right now im running a 2001 4.6l Supercrew with a Volant CAI, Hypertech power programmer III, and a single in single out 50 series flowmaster.

what i want to do next was get a larger throttle body (75mm) but my friend told me that i could do that but i would never be able to get all that air coming in to get out.

now my plan is to get a set of BBK headers and run dual pipes out into dual muffler (maybe straight pipe the Cats) Id like to know yalls opinion on that. Thank you, im new by the way, could use all the advice i can get.

 

The exhaust manifolds are very restrictive on these trucks. The main reason is that the frame rails get very close to the exhaust ports. Looking at the headers from BBK, they seem to fight the same space constraint. But regardless, they should buy you quite a bit over stock manifolds.

Why ditch the converters? I doubt they will eat much power if any at all.

George

 

...Welcome Dave23bme, to Ford Truck Enthusiasts!

We are happy you have chosen the best source for Fords!

Enjoy FTE....and
JOIN CLUB FTE -SUPPORT THE FORUMS!
…..See you on the boards.

 

I'm looking at doing about the same thing... right know I'm working on the intake side. I made my own FIPK using a 3" mandrel bent 90, an AIRHOG oil/gauze air filter, and some plumbing parts, I'm waiting on my 75mm TB. I hope to be getting a GMS cold air calibrated MAF in a few months.... and I have a Predator to tune with. I've been looking at which headers to go with and I'm going to go true dual with a set-up similar to a '99-'04 Lightning. I plan on keeping the cats, we've discussed that the factory uses a high flow setup, I may need them when this state goes to stricter emissions.

-Kerry

 

Well the reason i was considering taking off the cats was because there are 4 of them 2 on each pipe, and on the window of my truck is labeled the econodrive so that made me think that its pretty restricted through those, another question i was wondering about the Granatellli MAF its priced at 399.95 and that seems pretty high although it says it is tuned for Cold air which i have. Would the Jet power flow MAF sensors work just as well and they are priced $100 cheaper?

 

Never heard of econodrive, unless it has something to do with gearing. Cats do not have anything to do with economy. It seems that all of these trucks have 4 cats. You could open it up a bit more by removing them or keeping two and installing the MIL bypass plugs into the existing O2 wiring...or program a tuner to ignore the missing signals. With the way emissions laws are changing, you might end up having to reinstall them.

Each company has a different method of figuring out MAF tuning... you want the MAF that has the most flexibility or upgradeability built in. I mean if you want to go to different heads, cams, forced induction, you don't want to have to buy a new MAF. I'm not for sure, but iirc, the GMS MAF will allow upgrading the ECU program with either a burned chip or custom program when swapping these other parts in without upgrading the MAF. I've looked at the JET info and can't recall anything indicating their MAF would do this (or do as well anyway). Compared to their competitors, the JET site didn't seem to go into the same detail on anything I've looked into.

I'd look and shop for prices for the next few months before buying... you might find a deal. As much as I hate to knock our FTE sponsors here, I found a Predator tuner for $299 w/ free shipping at a famous competitor. Looks like they were trying to get rid of their stock as I don't see the programmer offered for my truck anymore. It saved me quite a few bucks, and I could have talked to Motorhaven and they probably would have matched it... didn't think about it at the time. I've found GMS MAFs for $60 bucks less than the going retail, not in an auction either. It's still more than a JET, but the price is lower. On an auction site, I recently came across a guy with a brand new GMS MAF he was willing to sell for $200 + shipping... it's all in the risk and what your willing to pay.

-Kerry

 

im looking at these JBA shorty headers
link = http://truckperformance.com/products/searchtype_56d/sortorder_AA/productcategory_Headers/category_Exhaust+~~+Headers/sf1_FORD/sf2_2001/sf3_F-150/sf4_4.6l/partnumber_JBA1677SJS/

would these headers be worth $800, if so would they be able to run with a vortech supercharger kit for future mods?

 

I sure liked the Gibson SS Ceramics that I had on my '02 F150 5.4L before I traded it off on the F250 that I used to own.

IMO, $800 is way too expensive! IIRC, I paid somewhere in the neighbor hood of $300 for the Gibson SS Ceramics on ebay, NIB.

IMO, you need to leave the cats as they are not that restrictive, and still provide enough backpressure so that your bottom end torque doesn't tank.

I have some pictures of the install that I did for those that are interested.

EDIT, here's the thread I started way back in the day. I never did do the article, never was much interest at the time.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...eramic+headers

The header bolts never got a torque wrench, could only get it on a few bolts. The rest got the grunt method.

Life will be much easier if you remove the fenderwells and the tires. I also reccomend a good set of jack stands so that you can raise the front end up enough so that you don't have to be hunched over when doing the install.

Another must is the use of PB blaster, especially on the header bolts and on the exhaust flanges. I'd soak them overnight if at all possible.

I had a very hard time with the EGR tube on the drivers side manifold....this maybe easier on the 4.6L, just not much room for a wrench on the 5.4L and the firewall is awful close.

I'll try to post some pictures later this afternoon.

 

Bummer, I can only find a few of the pictures that I snapped of the install, and those few don't really show anything.

I must have lost them when my HP Notebooked emitted the magical smoke.

Sorry guys.

 

I've been eyeing the Gibson's myself... the coating isn't a requirement (in many cases the tubing it covers isn't stainless = rust if scratched), it may help with under hood temps, but are your current manifolds sapping that much power by heating the compartment? So you'd save $300 going with uncoated stainless... George also mentioned the BBK headers, and they are like $100 cheaper than the Gibson's without the coating. I've also read that while the coated headers are cooler to the touch, the heat they do have cannot be completely disappated by blowing the now hotter exhaust out the tail pipe (this would shorten the life of a cat or O2 sensor), so it actually holds it against the head and heats up the combustion chamber. Seems counter productive (engine knock), but some people swear by them and they sell many sets of them.

IMO you're better off with a set of good equal length shorties manufactured from 16 gauge stainless 1 1/2" tubing with a 3/8" or better flange without the coating. Also make sure you get ones that are a direct swap so you won't have to move any of the exhaust plumbing.

I'm thinking of a Powerdyne supercharger, eventually, myself. I think any good set of name brand headers will be able to accomodate the upgrade. I would also, when going to a set of headers, create a true dual exhaust. Remove the y-pipe and install either an H or an X at that point, then run it to a Lightning style dual in - dual out muffler and have them exit in front of the passenger side rear tire.

-Kerry

 

I never had a problem with the ceramic coated headers, infact I'd argue that the engine ran cooler on the basis of the vast difference in restriction between the stockers and the gibson ceramics.

Sure wish I hadn't lost that picture that I had of the side by side comarison. The stockers look like a 1'5'' block of 2x4 with 4 small holes drilled in from the side, while the gibsons were huge and really filled up the space between the frame.

I'd would agree that the ceramic coating is not necessary, but in my case I got the ceramics free of charge.

IMO, stainless is a minimum.

 

Super, I went off of the mod depot forums... a thread there spoke about the less than stellar performance of the coatings on several differnt manufacturers headers and the substandard tubing (stainless?) that was now rusting underneath.

I had also read somewhere (I think it was a supercharger manufacturer or installer site) that the ceramics actually contributed the pre-detonation and subsequent failure of many supercharged engines... 93 octane was being used, but even the 6psi boost of a centrifugal supercharger in a 9:1 engine was still having detonation due to some unknown brand of ceramic coated headers. Not giving name brands didn't help... so I just stay away completely. Were they trying to shift blame? Could be, but to me it made some amount of sense.

If I understand your statement about the old manifolds being more restrictive (and they so obviously are), then I assume you're saying the larger size allows for a better flowrate.... more flow, less heat in engine compartment. Makes sense. My statement was based on the fact that, while your flowrate is higher, so is your temp inside that header, and thus up against the head, due to the coating trapping the heat within the header. Now we're back to the pre-det problem I mentioned above.

-Kerry

 

Sorry, I mis read your post.

I think that we would both agree that Stainless is the absolute minimum interms of headers.

I would also agree to a certain extent to what you're saying from my experince in thermodynamics, and would tend to agree that the ceramic coating is not necessary for the average Joe.

In my case they were given to me for the price of plain jane SS headers.

On a NA truck I don't think that it would affect the motor as you've mentioned as much, but I do think that the role of the SC would help to magnify the problem. After all more fuel + more air makes more power, but you also have more heat to expell.

This makes me wonder if the stocker cat's could handle the extra volume of exhaust gasses in addition to the extra heat regardless of the the type of header.

 

Ahh, Super ... I see, we both are thinking from the engineering/thermodynamic side of things.

Dave did ask about the potential upgrade to a supercharger... that's primarily where I was headed (no pun intended). I was thinking that, unlike a dragster with straight pipes or a stock car without cats and one huge- semi-stright- secondary, these trucks in stock trim have a pretty winding and comparitively restricted exhaust. They aren't going to flow all that quickly, even with headers...burn up the cats and O2 sensors more quickly than normal... that's why I'm saying no-go on the ceramics. Then the secondary reason was the apparent quality issue. edit: these comments are for a supercharged/turbo'd or potentially forced inducted engine.

Cool dude... I can understand taking what you can get... it's even a good deal price-wise, but I would think twice about a supercharger without a true intercooler. edit: this is a comment based on your current ceramic headers, Super... don't want to lead to more corn-fusion .

-Kerry

 

The ECO thing is a LEV (Low Emmisions Vehicle). They were all called this. It just means that they are some of the lowest emissions trucks of that year. They all have the 4 cats (two pre-heaters and two cats).