The calibrations that Ford Racing provides for our cold-air and supercharger kits are done by Ford
engineers who, in many cases, worked on the actual production vehicles. No one is more familiar with
Ford engines and Ford control systems than Ford engineers. Extreme care is taken to provide as much
power and torque as can be safely delivered, but also to deliver high durability and exceptional drivability.
Most of our kits are also 50-State emissions legal and many are now even offered with a Ford Racing
limited warranty.

Here are a couple of aftermarket tuners practices that we do NOT recommend:
• Turning off the inferred catalyst, oxygen sensor and exhaust valve temperature protection logic
discussed in the previous section. This prevents the PCM from richening the A/F ratio to protect
these components which can result in more power under certain conditions. The downside is
drastically decreased durability of these expensive components. Ford Racing does not compromise
durability by turning off this calibration logic.
• They often advance spark timing to potentially unsafe levels. We test our calibrations in a wind tunnel
and in hot dry weather to verify that potentially damaging spark knock or catastrophic pre-ignition does
not occur. We also do cold weather and altitude testing as well as extensive emissions and durability
testing on several vehicles before we release a calibration to the customer. Some companies do not
realize that they need to perform this type of testing in the first place!
Automatic transmission calibration is an area that Ford Racing sets itself apart from other “tuners”. We
generally make extensive calibration changes to not only improve shift quality and give the transmission a
more performance oriented feel, but take great care to ensure that durability is not compromised to levels
we feel would be unacceptable to a customer. In development we monitor things like clutch slip times,
slip energies, band temperatures and other variables to make calibration changes as appropriate so that
the customer can be sure of a quality product that will continue to deliver improved performance in the
long term. As mentioned before, these changes are performed by the same engineers who designed and
developed the vehicles in the first place, and who are more familiar than anyone with their performance
and durability envelopes.
Some aftermarket tuners develop their calibrations exclusively on a chassis dyno and go straight to
the end customer. While dyno work is a critical part of the development process, it is only one piece
of a complex puzzle. Calibrating for wide open throttle (WOT) is generally simple, but the bulk of the
calibration effort is getting the part (and closed) throttle drivability correct. Our calibrations are developed
not only on the dyno, but also on the street for production (or better) quality drivability, and across many
vehicles to allow for manufacturing tolerances. Varied driving conditions, constant data monitoring, and
long-term testing ensure consistent drivability.
In recent years, cars and trucks have shifted toward electronic throttle control (ETC) or “drive-by-wire”
systems for packaging, cost and enhanced calibration functions. Ford Racing calibrations for ETC
vehicles take advantage of some of the increased functionality offered by these systems by changing the
relationship between the pedal and the throttle for improved “performance feel”. This allows us to provide
substantial improvements in “performance feel” even on the kits where the peak horsepower increase
might be considered modest by some. The peak power numbers do not always tell the whole story.

Some claims are due to poor and misleading dynamometer test practices. Others are genuine but at the
expense of engine, catalyst or drivetrain durability.
Hopefully this article gives you the tools necessary to determine what is real dyno horsepower,
manipulated false horsepower and temporary horsepower waiting to cause a failure. We are confident
that as a potential customer you will agree that no one knows your car or truck better than the Ford
engineers who designed it in the first place. Our kits offer the best blend of performance, durability and