hover between 17.8 and 18.5-ish. This morning I pulled in averaging 19.2. As I stated I will wait for the math to make the final determination. Throttle response has only gotten better over the weekend. I am eager to try 93 octane tune, but I still need more information with regards to the various adjustable parameters and their overall affect on the operation of the motor (MAF adjustment, Spark, etc...). Once again, Kudos to Diablo for an excellent product.

 

The adjustable paraneters are for experienced users familiar with datalogging and dialing inthe tune if desired.

Ideally, you would not ever need to adjust the MAF curve until you have an aftermarket CAI, but even then we have dyno developed tunes for the popular CAIs already loaded.

Things like WOT fuel and spark should only be adjusted based on logs to see where you are before making any changes. If you see the AFR is off with a wideband, you can adjust it with the WOT fuel parameters, and if you see knock you can either pull a bit of WOT spark or add a bit of fuel in an effort to quench it.

Thanks

 

Kinda what I figured based on my research thus far. Other than shift points and rev limiter I am content with the adjustments so far.

 

Its been 7 days with the predator and I am still pleased with the purchase. I have waited a week to post mileage figures to be sure they are not a fluke. As previously mentioned I have a 40+ mile commute that runs 2 major freeways and a tollway. Texas traffic can flow or turn into a parking lot. Depends on the weather and the idiot at the front of the line. Anyway, gas mileage is up considerably. I leave at 6:30 each morning so traffic pretty consistent for me. Speed limits are 65 and 70 respectively, but traffic makes the avg speed closer to 55-60. If it is open then I lock it in at 70. Prior to the tuner I was at a consistent 17.8 and for the entire week I have been sitting at 19.2. That's an extra 30+ miles on the tank of gas and i'll take it! Response is still quick and efficient. The weather has hovered between 50 and 70 all week. It will be cooler this weekend. I am Houston so we are pretty close to sea level here and everything is pretty flat. I just got a PM on the diablo site from another predator user who wanted to remove the torque management in 1st gear. He has an 08 5.4 w/ 3.73. He purchased a custom tune from TSS and he is now smokin the tires from a stop. I will get my custom tune next week most likely and let you know if it gives me the desired results. I would recommend this tuner to anyone looking for an upgrade.

 

Good to hear, keep on enjoying it