Yea I know...lotsa bad comments about it...of course I didn't run across any until it was on order from autoaccessory.com (which is the worst place I've ordered from). I just got it installed and actually I notice a little bit of pickup and more responsive @ WOT. Another odd thing is that I don't hear the whistle that other people have complained about. I just drove it around town and took it on a country road but I expected much worse! I'am actually quite satisfied with it although it's not going to give me the performance of a superchip. I guess the best description would be like when I installed my flowmasters. Not a big difference in power, but a little bit.

 

Oh, sorry, you said, "don't laugh".... hehehe... ooops.... har har har.... oops again...

Listen, if that's all it took to get more power, you think the auto manufacturer's wouldn't have SIX of them in every vehicle they make?

Do you really think that swirling the air (if it actually does that) is still going to keep that swirl as it passes thru the butterfly valve, the intake manifolds, and the intake valves? Swirl in the combustion chamber is a good thing because it aids in the atomization of gasoline and more complete burning, but in the manifolds? If anything, you want less turbulence and a more laminar flow to decrease resistance to air flow.

Another thing... can you find ANY... I was going to say _independent_ lab data, but any data, even on their website, that confirms their outlandish claims? Interesting, isn't it, that every website that touts the PowerAid, uses the same language, and MAKES MONEY from selling the snake oil.

Finally, but dyno's are notoriously unreliable. I put in a new air cleaner and feel 5 more HP. I'd bet money that if you do a couple of dyno runs with same day conditions, you'll find that nothing has changed.

 

Oh yea..that's right! What doesn't Ford just include Superchip optimizations...or..humm....K&N FIPK on all models, and hell how about dual Flowmasters on every truck? You're right, I haven't seen dynos. You should read my post above. I don't think it added 10hp or anything, but I did notice a little difference.

 

The poweraid goes behind the throttle butterflys.

I don't know about the swirl but changing the length of the intake runners will change torque. Adding the spacer makes the intake runners longer.

On my '98 Ranger commuter(2.5L, 5spd, 3.45 rear, reg. cab) I added one "just for the heck of it". It did make a difference in what gear I could run in going up long, steep, hills. I could maintain 60 mph in 5th gear where before I would have to drop to 4th gear half way up to keep it at 60. This was the only mod done.

Do I indorse this product? No, but it did seem to help the bottom end torque on my 2.5. Moving the torque lower in the rpm made it easier to drive, and made it "feel" peppier. It made no difference above about 2500 rpm that I could tell. Torque is what you "feel".

My butt dyno sucks. I have almost doubled the hp and torque on my diesel and it still "feels" not much better than stock.

If you like the mod don't worry about it. Enjoy it. What works for one does not always work for others.

 

"Oh yea..that's right! What doesn't Ford just include Superchip optimizations...or..humm....K&N FIPK on all models, and hell how about dual Flowmasters on every truck? You're right, I haven't seen dynos. You should read my post above. I don't think it added 10hp or anything, but I did notice a little difference."

Well Lets see.....


Superchip optimizations....I seriously doubt that everyone buying a F150 wants to run superunleaded. Also Im sure lots of buyers like a smooth shift they barely feel.

K&N FIPK on all models......well I have my own theories about K&N after running a few but nevermind that. Only cars I have seen K&N stock on were a few perfomance cars. Most of the non F150Online type people probably prefer a simple to change throwaway filter. And personally for all around driving I think a Air Filter enclosed is a better compromise...ie wont get or muddy when off road (Well unless you are really getting into some deep stuff) And my experience is with the open element air filters they get dirty much quicker, and also they add lots of induction noise.

dual Flowmasters on every truck?....Now I would like to see stock Duals, but as far as flowmasters it seems a small percent of people actually want their exhaust loud. (The total buying public, not us here on F150online)

I think it comes down to business sense, they put on what the majority wants and probably what its takes to get good reviews in mags. They know the rest of us will put on aftermarket if we prefer more expensive gas, clean yourself air filters and loud exhaust.

 

Blake,
I get what you are saying. I have an AF1 on mine. I like it a lot. I feel the difference. I really don't care what "numbers" there are on these FIPK's. If it feels like it's made an improvement, than I'm happy. I'm no engineer, but I know I'm better than stock at this point.

Perhaps Ford could make a special F150 Online edition. We want the FIPK, a Superchip flip chip, true duals w/Flowmasters, blower, a whole bunch of hp and tq,..............

Tom

 

eventually they will, but if they gave you everything you wanted now, you wouldn't buy another one!!!!!!

 

I also had a product similar to the Poweraid in my straight 6 300. It was called the Tornado. And yes there was a difference in the low end, especially when climbing a hill. I've been considering doing the same for my 5.4 but I'm not sure it would make much of a difference because the K&N FIPK I have didn't make as big a difference on the 5.4 as it did on the 4.9. But hey, if it works.... it works!

 

To each, his own, but I gotta say that I've got one and with the FIPK, it sure does whistle, but I trust it's doing it's job. Noticed a mileage improvement, too.

-Flea

 

To all...

Someone dynoed this darn thing a while back on this forum, the result? Slightly LESS power! I believe it! No change whatsoever, and a VERY annoying whistle. I gave mine back.

On some vehicles, it may actually work to increase power gain. However, about 90% of the folks on this forum who have treid it, including some of the more respected power hungry, mod crazy dudes, have all come to one conclusion... IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, no disrespect to any of you, but please do not try to convince any of us that it does. I know from first-hand experience, that the Poweraid is a useless waste of money on newer Ford F150s!! This entire topic of Poweraid has been covered on this forum many, many times, with the same conclusions. It is garbage, and nothing but false advertising.

I personally think that after spending a wad of cash on a mod, it is really tempting to believe that your butt-o-meter is registering power that is not there! Happens to me all the time. Final overwhelming opinion... spend your mod money on something else!!

 

Humm...where in this topic have people tryied to convince anyone? I don't see any problem with people posting their experiences with it whether you or I agree with it or not.

 

I've seen threads about how unreliable dyno's are.

I think there are tons of aftermarket products that go through this. Based on what I have seen, time will tell us the truth. Until then, the wistle is telling me that we're taking a good deep breath!

Now can we find something that we agree on?

Tom

 

Blake

Simply do a search of poweraid, or Helix, etc. When you get through reading everything, the evidence against these paperweights being useful is virtually non-existant. I am responding, because I read all the posts and forums, and STILL was silly enough to put one in! Luckily I got most of my money back, but if I can convince one curious F-150 owner NOT to even bother with it, then I have done my good deed.

It is more than my H.O. that these things are useless; as I said, read the posts.

wittom-
As for dynos being unaccurate, how much more accurate is your butt-o-meter? I will agree with dyno numbers any day over someone's "opinion" that this paperweight actually works.

There is no real logic to the design. The air is somewhat swirled before going into the intake manifold. There the air is split up, and any "swirl" effect is sompletely lost. This is completely useless on our Fords. In fact, it only causes turbulance to the air after the throttle body, which is detrimantal. Have you ever heard of a hotrodder adding proturbances inside his intake manifold to "increase" power? No, he wants a smooth, tuned intake system to have the smoothest air possible flowing. Take a look at Summit's catalog. I see nowhere any carb spacers, or phenolic spacers having any grooves to "increase flow" Why? Becase it DOESN'T!

I will concede that the Poweraid increases the volume of the intake, but this is really only effective if the spacer is a phenolic spacer that is smooth. A phenolic spacer serves to help insulate your carb/throttle body from the heat of the engine deck, which helps to prevent temperature rise of the intake air. I have seen these phenolic spacers for our trucks made by Trick-Flow that may actually work as advertised, and I may consider getting one of these, because there is some sence to their design.

So, to end this, again nothing personal, but please consider that you may be "feeling" for power, and the missing cash in your wallet is a strong stimulous to "feel" power! Show me actual proven dyno numbers with this poweraid, and I will believe it. I would say as well to do an objective test at a timed 1/4 mile track with several runs with and without the poweraid, but that has been already done (search the posts), and the results show it does not!

Best advice is to stick with what is proven to work, like FIPK, K&N, hedders, free flowing exhaust, etc. Actually, our trucks are already engineered very well, and any improvements are usually pretty marginal, unless the whole intake/exhaust system is imroved from start to finish. Poweraid is not part of this improvement!

O.K., enough said.