Gryphon 1st impressions
 

So I installed my gryphon last night and went out and tested it today. First of all the shifting is awesome! I have been running the canned tunes level 2 the whole time and I could really tell a difference in the truck. I love the way it looks on the dash and all of the guages are very useful. However I was expecting the throttle lag to go away and I don't think it changed at all. My mom has a stock 07 fx2 and the throttle response is much better on hers even. I plan on ordering custom tunes after I purchase an intake so I guess my question is will my throttle response improve with the custom tunes? I am going to try level three on my next tank of gas to see if it is any better. Has anyone else experienced this with their canned tunes? I was honestly expecting it to be like a cable driven throttle so maybe my expectations were too high?

It's been over a year now since I put an Edge, later upgraded to a Gryphon on my truck, so my memory of the change is not as sharp as I'd like. I DO know I felt the throttle lag was reduced considerably, so much so that I felt like it was gone.

Possibly, I was comparing it to a normally aspirated vehicle and was accepting the slight delay necessary for the transmission to downshift (which can't be instantaneous after all). Overall though, I thought I saw a vast improvement, just with the canned tune.

I don't recall that much difference in the lag between canned and custom tunes though. Possibly (probably really), when Bill reads this he'll have some thoughts and he may be able to tweak something. From your sig it looks like you and I have the same truck (except for one year and King Ranch trim), so I'd expect an improvement in the lag with the programmer.

- Jack

Throttle lag was one of the things that I payed very close attention to and from a dead stop it still takes about the same amount of time to get the truck rolling and the same amount of pedal. I'm sure the custom tunes will solve this problem in the end though.

Jerod

Ah - I see we're really talking about two different "lags". I was only concerned with the "downshift to pass" lag. I'm literally a "Grandpa" :geezer: and I've never felt the urge to stomp the thing pulling away from a dead stop! :)

- Jack

Jack, the downshift to pass lag feels good to me. I don't stomp the truck from a dead stop either. I am refering to normal acceleration from stop. When I press the accelerator to go, say from a red light, it still takes the truck around 1 second to respond(prob more like 1/2 second but it feels like an eternity) and actually move. It is identical to the stock tune in this regard. Sorry I hope I am being more concise.

Jerod

That IS interesting, Jerod. I've never noticed any kind of hesitation in a normal accelerate from a stop. That's really kind of weird! The transmission has to already be in first, and the torque converter is definitely unlocked, so the lag has to be in the engine's response to your throttle. My engine's response seems very "instant".

I'd definitely talk to Bill about this. I'm sure he will have some ideas.

Wonder if anyone else has experienced what you're describing - anybody?

- Jack

x2

i dont have much if any lag from a dead stop. theres even been times when its been to much throttle and spun the tires

That's kind of my feeling too, racinwarrior. I think I'd have to be careful starting out in mud or in snow.(But I guess locking it in 2nd, and 4WD should take care of things).

- Jack

I have the 87 Performance tune and definitely felt an improvement in both dead stop and passing lag. I too am not really interested in nailing the throttle from a stop but have punched it for curiousity from a slow roll for fun. With about 25% throttle it will break the tires loose easily even at a roll. Passing is a pleasure, the truck just seems to set down and accelerate smoothly through the downshift and upshifts. Throttle is smooth and responsive without having to really hit it to get going like I did in stock tuning. Huge difference!

I drove my mom's 07 fx2 most of the day today and there is so much difference in the amount of throttle needed to get the truck to respond from a dead stop. Here truck is stock so I know something funky is going on with mine. I thought my truck would be as good or better than hers after the gryphon but that is not the case.

Jerod

I agree - I drove my truck quite a bit yesterday (had to pick up a mattress we just bought) and I paid extra attention to how it responded from a dead stop. There is NO lag at all, period! In a slow roll, if the transmission has shifted up into 2nd, there is a small delay while it shifts down to 1st, but I consider that a normal delay.

So, I'd talk to Bill about this. You may be able to PM him during this "closed for completing tunes" period and he may answer, or you could try emailing him or Corey. Since your case is not an "emergency", he may not be able to give it any attention until after they reopen for normal business.

- Jack

Yeah that's pretty much how my mom's truck is. When I order my custom tunes I will speak to bill. It is definately not an emergency. I have good news though. I pulled my boat today from dallas to austin (250 miles) and what a difference in pulling power. I had it on level 2 and the downshifting for passing was so much better than stock. I also liked the fact that it would not hang in 3rd gear after coming over a hill like it does in stock mode. It will downshift when i hit the throttle and upshift just as quickly.

Jerod

Yup! It's almost a crime (in my opinion) the way Ford tuned these things. That passing lag in the stock tune is really, literally, a killer, isn't it? I also noticed a pretty good gain in gas mileage (about 2mpg) when towing and using the "canned" tow tune. Bill's custom tune improved on that about 0.7mpg.

- Jack

Yeah the stock tune is ridiculous. I averaged 15.5mpg which is definately the best mileage I have had pulling my boat. There wasn't hardly any wind today at all so it was a good "true" test of what it gets. I would say that it was around a 1.5-2mpg increase. What else did you notice about his towing tune over the canned tune if anything? Also I want to fill up with 93 octane and run the canned level 3 so do I need to advance the timing? If so how much?

Jerod

If you fill with 93 octane and run a 91 octane canned tune, you should be able to advance the timing by 1 point in the custom options menu. (That's if your tank is FULL of 93 octane. If it's half 93 and half 87, you're actually using a blend that is close to 90 octane, so leave the timing alone till your tank is really full of the high priced stuff). Bill can, of course, write you a true 93 octane tune that will take full advantage of the stuff you put into the tank, because it tweaks more things than just timing.

If all you pull is a relatively light boat, 2000# or less (and it sounds like that's what you have), you can probably use any tune to pull it. But, Bill can write a custom tow tune for that weight too.

I think Bill's shifts were firmer than the canned tunes at WOT or near WOT. Beyond that, and the additional increase in fuel economy, I can't say I noticed anything.

- Jack

That's what I figured about the timing...I'll give it a shot. I plan on getting the tow tune along with the other tunes very soon.

Jerod

The throttle lag is almost not even noticeable after the custom tunes.I was impressed with the canned tunes also and then when Bill tunes arrived and I downloaded them,It was like I put another programmer on it all over again.And Bill tranny shifting is the very best.I have never been in love with the way a tranny shifted like I have been with Bills tuning of it.With my stock size Mud terrains on the stock heavy steel rims,I can peg the throttle from a dead stop and burn the hell out of the tires on dry pavement and thats Both tires(aka limited slip)Its awesome.When I go to the sand dunes ,I run the 93 octane peformance and its even better.I hated the way mine drove stock.

Chappy,

Awesome! Have you got pics of the sand dunes? I expect to see some rooster tails!

Glad you're truck is running well. Always nice to know when we make our customers happy. :D

Have a safe and happy new year. :2thumbs: