View Poll Results: What mod?
Bigger free flowing exhaust
5
25.00%
4.30 gears
8
40.00%
Tuner
8
40.00%
Something else
3
15.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll
She's Mine!
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: NW Wisconsin
She's Mine!
Well its official! She's mine! All mine! I paid her off a year early last week. So what do you guys think? What should my first mod be now that she's paid for? Bigger free flowing exhaust? 4.30 gears? Custom Tune?
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 340
Likes: 40
What do you mainly use your truck for...daily driving, towing, weekend hauler? Let us know your plans, I love helping people spending money 
Gears are always one of the best bang for your buck mods. You'll definitely feel the difference jumping up to 4:30's. There are down sides however especially if you do a lot of highway driving.
Exhaust would be purely sound unless you plan on going with a new Y pipe, otherwise these modular motors sound great when opened up.
Gears are always one of the best bang for your buck mods. You'll definitely feel the difference jumping up to 4:30's. There are down sides however especially if you do a lot of highway driving.
Exhaust would be purely sound unless you plan on going with a new Y pipe, otherwise these modular motors sound great when opened up.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 88
Likes: 1
From: Cheyenne Wyoming
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: NW Wisconsin
I do a mix of highway driving and hauling. Once a year I pull a 28' camper. As for the exhaust I would plan on a new y-pipe otherwise it really isn't worth it other than sound.
Speaking of sound, I would love for her to sound like an old beast.
I know this is going to sound counter intuitive considering the 4.30 gears but I wish she could get 15-16mpg more routinely. She averages 12-13 right now with the 3.73 gears.
Speaking of sound, I would love for her to sound like an old beast.
I know this is going to sound counter intuitive considering the 4.30 gears but I wish she could get 15-16mpg more routinely. She averages 12-13 right now with the 3.73 gears.
Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,337
Likes: 346
From: Breckenridge, TX
I voted something else... because I'd do all three 
Y-pipe, gears/TruTrac, tuner, that order.
The 03-04 gassers got the 4R100 while the 6.0 was getting the 5R110W right? Did they get the larger trans cooler from the 6.0? If not, that would be on the list too. Deeper gears might make your economy better, it depends where the engine sits in it's power band right now and where it will move too. If you're in a bad place (ie low RPMs to cruise at 60mph where it shifts/unlocks the TC constantly) then economy might go up by spinning the engine faster, but if you're on the other end (already cruise at 80mph) it will be detrimental. Mainly I'm unhappy with the stock LS, the gears have to come out to swap it.... might as well do gears, too.
Y-pipe, gears/TruTrac, tuner, that order.
The 03-04 gassers got the 4R100 while the 6.0 was getting the 5R110W right? Did they get the larger trans cooler from the 6.0? If not, that would be on the list too. Deeper gears might make your economy better, it depends where the engine sits in it's power band right now and where it will move too. If you're in a bad place (ie low RPMs to cruise at 60mph where it shifts/unlocks the TC constantly) then economy might go up by spinning the engine faster, but if you're on the other end (already cruise at 80mph) it will be detrimental. Mainly I'm unhappy with the stock LS, the gears have to come out to swap it.... might as well do gears, too.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: NW Wisconsin
I just got her paid off, why would I want another truck payment? I'm largely happy with how she is, I just want to tweak her a bit.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 88
Likes: 1
From: Cheyenne Wyoming
Pay him no attention. I did.
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
I do a mix of highway driving and hauling. Once a year I pull a 28' camper. As for the exhaust I would plan on a new y-pipe otherwise it really isn't worth it other than sound.
Speaking of sound, I would love for her to sound like an old beast.
I know this is going to sound counter intuitive considering the 4.30 gears but I wish she could get 15-16mpg more routinely. She averages 12-13 right now with the 3.73 gears.
Speaking of sound, I would love for her to sound like an old beast.
I know this is going to sound counter intuitive considering the 4.30 gears but I wish she could get 15-16mpg more routinely. She averages 12-13 right now with the 3.73 gears.
Edit: Never mind. I skipped over the 5.4l gas part of your post. For gas, look at Mangaflow for some nice sounding exhaust systems.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 1
From: ALPHA ,NJ
I would skip the tuner. It won't do anywhere enough to justify the price without a lot of other money. I honestly saw no gains on a 87 or 89 octanr tune. And nothing to write home with the 93. No gains on the eco tune either.
Your best bet would be to do the SPD Y-Pipe and gears if your looking for more grunt.
As far as exhaust, besides the y-pipe its just noise, so pick one you like the most. I prefer the mac flowpath muffler.
Take my opinion for what its worth. But I've done most everything to the 5.4 as has miles (acf6) with not a huge amount of gains besides lightening your wallet.
The 5.4 is not a race truck its not a diesel or v10. You can't close the gaps between them without huge amounts of motor work or forced induction.
Your best bet would be to do the SPD Y-Pipe and gears if your looking for more grunt.
As far as exhaust, besides the y-pipe its just noise, so pick one you like the most. I prefer the mac flowpath muffler.
Take my opinion for what its worth. But I've done most everything to the 5.4 as has miles (acf6) with not a huge amount of gains besides lightening your wallet.
The 5.4 is not a race truck its not a diesel or v10. You can't close the gaps between them without huge amounts of motor work or forced induction.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: NW Wisconsin
Good info 02TB250. I didn't expect huge gains which is why of all the options the tuner is the lowest on the list. I am debating between starting with the gears and the exhaust. I have a broken manifold stud so I was thinking of getting a set of shortie headers, a SPD Y-pipe and just redoing the whole exhaust in one shot.
I know gears would help as well. Honestly I'm NOT looking for diesel level performance. I pull the 8K camper just fine as I'm setup right now.
I know gears would help as well. Honestly I'm NOT looking for diesel level performance. I pull the 8K camper just fine as I'm setup right now.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,022
Likes: 4
From: Redford, Mi.
Sorry to say you won't get diesel performance no matter what you do. My son's ex 2001 F350 v10, 4.33's, pretty much got the same mileage as my ex 2001 V10 2wd with 3.73's. We come back from the UP of Michigan after deer season and we were within a couple of tenth of a mile in MPG, more than once.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 1
From: ALPHA ,NJ
Good info 02TB250. I didn't expect huge gains which is why of all the options the tuner is the lowest on the list. I am debating between starting with the gears and the exhaust. I have a broken manifold stud so I was thinking of getting a set of shortie headers, a SPD Y-pipe and just redoing the whole exhaust in one shot.
I know gears would help as well. Honestly I'm looking for diesel level performance. I pull the 8K camper just fine as I'm setup right now.
I know gears would help as well. Honestly I'm looking for diesel level performance. I pull the 8K camper just fine as I'm setup right now.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 88
Likes: 1
From: Cheyenne Wyoming
I had an 05 F150 2wd with 5.4L and noticed nothing but noise when changing exhaust. No change in performance. Maybe 2v's will. My biggest noticeable improvements were the volant intake and SCT flash tunes. Wish I knew about Mike's 5startunes back then as I'm certain they would have been even better. The next biggest improvement was gears.