Bolt ons (headers, exhaust, electric fans, CAIs, tune)
Gears
Torque converter (3200 stall is decent for trucks)
Engine (Trick Flow heads, 5.0L stroker, custom cams, bump the compresion up by about a half of a point, but all must compliment the long runner Triton intake. Do don't go to huge duration cams, as they will want to come on about the time the intake manifold signs off.)
Power adder (will require different engine specs, i.e. lower compression, different cam specs. I would go with a small turbo or a positive displacement s/c in a truck)

There plenty you can do.

 

Why would you want a stall convertor on a truck? I don't see how that is going to be a good way to go. It seems like it is going to just waste gas to me.

I agree with just about everyting else except CAI's they are worthless. The factory air cleaner already gets cooler outside air. If the Lightnings and Cobras etc have these style air cleaners then I think they are good enough for regular trucks.

 

It won't waste any gas, you will still have lockup and well made (read PI Stallion) 3,000-3,600 rpm stall speed converter won't flash up any more during moderate acceleration than the stock converter. What it does is help the truck to overcome weight/gearing during heavy acceleration/WOT, getting you into the meat of the power band quicker. Trucks are probably the BEST candidate for aftermarket converters, given the weight. My 2wd would benefit greatly from an aftermarket converter, and I'm not moving a 4WD with 35" monsters. All you have to go do is floor your truck from a stop, and note how it struggles to accelerate most in the 2,200-3,200 rpm before it comes into the meat of the powerband. 3.55:1 gears, 30"+ tall tires, and the 4R70W's 2.84:1 1st gear conspire against you here, a properly selected converter will mask this dramatically.

Hardly, the factory inlets on these trucks are a joke. Have you seen the size of inlet on the fender side of these trucks? When the TB has almost double the diameter of the entrance feeding it, there is a problem. Lightnings and Cobras do NOT use the same air cleaners, and yet they ALSO pick up significant power from a well designed cold air. Look to the better CAIs, such as AFE, JLT, etc. and there is power to be had, especially when you have already opened up the exhaust.

The stock air inlets were designed to suppress induction noise above all else, they are mildly restrictive even at stock power levels.

 

I still don't know about the stall convertors.

The CAIs like the KN FIPK that have the open element filter in the engine bay just suck in hot air.

We had one or our 97 Cobra and the fuel economy on the highway was about 20 mpg. It gets close to 25 mpg with the stock air box.

I had the FIPK on my truck for a while and it ran worse especailly on hot days and the fuel economy was down as well.

Also KN doesn't filter as well anyway, so I won't use it anymore.

For those that think it will improve things go ahead and get one, but I don't think you will be impressed with it.

 

I'm going to have to agree with both of your posts!!!

I was running a 2600 PI stall converter.
It felt like crap on the street and killed my MPG too. I would hate to see what a 3000 and up would do.
Now, on the track it was great.Took about 3/4 of a second off my 1/4 mile time.
I only run a 2400 converter now.

As for the CIA,
on a basically stock truck there pretty much worthless.
On an all out high performance truck you need all the air you can get. But your still better off with the closed box then you are with an open element filter.

 

I do, I have plenty of experience with PI converters in Mustangs and know the benefits first hand. I've used 4200 rpm converters, and with proper trans tuning it behaves no differently than stock converter, until you romp it. At WOT they are revelation, and make the 4R70W perform like it should.

Not all CAIs are unshielded, and I use an open element JLT on my 4.6 Mustang. It does 120 mph in the 1/4 N/A and gets 24 mpg on the interstate tach'ing 3000 rpm with what's essentially 4.12 gears (4.56s with a 28" tire). The simple truth is once moving, there's enough airflow in the engine bay to prevent much of an IAT increase. There are IAT increases at slow speeds and idle, and I would not recommend an open element air inlet on a truck were absolute airflow isn't as important. Kits like the Volant and AFE do not "suck hot air". But the truth is the stock air inlets on the F150s are restrictive, and there are gains to be had. In fact, increasing the inlet size on the fender side of the air box and keeping the stock air box and inlet tube in place isn't a bad idea, and it's inexpensive an can be done relatively easy in your driveway.

You have to know which one to buy.

Sounds like your 2600 rpm converter wasn't setup properly, as the stock converter stall speed is in the 2200-2300 rpm range. 4200 rpm converters (much less 3200 rpm) are perfectly streetable if you have BG and FG timers setup properly and the lockup schedule nailed.

 

fuzzy jw-Ive got a hyper tech max energy power programmer for sale for ford 1996-2004 gas truck/car/suv/ part #42000 for sale

 

what some of you guys fail to realize is that smaller intake duct on the factory intake actually increases the velocity of the incoming air. it may very well restrict air coming in at WOT or high RPM, but these trucks arent meant to run at WOT. they are designed to make lots of low end torque at low RPM to move all that weight faster from a stop. Mix that high velocity air with the longer intake runners and longer stroke of a 5.4L and it makes for a hell of alot of low end torque. when you take away that high velocity air, and restriction, you increase air flow at higher RPM which moves your power band up higher in the range. since these trucks dont run at WOT all the time, all you notice is a decrease in power and fuel economy at lower RPM. same with exhaust...too much restriction is a bad thing. but you need a certain amount to maintain peak torque at low RPM.

 

Air tuning is accomplished behind the TB, increased air velocity before the TB accomplishes nothing. Use a speed density system and take off the complete air intake assembly and horsepower goes up at every single data point.

The air inlet tube has zero tuning effect on the powerband. The truck will achieve peak HP and TQ at the same RPM regardless of what is fitted in the front of the throttle body.

Only because the stock exhaust logs provide little to no tuning effect. Throw a set of proper long tubes and this thinking changes.

 

k&n filter not good? should i go back to normal one