Ford Performance tune for 3.5's coming (It's here!)

[MTMan]

Looking forward to feedback on drivability, transmission shifting, and fuel economy numbers.

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[Chili]

Y'all know this is just a Livernois-lite tune (albeit with a factory warranty-ish)?

Yep. I'd really like to see dynos of FP, Whipple and Livernois tunes. Seems most people are just after max effort tunes though.

 

[HammaMan]

Y'all know this is just a Livernois-lite tune (albeit with a factory warranty-ish)?

Yeah, has me thinking the first dyno is correct despite being very similar to the raptor's.

We need some pre-post dynos on these things. Also curious if ford is giving them per-PCM keys as they're writing entirely over the OBD2 ports whereas 23 PCMs need yanked and jailbroken to even write at the ECU's connectors, let alone the OBD2 port which livernois isn't doing for any tunes.

 

[JimmyE]

I've been lurking these forums for a while and thought I'd finally contribute. I had the Ford Performance calibration installed on my 3.5 EB a week ago and here are my thoughts on it (skip to the bottom for a summary of the details below):

-There is a noticeable throttle response improvement, mainly in sport mode. Normal mode also seems a bit more responsive but there is not as big of a difference. ECO mode feels the same and I hardly ever use any of the other modes.

-The truck feels more torquey and snappy down low (again, primarily in sport mode), however, once you get above about 4k RPMS it doesn't feel much different.

-Shifting seems a little more crisp but this may honestly just be a placebo affect. I feel like my truck specifically has always shifted a little rough in gears 1-4. In normal mode it still feels like it hesitates to choose between going from 1-2 or 1-3 during normal commuting speeds unless I smash the pedal or drive more aggressively. Sport mode, again, feels pretty good going through the gears as it actually goes through all the gears instead of deciding whether to skip 2nd or not.

-The transmission does hold the gears longer. Normal mode will still shift up to 10th in normal city driving (40-45mph). Sport mode holds 5th gear at the same speeds, whereas if I remember correctly, it would previously shift into 6th or 7th at the same speeds. In 5th gear, I feel like it stays in a range where the power is readily available (about 2300 RPMS).

-I haven't had much highway driving time as my normal work commute is all surface streets, however, I did get on the highway for a few minutes to test it out. It seems to downshift to the proper gear and gets up and goes more than it previously would when passing. I still need to do more highway testing though.

-I'm currently averaging about 12.5 MPG. This is mainly due to the fact that as I mentioned previously, 90% of my driving is city driving. Truck is also lifted on 35 inch tires and has the front air dam removed plus full skid plates which add quite a bit of weight. I haven't noticed a change in MPG yet (positively or negatively).

Overall, I would say sport mode has the most noticeable difference and the truck feels more lively in the lower RPM range. This calibration will by no means make this a fast truck. It is still a ~6000 LB truck. That being said, I don't regret installing it and will continue testing over the next couple weeks to answer any questions anyone might have who is on the fence about getting this installed.

 

[Chili]

I've been lurking these forums for a while and thought I'd finally contribute. I had the Ford Performance calibration installed on my 3.5 EB a week ago and here are my thoughts on it (skip to the bottom for a summary of the details below):

-There is a noticeable throttle response improvement, mainly in sport mode. Normal mode also seems a bit more responsive but there is not as big of a difference. ECO mode feels the same and I hardly ever use any of the other modes.

-The truck feels more torquey and snappy down low (again, primarily in sport mode), however, once you get above about 4k RPMS it doesn't feel much different.

-Shifting seems a little more crisp but this may honestly just be a placebo affect. I feel like my truck specifically has always shifted a little rough in gears 1-4. In normal mode it still feels like it hesitates to choose between going from 1-2 or 1-3 during normal commuting speeds unless I smash the pedal or drive more aggressively. Sport mode, again, feels pretty good going through the gears as it actually goes through all the gears instead of deciding whether to skip 2nd or not.

-The transmission does hold the gears longer. Normal mode will still shift up to 10th in normal city driving (40-45mph). Sport mode holds 5th gear at the same speeds, whereas if I remember correctly, it would previously shift into 6th or 7th at the same speeds. In 5th gear, I feel like it stays in a range where the power is readily available (about 2300 RPMS).

-I haven't had much highway driving time as my normal work commute is all surface streets, however, I did get on the highway for a few minutes to test it out. It seems to downshift to the proper gear and gets up and goes more than it previously would when passing. I still need to do more highway testing though.

-I'm currently averaging about 12.5 MPG. This is mainly due to the fact that as I mentioned previously, 90% of my driving is city driving. Truck is also lifted on 35 inch tires and has the front air dam removed plus full skid plates which add quite a bit of weight. I haven't noticed a change in MPG yet (positively or negatively).

Overall, I would say sport mode has the most noticeable difference and the truck feels more lively in the lower RPM range. This calibration will by no means make this a fast truck. It is still a ~6000 LB truck. That being said, I don't regret installing it and will continue testing over the next couple weeks to answer any questions anyone might have who is on the fence about getting this installed.

Thank you for your contribution! Sounds like a good mild tune. Personally I don't use Sport mode because it holds gears so long, though it doesn't appear as aggressive as it used to be. Ideally, it would hold gears longer than normal but not as long as sport.

That and having to remember to change it to sport or hit OK to the "Stay in sport mode?" question when you first start it.

 

[baldwinflyer]

Here is a dragy run on my 21 limited with the FP tune. The biggest difference is the ability to launch the vehicle and its increased torque during shifts. - i lifted right before the end of the 1/4. It should go 12.95@103. i have no other mods…pretty quick for a mild tune.

 

[Chili]

Here is a dragy run on my 21 limited with the FP tune. The biggest difference is the ability to launch the vehicle and its increased torque during shifts. - i lifted right before the end of the 1/4. It should go 12.95@103. i have no other mods…pretty quick for a mild tune.

Nice! Limited is a heavier truck too. What's your wheel, tire and gearing?

These results have me more interested again. Is it still governed at 104? Looks like you'll be bumping up against that if you stay in and don't have a hill at the end.

Do you have any Dragy runs before the tune?

 

[Chili]

This is my stock 302a w/18s run in mid grade gas last year. I don't have my Dragy anymore. Looks like your 60' improvement is where the gains are seen

 

[baldwinflyer]

Nice! Limited is a heavier truck too. What's your wheel, tire and gearing?

These results have me more interested again. Is it still governed at 104? Looks like you'll be bumping up against that if you stay in and don't have a hill at the end.

Do you have any Dragy runs before the tune?

3.55 gear
275/50/22 Pirelli scorpion AS plus 3

I recall when I did the stock runs a while back it was a 13.8-13.9.

The speed limiter is still the same.

 

[Samson16]

Y'all know this is just a Livernois-lite tune (albeit with a factory warranty-ish)?

Warranty-ish?

How so? Isn’t the whole point of going with Ford to maintain the blessing without worry?

 

[Eskram]

Warranty-ish?

How so? Isn’t the whole point of going with Ford to maintain the blessing without worry?

If it's the same as the Ranger tune, it had to be installed by an ASE tech to be warrantied.

It's super-easy for anyone to plug it in and install the tune.

Hence, the ish. Do you want to pay someone else to push a button and wait?

Edit: IIRC, the FP warranty starts with the factory warranty, but I'm not in a place to confirm. There is some fuckery, from what I can remember right now.

 

[Samson16]

If it's the same as the Ranger tune, it had to be installed by an ASE tech to be warrantied.

It's super-easy for anyone to plug it in and install the tune.

Hence, the ish. Do you want to pay someone else to push a button and wait?

Edit: IIRC, the FP warranty starts with the factory warranty, but I'm not in a place to confirm. There is some fuckery, from what I can remember right now.

Understood. Still, for a person averse to violating their factory warranty but feel the need to scratch that performance itch it’s a nice option.

 

[HammaMan]

FP has said several times that the dealer does not need to be involved in the installation procedure to retain warranty -- but the verbiage the last time I checked the site appears lawyer-esque. This is a software update/patch with a checksum/verification procedure. So far I've seen 2 vectors for botching software installs
1) the dealer does something like order the IPMA to update on a friday and leaves -- bad things happen and they spend 2 days trying to rectify it.
2) SWIM (IYKYK) experiments with installing unapproved software to modules and then uses the same process to recover said module if unsuccessful (same-day FWIW).

Livernois has years of working on their products and if you look where they're located, it's no wonder they have this contract. They're just about idiot proof (especially through OBD2). Given ford has blessed them by making this product strictly OBD2 accessible, it appears they're giving them special access that essentially turning their programmer into an FDRS-like stand alone OBD2 PCM flasher that happens to have a screen and some PID monitoring capability (it's clunky and early 2000s poor). Ford makes their own versions of these types of devices to give to techs (or do it at the factory, possibly what the initial 2024 stored F150s went through) that allows quick flashing of specific modules when such is needed -- they're very basic with LED status indicators. Basically they plug in, it checks the software, programs if need be and indicates status with 2 or 3 LEDs.

They're all but entirely foolproof as they're always trying to keep the lowest common denominator in focus. What it sounds like is happening is that legal is requiring them to say dealers need to be involved, FP is saying on the site it's needed, while also telling customers it's not. This wiggle-room it typical corporate nonsense.

I've had similar dealings with large corporations where I've come out and told them specifically what I wanted to do with a service, they said I could do it, I told them I wanted it in writing, they refused, but also still sold me the service to do precisely what I wanted to do with it and 10 years later am still doing the same thing with it. From a legal standpoint that nullifies their official TOS because they've willinging and knowingly broken the veil of the TOS. Where this comes into play however is in court --- most of the consumer protection agencies are LCD and won't be of help here. Now if you have such an issue and get it before your local small claims court that covers the amount in question you may be just fine. At the same time ford can just deny warranty no matter just to be ford so YMMV regardless.

 

[Samson16]

As with most things in life, it sounds like “Don’t worry you’ll be fine…most likely…have a plan just in case…Caveat emptor!”

 

[crazywayne311]

If it's the same as the Ranger tune, it had to be installed by an ASE tech to be warrantied.

It's super-easy for anyone to plug it in and install the tune.

Hence, the ish. Do you want to pay someone else to push a button and wait?

Edit: IIRC, the FP warranty starts with the factory warranty, but I'm not in a place to confirm. There is some fuckery, from what I can remember right now.

Basically take your current mileage and subtract the warranty is what FP told me. If you have 30k miles and this is 36k warranty you got 6k left or some crap

lol also says this when hooking up the Procal

Livernois…

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