[b]Simple F150 performance mods from MAC and Edge Products[/b]

[b]Story and photos by Arthur Jensen[/b]

The F150 is a great truck, powerful, stylish, durable and affordable. The F150's factory intake and exhaust systems, however, are not so great. They might be fine for a work truck or a fleet truck but with their overly restrictive design and appliance styling, they just aren't very cool. Fortunately for F150 owners everywhere, MAC Products saw this minor shortcoming as an opportunity to make a great truck even better.

MAC's cold air intake system features polished aluminum tubing and a custom billet mass air flow sensor housing. MAC's cat-back exhaust system uses large diameter piping and a high-flow muffler to reduce restriction and free up power on the outlet side of the engine. Since we were going to be increasing the airflow through the engine, we needed a way to program the fuel system so it could handle the increased power. Edge Products, a leader in diesel performance programmers, provided one of their new Evolution gas programmers for our 2005 F150.

Truck owners have been installing intake and exhaust systems for years, and the key to getting the most out of a free breathing engine is getting more fuel to go with the increased airflow. In the past that was difficult, usually involving expensive dyno tuning, but with the new crop of plug and play performance programmers that problem is solved. The best thing about these new performance options is how easy they are to install, even a modest home mechanic can make these modifications in an afternoon.

The tools required for this job are pretty basic. You will need a metric wrench set, a pair of pliers, small wire cutters for zip ties, and a decent rubber mallet.

With the truck still stock, we made a dyno run so we could gauge the performance of the new parts. The truck made 247 horsepower and 282 ft-lbs of torque in stock trim. The Edge Evolution has three power levels, trans only, towing, and performance. On the towing setting, torque jumped to 287 ft-lbs but more remarkably, peak torque moved from 4100 rpm to 3600 rpm and torque below 3000 rpm increased by almost 10 ft-lbs. We set the Evolution to performance and the truck belted out 261 horsepower, a gain of 14 peak hp while still producing 285 ft-lbs of torque and a much smoother power curve. Results like that make engine guys like us sit up and take notice. Check out our photos to see how this might just be the easiest 14 hp you will ever get.


Source:

MAC Products
43214 Blackdeer Loop,
Temecula, CA 92590
1-800-367-4486
www.MacPerformance.com

EDGE Products
1080 S. Depot Dr.
Ogden, UT 84404
888-360-3343
www.edgeproducts.com

LA Performance Division
Four wheel drive dyno available to the public.
10155 Canoga Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818 ) 998-3966
www.theLAPD.com


We started our install with a baseline dyno run at LA Performance Division in the San Fernando Valley. Our F150 made a decent 247 horspower and 282 ft-lbs of torque.

The Edge Products Evolution programmer includes everything you need for a clean, easy install, including a custom molded mount for the unit, a cable with plenty of excess length for other mounting options and very detailed instructions.

Start by removing the drivers side dash access panel.

Feed the Edge cable up from the bottom of the dash being careful to avoid any sharp corners that could damage the insulation.

You want to leave just enough cable at the bottom to reach the OBD2 port near the drivers right knee.

Feed the cable around the edge of the dash and through the back of the new Edge housing. Leave a little slack in the line to make it easier to remove the programmer for software updates.

With the key off, plug the cable into the OBD2 port and the back of the Evolution programmer, then use the zip ties to fasten the remaining cable out of harms way under the dash.

Turn the key on and follow the on-screen prompts to finish setting up the Evolution. Once everything is working properly and all the connections are tight, pop the access panel back into place.

Now that the programmer is done we can move on to the engine bay. The stock intake is large, ugly, and a little intimidating in its complexity, don't worry though, removal is much simpler then it looks.

The air inlet tube simply pulls out of the air box. On the body end it's held in with a simple rubber grommet. Remove the whole tube and grommet and set them aside.

Remove this sensor fitting on the passenger side of the air box near the firewall by turning the green tab down and pulling gently on the tube.

To unlock the MAF sensor lead, press down on the red clip and pull straight out.

These bolts hold the air box in place on the engine.

With the bolts removed, the air box can be pulled away from the throttle body by hand, the MAF sensor is still inside so set it aside carefully to avoid damaging it.

Using one of the provided clamps, loosely attach the elbow to the throttle body.

A special bit to remove the MAF sensor is included with the intake, remove and save the screws, then carefully remove the MAF sensor from the airbox.

Using the supplied Philips head screws, install the MAF sensor into the new billet housing.

Mount the new MAF housing with sensor installed into the elbow fitting on the engine with the flow arrow pointing towards the elbow, at this stage leave all the clamps loose.

Bolt the filter flange and mounting pegs to the heat shield with the six provided 10mm bolts.

The heat shield presses into two rubber grommets that must be installed in two existing holes in the truck. With the heat shield installed, the remaining tube and silicone connector hoses can be installed.

Reconnect the MAF sensor to its harness lead by pressing in until it locks.

Connect this rear sensor tube to its new billet fitting on the elbow.

Using the largest clamp, attach the new MAC filter to the mounting flange and tighten it in place.

Once everything is aligned and properly positioned, tighten the remaining clamps, but don't over tighten them or the clamps can cut into the connector hoses and cause leaks.

Here is the finished intake, much simpler and cleaner then the stock unit.

Now for the exhaust. Here is the complete MAC cat-back system. The black coating prevents rust and corrosion for longer life.

Of course this job is easier with the truck on the lift but this is something you could do simply in your driveway. Begin by loosening the double bolt clamp in front of the muffler.

With the clamp loose, work the stock system free by pushing it towards the back of the truck while rocking it side to side. The exhaust will come out in one piece.

Install the new connector tube into the stock front section but leave it loose so it can rotate to match the new muffler.

With the new studs screwed into the connecter pipe and muffler rear flanges, hang the new muffler using the stock rubber mounts, then rotate the connector so it lines up with the muffler's inlet.

Hang the front exhaust outlet using the stock mount, then thread the nuts onto the studs by hand.

The rear outlet needs a new mount attached to the frame, the bracket can bolt on here above the shackle mount or it can be welded on for a stronger option.

With the pipes hung, bolt the two together and align the tips before tightening the whole system. A tie-down can support the outlet pipes to make it easier to get them aligned properly.

Here is the finished product back on the ground. The bolt-on tips make re-aligning or replacing them easy.

Back on the LA Performance Division Dynojet for an after test, and with the Edge programmer set to performance, our F150 made 261 horsepower and 285 ft-lbs of torque.

Out on the road the improved midrange made the truck much more enjoyable to drive. The exhaust and intake work together to give the truck a powerful but pleasant and manageable sound.

Part Numbers:

MAC
#3544 F150 Induction System
#TK5505 F150 Exhaust System

Edge
#EEF2400 Evolution Programmer 2004-06 F150