• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Seat Of Pants change with Gearhead AO Tune?

S

Svtguy

Member
#1
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
#1
Hi Guys,

New member here just picked up a black Explorer ST a couple of weeks ago and overall I really like it.. This car seems reasonably fast from a complete stop, but seems pretty tame when doing WOT pulls at 40-60 MPH. Does a 93 tune only, wake these cars up significantly from a roll?

I ordered the GH AO tune today....so now the wait begins...

Also has anyone ran 87 on the Gearhead tune? I'm assuming the it would be similar to the power level of the stock tune on 93 but doesn't ping?
 

GearHead_1

GearHead_1

1000 Post Club
#2
Messages
1,557
Reactions
1,301
Points
262
Location
Utah
Vehicle
Exploder
#2
No offense intended here but I never quite understood why people who are tuning their cars consider running 87-octane fuel. What is the mindset in doing so?
 

OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #3
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #3
An Explorer ST is a daily diver, I plan to run 93 most of the time in the summer, but sometimes in rural areas they don’t have 93 and running 87 is the only option.

Also in the winter when snow and ice limit traction why spend the 25% extra on premium on fuel for HP that you can use anyways…
 

GearHead_1

GearHead_1

1000 Post Club
#4
Messages
1,557
Reactions
1,301
Points
262
Location
Utah
Vehicle
Exploder
#4
I'd have to surmise that it has something to do with location. I've just never in all my driving within the US been someplace that I couldn't buy top-grade (not top-tier) fuel. I also realize that in large swaths of the US, premium fuel carries a 91-octane rating.
 

C

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
#5
Messages
1,693
Reactions
842
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#5
If the shifting is improved, that's worth it by itself.
 

OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #6
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #6
Yeah shifting in Sport mode isn’t the best as it doesn’t upshift after getting off the throttle and can have clunky low speed downshifts. Seems like Ford didn’t really bother refining Sport’s mode for anything other than WOT pulls.

Normal and ECO seem to shift fine for the most part.

Sounds like an GH tune addresses shifting which is good.
 

OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #7
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #7
Did the 93 AO tune this morning, the car definitely pulls harder when in boost, and drives like OEM with better shifting in Sport mode. Driving the car back to back the shifting rather than the power gains are more noticeable.

I was hopeful that a tune would make the SOP feel significantly faster but it’s not that big of a difference….. I’m also sure the Gearhead tune turns off the FENG, so even though it’s faster now, it’s much quieter and therefore doesn’t feel a bunch faster because there is less fan fare. Probably time for an exhaust system :)

There is a station that sells E85 pretty close to my house, is there any downside side to regularly running a 25-30% top off of E85 on top of Shell 93?
 

C

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
#8
Messages
1,693
Reactions
842
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#8
I'd wait to judge shifting after flashing a tune because the transmission adaptations are reset.
 

OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #9
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #9
Cdubya said:
I'd wait to judge shifting after flashing a tune because the transmission adaptations are reset.
Click to expand...
The first drive after the tune was to the hardware store which is down a winding mountain road in both Sports and Eco mode. The first trip was to get the stuff I needed….and the second trip was to get the stuff I should have gotten the first trip… 13 miles each way lots of tight corners… On the Gas off the Gas lots with some steep grades about 1300ft elevation drop/gain each way.

The Gearhead tune up shifts and down shift much more fluidly….. even coasting down a steep grade while engine braking you can get to to up shift by lightly pressing the gas in sport mode.

Overall much improved over stock, which had harsher shifts both up and down in Sports mode and was reluctantly to upshift when off the throttle.
 

R

ridered74

Member
#10
Messages
198
Reactions
124
Points
37
Location
Columbus, OH, USA
#10
Svtguy said:
Did the 93 AO tune this morning, the car definitely pulls harder when in boost, and drives like OEM with better shifting in Sport mode. Driving the car back to back the shifting rather than the power gains are more noticeable.

I was hopeful that a tune would make the SOP feel significantly faster but it’s not that big of a difference….. I’m also sure the Gearhead tune turns off the FENG, so even though it’s faster now, it’s much quieter and therefore doesn’t feel a bunch faster because there is less fan fare. Probably time for an exhaust system :)

There is a station that sells E85 pretty close to my house, is there any downside side to regularly running a 25-30% top off of E85 on top of Shell 93?
Click to expand...

All else completely stock, the AO tune took a full second off my 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. I'm surprised you say it's not that big of a difference. If I remember right Matt said the AO tune accounts for up to 20% ethanol, over that won't help but also won't hurt anything.
 

OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #11
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #11
ridered74 said:
All else completely stock, the AO tune took a full second off my 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. I'm surprised you say it's not that big of a difference. If I remember right Matt said the AO tune accounts for up to 20% ethanol, over that won't help but also won't hurt anything.
Click to expand...
Yeah it’s faster but the car has so little drama now with the FENG disabled, couple that with the AWD and the 10sp that it’s much harder to gauge that the car is hooking and booking. It’s pretty deceptive in speed and power delivery.
 

Last edited:
OP
S

Svtguy

Member
Thread Starter #12
Messages
37
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
Calgary
Vehicle
69 Mach 1
Thread Starter #12
Well I switched to PE30 and after about 30 miles of city of driving I can’t tell the difference between it or running straight 93….but I’m not winding the car out past 50MPH either…which is where most of the power gain’s probably come with a tune only ST.

I think this 3.0L TT needs another 3.0L…lol
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Explorer ST Posts



Top