Hey there all you Ford Truck Enthusiasts! I'm a little lost when it comes to adding things to my truck, so i try to salvage all the information i can from other posts. Unfortunately, i failed to find one with the same type of question as mine.

The last time i ever heard about any type of "chip" or "programmer" was back in 2005 when my brother had his Dodge Ram 5.7L Hemi, and he had the "Bully Dog". But, that was years ago. Now..i am at a lost as to which programmer will give me a good boost in HP and at a fair cost $500-ish range. (I rarely tow ANYTHING. If i do it's a four wheeler for our hunting camp at most. My dad's F-350 is usually doing all the towing )..

To conclude my beg for help-- Is bully dog still the top of the chain? Or is there a new top dog out on the market i haven't heard about?

--Truck INFO : 2005 F-150 4.6L V8 2WD | Tires: 285/50R20 | F-40 dual turndowns | To be installed soon: Roush Cold Air Intake; 4.10 gears
(Sorry for any typos or miss-use of information. Trying to learn all this truck lingo, been researching things for hours for the past week )

-Dillon

 

Most people on here will suggest either Edge or SCT, both with custom tunes. Both are excellent choices and I think most would agree are also "top of the line" in terms of programmers for these trucks. I run an Edge CS with custom tunes from Power Hungry Performance. The difference is night and day over stock. Many on here run an SCT with custom tunes from Mike at 5star tuning who is, from what I have heard, one of the best in the business. Everyone always puts him in high regard. The main reason to choose one over the other is if you want to have some sort of display. For around $500, you can get an Edge CS with custom tunes which is a model that you mount and displays all sorts of info (all sorts of temperature, voltages, speeds, mileage, etc). The same SCT that cost about the same cannot do that (as far as I'm aware). With it you just plug it into your ODBII port, install the tune, and unplug it. It has no display. SCT makes ones that do, but they are more expensive.

I do not hear as many good things about the Bully Dog (typically more bad than good around here) as I do for the SCT or Edge. I would go with one of those two with custom tunes.

 

Awesome, thanks for the info Gunsdown64. Would you mind providing me with the link to the tuner to be purchased? (Edge CS, i'd love the mount :P ) Also, how can i get in touch with Mike for a custom tune, and do you know how much he charges for the tune it-self separate from the Edge CS? Or..is it all one price?

 

Here is the website for the guy who does the Edge stuff: Power Hungry Performance - Feed your hunger for POWER!

Prices vary depending on which model of programmer you want, but I think tunes cost somewhere around $50. It is separate from the cost of the tuner itself. The CS, which is what I have, is $439. I would recommend getting a dash pod to mount it in as well.

The guy who does SCT stuff is Mike and his website is here: 5 Star Tuning | Custom Dynomemeter Chassis Tuning Products and Services

His tunes are around the same price, but like I said, the tuner it self is not one that you can mount and display info.

 

Great! Thanks a bunch! Now...i'm looking at the Gryphon CS..and is it any different (major differences preferably) from the Edge? Or are they the same thing...? (Dumb question i know).

Also the site says that it no longer offers custom tunes for Gryphon and edge, but when i click on the Gryphon the sites says--
"CUSTOM CALIBRATIONS
We are pleased to offer custom tunes to meet your driving needs. In addition, for those of who like to tweak your vehicles, we are also able to provide custom tuning for modified vehicles, including Cold Air Intake Kits, Exhaust Systems, Electric Fans, Power Pulleys, and others."

Whats up with that? Would i be better off calling them and holding a conversation with them about this?

 

The Gryphon (from what I understand) is just a customized Edge programmer. You can order an Edge programmer from Edge (or elsewhere) and have canned tunes.
In the past if you wanted custom tunes on your edge, they would change it change it a little.
I have an Edge and had PHP set me up with custom tunes. Definately makes a difference and they set it to the parameters of your driving.

It is very tough to get a hold of someone at PHP as they are ususally very busy. The best bet is to look at the PHP forum for answers and even join to ask questions if you want.
Power Hungry Performance Forum

On their website they show if you buy a Gryphon from them the unit costs $369 and custom tunes are $30 each.
Power Hungry Performance - Gryphon™

I've heard great things about Mike at 5 star tuning but have not used that product.

I also like having the visibilty of seeing parameters on my truck such as Tranny Temp, Coolant Temp, Instant MPG's (dont know why) even speed in digital.

Either way you will wake your truck up and have fun with it.

Good luck on your choice!!

Capt.