Barely Beat an F-150.. WTF???? Please Help!!

[Chevy_Power_06]

Today, on my way to school, I enountered what I thought would be an easy prey for the predator and my truck. A 2003 F-150 Crew Cab with the 4.6L 231 hp V8 engine. Mine being an 06 Silvy Crew Cab with the 4.8 325hp estimated. We started from a stop at a light. I was currently holding the predator in my hand looking lat some live data, and I was 100% sure that my Silvy would humiliate the F-150. With my mods, I am supposed to be standing at 325hp at least (285 stock, 12 k&n intake, 8 muffler, at least 20 from the predator). This is almost 100hp difference from the F-150. So the light turns green and I floor it. I am soon struck with the fact that the F-150 was getting like half a car in front of me. I was still flooring the pedal to the plastic and it seemed like I was about to loose. I took a desperate measure in order to save my reputation. I Shifted back into second gear and slammed the pedal. After a few seconds, I was able to get like half a car ahead from the F-150 and the race finished. Giving a shameful victory to the Chevy. Really, I have never felt so embarrased of winning a race like this.

I am in need of desperate help. I feel that the only good gear in which I can attain speed is the second gear. 1st gear crawls from a dead stop, and 3rd and 4th don't do much and stay below 3500 rpm with TM Off (supposedly, TM Abuse Mode time limit is OFF and %Torque Reduction vs RPM is OFF, Upshift Torque reduction is On). I have already dialed my LTFT's and adjusted the injector slope (thanks MonteSS). But I still need that extra OOMPH that the predator can provide in the right hands. I beg for help...

[CANUCKPREDATOR]

So it was a slow start that got you in trouble. Drop the 22" wheels, you'll get a better hole shot. Find out you're gear ratio. If you have 3.42 gears, you will NEVER get a hole shot win. 3.42s are made for highway cruising, not drag racing.

[Redgto04]

Was the f150 a 2wd, reg cab? If so u have alot more weight also! Do u know if the f150 was stock? Too many variables!

[mikel]

Not sure I have ever seen a 325 hp 4.8 either....the 6.0 makes 300 stock, and 325 tuned....the 4.8 will be well behind those numbers...

[Chevy_Power_06]

Changing the tires to stock right now is not an option since I don't have the tires any more. I will research into the gear ratio, but I am pretty confident that my gears are not the racing ones.

The F-150 was a 2wd 4 door crew cab. The truck seemed pretty stock. It also had 20" rims, so I am guessing that we both lost power due to the tire size.

The 325hp of the 4.8 that I am talking about is estimated and is due to the modifications that I have done:

285Hp Stock
12Hp K&N Intake
8HP Magnaflow
20Hp Predator
--------
325Hp estimated

Basically, both of the trucks were crew cabs, both had big rims, mine had almost 100hp more, and ran almost the same....

Thanks everybody for the quick replies, please keep em comming. I really beleive in the predators potential, I just don't know how to unleash it...

[Redgto04]

Yours still weighs more because its 4wd! Beefed up parts, plus the transfer case! Also, u can't go on what the manufacturer says on horspower gains! Ur prolly 245-250 at the rear! U have NO way of knowing if he has the same mods! U can't see a k&n, or a programmer(or actual tune for that matter). You may hear exhaust mods. The available engines for a 03 supercrew(4 door) are as follows:

231-hp, 4.6-liter V-8
260-hp, 5.4-liter V-8
340-hp, 5.4-liter V-8
How do u KNOW these variables? Don't sweat it man....sounds to me like the trucks should be pretty even!!!!!!!!

[CANUCKPREDATOR]

I'd say you HAVE unleashed it. Don't know what you are expecting. You've got a 5000lb brick with a 4.8l engine.

To find a estimate on gear ratio, what RPM are you at a 60mph?

[Chevy_Power_06]

The Silvy is not 4wd, I'm glad that it fools people, I just bought the fender flares and the stickers for $200 off ebay hahah. As for the horsepower of my truck it is just estimated, but it is well over that of the F-150 I think. I looked up in msn autos and the engine that comes with the F-150 Crew Cab XLT is the 231-hp, 4.6-liter V-8. However, as you say, there is a chance that the truck had a bigger motor, but I doubt it. Nevertheless, my truck is still slow form a dead stop, and 3rd and 4th are no good. Can you make any recomendations as to how I can improve my start off acceleration, and get the most out of the shifts? Perhaps messing with shift pressures, time? I have tried messing with these, but I wanted to know up to what % it is safe.

All help is greatly appreciated!

[06MonteSS]

so you added even MORE weight to it with the flares and stickers and SS emblems... yeeesh...

[Redgto04]

so you added even MORE weight to it with the flares and stickers and SS emblems... yeeesh...

And bedcover!

I always researce vehicles on cars.com click the research tab! How do u know what motor it had? It ran with u, so maybe it didn't have the 231hp motor?

Have u messed with any tranny options at all? If not, that would prolly help! Hey monte....does his have tcm support? If so, turn the torque managment off! I think ur just sweating it a little much!

[06MonteSS]

yes, he has a U7192 on revison: 2.05, so he has tranny support for his SS Z71 fender-flared sleeper...

hey Chevy Power, have you turned off the TM for the tranny, as Redgto mentioned??

[Chevy_Power_06]

Hahahahahhaah the "SS Z71 fender-flared sleeper" that's hilarious. The sleeper that has never woken up I would say.. All of my friends who have seen the truck tell me the same thing. They say: How is it that you have a four door SS, Z71 (dropped supposedly because its the height of the 2WD), LS, with the 4.8 Engine????? Hell, I even got the vortex max engine cover hahaha. I just laugh at their comments. I added those things because I bought the silverado as the "work truck base model" and wanted it to look a little better. I just didn't want to put all those stickers that tuners have all around saying what they lack like: MOMO, Nitro, Nito, Khumo, NOZ, Sport, etc.

MonteSS: I did turn it off, but wasn't sure that it made a difference, and I become paranoid with the tranny and started hearning "electrical mouse screech" noises. Is it safe to go back to the previous setiings (15% firmer and faster, or even max out?) What other settings would you recommend me to adjust to the sleeping giant? I'd like to test the predator to its limits. P.S. I'll start by taking out the stickers to remove weigth hahaha.

Canuck: The 2.5 ton sedated beast does 1525 RPM's at 60 mph.

Redgto04: I was guessing that the engine was the 231hp but I am not sure. I based this guess due to the fact that many "homies" down here in south Texas all they do to their trucks as far as modding goes is put 20" chrome rims and 5% tint haha. I did start messing up with the tranny options. I turned off the first two options and left on the Upshift torque reduction, but i did not feel a considerable difference. Also, I messed with the shift pressures at WOT and Partial pressures (I had them at 15% Firmer), also, The shift time I had it reduced to (-15% Faster). When I raced the F-150, I had just reseted the tranny values to 0% because I started becoming paranoid and was hearing like a "eeee" whenever the tranny went into 2nd (sort of like a squeak an electrical mouse would do, or kinda like when you leave pressed the 4 switches for the windos to roll up and they are already up. I don't know, but I just thought that I had messed above the limit with my tranny, and just reset everything back to 0%. Is it safe to go back to where I had the settings? Can I max them out withouth any harm to the tranny?

[CANUCKPREDATOR]

If you're 1525 RPM at 60 MPH, you've got 3.42 gears. Your will NEVER win off the line. Those gears are made for highway cruising, best gas mileage.

I've got 4.10, made for max out of the hole, worst gas mileage. I'm around 2000 at 60 MPH.

If you're looking to win a race from green light to finish line with a 4 door truck, you're gonna need more than CAI, exhaust and a Predator.

[Chevy_Power_06]

That sucks... Beleive me, I would change the gear ratio if I could, but I am just a poor college student with a diablo tuner trying to have fun haha... Is there any recomendation that you can make me as far as the safe limits of the Shift Pressures at WOT, partial, and shift times? what about the shift rpms? Just wanna get the most out of what I have right now..

[CANUCKPREDATOR]

I'd love to help out with tranny support but, the model I have U7194, doesn't have TCM support