Our 2011 to 2013 F150 5.0L aFe Stage 2 Intake and 5-Star tuning package is one of our most popular performance performance parts kits for the 5.0L Coyote V8-powered F150s and provide these awesome trucks with an excellent boost in horsepower, torque, and overall performance. We also have a soft spot for our friends over at aFe, thanks to all the primo parts they threw at us for our 2011 F150 EcoBoost project truck. While our 2012 F150 5.0L FX4 Project Truck is a very different breed, we were still excited to squeeze some more power out of it to go along with its huge assortment of other modifications, including ICON Stage 2 Suspension System, ReadyLift 3" Rear Block, XD Misfit Wheels, General Grabber tires, and our custom striping and hood decal.
Just as advertised, the installation of the aFe Stage 2 Cold Air intake was trivially easy to install, and we were ready to load our tune and hit the dyno in only a few minutes. Our 5-Star custom tune designed for our truck and intake was pre-loaded on an SCT Livewire tuner and dashboard monitor that we stuck to our windshield and hooked up to our FX4's OBD-II port in only a few seconds. Using the tuner, we uploaded 5-Star's tunes to our truck, and we were ready to get going. We made sure the truck was in 2WD-HI and we got the rollers going.
When we ran our 5.0L Project truck bone stock, it put down 277 horsepower and 293lb-ft of torque, which is roughly a 23% drivetrain loss, assuming our truck made the advertised 360 horsepower and 380lb-ft torque at the crank. During our run with the aFe Stage 2 Intake and 5-Star 91-octane custom tune, our F150 put down 298 horsepower and 304lb-ft of torque. That's 387 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft for a gain of 27hp and 15lb-ft of torque.
Overall, our gains weren't too shabby, if maybe a little disappointing, especially considering how much power our truck actually puts down at the wheels. Even with the drivetrain in 2WD-HI mode, a lot of power still gets lost through the transfer case. Add into that some wheel horsepower losses due to our large and heavy wheels and tires, as well as the fact that we're only using 91-octane fuel, then things start to make sense. Our fuel quality is especially problematic here in Arizona, due to the fact that most gasoline providers dump warm-weather additives into their gas, which effects engine performance.
That all being said, this aFe Stage 2 Intake and 5-Star Custom Tuning Package made good, noticeable power and greatly enhanced our truck's performance. It's just that our truck didn't take full advantage of these gains.
