3.5 ecoboost Turbo FMEM / Wastegate airflow limit

My tuning experience is limited to speed density tuning on a not-so-well supported early 2000's jeep PCM. However, tuning and the fundamentals behind it is something I feel I have a good understanding and a healthy respect for engine internals, and the importance of limits.

That being said, I've been messing around with my 2019 F150 3.5 EB. With much searching, reading guides, watching videos, and some experimenting, I've achieved some extra power on my platform. So I'm hitting turbo FMEM as my driver demand limit source, and wastegate airflow as torque max source. I'm not finding a whole lot of clarification on what causes these, and which tables to manipulate to get around it. I don't want to just push unsafe limits either.

My turbo airflow is almost always higher then my turbo desired, so my thoughts are that this condition may be causing the Turbo FMEM, but the air load/desired load seem to be within reasonable difference of each other. The throttle remains open except for shifts, so i assume the wastegates are doing their job regulating boost levels.

I also am doing this on 87 octane. I know its not recommended, but I haven't been touching any of the ignition timing tables with this in mind. The KR isn't pulling tons of timing either, so I think I'm still within reasonable limits.

So I guess what I'm trying to find out is how to gain more from here. Should I be requesting a higher load? Do I need to work around the Turbo FMEM limits?

Any help is appreciated.

Attachment 114276

Sad it's been 2 weeks and no one said anything. I have ran 87 octane and it's been fairly quick. I would focus less on boost. Your truck is screaming I am at my limits with the Turbo FMEM, fuel demand is pegged. ** I can make more power @ 28 psi map @ 10.5 degrees of timing than 33 psi map and -5 degrees. Yes I said 10.5 degrees on 87 octane (Gen1 3.5.) You are pulling timing from 75mph to 100 but your map is never below 33 in the range. Log is gen1 In Colorado so it's out of turbo. Attachment 114904

Thanks for responding. I guess I've just got more to learn about tuning as a whole on this platform.

I bought a Dragy, which I know isn't end-all-be-all for performance measure, but it gives me some real world numbers since I don't have access to a dyno or a drag strip. Bone stock, 4wd launch, Dragy recorded 14.9 second 1/4.

With the tuning I did (example log in 1st post), I achieved a 13.9 second 1/4. So since now it feels like I'm hitting a wall, I'm trying to figure out what limits are holding me back. I see plenty of videos and read testimonials about trucks in the 12's, and a few guys pushing the envelope in the 11's. I'm not trying to push the bleeding edge, I just want to set it up to drive "like stock" around town, but can crank out some impressive power and leave the average ricer in the rear view mirror.

Check out the E30 tune I posted in the 3.5 Ecoboost owners thread. It would be a good reference if your looking for more boost. Octane is going to hold you back. Used the E30 tune and put the timing back to stock for 93. I did 12.72@111 (E30)using the HP tuners track addict app. Not sure how accurate that is.

Up here in Denver, (actually Morrison, CO where Bandimere is at elevation 5800 feet) I got a 3.5 F150 to 14.0 on 91 octane and on e85 ran 12.9, dont remember the trap speeds. Looke like you are clser to sea level according to the logs?

Honestly, on 87, I would be hesitant to push it any further looking at the boost and timing. Just because you're seeing a limiter pop up dosent mean its a bad thing.

svnwolves has a very good point about boost and timing. Everyone is always focused on the boost number. I also had very good results with less boost and more timing. I tuned a focus st 2 years ago making only 16 psi and upped the timing and made great power. In fact, I went to a dyno day with a focus group and the focus customer I tuned and we made the 3rd highest hp numbers out of 12 other focus st's and they were all running 20-22 psi and tuned by the local "Focus god". With the smaller turbos, bigger boost means more heat and more wear on the turbos.

Oh and I have a dragy as well and that thing is spot on!!!!!!!!! Ran at the track with the dragy and it was accurate every time to the hundredth of a second! The trap speeds were accurate as well but I know it sometimes may be off by 1 mph due to how the trap speed is calculated a the track (its a calculation of avg speed 33 feet before the finish line, not actually the speed when you cross the finish line).