c/f150-performance-mods

TIL my old tuner was basically just turning up the boost and calling it a day

For years, I'd just slap on a bigger turbo and let a local shop do a generic 'stage 2' tune on my 2015 3.5 EcoBoost. It felt fast, but the transmission shifts were harsh and I'd get weird knock readings on hot days. Last month, I finally paid for a custom dyno tune from a specialist in Dallas, and the difference is insane. They spent 4 hours adjusting timing, fuel curves, and shift points individually. Who else has found that a custom tune was the real key, not just the parts?

My brother told me his 5.0 is faster stock than my tuned EcoBoost

We were at a gas station in Tulsa and he said, 'All that tuning and you still can't beat a V8 from the factory.' I mean, it got me thinking about chasing numbers versus real world feel. Has anyone else had a moment that made you question your whole build path?

Vent: My new cold air intake sounded like a dying goose on the highway

Installed it last weekend, and on my first drive to work Monday, it started making this awful honking noise at about 55 mph. I had to pull over and check all the clamps, and one was just a little loose. Has anyone else had a simple install turn into a roadside comedy show?

Warning: my buddy's 5.0 Coyote blew up after a cheap tune

We were at the track in Bakersfield last month, and he was bragging about his new $200 handheld tuner from some online shop. He said 'it adds 50 horsepower easy, no need for a dyno.' Third pass, the engine started knocking hard and we found a hole in the block. It ran fine for a week before it let go. Anyone know a good shop in SoCal for a proper rebuild and tune?

Just dropped $1200 on a custom tune from a shop in Dallas and my truck feels slower now

They promised big gains for my 2016 5.0, but after the flash, the throttle feels lazy and it hesitates pulling onto the highway. I've got all the paperwork saying 93 octane and a CAI, but it just doesn't pull like it did stock. Has anyone else had a tune actually hurt performance, and did you get your money back?

I finally got my 2018 3.5 EcoBoost on the dyno after the tune install and the numbers were a letdown

Last Thursday at DynoTech Motorsports in Austin, my truck only pulled 385 horsepower at the wheels, which is way under what the tuner's graph promised. The tech found a boost leak in the intercooler piping I installed myself, a small but costly mistake. Has anyone else had a custom tune fall flat because of a simple install error they missed?

Finally got around to testing a cold air intake versus just a high-flow filter in my '18 5.0, the difference in throttle response is way bigger than I expected.

Talking to my neighbor about his 3.5L EcoBoost tune made me look at my own truck differently

He's a mechanic at a Ford dealer in Tulsa and said most guys just slap on a cold air intake and call it a day, but the real gains come from a proper dyno tune to fix the factory torque curve. He showed me his logs and he's pulling an extra 80 lb-ft at 2500 rpm just from a custom 93 octane file. I always thought a tune was just for top end power, but now I'm looking into getting my own done to help with towing my boat. Has anyone here gotten a custom tune done locally and noticed a big difference in daily driving?

Unpopular opinion: I think the $500 I put into a cold air intake was a total waste...

Everyone says it's the first mod you should do, but I got maybe 1 mpg better on my 3.5L EcoBoost, if that. The sound is cool, but for that money, a good tune would have done way more. Has anyone else felt let down by one?

My mechanic in Boise swore by a throttle body spacer for my 5.0, said it was snake oil.

He let me test drive his truck with one installed and I felt a real difference in throttle response around 2500 RPM. Anyone run into a mod they were wrong about?

My neighbor in Flagstaff said my cold air intake was just a loud paperweight for my 5.0

He argued the stock box flows fine until you do heads and a cam, so I swapped back and honestly noticed zero power drop. Anyone run into this debate on a mostly stock truck?

Spotted a guy at the Denver Cars and Coffee with a 5.0 that sounded like a tin can

Honestly, I was at the Denver Cars and Coffee last weekend and this dude had a newish F-150 with a 5.0. He'd put on one of those cheap, straight-through muffler deletes you get online for like $80. Tbh, it was the worst exhaust note I've ever heard, just a loud, raspy mess with zero tone. It sounded like a coffee can full of rocks. He was so proud of it, but everyone was just giving him side-eye. Ngl, it made me wonder why people skip a proper cat-back system. Has anyone else heard one of these budget hacks in person and thought the same thing?

A buddy told me my 5.0 was breathing wrong after a dyno run

We put my 2018 F150 on the rollers last month and the numbers were flat past 4500 RPM. He said, 'Your intake is a bottle neck, man. It's all show, no go.' I swapped the stock airbox for a true cold air intake from Airaid the next week. The difference is NOT subtle, especially when you get on it hard. I picked up a solid 12 horsepower and the throttle feels way more alive now. Has anyone else found a simple intake swap made this much of a difference on the Coyote motor?

Unpopular opinion: I learned more about my truck's air intake at a dusty Texas pull than from any forum.

I was at the Johnson County truck pull last month, and my 2018 5.0 felt like it was breathing through a straw after two runs. A guy with a similar setup saw me checking the filter and said, 'That stock box is a choke point, you're losing power before you even start.' I swapped to a cold air intake the next week and the throttle response is way better. Has anyone else made a simple change after seeing how their truck actually performs under load?

Had to pick between a cold air intake or a throttle body spacer for my 2018 5.0, went with the spacer

Swapped my stock air filter after 15k miles and the throttle lag is gone

The paper element was so clogged it looked gray. Anyone else notice a big difference just from basic maintenance?

My brother said a cold air intake was a waste for my 3.5L EcoBoost

He told me to just get a tune instead, but I found a used AFE intake for $150 and tried it anyway. The turbo spool sound is way louder now and I swear it pulls harder above 4,000 rpm. Has anyone else seen real gains from just an intake on the newer trucks?

Pro tip: My 2018 5.0 in Phoenix went from a dog to a beast after I finally ditched the stock airbox last month.

Why does nobody talk about the difference between canned and custom tunes?

I ran a basic 'canned' tune from a handheld for about 6 months on my 2018 5.0. Switched to a custom tune from a local shop in Phoenix that did a real dyno pull and looked at my data. The canned tune felt jumpy and weird on shifts, but the custom one smoothed everything out and picked up 22 more horsepower at the wheels. It cost $500 more, but the truck just drives right now. Has anyone else made that switch and felt the same way?

PSA: I finally gave in and got a custom tune for my 3.5L EcoBoost

I always thought canned tunes were fine, but a shop in Phoenix convinced me to try a dyno session. The difference in throttle response and mid-range torque is huge, especially when towing my trailer. Anyone else have a good tuner recommendation for the 10-speed transmission?

Finally got the custom tune dialed in after three revisions and it feels like a different truck.

That $600 for the tuner and pro tune session stung at first, but pulling onto the highway now without any of that factory hesitation makes it worth every penny, you know?

Finally got my cold air intake to stop whistling after three weekends of messing with it

Installed a new cold air intake on my 2018 5.0L and it had this annoying high-pitched whistle at 2500 RPM. I checked every clamp, resealed the MAF sensor, and even swapped out the filter. Turns out, the little rubber gasket on the intake tube itself had a tiny tear I couldn't see. A $5 part from the auto store and ten minutes later, it was totally quiet. I must have spent a good 15 hours total pulling my hair out over that sound. Anyone else run into a weird noise that took forever to track down?

Stuck deciding between a 93 octane tune and a cold air intake for my 2018 5.0

I really wanted to wake the truck up without a huge project. I went with the 5 Star 93 Performance tune after reading a bunch on the forums. The throttle response is way better now, and it feels like a different truck around town. Anyone else try both and have a strong opinion on which gave more bang for the buck?

Tried a $200 throttle controller for my 3.5L EcoBoost last month

Installed it in the driveway, thought it felt amazing. Took the truck on I-95, got a little too excited with the sport setting. Next thing I know, the check engine light is on and I'm getting a throttle position sensor code. Had to pull over, unplug the thing, and clear the code with my scanner. Anyone else have one of these gadgets cause more trouble than they're worth?

Question about the 5-star tune I got from a shop in Denver

I paid $600 for a custom tune at a local performance shop, and they insisted on setting the shift firmness to 'maximum' for my 2018 3.5L. The harsh shifts are tearing up the transmission mounts, and I can feel the whole truck shudder on the 1-2 upshift. Has anyone else had a shop push an overly aggressive tune that caused more problems than it solved?