CA Gryphon + a couple ?'s
 

New to the forum, but have been trolling for awhile.

So, I have a 2008 FX4 5.4l I'm looking to get a gryphon this coming spring when I do gears (4.30 or 4.56) and wheels + tires.

My question is, the "illegal for sale and use in CA" is that a generic clause for liability reasons, or will I be drawn and quatered if caught running a gryphon in my truck in CA?

Also, after reading A LOT about CAI's, the concensus seems to be the Gotts mod will gain roughly the same HP as a full CAI kit with the Gryphon? I would get the S&B if I were to even do it. Most of the increases the CAI's boast about are waaay up in the RPM range. I don't cruise around at 4000+ rpm's, so I'm thinking a complete CAI might be a waste. That cash would then go towards the other items I'm going to do.

And lastly, excepting a throaty growl, is the same true for exhaust? I don't want to spend $500 for sound effects. If I'll get a decent, genuine power increse by adding an exhaust with the gryphon, I'll do it. But, if we're only talking a couple HP for $500, then I'll pass.

Thanks in advance.

You don't need to wait for the Gryphon if all you are changing are gears, wheels and tires.

Yes, a custom tuned programmer is supposedly not "street legal" in CA, but the canned tuned CS/CTS platforms are. However, you're not going to be arrested for using one. Before you take the truck in for emissions inspection, simply unplug it from the OBD port and remove it and the cord from the vehicle. DO NOT change the tune back to stock! The emissions station will not know that it is tuned.

We're not fans of commercial CAI's here. In our opinion, they tend to cause problems and, they ARE expensive. You will gain about as much from the Gotts Mod for about $10.00 and some labor. Save your money. And yes, the benefits for either are mostly in the upper RPM ranges, but I think my truck gets improved cruising fuel economy with the Gotts Mod.

Exhaust kits are mostly for sound and show. You MIGHT get a bit of benefit with long tube headers and a true H or X-pipe dual exhaust, but it would not really be all that much.

Hope this helps.

- Jack

Thanks for the reply. Unpluging the Gryphon and removing the cord for smog doesn't do anything to the tunes on the truck? I'm guessing then the only reason the Gryphon stays plugged in after the tunes are downloaded is for the real time feedback of engine systems? Sorry, but I've never used a tuner before.

So, it sounds like I'm just looking at the Gotts and a Gryphon.

Touching on gears and tires, changing either will not have any affect on how the custom tunes are written for the truck?

Yes, once the tune is loaded into your truck's PCM, the Gryphon can be removed. It is just a passive display device for parameters that can be fed to it though the OBDII port.

I, and many others, including Bill Cohron at PHP recommend the Gotts mod over a commercial CAI.

Changing gears and tires will not affect your tunes. You WILL, however, enter the new Tire Size and Gear Ratio when you upload a tune to your truck so that it will shift at the right speeds and to correct your speedometer and odometer.

- Jack