'04 Towing Performance

[mbutts]

After 3 summers of towing my 23' travel trailer (actual loaded weight 5,100 lbs.) very s l o w l y uphill , I'm just about ready to give up on the Expy. I have a K&N FIPK on the 5.4.

I can't seem to find a programmer for that year & engine (well, there's one that implies I'll increase HP by 130 and torque by 210 lb-ft, but I just don't think that's believable).

Does anyone have experience with a programmer on this truck? Any other suggestions for performance improvements (short of removing the entire exhaust system)?

 

[KWT2000]

edge has the cs and cts for your truck and im running the.cs on mine and wow for the towing the shift change alone was worth the 4 bills i paid for it... i tow my 21 foot boat with mine plenty of power.

 

[Racenut]

Flowmaster

I recently got rid of the factory muffler and resonator at the tail and replaced the resonator with a piece of straight pipe, and the muffler with the Flowmaster 524703 it is the 70 series big block ll so you don't get the interior drone but still sounds great when you get on it. At idle it is just a little louder than stock but a lot deeper and you do get a little drone right between 1700 and 2100 but if you have the radio on you will bearly hear it. The 524703 is a dual 2 1/4" in and a single 3" out worked great to get rid of that POS factory Y. The only hard part was that the o2 sensor was mounted in part of the Y just before the drivers side bank entered. The soulution a ford spindle nut welded onto the new straight pipe going into the passanger side bank of the flowmaster there was plenty of extra wire there to move it back a couple of inches as well. Just by doing this mod I picked up an extra 100 miles to the tank on my 5.4L, and towing a 20' car hauler with on 01 Grand Prix up a 8% grade at 75 wasn't to bad either. To me definatly worth the $175 it cost me to do it. Just my .02 if you would like to see pics let me know and I will try and get some up.

 

[tallsville]

@mbutts. i emailed edge and they said they didn't have a programmer for 2003 expys. not sure but think 03 04 or same engine. found an sct programmer for my engine. dealer out here in LA said 350 for programmer or 750 with custom tunes. hope this helps. or try a gotts mod. info in review section.

 

[mbutts]

Thanks for the input.

KWT2000 & Tallville: I had contacted Edge last week and they don't have anything for the '04 Expy.

I'll do some research this week on on the SCT, but I'd really like to talk to someone that has actually used it.

Racenut: I like your suggestion on the Flowmaster, especially the part about thrum. I like the sound of a V-8, just not during 10 hour drives! I'd like to see photos if you've got 'em.

 

[mbutts]

4.10?

What about replacing the 3.73s with 4.10s?

 

[Racenut]

mbutts
Here you go not the best pics because for one it's with my phone for two it sits pretty low. Let me tell you this had to be the best upgrade that I have done. I too do alot of towing and around here our speed limit is 75mph if your doing any less you will get run over, so this made a huge improvment and I have no problems getting around people now or climbing hills.

 

[Racenut]

Here is a couple more. The third pic is of the ebay special CIA that I have ducted thru the fender, but I also wrapped it with a product by Thermo Tec to keep down on heat soak, I also have a throttle body spacer on and the combonation of all three seems to help alot. I still plan to get a programer for mine but this really did the trick until I can afford it. The last pic shows how I also reangled the exausht to keep it a little more of a straight flow. Hope this helps

 

[mbutts]

Racenut, thanks for the pix. I'll roll under there this weekend and start thinking about this.

 

[bring_em_on]

Racenut, sounds like a good setup. Are your exhaust manifolds stock or did you install headers?

Thanks.

 

[Racenut]

For now still running the manifolds, hopefully soon I will be able to throw a set of shortys on it especially since now I have a manifold gasket that is leaking. Hopefully there are no broken studs if so the shortys may come sooner, I am thinking of going with the JBA shortys but still undicided.

 

[bring_em_on]

Thanks RN. I was looking at a set of the Edelbrock shortys. I may do a similar setup to yours and then add the headers at a later time. Sounds like you got a nice boost just from what you've already done.

 

[Racenut]

It really helped alot, you just have to keep your foot out of it I know it is kinda hard with the new power and the sound but it sure makes a difference. When I do the headers I will probably get rid of the two rear cats as well along with new 02 sensors, cops, and plugs. But for now as I stated before it was deffinatley worth the $175 it cost me to do it. A little advice thou is to check around for prices, there was a $30 difference between autozone and the local oreilly but I was able to get the oreilly to price match

 

[GAINMOB]

After 3 summers of towing my 23' travel trailer (actual loaded weight 5,100 lbs.) very s l o w l y uphill , I'm just about ready to give up on the Expy. I have a K&N FIPK on the 5.4.

I can't seem to find a programmer for that year & engine (well, there's one that implies I'll increase HP by 130 and torque by 210 lb-ft, but I just don't think that's believable).

Does anyone have experience with a programmer on this truck? Any other suggestions for performance improvements (short of removing the entire exhaust system)?

I seem to be the only one doing Superchips programmer...loving it. As far as the exhaust...you wont be able to get duals under your truck...I have an 04 as well and "WHOISMOOTOO" has an 05...we have been told by muffler shops in perspective places, that duals will not fit and have been shown how tight it is underneath...03's can do it but not 04 and on...they would have to do something like WHOISMOOTOO did by cutting in after there's clearance in the back to give you a dual look...you would never know until you see pics from WHOISMOOTOO...i'm want to do the same as he did but run it swept side to the left

 

[tallsville]

@bhsoulja 03's are to tight also. irs makes it impossible to do duals over rear axle.

 

[SOLISIMO]

One word, GEARS

 

[Spooky]

I run an SCT II custom tuner on my Crown Victoria and love it. I know they make them for the 2004 Expy as well. What you'll have to do is find a shop that does custom tunes for Expeditions or F150s and have them write a custom towing tune for you.