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 The K&N Filtercharger...  The K&N Filtercharger is installed first. Remove the throttle-body cover and disconnect the air-temperature sensor electrical connection. |
 Loosen the hose clamp at the...  Loosen the hose clamp at the throttle body, disconnect the idle air control and PCV hoses from the intake tube, and remove the intake tube. |
 Disconnect the secondary mass-air...  Disconnect the secondary mass-air sensor electrical connection and remove the entire air cleaner assembly. Once removed, you will need to open the air-cleaner assembly and remove the mass-air sensor. |
 The K&N Filtercharger...  The K&N Filtercharger includes everything you need to replace the factory unit. Transfer the mass-air sensor to the K&N Filtercharger, connect the saddle bracket to the existing engine stud via the K&N directions, make sure all hose clamps are tight, and you&8217re done. |
 The ECU must be removed to...  The ECU must be removed to properly install the JET performance module. Lopez removed the battery to access the ECU mounting bracket screw and harness connection. Here, the factory cover is removed to expose the test port. |
 Care must be taken to clean...  Care must be taken to clean all traces of the protective coating before the JET module is installed. Contact cleaner works on white grease, but a soft wire brush or X-acto knife must be carefully used if the connectors are coated in silicone. |
 With the contacts clean, the...  With the contacts clean, the JET module is pressed in. Lopez wrapped the unit in electrical tape as extra insurance. The computer is slipped back into position, the harness plugged in, and the screw tightened. |
 The Gibson after-cat system...  The Gibson after-cat system mounts to the factory brackets and exits in the stock location. The mandrel-bent 3-inch pipe and high-flow muffler are aluminized to combat corrosion. |
 With the old muffler and tailpipe...  With the old muffler and tailpipe removed, the Gibson pieces are fit into position. The clamps are left loose until clearances are checked. |
 When everything looks good...  When everything looks good tighten the clamps. The kit includes a polished stainless exhaust tip to complete the installation. |
It seems that everything nowadays is large-scale. Weve got super-macho-grande tacos, the bucket o fountain drink, and vehicles that come from the factory with up to twice as much horsepower as their counterparts of a decade ago. Yet, we still want more!
The Mission
We were interested in discovering how much more power we could muster from a 1999 Ford F-150 in just one afternoon of bolting on parts, so we gave Russ Jacobs of RV Performance Connection a call. We explained that we needed these improvements to be smog legal, compliant with the manufacturer’s warranty, and easy enough to install so that the average truck owner possessing decent mechanical skills could perform the installation. He suggested one of his package deals consisting of a K&N Filtercharger kit, a JET Performance Products chip, and a Gibson after-cat exhaust. With all the leg work done for us, we loaded up the parts and headed out.
Jet Performance Products was kind enough to let us flog this 20,000-mile Ford on their dyno for the afternoon to generate our before and after horsepower numbers. Before performing any modifications we strapped the bone-stock 5.4L Ford to the dyno to establish our baseline. We were very surprised to learn that the 5.4L belted out 241 peak horsepower at 5,000 rpm.
The truck was then taken to South Coast Muffler, Hitch, & Welding where Edward Nuno of South Coast and Israel Lopez of RV Performance installed the parts in about four hours using common tools that most enthusiasts would have in their tool arsenal.
With the installation complete we motored back to JET to see how much horsepower we had gained.
The Parts
An engine is nothing more than a glorified air pump. The more air and fuel you can cycle through the cylinders, the more power you are able to generate. The parts supplied by RV Performance simply helped the Ford 5.4L breathe in and out better.
The K&N Filtercharger replaces the factory paper element and plastic housing with an oil-impregnated gauze element and high-flow intake tube that K&N says provides a 30 to 50 percent increase in airflow. All sensors and connections from the stock assembly are transferred to the K&N unit to retain emissions legality.
The Gibson after-cat exhaust uses mandrel-bent 3-inch pipes and Gibson's high-flow muffler. The system increases mid and upper rpm power and allows the engine to work easier, thus freeing up more horsepower to the rear wheels. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Gibson exhaust provides a more muscular sound, without a drastic increase in loudness.
With the increased airflow afforded by the K&N and Gibson parts, the engine was in need of more fuel. The JET Performance Products module plugs into the factory ECU diagnostic test port to alter the engine’s management of timing and fuel delivery. Since the test port is used only at the factory during assembly, there is no need to remove the JET module during servicing. The JET module does nothing to alter the engine’s performance at low rpm, but from about 2,500 rpm and up the chip advances the ignition timing and increases fuel input.
The Results
Are we happy? You bet! The dyno told us what we suspected from the seat-of-the-pants feel. We saw an increase of about 20 hp across the entire test range with the peak horsepower climbing from 241 to 267 at 5,000 rpm. That’s power you can feel during everyday driving or blasting across the dunes. Not bad for an afternoon of bolting on parts.