I'm new to the 5.4 motor in my new 2001, never really bothered with mods on my old 5.8 since the truck was kinda a POS. So I really don't know much about the brands or pros/cons of intakes and exhaust. I plan on putting some mild mods on this, I'll start with an intake and exhaust and see where I go from there.

So for intake, seems like everyone here is split between K&N, Airaid, and S&B. For the complete kit, S&B seems to be the cheapest. I'm looking for a nice sound when you roll on the gas and maybe a slight MPG boost. I've heard that the re-useable cotton filters don't trap as much dirt and can cause problems with the MAF sensor. Is that a thing of the past or still an issue? I don't mind cleaning the filter every so often but I don't want to chance hurting the motor with below-stock filtration levels. The K&N seems a bit pricey and I've seen reports that quality of the filters has gone down recently?

I don't have the money to put a whole cat-back exhaust system on, so for now I guess a muffler will have to do. Again, lots of mixed bag reports on the different brands. A nice sound boost to give it a bit of "rumble" but nothing obnoxious since I do have to drive this truck long distances and frankly don't want to listen to my own noise. Any suggestions on a muffler?

 

IMO Intake isn't worth much without a good Tune on it. But if you want just a nice rumble and not loud. Go with Magnaflow or Borla. They both are quality products that give good "rumble" You might see MPG increase with intake and exhaust. Not likley without a tune though. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
Any more questions. Feel free to ask.

 

If you go with an intake you should best get a custom tune to open up the performance. An intake kit installed to a truck stock other than exhaust just basically whistles louder than the stock kit.

For a tune, I would suggest VMP Tuning.

For an exhaust, Magnaflow makes great stuff. Constructed of T-409 stainless, great stong stainless tips ( T-304 ), life time warranty, and direct flowing exhaust which is best for low end performance and gas mileage.

If your into rebel loudness then Flowmaster, Dynomax, and Cherry bomb may suit your sound preference more. Problem is most of them are chambered which contains guiding baffles.

 

So most of the intake manufacturer's claims of "up to 20hp gains" are pretty much garbage? It seemed kinda unlikely that OEM's would sacrifice that much power in their stock systems.

I don't need the obnoxiously loud redneck exhaust. Nothing wrong with those, but I don't want have to deal with po-po and like I said this truck does take longer highway trips and a loud, grating exhaust gets old after a while.

Is one of the tuners the best bang-for-buck? There's a lot of talk about the X-Cal's on this site like you suggested, those are the best suited for Ford's or the 5.4 of all the tuners out there? $400 seems like a reasonable price if the gains they promise are true. +2mpg and up to 30hp boosts?

Are there any risks involved with using a tuner? I don't want to sacrifice reliability or risk engine damage from "messing up" the ECU settings. And do you have to leave the tuner plugged in at all times, or do you hook it up, "flash" it, and then take it off?

 

It's not garbage about the intakes, if it's tuned for it. The stock tune isn't used to getting that air, so it can't take advantage of it.

Just go with Magnaflow or Borla for what you want. I'm personally a redneck exhaust guy, I don't have a muffler haha.

I'm fond of Xcal 3 from VMP Tuning, adds 1-2mpg(some cases 3-4) and 40hp and prolly 50-60lb ft of torque. Not too many risks, it saves the stock tune for you. You plug it in, flash it and unplug it and your ready to go. The only problems with them are if you can't drive It gets rid of the Rev Limiter and speed limiter. Be responsible with it and you can just enjoy it greatly.

 

One odd question...can you break the stock speedo from exceeding 100mph? My '01 hits a pin just after 100. I had an old Suzuki bike that only went to 85mph where the needle hit a pin. I had to be well over 100 and the gauge broke on it. That was an old mechanical drive but can it still happen? I had pegged the gauge on my truck at 100 right as I ran out of room on the straightaway and backed off.

Do K&N filters let more dirt through? I've seen tests online, and most say that K&N filters aren't as efficient as a OE paper, but it is only by a very slight degree (>1%). Does that make a real difference as time goes by or is so small to be meaningless?

Also, Airaid and S&B claim that their cotton filters have smaller holes and filter better than K&N while still flowing better than stock.

Anyone know who makes the filters for Summit? They look an awful lot like a K&N but it just says "a leading manufacturer"? They're like half the cost of a K&N.

 

If I was in your shoes 01 no warranty issues I would look at the JLT kit that uses a s+b filter and tuner custum tuned for the intake.