This question is specifically for Mike, but anybody can jump in, and I'm sure that this bunch will do so, without too much encouragement.

My question is; are there any combinations of mods, chip, exhaust, air box, etc., that have been shown to perform better together than others?

For example, does the superchip seem to be mated especially well to a particular brand and/or model of cat-back system?

I'm interested in all responses, but in particular for a 2001 Expedition 4.6 that I just brought home today.

Thanks.

 

No you don't need to encourage me. I like reading all the posts. Replying is half the fun.
I don't know if you've checked out this thread here on computer chips.
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=49388
I think some of the information you are looking for is here.
I'm sure you will get a response from some one who will be able to give you more specific information.
I am happy with the mods that I have. There will always be something better. If you have the cash, get the best you can.
The Air Force One seems to be one of the better air box elimination kits.
The exhaust set up that I have is good. I think that I would either like to install a "Y" pipe or go with headers. It helped to use a less restrictive muffler but I think doing something with the factory "Y" is a good idea.
Thats what I think.
Tom

 

Hi sckielty,

The Superchip, in general, works very well with just about any other modification, though for some it will require a custom program to compensate, that's primarily needed for "major mods" like blowers, nitrous, ported heads, etc., or if you change the mass airflow meter.

There really isn't any one particular cat-back exhaust system or airbox elimination kit that works "better" with the Superchip than others, though there certainly are differences in the effectiveness of all the various airbox kits & cat-back exhausts, so it does indeed make a big difference in which specific intake & exhaust units you install.

We just wrapped up going over every airbox elimination kit & cat-back exhaust sytem for these vehicles, and so we've got some specific recomendations along those lines.

The Top 3 best bang-for-the-buck mods for these vehicles are:

1.) Optimize the powertrain programming with the Superchip - this will yield the best performance gain for the least amount of money, resulting in a 10%-12% power gain in the F-150 or Expedition with any of the available gasoline engines.

2.) Reduce the restriction in the air intake tract, using the Air Force One airbox elimination kit. this will add up to 18 more horsepower (flywheel) on the 5.4 F-150 or Expedition.

3.) Reduce the restriction in the exhaust, using the Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system. The gains typically run about 14 more hp on the 5.4 in either the F-150 or the Expedition, although Truckin' magazine just did one on an F-150 Super Crew and got 17 more horsepower from the Magnaflow exhaust. There are many different name brands of cat-back exhaust systems out there, and almost all of them will deliver decent gains in horsepower; however, what happens to torque in the low to mid-rpm ranges on part-throttle, where we spend most of our time driving these vehicles, is an entirely different matter. Almost every cat-back system on the market for these vehicles will cause a loss in low-end torque while gaining horsepower at higher rpms & heavier throttle openings. The Magnaflow system did actually gain a little bit of torque down low, while the Gibson Swept-Side model did not cause a loss in low-end torque. Borla's system also gave the same results as the Gibson Swept-Side, in that it didn't lose low-end torque. All the others we checked out caused a loss in torque on part-throttle in the low to mid-rpm ranges.

So those 3 mods are our recommendations for the best of each of the Top 3 best bang-for-the-buck modifications to these vehicles, for best performance gain with the least outlay.

If you'd like to go over this in more detail, or would like to place your order, etc., please feel free to give us a shout by phone or email.

All of this applies to not only your 2001 4.6 Expedition, but also applies to all of the 1997 & newer F-150's & Expeditions with any of their availalbe engines. In fact, those 3 basic areas are usually the top 3 best bang-for-the-buck mods on most computer-controlled fuel injected engines.

And of course from there you can go on to things like underdrive pulleys, converting over to electric cooling fans, headers, and the list goes on and on, you know the old saying, you can go as fast as you want to spend.

Most new vehicle owners tend to do those 3 mods, meaning the powertrain programming, intake & exhaust, as a nice "Stage 1" set of modifications. Those mods are very affordable, and will yield a very noticeable increase in performance and improvement in overall driveability and enjoyment of your vehicle. Most people also pick up some gains in gas mileage as well form those 3 mods.

I hope this info helps, & don't hesitate to give us a shout!

Best of luck with your new Expy,