My visit to Whipple Supercharger in Fresno

I setup a fantastic Group Buy for the Whipple Stage 1 Kit online - we hoped to get at least 10 guys in to get the discount, little did I know that 42 people signed up in 2 days!!  If you know Whipple Superchargers then you understand why they're so good!  They've been around for decades and are most popularly know for their twin-screw superchargers.

Well, the 2017 Ford Raptor - is a twin-turbo V6, so why the heck would Whipple mess with a turbo car?  It's a totally different forced induction running from exhaust gases versus compressing incoming ambient air like a supercharger does... well, it's because Whipple has had a masterful relationship with Ford and they work together to build an amazing ECU tune for this truck!

The kit comes with a new Cold Air Intake (CAI), a bigger intercooler (which is critical in keeping temps lower), and of course the masterful computer retune.  I visited the Whipple home site in Fresno, CA and dropped it off for the upgrades.

Naturally the motor needs to cool down after our 3 hour drive, so they worked on it later that afternoon while my son and I trolloped around Fresno (hint: not that much to do!)

The next morning, I was like a kid at Christmas - up early, wanting to run down and check the tree for presents - but alas, I was in a hotel room and ate some oatmeal with bad coffee  LOL

But we decided to go over to the Whipple shop earlier so we could maybe sneak a peak.  Little did we know that Dustin Whipple himself would give us the grand tour!  

haha - even the bushes say WHIPPLE 

Some nice customer toys in the lot

that supercharged GT350 puts down 987HP!!!

can't go wrong with a blacked out GT

More Raptor Fun!

Yes, that's an engine dyno!

Brand new 2018 Mustang GT ready for a supercharger buildup!

A whole building full of CNC machines making custom/small-order parts!

 Taking bit's of metal like this...

and turning it into this!

 

ooh, dive right in!  LOL

Now, onto the dyno!  Here are my old parts...

and the computer for the dyno

The beast on the dyno!

she's a little fat :)

 

re-gapping the spark plugs...

 

pic of the new intake

Here's the fun! 

Overall, the tune was tweaked and dialed in - the truck goes from 450HP/510ft-lbs stock

 to 

530HP 580ft-lbs tuned!!

VERY happy with the results!

The nice part is this is CARB legal with an actual E0 number 

A lot of folks have been concerned about the 'open' box design - but as you can see the gasket presses up to the hood so it's not fully 'open' under there - definitely gives more 'whoosh' sound from the turbos :)

edit: As you know, turbo vehicles can appreciate a good tune - and Whipple did a fantastic job of keeping this setup CARB legal AND giving the punch it needs.  They even update the Transmission Control Module (TCM) regularly so you can get the benefit of all the Ford updates to the new 10-spd transmission coding!  Hope you enjoy!

who wants a do it all boom box with a Ford logo?

This is so retro cool - who wants to buy me one?

it's badass!

• 8-inch woofer, 3-inch tweeter, and 100-watt peak power amplifier pumps up the volume - great for outdoor adventure!
• IPX4 water-resistant - okay to leave in the rain
• "All-terrain tire" rubber-treaded body and 75-hour rechargeable battery for uninterrupted fun from a durable speaker
• Telescoping handle, wheels, and two side carrying handles give you all you need for portability
• Includes 12V input jacks and cable to keep your speaker working while you're on the go

Installation of the Ford Raptor Lights Kit - you can do it!

From a previous post, I jumped on the Black Friday deal at http://fordraptorlights.com and had a custom setup delivered.  https://2017-ford-raptor.blogspot.com/2017/11/gonna-lite-up-nite-with.html

When the kit arrived, I was super excited.

I've never owned a truck, and I've never wired up lights before - but the new Ford Raptor makes it REALLY easy with the AUX switches that are built into the ceiling console.  For some, this is a trivial install - but it's fun to try something NEW!   Here's the process and steps I took to install...

Custom Triple Bezel Kit Full With Wire Harness Brackets 

KC HiLiTES Flex Lights and all hardware × 1

KC HiLiTES FLEX amber covers × 1

BAJA SQUADRON SPORT DRIVING COMBO PAIR

BAJA SQUADRON PRO SPOT PAIR

    

Unboxed everything, all in great shape!  Seriously good quality in this build - the frames are SOLID and each piece fits together perfectly!

Here's a closer look at one of the frames with the KC HiLites 10W LED and amber cover.

 One of the amber covers installed, and the other shown - they come with a protective layer on the backside to ensure they're not scratched up - very nice!

Both lights with lenses mounted - this will give a wider spread pattern for fog/snow/rain.

2nd slot gets BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SPORT DRIVING COMBO PAIR

notice the bottom 2 lenses are fluted to distribute the light path to the sides, and the top are more of a spot (long throw) pattern...

CENTER slot gets the super powerful BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON PRO SPOT PAIR, these lights are 4300 lumens which is VERY bright and are long throw for distance

I started to lay out the parts to ensure they're in the right locations, the plastic triangle parts clip into the metal brackets and the KC Hi-Lites fit only in the outer most slots, the BD lights fit into the 2 central slots for the brackets.

 Here's a better picture of the brackets with the plastic clipped into the shell...

 Since the lights are different sizes, they have to be mounted at different heights - the kit comes with washer and spacers to allow for this height adjustment - you can see the collection of washers, risers, lock nuts per light...  pretty simple once you figure it out, and it's all documented in the guide!

A closer view of the driver's side setup - the black bolt shows where the light bracket will reside.

I was excited to see how it all went together so I mounted all the lights...

yes, both sides...

Prior to installing the brackets the kit comes with some nice gaskets that fit the Raptor opening perfectly.  Start at the bottom, trust me it's much easier than any other option.

Fits perfectly - as I stated before - this is a GREAT kit!

When you mount the brackets on the Raptor - there's already 1 hole under the bumper cover brace, the bracket goes in FRONT of the brace and you thread THROUGH that hole into the bracket.  The 2nd hole isn't threaded either but you just turn the screw through the plastic till it catches the bracket.  This was probably the toughest part...

 So - here's the driver's side bracket mounted... notice the BD lights are missing... yeah, after a few phone calls with the Ford Raptor Lights team (THEY'RE AWESOME!) they said it's much easier to mount without lights installed - and they're RIGHT!  

Here are both brackets installed with all lights mounted

Driver's side closeup... 

This was something that I was a bit hesitant on... the kit comes with a pre-wired loom with all the same connectors that fit the KC Hi-Lites but the BD lights need a Weather Tech connector - so you have to cut the end and wire in new connectors.  I'm not new to stripping/crimping but it was one of those unexpected things to do... I sat and watched some Netflix and did the 4 new ends LOL

So the wire loom was completed, and the lights were mounted I just needed to wire these puppies up!
I chose to setup the first 3 of the 6 AUX lights

AUX 1: KC HiLiTES Amber Flex Lights

AUX 2: BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SPORT DRIVING COMBO PAIR

AUX 3: BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON PRO SPOT PAIR

The reason I did this instead of just wiring all of them to 1 switch is that I can customize what light is needed.  If i just need the amber fogs, AUX1. If I need more light for dark roads flip AUX2.  For long shot visibility, flip on AUX3.  All 3 on for BAM! Visibility! :)

I first routed the wire loom to each set of lights and then up the passenger side of the engine bay.  Under the hood, by the passenger side rear of the engine bay there will be 6 wires tucked away - these are the AUX upfitter wires.

Switch	Circuit	Wire Color
Aux 1	CBB47A	Green/Blue
Aux 2	CBB48A	Gray/Yellow
Aux 3	CBB94	Violet/Orange
Aux 4	CBB96	Brown/Blue
Aux 5	CBB98A	Gray/Orange
Aux 6	CBBA0B	Yellow/Violet

Here are the AUX1-3 wires connected to the wire loom.  I used some heatshrink butt connectors and added more heatshrink tubing over those to ensure everything is watertight.  

And the finished result!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed installing - leave feedback!

Whipple Stage 1 Kit for 2017/2018 Ford Raptor Group Buy is ON till 11/27

Whipple Stage 1 Kit for 2017/2018 Ford Raptor

CARB APPROVED!  

Group Buy will close Monday, 11/27/17 - let me know if you want in on this!  Already up to 18 interested folks who are committed to buy!
Once the group buy closes on Monday, I'll update the list to be finalized and Whipple will send out emails to contact the buyers.

Original price $1,999 includes tuner, intake, intercooler

5-9 = 15% off $1,699
10-19 = 20% off $1,599
20+ = 30% off $1,399

Here's the new programmer!  No need to ship your PCM!

Some of the basics it can do and keep in mind, its an OEM based tool so it will never have all frills some of the other tools will have.

Currently:

• Read/erase codes
• Upload stock file, save to SD card (can back up on PC)
• Download modified cal
• Tire/axle changing
• Crank relearn
• Data logging, 2gb SD card included
• Read live data

Future:

• Cals comes from Whipple server
• Whipple server notifies you if an update becomes available
• More advanced logging and graphing features.

Whipple, known for its industry leading upgrade systems and technological innovations, has now brought the same technology to the 2017 and up 3.5L V6 F150 and Raptors with the Whipple Stage 1 system.

The stage 1 systems couples the Whipple Mega Cooler, roto molded high velocity cold air intake and industry leading custom calibration to make an amazing 150* foot pounds of torque and 70* horsepower more than stock. Even better, at 3500 rpm, the system produces over 180 foot pounds of torque over stock giving more power under the curve for incredible throttle response.

The Whipple Monster Cooler offers 54% greater volume and 8% more surface area. The bar and plate type intercooler features offset fin on both the cold and hot side, allowing for increased cooling capacity while fitting into the stock packaging, yet significantly out performing the stock cooler. Test show a 90 degree (F) drop in temperature just on the dyno, yet even bigger gains are shown during real world applications. The colder air allows increased spark advance and more O2 to the engine, resulting in more power while maintaining safety.

The Whipple high velocity air intake system boast the CAD driven, CFD modeled rotor molded plastic air intake that maximizes air speed while reducing inlet restrictions. The air system features the velocity stack gauze those filter with extra wide pleats, giving the air filter the capacity to flow over 132% more air than a stock paper filter.

The Stage 1 system heart and soul is the industry leading calibration. Whipple and it's Ford calibration team worked feverishly using advanced tools to develop a calibration that could maximize power while being legal and safe at the same time. After countless dyno and real world testing in multiple environments, the engineers were able to extract massive levels of torque and horsepower yet maintaining factory type safety settings.

The Whipple Stage 1 system is the first and only 50-state legal Ecoboost complete upgrade package available today CARB APPROVED! allowing for upgrades in all 50-states. No cutting or grinding required.

Gonna lite up the nite with FordRaptorLights setup!

While the LED headlights are pretty good IMHO on the '17 Raptor I'm going to light up the night with this 6-light setup from https://fordraptorlights.com  they have an early Black Friday '17 Sale going where you get $75 off and a $50 MIR from Baja Designs!  

Here's my order - see what you think?

Custom Triple Bezel Kit Full With Wire Harness Brackets 

KC HiLiTES Flex Lights and all hardware × 1

KC HiLiTES FLEX amber covers × 1

BAJA SQUADRON SPORT DRIVING COMBO PAIR

BAJA SQUADRON PRO SPOT PAIR

    

I chose these three setups for brightness and distance, the outside KC Flex will have a good spread pattern with amber covers to have a wide path for fog.  The Squadron Sport will be great for daily driving - bright but not overly so.  The Squadron Pro Spot will really send the light when truly needed...  All done with the AUX switches onboard!!

KC FLEX™ Single LED feature bright CREE LEDs in a spot or spread beam pattern inside a compact, rugged Aluminum housing with precision reflectors.  Rated at 10 watts and 975 lumens in a wide spread pattern, great with amber covers to match the Raptor!

Squadron® Sport utilizes 4 Cree LEDs producing an impressive 1,800 lumens at 20 watts making it ideal for near field, side/backup and scene lighting applications.

Squadron® Pro packs 4,900 Lumens at 40 watts that will truly annihilate the night. Don’t let this light fool you, although compact in size this LED auxiliary light will literally blind you with brightness.  The Pro comes equipped with a sleek black gloss aluminum housing and outshines the competition through both appearance and performance.

Use code 75BUCKS to get the initial discount!

Super Excited for the holidays!  Gotta find some DARK places to visit :)

code: XMASRAP will get you 25% off for Raptor T-Shirts!

Who doesn't like new clothes for Christmas?

code: XMASRAP will get you 25% off! @ Raptorlicious - got modes?

SYNC 3 "UNOFFICIAL" V3.0 BUILD_17276 is AVAILABLE!

If you liked my last thread on Ford SYNC 3 Version 3.0 - this is even better!  A new build!

Nav Version

Mirror: Here

Non-Nav Version 
Mirror: Here 

(Follow official pdf instructions below) Installation instructions: 
1. Download. 
2. Unzip onto desktop. 
3. Grab a USB Flash Drive, 32GB minimum. 

4. Format the drive to exFAT.

5. Put the extracted files inside the flash drive. 
6. Turn car on. Turn bluetooth off, just in case(optional). Or master reset before beginning.
7. It might take 5 mins for Updating System Software message to pop up, then 19 mins to install from there on

Depending on the Ford model, it might reboot automatically after installation is complete, if navigation maps don't come back don't worry turn off/on the car again.

*OFFICIAL UPDATE v2.3.10 --> OWNER.FORD.COM*

**CAUTION:There are FOUR versions to this update, MY 16 Nav/Non-Nav, and MY 17 Nav/Non-Nav, a single file will not work for both years! Even if they appear identical, use the one for your model year! You risk damaging APIM and/or Gracenotes and possibly other things**

***FOR INSTALLATION TO GO FLAWLESSLY THE FIRST TIME, USE MIN. 32GB USB DRIVE WITH 3.0 SPEED FOR BEST RESULTS.***

Mirror links:North America: (Follow pdf attachments at the bottom for instructions)
Official link to MY 16 w/Nav: HereOfficial link to MY 17 w/Nav: Here

USB Step 1 PDF
USB Step 2 PDF
USB Step 3 PDF