Modified N/A Explorers

[Berry8558]

Hi all. I’m new to this forum, but would like to see what other owners have done to their N/A Explorer. I have a 2015 Explorer Limited and am currently looking into more things to add. Any pointers and advice would be great! Thanks for reading.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Welcome to the forum. I've moved this to the modified section. Feel free to scan through the pages and the search function a t the top works very well if you are looking for specifics. Jusdt about everything has been discussed here.

 

[Berry8558]

Thanks.

 

[peterk9]

Thanks.

As blwnsmoke mentioned, there are many threads on modifications that have been done. There is also one on 'tunes' for the N/A engine. Found this using the 'Search' feature; Livernois - only for the N/A 3.5L Explorers

Peter

 

[Eric F]

My XLT...

Livernois tune, Pedal Commander throttle enhancer, MGP caliper covers, red wheel center caps, red/black emblems, rear bumper protector, Husky Liners cargo area liner, LED puddle lights.

 

[Berry8558]

Very nice! I’m waiting until I get out of Northeastern NY to snap pics. Covered in salt and dirt, but I have a livernois 93 tune, cold air intake, and I’m getting ready to slap on some performance headers and an exhaust system. I’ve found it a little difficult to find cosmetic upgrades that would go well with the deep impact blue on my limited.

 

[Eric F]

Very nice! I’m waiting until I get out of Northeastern NY to snap pics. Covered in salt and dirt, but I have a livernois 93 tune, cold air intake, and I’m getting ready to slap on some performance headers and an exhaust system. I’ve found it a little difficult to find cosmetic upgrades that would go well with the deep impact blue on my limited.

Which intake are you using?

 

[Berry8558]

K&N 77 Series 2575KS

 

[Alptbird]

Sometime the cosmetic things have to be created by user I haven’t really seen anything just terribly sic. The ex is not really a sporty statement vehicle like others. So you kind of have to make vision of your own...like mine. Not blue like yours but it can get the idea across. I have the same intake. Noisey *******. But throttle raps quickly with it. I think I am gonna make a cold air box for it to see if it will quiet down some. And the exhaust is coming soon too. At some point the n/a 3.5 just wont be a performance monster the eco boost sport models are, but they aren’t as wimpy as some think they are.

 

[Berry8558]

My XLT...

Livernois tune, Pedal Commander throttle enhancer, MGP caliper covers, red wheel center caps, red/black emblems, rear bumper protector, Husky Liners cargo area liner, LED puddle lights.

I was also going to ask: How well does the throttle enhancer work for you? I’ve been looking into a throttle delay eliminator, but have been kind of skeptical.

 

[Berry8558]

Sometime the cosmetic things have to be created by user I haven’t really seen anything just terribly sic. The ex is not really a sporty statement vehicle like others. So you kind of have to make vision of your own...like mine. Not blue like yours but it can get the idea across. I have the same intake. Noisey *******. But throttle raps quickly with it. I think I am gonna make a cold air box for it to see if it will quiet down some. And the exhaust is coming soon too. At some point the n/a 3.5 just wont be a performance monster the eco boost sport models are, but they aren’t as wimpy as some think they are.

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Very nice. I looked into a sport model, but I’m not really into the whole idea of a measly 365hp in a TT V6. With a tune and downpipe alone, you’ll get pretty good gains from what I’ve heard, but you can’t really put too much more into it without turning your Explorer into an “Exploder”. It’s nice, but the engine just can’t take much more than what was already put into it...

 

[will_p]

Im a long time lurker 1st time poster on here, but i have quite a few mods done or being done that no one else has that I have seen so here are some ideas:

K@N intake- done
80mm Mustang TB ( have to drill new holes for it to fit, search on V6 mustang forums to find how)- done
Magnaflow Cat back- done
Custom 2"- 2.5" down pipe/flex pipe to replace ****ty stock unit- done
Livernois 91 octane tune- done

in the works i have the magnaflow HF cats ready to install in a couple days, required a bit of porting/cleaning up on the inside

also have a 2nd lower intake manifold that I am in the process of porting (again search v6 mustang forums for more info)

finally will be lightly port matching the upper manifold to match the TB etc.

then i will try to get to a dyno to get a dyno run file to send to livernois to have any updates made that are needed to the tune.

i don't think anyone else has an 80mm TB on their NA explorer... it helped a bit,

the downpipe/y pipe replacement seemed to help more but only in combination with the already larger 2.5" magnaflow cat back. 2.25" exhaust is criminally small for a 300 hp v6

 

[Eric F]

I was also going to ask: How well does the throttle enhancer work for you? I’ve been looking into a throttle delay eliminator, but have been kind of skeptical.

I like it. Essentially, it amplifies the signal from the pedal to the throttle body, so you get more throttle opening with less pedal push. The result is the sensation of the vehicle being a bit more lively to throttle input. The Pedal Commander has a whole lot of settings, and most of them are (IMO) too much amplification to be useful for around-town driving. The setting I prefer is on the mild side of the adjustment range. I do like the ability to instantly switch the device off (wife in car, valet parking, etc.).

 

[peterk9]

Im a long time lurker 1st time poster on here, but i have quite a few mods done or being done that no one else has that I have seen so here are some ideas:

Good luck with your mods.
Please update your registration by adding the now 'Required' "Trim Level" (Base, XLT, etc.) to your profile so it appears in the margin. That can be useful info to have at times. Thank you.

Peter

 

[Berry8558]

Im a long time lurker 1st time poster on here, but i have quite a few mods done or being done that no one else has that I have seen so here are some ideas:

K@N intake- done
80mm Mustang TB ( have to drill new holes for it to fit, search on V6 mustang forums to find how)- done
Magnaflow Cat back- done
Custom 2"- 2.5" down pipe/flex pipe to replace ****ty stock unit- done
Livernois 91 octane tune- done

in the works i have the magnaflow HF cats ready to install in a couple days, required a bit of porting/cleaning up on the inside

also have a 2nd lower intake manifold that I am in the process of porting (again search v6 mustang forums for more info)

finally will be lightly port matching the upper manifold to match the TB etc.

then i will try to get to a dyno to get a dyno run file to send to livernois to have any updates made that are needed to the tune.

i don't think anyone else has an 80mm TB on their NA explorer... it helped a bit,

the downpipe/y pipe replacement seemed to help more but only in combination with the already larger 2.5" magnaflow cat back. 2.25" exhaust is criminally small for a 300 hp v6

That gives me a way better idea of what I would like to do. I’ve actually looked into the TB, just need to find the right time to do it. As far as the downpipe/flex pipe goes, I was more under the impression that only worked best for the ecoboost engines? How is that working for you? Also which part did you use? I definitely want to add performance headers along with an exhaust system, better injectors, and fuel pump.

 

[Alptbird]

With the new headers exhaust and throttle body , is this something you logged and sent files back and forth with livernois to maximize or have just done the basic out of the box tune? This is a good bit of a improvement to our air pumps... engines. Granted it is no cam or turbo but usually after headers and full exhaust with the intake improvements the maps start running out of range.

Color me interested....

 

[Alptbird]

Also I don’t seem to be finding 80mm from a v6 78 is as big as I can find the 80 from a v8.

 

[Berry8558]

With the new headers exhaust and throttle body , is this something you logged and sent files back and forth with livernois to maximize or have just done the basic out of the box tune? This is a good bit of a improvement to our air pumps... engines. Granted it is no cam or turbo but usually after headers and full exhaust with the intake improvements the maps start running out of range.

Color me interested....

When I do it, yes I will log and send the files back to livernois to update my current tunes. I completely overlooked a cam upgrade. You think the 3.5 could take a decent performance cam?

 

[Alptbird]

I haven’t even tried really. I would guess cosworth may be a good place to start. Like i said earlier The duratec v6 (cyclone) is strong but it is limited. Actually one of the best built motors out there. In stock dress.

 

[will_p]

to answer a few questions i saw...

when i said downpipe/ y pipe i wasn't aware of the turbocharged 3.5 upgrade, i was referring to the Y pipe that goes under the subframe. its squashed into a crappy square and then goes to a 2.25" flex pipe that was then mated to my 2.5" magnaflow exhaust. I had a local custom exhaust guy cut the pipe after each manifold and put in 2- 2" pipes that run under the subframe instead and then go into a 2.5" collector to remove the 2.25" restriction... the 2" pipes are not mandrel bent unfortunately (no one around here does that, and if they did it would cost a fortune) so there is one bend that takes it to around 1.8" X 2" on one of the pipes, but even if both pipes had that restriction, together they would still flow more air than the 2.5" exhaust they are going into, and the o2 sensors sticking into the pipe are probably more of a restriction so i don't think if they were mandrel i would see any more gains.

the 80mm is off a mustang GT, but the info on how to mate it to a v6 upper intake is somewhere on the v6 mustang forums, that is where i got the idea, since the engines are basically the same, that is also where i found out about porting the lower intake manifold... lone wolf is the company that does them but I'm just doing it myself, doesn't seem that complicated.

also no one makes headers for our 3.5 NA explorers, but magnaflow does make an aftermarket manifold/ higher flow cats, that looks better designed than the stock manifolds, and i did some porting to them on the top and smoothed out the bungs after the cats to provide more flow there. I'm not expecting header like gains but replacing the cats on my 3.6 impala lfx netted around 20whp/20wtq, in parts of the dyno curve, which was almost unbelievable and my tuner needed to add more fuel to the trims. They were metallic core i.e. higher flowing than what is available for the explorer, but i still hope for 10-15, especially with the better design of the manifold. That being said I don't have a before dyno, ill just be relying on the old butt dyno and weather or not more fuel is needed in the tune to make up for the better airflow. Also the magnaflow cats are $$$$ but i was able to get a really good deal on them through www.hottexhaust.com they may not be worth the $ only time will tell...