2015 - Volume #39, Issue #5, Page #38
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He Specializes In Boosting Ford Truck Performance
“We can fine-tune a gas or diesel engine to produce more power, drive better, shift better, and use less fuel doing it,” says Ford performance specialist Doug Lewis. “I’ve learned over the years that even though Ford builds great cars and trucks, there are many ways to make them perform better and last longer.”Lewis is a certified Ford Master Tech who worked in Ford dealerships for 18 years before starting Ford Performance Specialists in 1998. Lewis’s Georgia operation, which isn’t affiliated with Ford Motor Company, offers many conventional Ford technical services as well as custom services for all Ford vehicles, including diesel trucks. His reputation has spread across the country through internet sales, forum postings, and technical support provided over the phone.
Lewis says he has 300 vendors who supply parts for different makes and models.
“I started as a gas engine guy and focused on the systems and how they work, including engine mechanicals, fuel system controls, spark timing, emissions, brake and transmission systems,” Lewis says. “The diesel technicians back in the day were old guys with long fingernails and long white beards. These guys had been putting injector pumps on diesel engines for decades. Then along came electronic fuel systems, and it was natural for me to learn about Powerstroke engines and what makes them tick. They’re a lot different than gas engines, but many of the same principles apply. Our customers today want to make a great truck better with more power and better fuel economy,” Lewis adds.
Lewis’s performance modifications involve getting more air into the engine, using it efficiently, and then getting it out. “Ford and most others calibrate their vehicles to run clean, not necessarily good. By installing the right air intake system, the right exhaust, and performance tuning the vehicle, we can make the engine run better, have more power, and get better mileage,” Lewis says.
Tuning an engine is one aspect of performance, but getting that power to the ground is quite a different challenge. His company modifies suspension, braking, and cooling systems to perform better, and they never use a cookie-cutter approach. “If a customer wants fuel economy from their diesel, I don’t use bigger injectors and a 5-in. exhaust system. I’ve actually had that request and had to explain why those two things are at odds with each other,” says Lewis.
Because of his extensive experience, Lewis is proficient in educating others on performance matters. He authored the Tech Tips section at the Power Stroke Registry for 10 years and is now an active contributor to The DieselStop Forum. He and his wife Liz have lent their expertise to the TV reality show Auction Kings. Lewis also puts his innovative ideas into practice on his own vehicles, having modified and custom-tuned a 2007 GT 500 to 685 hp while still achieving 24 mpg.
“I’ve been driving and working on Fords for more than 35 years and still find the work challenging and exciting,” Lewis says. His headquarters is in Mableton, Ga., near Atlanta, but he’ll consult with customers over the phone or the internet and sell products that customers can install themselves. The cost for performance improvements can run from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars and depends entirely on what a customer wants. “I can add 2 to 3 mpg, 4 to 5 mpg, or even possibly double their economy if a customer wants to pay for it,” Lewis says.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Lewis, Ford Performance Specialists, 351 6 Flags Pkwy. S.E., Mableton, Ga. 30126 (ph 770-648-1367; www.fordspecialists.com).
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