Newbie Raptor Owner - Performance Mod/Tuner Questions

[Specialtyperformanceparts]

Thanks for the sound clips. I gotta check into the Roush. I like the sound of it. Gotta check out the Roush versus the Borla S type and Atak.

Yeah, I like the Roush sound. If you did want a power adder as well, you can get the Roush power pack 2, which as a combination gives you the exhaust, cold air kit and tune adding 57hp and 73lbs of trq.
It’s cheaper getting all 3 together than just 1 at a time.

 

[FrenchRaptor]

Wow...interesting. Not sure if I need the tune but always willing to consider different mods. Thanks again!

 

[TXRaptor]

The MPT 93 PRX tune is your biggest HP bang for your buck. CAI and exhaust are great for sound, but not much more. Large ICs allow the power from tunes to last longer, but do not really add HP.

I went with SPD Turbo Adapters and a muffler replacement for sound reasons. My truck has a nice growl under heavy acceleration, quiet under normal driving and has zero drone at any speed. Here is a video from a member on this forum which has an identical setup to mine. Scroll ahead to the 4:15 mark for in cab sounds.

 

[Troutrad]

How quiet is it? My wife hates loud exhaust - when test driving SUVs, she said "It's so loud! It must be a bad engine" when looking at the BMW X50iM with open throttle. On the highway, cruising around town, is it intrusive? Thanks!

This one is NOT for you...well, it might be perfect for you but not your wife. The vid pretty much tells the story (again, listen with good headphones). The S-type is quieter but still has a good exhaust note. The ATAK is actually very civilized when cruising at a steady speed whether highway, or any other steady speed. But when accelerating, you’ll have a big huge grin on your face and trouble in your marriage.

 

[Troutrad]

Thank you for your input. I'll look into the Borla ATAK. I think the biggest issue for me is that I'm so accustomed to the v8 sound and mostly associate the raspy v6 sound to the honda civics with the huge shopping cart wings, back in the early days of "fast and furious". I would be happy to find something that was quiet and deep sounding, but it doesn't sound like that exists. There's only so much you can do, so it makes sense. There's a video on youtube of a guy that just cut the mufflers off and it sounds like the more exotic sound of the Ford GT...that was interesting.

On a side note, what's the deal with the huge hp/tq differences of these tuners. For example, the Mountune package advertises ~40hp/80tq with exhaust, CAI, aftermarket intercooler, etc...but places like MPT, Five Star, and few others are advertising 100+hp with nothing but a tune. Being that it's a stock twin turbo with direct injection, that seems more reasonable...also closer to on-par with the diesel upgrades. Maybe they're just very conservative and the others are on the ragged edge of breaking?

I haven’t pulled the trigger on the tune. There’s a lot of em out there and I’ve looked into them quite a bit. You’ve heard Roush fans here. There’s a thread where there’s a pretty big following of Cobb fans too...surprised some of them haven’t shown up here yet since most tune threads have a lot of Cobb fans. Most people agree that 5 star claims the biggest gains but not backed up on the Dyno. There are several others. I’m leaning toward the GearHead tune; there are several fans on some of these threads. It does very well with power gains without over-boosting. Reputable company. Reasonably price with a good following. Off Road Alliance uses their tune and modifies it then charges over $300+ premium for their tweaks (called the ORA550 of which there are 3 iterations kinda like stock, stage 1 and2 of some other tunes with mod options).

What sold me on it was that it is the only tune (that I’m aware of) which has variable octane. In other words, if you can’t get 93 or 91 for some reason, works with 89 or 87, though won’t get as much performance. You won’t be pinging away or having any issues. Or, if you’re just cruising on a road trip and don’t want to spend a premium for gas, you’re covered.

You’ll get everyone with their favorites and their reasons. I think there are a lot of good choices which is why there are proponents of so many different tunes. You probably also know there’s a risk to your warranty with a tune and that there is no way to “erase” what’s been done even if you return it back to stock if they know what they’re looking for.

 

[Specialtyperformanceparts]

I haven’t pulled the trigger on the tune. There’s a lot of em out there and I’ve looked into them quite a bit. You’ve heard Roush fans here. There’s a thread where there’s a pretty big following of Cobb fans too...surprised some of them haven’t shown up here yet since most tune threads have a lot of Cobb fans. Most people agree that 5 star claims the biggest gains but not backed up on the Dyno. There are several others. I’m leaning toward the GearHead tune; there are several fans on some of these threads. It does very well with power gains without over-boosting. Reputable company. Reasonably price with a good following. Off Road Alliance uses their tune and modifies it then charges over $300+ premium for their tweaks (called the ORA550 of which there are 3 iterations kinda like stock, stage 1 and2 of some other tunes with mod options).

What sold me on it was that it is the only tune (that I’m aware of) which has variable octane. In other words, if you can’t get 93 or 91 for some reason, works with 89 or 87, though won’t get as much performance. You won’t be pinging away or having any issues. Or, if you’re just cruising on a road trip and don’t want to spend a premium for gas, you’re covered.

You’ll get everyone with their favorites and their reasons. I think there are a lot of good choices which is why there are proponents of so many different tunes. You probably also know there’s a risk to your warranty with a tune and that there is no way to “erase” what’s been done even if you return it back to stock if they know what they’re looking for.

All good points. That’s actually what makes the ROUSH power pack/tune attractive and different.
It doesn’t make the highest power. If that’s what someone is after, then Cobb or one of the others may be for them. The big plus with the ROUSH kit is the hands down 3/36 warranty from the in service date for the Powertrain. If it breaks, it’s still under warranty (unless you mod it beyond the Roush tune) So while there is a risk, (and you’re right, I worked at a Ford dealer 20 years. They can check the computer for what’s called key cycles) with the Roush stuff, being tied directly in with Ford in many aspects, you get an upgrade and a warranty. Of course some tuners may offer some sort of a 3rd party warranty, be it 90 days or a year or whatever. Roush directly warranties their components just like Ford. Also, since Roush helps Ford do engineering on next gen Raptors, Shelbys and the Ford GT. They have direct access to things others don’t.
Again, don’t take this as a message that everything else is inferior. I’m just pointing out the key benefits.

 

[Kmorgs]

Are you running Stage 2 without a larger intercooler? Any issues? I've been thinking about flashing up but COBB says you have to do the FMIC.

Same question to RadRaptor.

To the OP, I have COBB Stage 1 flashed, along with the TCM flash, and have been loving it. Would like to do Stage 2 but I'm slightly concerned about wear and tear but moreover I don't want to install a new intercooler which is what COBB recommends.

For exhaust I did Corsa's X-pipe resonator delete. Gives it a nicer sound without going over the top. A bunch of full cat-backs are raspy.

Running the CVF Intercooler and so far been great. Stock one sucks, will probably eventually change to Cobb FMIC. CVF is great option for stock location upgrade.

 

[NHDude4]

Running the CVF Intercooler and so far been great. Stock one sucks, will probably eventually change to Cobb FMIC. CVF is great option for stock location upgrade.

Very interesting. That's not a bank breaker and I like direct swap with stock parts. Did you do the upgraded piping too, or just the intercooler? Did some quick research and it looks like a job you can do in your driveway even if you're a novice with a wrench. True?

 

[Troutrad]

Very interesting. That's not a bank breaker and I like direct swap with stock parts. Did you do the upgraded piping too, or just the intercooler? Did some quick research and it looks like a job you can do in your driveway even if you're a novice with a wrench. True?

Wish someone would do a Raptor specific install of this! The F150 install video on YouTube looks pretty straightforward. On another thread, seems experience with the install is all over the board with some saying it was easy and others citing all kinds of issues and having to remove the fan, etc. Not sure what to believe so haven’t pulled the trigger since I’m pretty much a novice (or a one wrencher).

The price for the quality has universally been praised.

Someone should do a step by step with pics or a video of their install on a Raptor! Yeah, pretty selfish of me to suggest, I know.

 

[NHDude4]

Wish someone would do a Raptor specific install of this! The F150 install video on YouTube looks pretty straightforward. On another thread, seems experience with the install is all over the board with some saying it was easy and others citing all kinds of issues and having to remove the fan, etc. Not sure what to believe so haven’t pulled the trigger since I’m pretty much a novice (or a one wrencher).

The price for the quality has universally been praised.

Someone should do a step by step with pics or a video of their install on a Raptor! Yeah, pretty selfish of me to suggest, I know.

Did some more research today and those are my thoughts exactly. I'm not opposed to getting my hands dirty but I'm a novice under a vehicle. I found a video guide showing a different intercooler that goes in the stock location and it was done specifically on a Raptor. The video didn't show some of the more complicated things up close though and was geared more toward someone with intermediate or advanced knowledge. I'd love a step by step guide or video. I can do just about anything if the instructions are clear enough.

Giving quite some thought to ordering one while I'm stuck at home with not a ton to do.