I know this subject is a bit subjective and has probably been discussed over and over again....Okay, so I bought my truck brand new back in 99'...it's got 130k on it now and I'm finally ready to give her a swift kick in the ****. I'm towing a big heavy boat and could use a little extra from her these days.

Obviously the Edge products are the ones widely marketed...but I know that means nothing really...so which one should I order? And, where should I order it from?

 

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

 

I used the old SuperChips on my 96. Superchips have been around a few years and decent reviews. Not sure if the Superchips Cortex works on yours or not. You might check eBay and get a good used one to test with.

What is the purpose for the tuner?

 

Thanks Larry....
I'm towing a 10,000lb boat up some pretty steep hills...an extra 100hp and 200ftlb of torque would be a huge help.
I'd really like one that is capable of switching between modes while on the fly if possible

 

You can't tow 10k with the higher hp tunes like that. I think you need to do some more research. But I would get some custom tunes for an sct tuner if it were my truck. The switch on the the fly ***** are popular for the 7.3 but I'm not a fan of how they install. You lose the switch on the fly capability with sct though the new livewire has it for certain vehicles but you can get better tunes.

 

"You can't tow 10k with the higher hp tunes like that. I think you need to do some more research."
Really? I guess you're right...I need to educate myself more on these. So I have to ask; if not for towing, what would be the functional reason someone would need the extra 200ftlb of torque and 100hp?
Would the extra power hurt the trans under that kind of load?

 

Your EGTs will skyrocket among other things. With that kind of strain on the drivetrain the tranny could puke, or the UJoints could pop, or some kind of rear end damage but most likely your EGTs will be the demise.

 

On my 99 f250...I had the truck restored by a local shop that only works on diesels when i bought it. Cab, bed, engine and transmission removed. Sand blasted the frame and under the cab and bed. The engine didnt need a complete rebuild but everything external was replaced or rebuilt. I asked about a chip and he said he only uses TS. I had a six position chip..stock, high idle, 50, 75, 100 and 140 hp.
As a stock engine he recommended I use only the 50hp setting for most of my driving and towing. That 50 hp increase made all the difference in the world. It ran best in the 50hp position. 75 didnt do much more noticeable difference.
If you plan on using a chip the engine itself needs to be 100%.

 

When I bought my '02 F250 PSD right after 9/11 I did some research and ended up buying a BD Power "tow" chip. It gave you and advertised 40 hp and 110 lbs. ft. torque. As dtherrien mentioned, it really does make a lot of difference and a hell of a lot more fun to drive without fraggin the trans.

The guys at BD said that they also have the 80 hp and 100 hp chip but you couldn't tow anything due to the excessively EGT's. Also if you do get a chip invest in a set of boost and pyro gauges, specially the pyro so you don't melt your pistons on a steep grade.......very important gauge.

 

Thanks for the info guys...I'm learning.
So I guess what I'd like is something reliable that isn't going to blow my truck up, something capable of switching modes on the fly...I like the digital gauges and monitoring capability of the Edge products. I've owned my truck since new and it has been very well taken care of...it is 100% stock mechanically with a lift, 20"wheels and 35" tires

 

Yeah...all you need for a stock engine is 50hp. You wont believe the difference it makes. I just left mine in that position for all my driving. Mine had the ZR6 transmission...250 hp stock.

 

I'd strongly consider the DP tuner. It is easy to add tunes later on and they can be customized to your truck. I've run it on two trucks now and I've been totally impressed. You will need gauges where as other tuners have gauges built in. Personally, I'd install gauges and run the DP Tuner. Just my two cents.

 

Yeah, I've read nothing but good things about the DP....
Questions:
Can I switch modes on the fly with the DP?
Could I install and use the Edge gauge / monitor or the like with the DP tuner?

Here's my baby:

 

I was also very happy with a DP Tuner 4 position chip I installed on a 1997 F Super Duty 7.3. Yes I could switch on the fly. I often rode around in stock tune but punched in one of the higher HP modes when pulling a trailer uphill. Then back to stock when the terrain leveled out. The DP, a Diamond Eye 3 inch downpipe and an air breather that was a combination of K&N hardware but a Donaldson marine type paper filter woke the old dog up a little bit
When I was a member of another diesel forum, I was always told that it was a waste of time to go for big HP settings with stock injectors. The most that could realistically be expected would be around 40 HP with stock injectors.

 

Another thing to consider with adding a chip is a 4" exhaust and an aftermarket air filter intake assembly like the ford AIS.
Do you have stock on both?