Tuners

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I got a 5.4 triton in my expedition. Just wondering if anyone has put a tuner on theirs or if it's worth it the few reviews I've read out there and pretty mixed so looking for a lil help b4 buying
 

joethefordguy

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i spent 650 for a SCT Livewire TS+. it's not worth it unless you can do a significant set of engine upgrades and buy the appropriate custom tunes. by itself, you get nothing but some gauges - their advertising ******** aside, you get a few gauges you don't already have on your dashboard, plus some others that are useless to anybody but a master tuner. Ex: Fuel Trim, Engine Load, MAF Counts, Throttle absolute position, etc. you don't even get a vacuum gauge, or an ammeter. their web site claims a lot more, but they count specific sets of gauges for specific model years, so - a bunch of 5.4L fords through 2004, then another (almost the same) bunch after 2004, and so on. so they're counting the gauges more than once to get their ridiculous numbers. you will not get that many for your specific car. Hell, one of the gauges they "count" is a speedometer. another is a tach. I'm surprised they don't count the gas gauge.
trying to look them up has been frustrating. the vendor is less than helpful. documentation is a joke.

if you intend to get a tuner, start with spending some serious money with improving the engine's breathing, in and out. consider a cam and head work (porting, etc.), and so on. make sure you document the work thoroughly; the programmer you buy your custom tunes from will need that info to write the code for your upgrades.
Once you've done that, and spend perhaps 5-10 thousand dollars, you will have a hell of a ride!!! and the gas mileage of an M1 Abrams.
 

Hamfisted

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Long time ago I put a Super Chip tune in my '03. Mainly to firm up the shifts and remove the top end limiter. Only other mod I did was a Volant air cleaner housing kit. The Expy has always performed pretty good for a big SUV but it'll never be a racer. I can't remember what it did before the Super Chip program. But mainly they'll firm up the shifts, remove the top end limiter, allow for larger tire speedo recalibrations. I wouldn't spend too much on it since it's a huge SUV with the aerodynamics of a refrigerator.
 

BlackCoffee

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I rebuilt the engine and got a couple tunes from 5 STAR loaded with the SCT Livewire. Not really sure they made all that much difference. I had to replace the OEM cams with a CompCam since they are pretty much unavailable. They have a little more lift (advertised as close to stock). The engine has always been pretty good, and I don't think the tune on the engine made that much difference. Most of the change was where 5 STAR set the shift points and idle. They liked to turn the idle up from the stock 575 to about 800. They also delayed downshift and upshift. Gas mileage didn't really change still get the Expy 13 MPG around town. After playing 5 STAR for awhile, and this is not a comment on them they were great about adjusting tunes, I just don't think turning an old 5.4 from 2nd gen into a racer is going to happen. I would stick with stock and keep it running in good condition. For the $600 or so you would spend on a tune and loader, I would tighten up the entire front end. All new ball joints, strut assembly, and upper control arms. I think that is more bang for the buck.
 

joethefordguy

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I'm curious about shift points. I understand the advantages of changing the shift points, but what are the disadvantages? Does changing the shift points wear out the transmission sooner, or what?
 

BlackCoffee

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I wouldn't think the shift points would wear out anything sooner, it is more likely it will lower your gas milage. The shift points are usually a little higher to give you more torque after the change and delay overdrive longer.
 

FlyBry

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Every automatic transmissions biggest enemy is slip. It wears out the clutch packs, and generates huge heat. Reducing slip, actually increases a transmissions life, at the expense of firmer shifting.
Increasing the shift point, when done correctly, as 5 Star does, only extends the torque/power curve.
 

GAINMOB

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i like my superchips cortex 1950 but wish i had went 5 star for custom tunes in stead of the can tunes i have
 
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