Banks has a few decent products out there, but 7.3L tuning is probably their weakest area. The 6-Gun for the 7.3L is basically an electronic EGT gauge and an ICP fooler.
On the 7.3L Powerstroke, the injectors are actuated by high oil pressure. There is an ICP sensor (injection control pressure) located on the driver's side oil rail. The 6-Gun taps into that signal, and fools the PCM by making it think the oil pressure is lower than it really is. In response, the PCM bumps up the oil pressure, raising the injection pressure. The power gains are only mild compared to what can be done with a chip.
The thing is, an ICP fooler can be made out of $2 worth of parts at Radio Shack. So all you are really paying for is an overpriced EGT gauge. An issue with this is that while you are bumping up injection pressure, you are not adjusting fueling, injection timing, or addressing transmission controls. These are all vital when it comes to proper tuning on the 7.3L. Unfortunately, Banks doesn't sell a single component that controls all of those other functions. Instead, you have to buy each module separate. This gets very expensive very quickly.
A simple chip or programmer can control all of those functions, and for a much cheaper price. So that's where Banks really lags behind is in 7.3L tuning. They are very very overpriced in that department, for only minimal gains. To get the full package, you pretty much have to spend a fortune compared to other chips or programmers out there.
__________________
Curtis
2002 F-250 PSD
Best time: 15.3 @ 86.8 MPH at Bandimere - 9/10/08
A simple chip or programmer can control all of those functions, and for a much cheaper price. So that's where Banks really lags behind is in 7.3L tuning. They are very very overpriced in that department, for only minimal gains. To get the full package, you pretty much have to spend a fortune compared to other chips or programmers out there.
Actually they are that way with all of their products that I have seen.
Also, you have to define what you mean by "chip". Are you talking about a module that hooks up in-line with the vehicles sensors? Are you talking about a physical "chip" that actually plugs into the trucks computer? Or are you talking about downloader that most people use the term "chips" as interchangeable with the term downloader?
If you're talking about "chips" that go in-line to the vehicle's sensors, none of those type of devices do any ECM or TCM tuning whatsoever. By their very nature that is mutually exclusive. If you are talking about the physical "chips", those are hard to come by nowadays, and usually only used with OBD-I computers. Now if your using the term interchangeably with the term downloader, that may or may not actually be tuning the ECM and TCM fully. Specifically thinking about how Bullydog does their shift on the fly tuning on their downloader. Shift on the fly is pretty much mutually exclusive with being able to fully tune the computers on these trucks as after each adjustment has been made the computer needs to reboot. Think about it as installing a software on your PC or Mac, some of them need to be rebooted to fully work, same in this case.
To my knowledge, Banks does not sell anything that could be considered a downloader, they are almost all some type of in-line fuel modules, which are a big no-no for the 6.0s, you might be able to get away with it on a 7.3 with a stick, but not an auto.
Actually they are that way with all of their products that I have seen.
Also, you have to define what you mean by "chip". Are you talking about a module that hooks up in-line with the vehicles sensors? Are you talking about a physical "chip" that actually plugs into the trucks computer? Or are you talking about downloader that most people use the term "chips" as interchangeable with the term downloader?
If you're talking about "chips" that go in-line to the vehicle's sensors, none of those type of devices do any ECM or TCM tuning whatsoever. By their very nature that is mutually exclusive. If you are talking about the physical "chips", those are hard to come by nowadays, and usually only used with OBD-I computers. Now if your using the term interchangeably with the term downloader, that may or may not actually be tuning the ECM and TCM fully. Specifically thinking about how Bullydog does their shift on the fly tuning on their downloader. Shift on the fly is pretty much mutually exclusive with being able to fully tune the computers on these trucks as after each adjustment has been made the computer needs to reboot. Think about it as installing a software on your PC or Mac, some of them need to be rebooted to fully work, same in this case.
To my knowledge, Banks does not sell anything that could be considered a downloader, they are almost all some type of in-line fuel modules, which are a big no-no for the 6.0s, you might be able to get away with it on a 7.3 with a stick, but not an auto.
By chip I mean a physical chip that plugs into the back of the PCM. Since the OP has a 7.3L, that's what I'm referring to. 6.0L's are a completely different animal.
You are correct that Banks does not sell a downloader (programmer) for the 7.3L.
Also, the physical chips you are referring to as being rare, are actually the most popular with the 7.3L crowd. They plug directly into the back of the PCM, and you can instantly switch tunes while driving, since a chip overrides whatever is written to the 7.3L PCM. Chips also provide the most versatility when it comes to tuning the 7.3L.
Nearly all of Bank's products for the 7.3L are modules that plug in-line to vehicle sensors. In the 7.3L world (just like 6.0L's), this is not the correct route to go, as you already mentioned they are mutually exclusive and do not communicate with each other. Modules were necessary years ago, when Powerstroke modifications first started (and well before there were chips and programmers). But the technology has changed considerably, and modules are not only unnecessary, but fall far short on delivering power, drivability, and tune-ability that can be done with a chip or programmer.
In regards to the 7.3L, Banks long ago considered it a dead platform, and has not updated and moved away from the individual modules. That's why the Six-Gun and TransCommand still exist. The Big Hoss Module for the 7.3L does plug into the PCM, but it only adjusts fuel pulsewidth and timing, and does not adjust injection pressures or tune for transmission adjustments. A chip can do all that and more. Banks could have done that with the Big Hoss, but choose not too. After all, if you have to buy additional modules, it's more profit for them.
Anyway, hopefully this clarifies a few things with the 7.3L.
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Curtis
2002 F-250 PSD
Best time: 15.3 @ 86.8 MPH at Bandimere - 9/10/08
Also, the physical chips you are referring to as being rare, are actually the most popular with the 7.3L crowd.
SCT is touted off as one of the best things for the 6.0 and is quite popular with the crowds in the forums and yet I would say less then 10% of the tuned population out there with 6.0s use it. I would imagine that the demographics for the 7.3 are the same considering custom tunes don't get the advertising that the big companies do.
Last I really heard the the physical chips being used alot was with the L1s and they are still the more popular ones, but that is a very old engine as well.
SCT is touted off as one of the best things for the 6.0 and is quite popular with the crowds in the forums and yet I would say less then 10% of the tuned population out there with 6.0s use it. I would imagine that the demographics for the 7.3 are the same considering custom tunes don't get the advertising that the big companies do.
Last I really heard the the physical chips being used alot was with the L1s and they are still the more popular ones, but that is a very old engine as well.
Yeah Banks, Edge, and Bully Dog are commonly found on just the basic 7.3L trucks (the non-forum member PSD owners). However, you won't find any Banks, Edge, or Bully Dog products on any 7.3L that has bigger than stock injectors. They simply don't make tunes for anything other than stock injectors, and 7.3L's need custom tuning to run higher hp sticks.
The real popular stuff for 7.3L enthusiasts are chips by DP-Tuner, Total Diesel Performance, Diesel Innovations, and Power Hungry Performance. DP-Tuner is what I run on my truck, and I have completely custom tuning done from a live tuning session. It's a huge difference from anything you can get from Banks, Edge, etc. The chip that I run is an older 6-position style chip. DP-Tuner now uses a chip that can hold up to 16 different tunes. Other companies still use the 6-position chips like what I'm running.
There are a few products out that allow you to completely custom tune the 7.3L. Those take time to learn, and people who don't know what they are doing can completely destroy their engines. But it's available for those who want to try. Sniper Tuner and Power Hungry Performance are the two big ones that offer programs to tune your own truck.
So that's the skinny on the 7.3L trucks.
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Curtis
2002 F-250 PSD
Best time: 15.3 @ 86.8 MPH at Bandimere - 9/10/08
It's already on the truck,enjoy it.
When I got my '00 7.3 it was stock. I got a hypertech tuner, liked it.
Wanted more, removed hyperT and installed everything GBanks had for my truck, everything.... Lots more to play with and see. Gobs of torque.Spent buckets of cash. Overall 10%?? more power compared to basic hypertech.
This is the short version of 9 yrs wrenching on it.
Wouldn't do Banks again.
But you've already got it so enjoy.
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