What kind of mods do you guys recommend doing to a completely stock 5.4?

 

Plastidip.....lol

 

What is your goal and what is your budget?

 

"To make more power for cheap." is the usual answer.

 

I am curious about this too. budget minded, so not the cheapest but not platinum plated parts either.

the 5.4s come with 263 hp from the factory, what can be done to bump that up to 300?

Custom tunes from 5star is a good way to wake it up for sure. But you can also tune for intakes, long tube headers...etc

what else can be done? For most of us I'm sure its daily driven/toy to have fun in, but we want it to keep up with modern day trucks..which it doesnt lol

 

My goal is to get few more horsepower. And I don't care how much money it takes. I just don't know what mods are the best

 

What is best is subjective. I'm curious as to why a few more HP are needed? Are you exceeding the application limits of the truck? If so, a few more HP isn't the solution. If you're more or less bored and looking to put money into the truck, look at items that can help the longevity of it. Replace all fluids, worn suspension components, and other maintenance items.

A supercharger from a lightning will gain you real noticeable horse power. It's not easy and takes knowledge, time and a few thousand bucks. Stock internals should handle it.

The gotts mod will get you ~5 HP at WOT on paper but you won't feel the difference. A programmer will get you 20-30 and you'll notice the firmer shifts but that's it. Long tube headers gain some HP also. Efans will reduce the load on your engine.

Lower gears don't give you horse power but help with the low end power feeling. Good for towing and around town cruising.

 

Keeping up with newer trucks and shooting for a magic HP number on a more or less stock, daily driven truck is a fools errand. A 12+ year old truck will not make the HP it did at the time it was built.

The only thing that comes from these gains is personal satisfaction and a lighter bank account. If you're OK with that, see my suggestions above. Else just take it for what it is and do what is required to keep it on the road for another 20-100kk.

 

Modular Head Shop Torquer cams. No loss in the top end, plenty of extra in the low end. $600 +other parts associated with cam installs. ..go with their timed cam gears as well.

Long Tube headers $5-900

Custom Tune $399 for the tuner + $ dyno & tuner time.

That's about it unless you want a blower.




There is also the 4v swap but they're thirsty engines with no OTS long tube headers but they do start out with 300fwhp.



I don't agree with everything Tackle said but one things stands out as Gospel. "DO NOT CHASE NUMBERS!" It's futile and just leads to more expensive parts and more down time. Figure out what you're going to do from the start, get it done and stop.