My Impressions Driving a Tuned vs Un-tuned 7.3
#1
03-25-2015, 07:06 PM
My Impressions Driving a Tuned vs Un-tuned 7.3
I wrote this to give my impressions of the differences driving a 7.3 in stock form vs tuned.
Before I tuned my truck, I drove it stock for a year straight with a 4" straight pipe exhaust and an intake system. During that time, I grew an immense amount of anticipation of what the truck would feel like tuned. I've read and saved (so that I could re-read them just to build up more excitement) countless different drive reports that led up to a huge suspense. While I have driven several 7.3's in the past, all have been un-tuned so I had never experienced a tuned 7.3 before. Now that I am very accustomed to how an un-tuned 7.3 feels after driving it for a year, I feel that I can do an fairly accurate assessment of what the differences are like in detail. Whether you were in my shoes and want a little more detail of the differences or you just want a little reminder of how slow these trucks really are in stock form, then read on.
What Engine Mods Do I Have?:
My truck is setup with the traditional setup configuration: chip, intake and exhaust. Nothing else like a bigger turbo or injectors have been added.
Introductory:
Before we get started let's just get one thing out of the way. Obviously each custom tuner does things slightly differently to a certain degree but for the most part, each *should* still be putting out nearly the same amount of power in the end result. To really do a more accurate comparison here, you'd have to compare each individual tuning outfit against one another to see what each feels like. To simplify this comparison, we''ll say for the sake of this test that all the custom tuners feel "the same" to provide a general idea of what it's like to drive a tuned 7.3 with the traditional setup.
Before we begin, I'd like to say it's kind of sad to see just how tame the stock 7.3 tuning really is. It's almost a shame really they were actually this de-tuned.
Impressions Driving An Un-Tuned 7.3
To start out, lets reflect a little bit about how a stock 7.3 feels. First and foremost, throttle response no matter how you look at it is very relaxed- way too much so. In fact, even revving it up in neutral wasn't that impressive because it revved slow and required a fair amount of throttle if you wanted a quick blip up to 2k. One of the aspects that I've always noticed when I've been around tuned 7.3's was how quickly they revved so I knew prior to my chip installation that this was going to be a big change. Power under 2k was also really tame as well. Once it got over 2k, it picked up. The truck had power, but it did not show it's "guts" until you hit 3/4 throttle. Once you hit 3/4, it was like an afterburner had kicked in. I always thought to myself "okay, you've got some decent power, why can't I have this type of response anywhere else in the powerband?" Not to mention, even while going down the road it was almost like you could press the throttle a little bit and nothing would happen. You had to be liberal with your throttle inputs to see any real change in action. Whenever you came to a steep hill, it didn't take long before you needed to put your foot down further and further to maintain speed or downshift. You could hear the RPM's begin to fall anytime the truck began to see a hill.
Impressions Driving a Tuned 7.3:
The biggest difference is how responsive and free feeling it is to drive now. Did it turn into a fire breather that now outruns Corvettes and won't stop spinning the tires? No, but it is SOO much more responsive and smooth that it is incomparable. You know that feeling when you're driving with the parking brake on (un-tuned) and then release it (tuned) and how much more free a vehicle feels? That is the key. It is also much easier to drive too because of the added torque. Let me explain. It now has power under 2k and I find myself for "regular" driving never needing to exceed over 1/2 throttle under any circumstances- that is unless I want to have fun. Before if I needed to merge or do something quickly, I'd have to give it that 3/4 throttle position because that's where it came alive. Now anything over 1/2 throttle is used simply to have fun vs. before there was really no "fun" spot anywhere in the throttle because you were using most all of it under normal driving conditions. Not any more now. Think of blowing through a small straw and feeling that resistance (un-tuned) vs blowing through a fire hose (tuned). Driving the truck stock, you as the driver had to work a lot harder to squeak out the power vs now you don't really think about it because it just comes so effortlessly on its own. Even the very slightest of throttle inputs anywhere in the powerband nets an impact vs. before it required liberal action in order to do so. Now when you approach hills, the truck just keeps on going without the power falling so much.
Unscientific Test
The tow setting (in my case) feels close to stock. Taking that into account, I did a couple of tests while keeping a constant throttle setting the whole time and switched from the "Daily" setting (my favorite, and more on that later) into "Tow" while going uphill and power dropped off like it was on the edge of a cliff. Doing the same thing only vice versa and the truck took off like a bat out of you know what. Literally.
Quicker Acceleration
I find that anytime I'm on it, that I have to shift a lot quicker now between gears as the RPM's climb substantially faster. Sometimes I find myself even having to back off the throttle in the first two gears some simply because the RPM's climb so much quicker now.
Miscellaneous Observations:
The exhaust note is deeper and the Extreme setting has very slightly higher idle than all the other settings. I'm sure you're wondering about MPG's. Right now, it seems to be close to about the same but I'm not going to count this tank as accurate because I've been having a lot of fun with the new found power.
My goal was to grow accustomed to one particular tune setting. I'm just the type that would rather have one "do it all" setting that I know inside and out versus using different settings for different occasions even if that meant sacrificing some power. If you're like this too, then I'd highly recommend getting a full set of tunes anyway because you want to find the one that you like best and offers reasonable EGT's. It's good to have a set to experiment from vs. only buying one or two and not knowing any better when you possibly could.
Plug For Tony Wildman:
Now that we're over with the general side of things, I'd like to switch over to share a little appreciation for TW tuning. I went with TW's tunes in particular because I've learned that he's known for a more aggressive throttle feel on the bottom end. I wanted this characteristic to make up for some of the lost responsiveness down low with the 37's. Boy, did that ever change and now I can actually light 'em off some in 1st gear with a quick blip of the throttle. Part of what impresses me the most is just how smooth the powerband is with his tunes. What used to be some bad turbo lag now hardly exists anymore, it's astounding just consistent it is all the way through. It truly almost feels electric it is that good. While I don't have experience with canned tunes, I can see how a custom tuner really goes the extra mile for things like this. I am super impressed about that aspect and couldn't be more pleased.
My favorite tune from TW is the Daily which from the seat of the pants dyno, pulls the hardest even over Extreme and Street. I have all of his chip settings and compared to everything else, Daily is the most responsive and runs the best.
As I mentioned earlier, in some ways I feel that it's almost sad that we have to use a special chip in order extract the increased drivability out of these trucks. Like I said, it's not that the chip turns the truck into an insane monster, it just makes it 100% more drivable and responsive with some added fun. I think it's safe to say that for anyone who has tuned their truck, most will tell you "how did I ever drive it before?" I couldn't agree more. In fact they are so un-tuned and underperformed that it should almost be a crime after you feel the potential.
Before I tuned my truck, I drove it stock for a year straight with a 4" straight pipe exhaust and an intake system. During that time, I grew an immense amount of anticipation of what the truck would feel like tuned. I've read and saved (so that I could re-read them just to build up more excitement) countless different drive reports that led up to a huge suspense. While I have driven several 7.3's in the past, all have been un-tuned so I had never experienced a tuned 7.3 before. Now that I am very accustomed to how an un-tuned 7.3 feels after driving it for a year, I feel that I can do an fairly accurate assessment of what the differences are like in detail. Whether you were in my shoes and want a little more detail of the differences or you just want a little reminder of how slow these trucks really are in stock form, then read on.
What Engine Mods Do I Have?:
My truck is setup with the traditional setup configuration: chip, intake and exhaust. Nothing else like a bigger turbo or injectors have been added.
Introductory:
Before we get started let's just get one thing out of the way. Obviously each custom tuner does things slightly differently to a certain degree but for the most part, each *should* still be putting out nearly the same amount of power in the end result. To really do a more accurate comparison here, you'd have to compare each individual tuning outfit against one another to see what each feels like. To simplify this comparison, we''ll say for the sake of this test that all the custom tuners feel "the same" to provide a general idea of what it's like to drive a tuned 7.3 with the traditional setup.
Before we begin, I'd like to say it's kind of sad to see just how tame the stock 7.3 tuning really is. It's almost a shame really they were actually this de-tuned.
Impressions Driving An Un-Tuned 7.3
To start out, lets reflect a little bit about how a stock 7.3 feels. First and foremost, throttle response no matter how you look at it is very relaxed- way too much so. In fact, even revving it up in neutral wasn't that impressive because it revved slow and required a fair amount of throttle if you wanted a quick blip up to 2k. One of the aspects that I've always noticed when I've been around tuned 7.3's was how quickly they revved so I knew prior to my chip installation that this was going to be a big change. Power under 2k was also really tame as well. Once it got over 2k, it picked up. The truck had power, but it did not show it's "guts" until you hit 3/4 throttle. Once you hit 3/4, it was like an afterburner had kicked in. I always thought to myself "okay, you've got some decent power, why can't I have this type of response anywhere else in the powerband?" Not to mention, even while going down the road it was almost like you could press the throttle a little bit and nothing would happen. You had to be liberal with your throttle inputs to see any real change in action. Whenever you came to a steep hill, it didn't take long before you needed to put your foot down further and further to maintain speed or downshift. You could hear the RPM's begin to fall anytime the truck began to see a hill.
Impressions Driving a Tuned 7.3:
The biggest difference is how responsive and free feeling it is to drive now. Did it turn into a fire breather that now outruns Corvettes and won't stop spinning the tires? No, but it is SOO much more responsive and smooth that it is incomparable. You know that feeling when you're driving with the parking brake on (un-tuned) and then release it (tuned) and how much more free a vehicle feels? That is the key. It is also much easier to drive too because of the added torque. Let me explain. It now has power under 2k and I find myself for "regular" driving never needing to exceed over 1/2 throttle under any circumstances- that is unless I want to have fun. Before if I needed to merge or do something quickly, I'd have to give it that 3/4 throttle position because that's where it came alive. Now anything over 1/2 throttle is used simply to have fun vs. before there was really no "fun" spot anywhere in the throttle because you were using most all of it under normal driving conditions. Not any more now. Think of blowing through a small straw and feeling that resistance (un-tuned) vs blowing through a fire hose (tuned). Driving the truck stock, you as the driver had to work a lot harder to squeak out the power vs now you don't really think about it because it just comes so effortlessly on its own. Even the very slightest of throttle inputs anywhere in the powerband nets an impact vs. before it required liberal action in order to do so. Now when you approach hills, the truck just keeps on going without the power falling so much.
Unscientific Test
The tow setting (in my case) feels close to stock. Taking that into account, I did a couple of tests while keeping a constant throttle setting the whole time and switched from the "Daily" setting (my favorite, and more on that later) into "Tow" while going uphill and power dropped off like it was on the edge of a cliff. Doing the same thing only vice versa and the truck took off like a bat out of you know what. Literally.
Quicker Acceleration
I find that anytime I'm on it, that I have to shift a lot quicker now between gears as the RPM's climb substantially faster. Sometimes I find myself even having to back off the throttle in the first two gears some simply because the RPM's climb so much quicker now.
Miscellaneous Observations:
The exhaust note is deeper and the Extreme setting has very slightly higher idle than all the other settings. I'm sure you're wondering about MPG's. Right now, it seems to be close to about the same but I'm not going to count this tank as accurate because I've been having a lot of fun with the new found power.
My goal was to grow accustomed to one particular tune setting. I'm just the type that would rather have one "do it all" setting that I know inside and out versus using different settings for different occasions even if that meant sacrificing some power. If you're like this too, then I'd highly recommend getting a full set of tunes anyway because you want to find the one that you like best and offers reasonable EGT's. It's good to have a set to experiment from vs. only buying one or two and not knowing any better when you possibly could.
Plug For Tony Wildman:
Now that we're over with the general side of things, I'd like to switch over to share a little appreciation for TW tuning. I went with TW's tunes in particular because I've learned that he's known for a more aggressive throttle feel on the bottom end. I wanted this characteristic to make up for some of the lost responsiveness down low with the 37's. Boy, did that ever change and now I can actually light 'em off some in 1st gear with a quick blip of the throttle. Part of what impresses me the most is just how smooth the powerband is with his tunes. What used to be some bad turbo lag now hardly exists anymore, it's astounding just consistent it is all the way through. It truly almost feels electric it is that good. While I don't have experience with canned tunes, I can see how a custom tuner really goes the extra mile for things like this. I am super impressed about that aspect and couldn't be more pleased.
My favorite tune from TW is the Daily which from the seat of the pants dyno, pulls the hardest even over Extreme and Street. I have all of his chip settings and compared to everything else, Daily is the most responsive and runs the best.
As I mentioned earlier, in some ways I feel that it's almost sad that we have to use a special chip in order extract the increased drivability out of these trucks. Like I said, it's not that the chip turns the truck into an insane monster, it just makes it 100% more drivable and responsive with some added fun. I think it's safe to say that for anyone who has tuned their truck, most will tell you "how did I ever drive it before?" I couldn't agree more. In fact they are so un-tuned and underperformed that it should almost be a crime after you feel the potential.
#3
03-25-2015, 08:11 PM
Fleet Mechanic
Thank you for this post, I have been debating getting a tuner, and under the (great) advice of members of this forum have invested in AE so I can get an idea of how the trucks health is in general before I add any stress to it, and find any weak spots in a hurry and end up spending a huge pile of cash! Since I got over my initial "tuner fever" I have found myself wondering if I really needed to go the tuner route at all! I was wondering if they really made that much of a difference, especially as this is my DD.
The comparison you made above helped me decide that this is a direction I would like to go in for sure, I too wondered if this truck were just always this sluggish until the turbo kicked in, whether tuned or not, and if they were then I have no real need for a tuner as I really never go above 2200 RPM.
Thank you for taking the time to make this comparison, I for one, appreciate it. Now I just need to find the time to sit down, finally crack open the AE box and set it up and give my truck a check up. Once I know everything looks ok and that there are no gremlins plainly obvious I will be putting an order in to give the ole' girl a bit of life.
The comparison you made above helped me decide that this is a direction I would like to go in for sure, I too wondered if this truck were just always this sluggish until the turbo kicked in, whether tuned or not, and if they were then I have no real need for a tuner as I really never go above 2200 RPM.
Thank you for taking the time to make this comparison, I for one, appreciate it. Now I just need to find the time to sit down, finally crack open the AE box and set it up and give my truck a check up. Once I know everything looks ok and that there are no gremlins plainly obvious I will be putting an order in to give the ole' girl a bit of life.
#4
03-25-2015, 09:29 PM
Thanks! It was fun to write.
Regarding performance mods, not really anything earth shattering. Possibly a bigger turbo but that wouldn't be for a long time. In the foreseeable future, it would be new up-pipes.
Thank you for this post, I have been debating getting a tuner, and under the (great) advice of members of this forum have invested in AE so I can get an idea of how the trucks health is in general before I add any stress to it, and find any weak spots in a hurry and end up spending a huge pile of cash! Since I got over my initial "tuner fever" I have found myself wondering if I really needed to go the tuner route at all! I was wondering if they really made that much of a difference, especially as this is my DD.
The comparison you made above helped me decide that this is a direction I would like to go in for sure, I too wondered if this truck were just always this sluggish until the turbo kicked in, whether tuned or not, and if they were then I have no real need for a tuner as I really never go above 2200 RPM.
Thank you for taking the time to make this comparison, I for one, appreciate it. Now I just need to find the time to sit down, finally crack open the AE box and set it up and give my truck a check up. Once I know everything looks ok and that there are no gremlins plainly obvious I will be putting an order in to give the ole' girl a bit of life.
The comparison you made above helped me decide that this is a direction I would like to go in for sure, I too wondered if this truck were just always this sluggish until the turbo kicked in, whether tuned or not, and if they were then I have no real need for a tuner as I really never go above 2200 RPM.
Thank you for taking the time to make this comparison, I for one, appreciate it. Now I just need to find the time to sit down, finally crack open the AE box and set it up and give my truck a check up. Once I know everything looks ok and that there are no gremlins plainly obvious I will be putting an order in to give the ole' girl a bit of life.
That's great you're going the extra mile first and confirming the truck will respond as well as it can prior to any tuning. Not many do that!
I think you will be really pleased about how much more responsive the truck is after tuning it. It's not that you get the feeling of unleashing 500 hidden more HP, it's that it turns a very relaxed performing engine into one that is much more assertive requiring a lot less persuasion.
#6
03-26-2015, 08:12 AM
Fleet Mechanic
Trust me, this hadn't even crossed my mind until several members here suggested it, gotta love this forum!
#7
03-26-2015, 08:45 AM
Congratulations on your permagrin! That was step one that leads to firing the Buck$Zooka at the truck with reckless abandon. Great write-up, a lot of work went into that.
That sentence... I couldn't leave it alone. Since I have experienced three different tuners, let's just say they do not all feel the same. If you get a tuner that is just a little too aggressive ("This fueling map should have them screaming out my name in ecstasy"), you actually lose acceleration, and the EGTs play a game of "Spin the Needle".
Just settin' the record straight. Carry on.
Just settin' the record straight. Carry on.
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#8
03-26-2015, 11:21 AM
The chip wakes them up for sure.
Trust me, this hadn't even crossed my mind until several members here suggested it, gotta love this forum!
Congratulations on your permagrin! That was step one that leads to firing the Buck$Zooka at the truck with reckless abandon. Great write-up, a lot of work went into that.
"To simplify this comparison, we''ll say for the sake of this test that all the custom tuners feel "the same" to provide a general idea of what it's like to drive a tuned 7.3 with the traditional setup..."
That sentence... I couldn't leave it alone. Since I have experienced three different tuners, let's just say they do not all feel the same.
That sentence... I couldn't leave it alone. Since I have experienced three different tuners, let's just say they do not all feel the same.
"Before we get started let's just get one thing out of the way. Obviously each custom tuner does things slightly differently to a certain degree but for the most part, each *should* still be putting out nearly the same amount of power in the end result. To really do a more accurate comparison here, you'd have to compare each individual tuning outfit against one another to see what each feels like. To simplify this comparison, we''ll say for the sake of this test that all the custom tuners feel "the same" to provide a general idea of what it's like to drive a tuned 7.3 with the traditional setup."
#9
03-26-2015, 02:48 PM
#10
03-26-2015, 05:25 PM
Senior User
Great write up!! I have been PATIENTLY waiting to get a chip for my truck. I have owned my truck for almost a year now and have slowly been getting it ready for the extra horsepower. I want her to be running at her very best before doing it. So far I've changed front and rear Diff. fluids, trans fluid, and power steering fluid to Mobil 1 synthetic. I've installed a MBRP 5" exhaust, S&B intake, and Autometer Factory match gauges. Next on the list is a 6.0 trans cooler to help with towing our travel trailer. Then FINALLY I'll get a Dp-Tuner with a nice tow tune that will make traveling to and from our vacation spots that much more enjoyable!! 
Thanks again for the write up, my curiosity is through the roof now!!! I can't wait to see the difference it makes!
Thanks again for the write up, my curiosity is through the roof now!!! I can't wait to see the difference it makes!
#11
03-26-2015, 06:02 PM
Great write up!! I have been PATIENTLY waiting to get a chip for my truck. I have owned my truck for almost a year now and have slowly been getting it ready for the extra horsepower. I want her to be running at her very best before doing it. So far I've changed front and rear Diff. fluids, trans fluid, and power steering fluid to Mobil 1 synthetic. I've installed a MBRP 5" exhaust, S&B intake, and Autometer Factory match gauges. Next on the list is a 6.0 trans cooler to help with towing our travel trailer. Then FINALLY I'll get a Dp-Tuner with a nice tow tune that will make traveling to and from our vacation spots that much more enjoyable!!
Thanks again for the write up, my curiosity is through the roof now!!! I can't wait to see the difference it makes!
Thanks again for the write up, my curiosity is through the roof now!!! I can't wait to see the difference it makes!
Glad that I could extend the suspense that much further! I think you'll be hooked. You definitely have already done some nice upgrades that'll compliment your future tunes well!
As I had said, I collected several reviews prior that I had read from time to time over the course of a year which lead up to a very much awaited anticipation!
Looking forward to your review.
#12
03-27-2015, 12:55 PM
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#13
03-27-2015, 02:49 PM
Looking forward to seeing your review.
#14
03-27-2015, 04:46 PM
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Great write up!! My 7.3 Excursion was like the fat kid running wind sprints at the end of football practice before I got my chip!! After driving my buddies 7.3 CCLB I knew I needed to order one, I really just wanted a little more giddy up, and was hoping for maybe a 1-2 mpg fuel jump and better shift points. I couldn't be happier with my chipped Excursion.
#15
03-27-2015, 07:12 PM
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So I've been tempering my 'need for speed' after reading Tugly's (great) advice about making sure the platform is sound, etc. And spending time and money on all the non-glamorous items (FRX, HPX, etc) to maximize the hop-up potential without going to big sticks or turbo. Taking my time, not wanting to pull the trigger on tunes too soon.
So Mrs. Holeshot happens to see the title of this thread, pushes me out of the chair to read the whole thing, and asks me "what the hell have you been waiting for? I want ours to run like that!" I love that woman.
Calling CT Performance tomorrow! Thanks, ARW!
So Mrs. Holeshot happens to see the title of this thread, pushes me out of the chair to read the whole thing, and asks me "what the hell have you been waiting for? I want ours to run like that!" I love that woman.
Calling CT Performance tomorrow! Thanks, ARW!