Performance Upgrades?

[Lightngsvt]

Hello, first post! We have a 2010 mountaineer 4.6 /AWD, nice truck but always felt underpowered. After 1.5 years Ive got the bug to do a few minor upgrades to give it a bit more power, better sound, better towing and maybe even a little better MPG. But Im finding ti near impossible to find anything for this vehicle. Am I correct in assuming that anything that would fit an 08+ Explorer would also fit our truck since its the same vehicle?

So what Im thinking of adding is:

K&N FIPK air intake / filter
Royal Purple motor oil (maybe trans too)
Cat back exhaust
E3 plugs
and possible a tuner (Diablo, Superchips, Bully Dog or ???)

The plugs and catback (magnaflow) seem easy to find but Im not having much luck on the intake or tuner, any ideas? I remember back in the days of the 5.0 'Stangs one of the first mods was always underdrive pulleys, do they make them for this version of the 4.6?

 

[jupiterak]

Magnaflow and Gibson make catbacks. Magnaflow is alittle quieter between the two and less drone. K&N and KKM are available for intakes. Contact Hansen Performance (he's a vendor on this board) for a Superchips programmer. Get those three and it'll definitely wake up your rig. Stay with stock plugs or Autolite platinums for plugs. Steeda makes a compatible pulley from the mustang that fits our Ex.

If you're interested in a K&N intake setup, PM me... I've got one cheap and I have the prefilter for it as well. I'll sell it cheap.

 

[The Electrician]

The best this you can do to your Ex is a cat-back + super charger

http://www.roushperformance.com/parts/Mustang-Supercharger-2005-2006.html

If you don't want to go forced induction then the cat-back is only good for sound

The best thing you can do to your truck (normail asperiation) is synthatic drop in fliter like aFe power Dry Pro-S and tuning (this is will get you most of the power without spending so much)

 

[Lightngsvt]

So you dont think a cat back offers any performance or MPG gains with just a tuner and an "intake"? I dont see a S/C happening mostly because theres no way to make a vehicle like this perform in a way to justify $5k+ and its a lease.

 

[The Electrician]

I did'n say that!

I said to get the most HP and torque out of your Ex. you have only forced induction way.

for normal aspiration

With Hot Air intake + Cat-Back + Turner you will get 10-15% gain of HP and torque.

While if you have only aFe pwer synthatic drop in filter + tuner you will get 8-12% gain of HP and torque.

 

[The Electrician]

Take in your consideration that:

Hot air intake + cat-back without a tuner will get you no HP nor torque gain at all

 

[The Electrician]

I have tried every bolt-on that is mountable on my 2008 v6 (Shorty headers, complete cat-back, high flow cats, CAI) and without tuning I got 0 HP and 0 lb of torque

and with tuning I got 19.8 HP and 24.7 lb of torque

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2748872&postcount=27

Today I had a second Dyno tuning with KKM CAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vTDHCeXP4

Mods: KKM TrueREv #054004, JBA Headers #1674SJT, MagnaFlow Hi Flow Cat #46004, MagnaFlow Cat-Back #16773

Octane AKI 91

Max power 187.5 HP and max torque 226.1 ft-lbs

Mods: JBA Headers #1674SJT, MagnaFlow Cat-Back #16773, AFe drop on filter #31-10074

Octane AKI 91

Max power 181.9 HP and max torque 239.4 ft-lbs

and this is stock run

Octane AKI 87

Max power 167.7 HP and max torque 201.4 ft-lbs

 

[LONO100]

the electrician is right. doing an intake, and exhaust will only help to promote gains after you get your rig professionally tuned. once you do that, then the aftermarket intake and exhaust will really payoff.

 

[jay_there84]

What about those performance chips? Will those help at all? I saw some on ebay and the sellers are getting great reviews from buyers.

 

[LONO100]

a lot of the chips you see on ebay are trash. i have heard mixed reviews about some of the more reputable brands like superchips, but the best you can do is find a tuner in your area who can slap your rig on a dyno and give you the best tune possible if you are serious about getting noticeable gains.

 

[King of So Cal]

My truck badly needs a tune... Still runs nice though with the 4.56's

 

[Lightngsvt]

Thanks for the info! So can most tuners who do Mustangs also tune these trucks? I was thinking of going Superchips but dont want to waste $300.

So is the K&N FIPK #57-2573 the right one for a 2010 V8?

 

[The Electrician]

according to K&N Filter's website it is for 2006-2008 explorer

http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=57-2573

here is a pic of it, if you have the same engine bay configuration then it will fit