New guy here, just bought a 2005 F-350 6.0 with 120k, head studs and EGR delete already done, volant ram air intake and 3.5" downpipe to 5" exhaust. Stock turbo and injectors.
Tested FICM, it was at 36 volts, removed the box and opened it to see what everything looked like. Did some research and pretty sure I want to send it to Swamps to be repaired and upgraded and tuned.
Only thing is I can't decide which tune I want. I like the sound of the Atlas 40 40HP tune, but part of me just wants to go for gold with the Hercules 100HP tune. What would the negatives of that tune be? Worried about the higher EGTs with all that extra fuel and only having a stock turbo. And not as big of a deal but still important is fuel economy. The Atlas 40 says it improves mileage slightly, the Hercules 100 doesn't say.
Also what impact would either of these tunes have on running a tuner? looking at getting an SCT.
Thanks guys

 

How do you plan to use the truck and are you willing to put an EGT probe in? With studs, it's just the other common bullet proofing stuff left to do, but mild power increases should be ok, depending on what your plans are...

 

Definitely doing EGT probe. Already have Glowshift 4 pod pillar and gauges, just need to be installed. I know the probe is a real pain to do correctly but its worth it, especially being that I plan on running a tuner.
I use the truck as a daily driver around town, but it will be used occasionally say 3-4 times a month for hauling crushed stone/gravel, mulch, firewood, and towing a dual axle trailer with any thing from ATVs to antique tractors to a skid steer. I'm a young guy with an itchy right foot so it'll be put through its paces now and then as well, racing on the highway and other stupid stuff
I have another vehicle to drive at the moment so i'm fine with waiting to have the FICM sent out and done right but I want to move it along ASAP. Don't want to send it to Swamps without knowing what tune I should really get.

 

You could also cal Ed at FICMrepair.com -- he does the atlas40 and more and can tell you exactly what those tunes in the FICM do.

couple sideways to your thread items: Do you have a smartphone by any chance? Particularly an iPhone as you can buy a set up called Dash Boss which will allow you to set up some cool monitoring stuff on your phone and also let you add some external gauges. If you have a Droid you want Torque Pro and also get some really neat stuff, but no external inputs. Both of these read the live data off the trucks computer network, so you see what it sees, plus you can do diagnostics... Just throwing that in, versus a gauge pod.

Second: the best air filter set up until you get into serious HP 500+ is the stock one! most others will dust your turbo and that's all...

There's some other stuff you can do to bulletproof your guy, but we can wait til later for that...

 

Thanks! Really like what I see from FICMrepair and they're much cheaper than swamps, I think I might send mine there instead now. Also had a very helpful chart on the tunes available, looks like the Atlas 40 is the one for me. I was considering buying a Scangauge but I already have Torque on my phone as you mentioned. Only thing is i like to have my phone handy so I may look into a small tablet i can leave permanently hooked up...although at that point i'm up in the scangauge price range again. The previous owner installed the intake and i have no inclination to remove it. Just going to get a really good amsoil filter and pre filter. FICMrepair also suggested using Hot Shots Secret additive for injectors. Others say good things about it as well

 

Well that's ok on the intake, just be aware there's been plenty of testing and it's a sellers game in the AM filter arena. See if you can get a filter skin for yours -- the oiled gauze style filters have two problems: they flow more because the pass more through bigger holes in the media. Then they can oil your air metering, particularly when you clean/re-oil them. All those K&N sponsored racers off-road??? not a one that isn't running multiple skins if they want to finish. And that's on a race machine that gets rebuilt, and often...

Don't dust your turbo.... Ed is good peeps and many here have been taken care of by him...

on edit: you can still answer your phone. But a scangauge II, is, well... all text and difficult to set up.... :-/