Do I need a Gryphon - What tunes are included?

66gtk · #1 Tue, January 27th, 2009, 05:04 PM

My head is spinning!!

I have an 05 F150 5.4

Put new/bigger tires and wheels on, and want a tuner to help me keep things calibrated. I also want good fuel economy and performance. The truck is stock with 3.73 gears. I might want to put a CAI in the future, and udgrade the exhaust in the future (when needed). For now, I do mostly city driving, never WOT. I want to maximize fuel economy but not have a dog.

The other issue is that ALL the gas here has 10% blend of Ethanol, so any tuning I get should account for my gas blend here in MN.

I purchased the truck used, and have no idea if it was programmed before - Does that matter? The speedometer was always off by 3-4 MPH with the stock tires/wheels. The truck is totally stock (I think) with the exception of the FX4 wheels and tires I just put on.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Troy

RIZECUSTOMZ · #2 Tue, January 27th, 2009, 07:13 PM

The gryphon is by far the best programmer for your truck. We have tried many and its the only one that can be customized for you upgrades on your truck. Check us out www.mymudspace.com/rizecustomz

***Jackpine*** · #3 Tue, January 27th, 2009, 08:31 PM

You DO have choices, in spite of RIZECUSTOMZ's glowing recommendations for the Gryphon. There is the XCal, which is a good programmer and VMP and Troyer Performance are good people to talk to if you want to go that route. (Here at PHP we recognize we're not the only game in town, even though we think we're pretty good). Sorry - I'm just a fan, but I know Bill and Corey would say the same thing - it's all about what YOU want , not what somebody else wants for you.

Now, back to your question. Your truck COULD have a program in it. There's no way for you to really tell. It sounds like the speedo was off with factory tires and gears - if so, that might be an indicator that it has a non-factory tune.

E10 gas is pretty much the standard blend everywhere. I'm pretty sure any tune you get will account for that.

A programmer such as the Gryphon will let you adjust your speedometer so it shows the correct speed, regardless of tire size. You should gain a significant amount of power (if you ever need it - like in passing). You should see a gain in fuel economy.

If you put in a CAI, you will definitely want your truck tuned for it or you will risk running lean. The exhaust mods should not be a factor.

I have a Gryphon on a 2005 truck that I, too, bought used. It is the BEST modification I have. I would not be without it.

- Jack

***Power Hungry*** · #4 Tue, January 27th, 2009, 10:29 PM

We've heard really good things about both Troyer and VMP and would recommend them to anyone. Their prices may be a little better on custom tuned programmers because they do a pretty good volume and the XCal is a little less expensive than the Gryphon. Overall though, I'd say the tuning is comparable between all 3.

Jack and Jeff covered the rest...

66gtk · #5 Wed, January 28th, 2009, 10:05 AM

Thanks for your help - Regarding the current state of tune. If it does have a non-stock tune installed, Do the custom tunes work on the premise we are starting with a stock tune? If so, how do I return my vehicle to factory stock before I start messing with things?

When I purchased my truck, it had 40K miles, and almost new looking factory tires/rims. Makes me think the PO put on aftermarkets, adjusted the speedo accordingly, and returned to stock wheels/tires when the lease was up???

***Jackpine*** · #6 Wed, January 28th, 2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66gtk

Thanks for your help - Regarding the current state of tune. If it does have a non-stock tune installed, Do the custom tunes work on the premise we are starting with a stock tune? If so, how do I return my vehicle to factory stock before I start messing with things?

When I purchased my truck, it had 40K miles, and almost new looking factory tires/rims. Makes me think the PO put on aftermarkets, adjusted the speedo accordingly, and returned to stock wheels/tires when the lease was up???

I think you've got it! Or, the PO never adjusted anything - some people don't. Bill didn't say, but from other posts, I gather he has a way to make the Gryphon play with your PCM even if there IS a custom tune already in it.

Yes, though, the Gryphon's tunes start with the premise that the PCM has a stock tune installed.

- Jack

***Power Hungry*** · #7 Wed, January 28th, 2009, 01:02 PM

Here's the scoop on modified vs. stock...

The Gryphon will detect if the PCM is stock or not, and if it is NOT stock then it will stop dead in it's tracks with a checksum failure and we'll need to be involved to restore the PCM back to stock. It's not a big deal to do and usually only takes a few minutes.

Take care.

***Jackpine*** · #8 Wed, January 28th, 2009, 01:23 PM

Is that cool, or what?

- Jack