I like you spelling out tune T-U-N-E. That's what my Boss is waiting for.

 

OK so here we sit almost 5 months after TK is released--anyone in the aftermarket figure out how to load an aftermarket tune to a TK-programmed BOSS yet?

Would be nice if someone can figure this out in 2012 so I can pull my cats when the car goes to race-mode in 2013..................

 

I'll be honest, I think this is the first Mustang I've owned (and i've owned 8) that I don't care to tune. It's so perfectly engineered that I see very little need for it. The stock and TK settings give me enough power and variety.

I get that the weekend track guys want one, but since I'll be taking my car to a track 2-3 times a year, at most, i'm just happy with the stock car and TracKey tune.

 

I get what your saying, and I almost want too agree, but I still want 450rwhp. Then I'll be happy.......for a little while LOL.

 

I think I will work on my driving instead……
But would love to hear the results.
My feeling is, get rid of unsprung weight.Its the best way to increase your power to weight ratios.I do lighter wheels/tires and get rid of the stock anchor ,I mean the muffler!With out actually doing the math.I would assume its equivalent to 50HP.Not to mention how the reduced weight reduces wear on your brakes,tires .Also the improved handling and braking.
Just my 02

 

Lets not forget about swaping out that driveshaft and having to spin all that steel. It's ture, you can pick up at least 50 to 65hp just with lighting the load and improve handling at the same time. And still keep the warranty.

 

If your turning the Boss into a dedicated track car, why would you need two tunes? If your making mods that require a tune then no matter what key you use you will need to access the mod required tune.

I wouldn't hold my breath for an aftermarket two key tune. Doesn't Ford have a Copyright on the whole dual key / path tech?

 

I don't think you understood my point. I'm not concerned about having two tunes, I'm concerned about being able to flash a PCM that has TK installed already.

Ideally, I'd just want to have the TK tune, but with the necessary changes to delete the cats so I can run offroad pipes. If that's not possible, I'd be interested in loading an aftermarket tune; the question is what happens to the PCM if you try to load aftermarket, when TK is already installed? Does the PCM lock up?

Is it possible to have TK removed when the time comes? I don't think anyone's answered these questions; that's OK for now, but these are important considerations that tuners should be keeping in mind as they progress.

On the other hand, not sure how much effort these guys will devote to solving a scenario that is only applicable to say, 10,000 B302s instead of an entire run of Mustangs.

 

American muscle already did mods to a 302 , I think it was headers and exhaust with a tune (bama) I don't have the link right now but if you look up on you tube under American muscle boss 302 you'll find it.

 

Yes, I've seen that. Before the TK is installed, there is no issue, the PCM can be flashed. Multiple people have tunes already.

The question is how does the PCM behave if you try to load an aftermarket tune, if TK is already installed.

• Does the Black Key slot get flashed?
• Does the Red Key slot get flashed?
• Do both slots get flashed?
• Will the PCM still work?
• Do both keys still load different tunes or ?

Work with me here, guys. Use your imaginations if you have to. I thought these were pretty straightforward questions. Has anyone learned anything in the last 5 months?

And the reason I ask is that I'm not willing to be the guinea pig when the time comes, so don't go there!

 

Got it. I could speculate that the dual path would again become a single path like before trackey was installed, but having aftermarket tuner try it would be better.

 

I wonder if you can somehow piggy back an external chip on it like on my Powerstroke Diesel 7.3. They have chips that allow up to 16 different tunes that you can switch on the fly. Everything from "Drive Through" tunes for a quiet truck while you order your burger, to "Race" tunes that are optimized for power to "Economy" for that.

Is there a service port on the Boss PCM? That's where my Powerstroke chip plugs in. Mine's old school and I have 4 tunes on a rotary switch that I can change on the fly.

 

I read that Justin Starkey (VMP Tuning) bought a Boss. If that's true, your questions will be answered very soon

 

Goooood. GOOOOOOD.

 

If a CAI installed with the Track Key resets the air/fuel parameters back to stock, I wonder what the effects of a just K&N with a Track Key tune are? I wouldn't think the reset is permanent because the Track Key programmed values should not just disappear.

So your question is basically if a tuner is unable to crack TK code for the purpose of making changes to certain parameters, can the TK tune simply be overwritten?

 

OK, maybe this is a stupid question, but why do you need the TK factory tune that give no more power if you have an aftermarket tune on the black key?

TK, I'd think, would be for people who want to benefits of that "tune" (though it give no more power to the car) if you plan to stay stock and want to go to the track.

But if you are going to mod the car anyway, just get the aftermarket tune.
Can't an aftermarket tuner of the Boss 302 speed up throttle response, eliminate TC, and other factors as well as add power? I know this can be done on other cars aftermarket tunes, as I've had it done. But not sure about the Boss.

Personally at this point just forgo the TK if you plan to mod the car with an aftermarket tune.

 

Has it been proven that the TK doesn't add anything? I have yet to see any dynos to prove it either way.

 

Yes, it has been shown that Trackey adds no peak power. Ford had said that all along.

 

This still perplexes me. I know what everyone, including Ford, says, but what is the point of the TK then? A ****ty loopy-idle sound?

It just seems that if it turns off all the nannies, sounds more bad-***, and costs extra you should be getting some sort of extra performance out of it.

I don't have the thing activated yet, so this isn't someone trying to rationalize an expenditure, but I just don't get how the TK does nothing, yet it does a lot of stuff at the same time. Paradox much?

 

Why don't you pose that question to Ford?