2012YellowBoss

First session I was waiting to get out on the track. The car would not idle above 2K because the launch control was set. I was trying to go by memory on shutting it off but somehow remembered the code to set the pit speed limiter. - Off then Resume - Went around the track really slow lol then stopped in the hot pits and put in the Black Key. Got it sorted out after that, one mistake I will not make again.

Four Bosses and nobody had the instructions with them.

5 DOT 0

How many had TK?

cloud9

I'd like further exploration of this. I think your modified grille is about the same as mine Scott. It hardly lowered temps on my car.....maybe 5 degrees if that (same for JScheier), so I wouldn't necessarily conclude it's your grille mod. Would be nice to see some other cars get on track with the same grille pre-TK and post-TK to see if there's a temp reduction with TK.

Maybe tomorrow you could run some sessions with TK and some without and compare your temps.

2012YellowBoss

Two with - one without and one not running.

I will not be out tomorrow. The outside temp was way lower then I have been use to. I think the high was 79 today. That helped but I did run black key and saw little difference, I remember looking once and saw 215 on the long back stretch with black key. The high engine temp I mentioned was after being out there for about 25 minutes and also on the back stretch but with red key.

The straight away is so long there it is normally the area where I would see the temps rise in the past. I was really pushing the car hard today, a lot harder then I have ever driven it before and did not get a chance to look at temps much. I wanted to but would forget. In any case before modifying the grille I was at 235 without even trying. Best I can tell is the grille mod made a difference along with the cooler weather today. I have also removed the weather strip on the back of the hood to let more air flow through.

Good thing is I drove a 1:33, 1:34, 1:35 and without traffic ran many 1:36 laps. It was two run group so intermediates went into beginner or advanced classes. I choose beginner with point-by but was so much quicker then most cars (they told me I was intimidating the new guys) I went into the advanced group after lunch.

I was very apprehensive about being out there in a no point by group but it was actually quite fun not having to wait on the point-bys. While I was passed a few times I still did much more passing myself. I would wait till I had a clean run on a straight away to do it, just to be safe. There was a guy in a Lamborghini that was shocked how much I pulled away from him in the straight, he was new but still it was one high point of the day hearing that.

This car is no doubt freaking awesome, it does not take much to be one of the fastest cars on track, I am proof of that However I do not feel the new key had much to do with any better times, I was very close before to these times but several files were corrupted on my GoPro. I did not go into limp mode and that is a great thing, however since I still threw codes all day and the check engine light did come on I am wondering (or maybe doubting) the TK does anything to fix this issue. I certainly hope I am wrong and the codes still show up but just without the limp mode. I understood through the rumor mill it was suppose to stop all the codes??? Only time will tell, John from BMO is running Sebring tomorrow so lets see what he says.

The black Boss in my driveway was also running a modded grille and black key, I will ask him about what temps he saw today. I want to get the oil cooler out of the radiator hose at some time and I think this combo (grille and oil cooler mod) will be good enough. The real answer for this is months away now, when it is hot and humid again. Maybe Ford will tell us what is in the TK, if it does change the way the fan works, for example, we would have a better idea. Outside of that I am not sure what the TK would or could do to reduce enging temp.

Sorry it is not the answer you wanted to hear but I think since you run so much harder then me maybe you are still seeing higher temps. As you know it only takes a little lifting to lower the engine temp but from what I hear you don't lift a whole lot out there

cloud9

I was checking my anti-freeze level today and noticed a little leakage so my seal must have been blown on the cap. Last time out temp was only 79 and car hit 251 ECT/CHT until I pulled the grille.

5 DOT 0

Which grill?

VTXFrank

Damnit Ford! Why did you do this to BOSS owners?

My 2011 GT with Lund Cammed tune sounds better than that.

OP, sorry to hear you're disappointed with the TK. It would, however, be interesting to see back to back dyno runs with the black key and the TK.

cloud9

Stock grille cut out horizontal slats around the pony, the hood latch and the bottom. Fogs cut out and screened off. I think I'm going to pick up a billet and a GT surround and just pop it in for track days. My friend's running that on his 5.0 and it's 20-25 degrees cooler than stock grille. It's either that or lift more but I'm just not wired for that.

1FAFP90

IF (and that's a big IF) I understand the dealer instructions correctly, if at any time the system throws a code or detects a misfire, lopey idle goes away and has to be relearned. Maybe this is why some of us have a lopey idle and some don't. Personally my "lopiness' and shaking seems more noticeable after some spirited driving around than it does when it first hits the 170F / 130sec / blip throttle mark.

edit: fwiw, I do not run TK with a/c or heater. Maybe running the a/c compressor raises the idle, negating the lopey idle?

2012YellowBoss

I do see a difference in the idle with track key, the RPM is 100 higher without AC then the Black Key. It sounds a little deeper and once every few seconds the cars shakes a little (like it is missing). There is no doubt there is a change to idle with trackey but not like the vids on youtube posted by Ford and not like the PP cars or the cars the Ford engineers bought (the first few LS's)

The engine codes did not make a difference. I was still seeing the rough idle at the track but did not concentrate on it too much. Whether it did it after the code I did not notice but I would just clear the codes after runs. In Ford's defense there was nothing official that I have seen that said the cars would not being throwing these codes, it was all rumor. In our defense there has been nothing official on what Trackey really changes. Just "600 things" what things? If it was suppose to change the sensitivity of the motors sensors so they will not throw codes on the track, it's not working.

I never saw the media cars throwing codes on the track and being reported as such. Maybe CARB thought that change was going to end life on earth also. If this too is something they took out, what is really left at this point?

P0 Corsa

Gary has already posted the pre/post TK dyno runs. No decernable difference in power or torque. Which to be fair is what Ford has intimated all along. They have never claimed TK would deliver more "power".

2012YellowBoss

I do feel the Grille is making a difference, there is little doubt of that. The outside temp also made a huge difference, you can see that with not just the engine but brakes and wheels. When I came in I could easily check the tire pressure. In mid-summer while checking tire pressure you can feel the radiant heat burning you face and hands. They were hot yesterday but not like that.

I had only 30 minutes between runs, I was able to change tires after sitting for 10-15 minutes. The lugs were hot but you could pick them up. On a normal summer day here you could not touch them for up to 30 minutes.

I think this grille mod will work for me for a while. Each time I get a chance to drive I get a little better and drive a little harder but it will be a very long time to I get to the point of some of the skilled guys on this forum. I also believe that getting the oil cooler out of the radiator hose will help especially with you guys running on the edge.

Fenderaddict2

I have to say improved a difference running the Trackey today. Everything was simply more aggressive. Then again it was a cold day so it could be that ;-)

Dig-It Racing

Has anyone seen the list of 600? Sure would be interesting to know.

VTXFrank

Haven't seen it. I knew it wouldn't really add power to the overall #'s, I'm more interested in seeing what it does to the curve. I'll have to look for the dynograph.

2012YellowBoss

Gary's graphs

adam81

Hopefully I will be getting the trackey installed this week. I wanted to take care of a few concerns with my car and have everything documented before installing the key.... Nothing major, just me be picky.

I can't wait to see how it behaves. Call me gimicky but I really hope I am pleased with the lopey idle.... I love the sound of a cammed v8! To have that badass sound WITH a factory warranty would be bliss... To be honest it is something that I thought about and considered that eventually led me to buy the car..... However small or big of an impact it did or did not have it was still part of the reason I bought.

2012YellowBoss

Just don't get too excited, the idle sounds more like a miss fire and I am still throwing codes on track. Seems like a little better throttle response but that is about all I have seen so far. Took a Boss owner (admittedly not a track rat) out and they agreed with me that you really can not tell any major difference between the two keys.

Whammer

Maybe they accidentally put a V6 in your car.

1FAFP90

Do they own TK or drive your car with TK? No offence, but I can't figure out how a non-Track Rat passenger would tell a difference in the drivability of a car.