Aight guys i Have a 07 6.0 powerstroke that is non studded, Ive been considering putting a tuner on it, Just wondering if anyone thinks thats a good/bad idea, I know jamie at Innovative Diesel said I should be fine as long as I stayed around stage 3 (80 hp gain) on the SCT SF3 custom tunes he would make me. I just would hate to even put a tuner on their and blow my gaskets or anything seeing how my truck is 85,000 miles and counting with no problems so far! Just looking for suggestions

 

We all would hate to have the head gaskets start leaking, the question is "Can you personally afford to repair it if you DO develop head gasket leaks?".

There are lots of stock engines that develop head gasket leaks - apparently with no explanation. There are also a number of examples of people running mild tunes w/ the stock head bolts and no issues (who knows if they ever post back 50k miles or 100k later with how they are doing).

All you can do is make your decision based on your individual financial situation and what you learn by reading up on the forums. I personally wouldn't trust anyone that would tell you - "SURE, go ahead.". That simply is a foolish thing for them to do with all the evidence of people having issues even when stock (except it doesn't cost THEM anything to advise you that way). On the other hand, the extra horsepower is extremely enjoyable and if you can afford the consequences, it is worth doing IMO.

There are lots of things that can jeopardize your head gaskets, so it would be extremely wise to get gauges so you can at least monitor boost, EOT, ECT (so you can watch the ECTvsEOT temperature difference), and EGTs. I would also recommend fuel pressure, battery voltage at a minimum.

 

My take is - if you put that tune on, assume that you will need head gaskets and studs, and start saving. If you don't need them, you'll have a couple of grand to take a vacation. On the other hand it's been said that cooling system issues caused a lot of the head gasket issues, so keeping on top of the EGR cooler and the oil cooler could keep your top end safe.

Brian

 

id just hate to tear up a perfectly good truck until something happens to it.. And if the tuner is pretty much gunna act like an encourager to the head gasket problem then I believe i will not put it on. Ill just stick with minor mods for now like afe stage 2 intake and exhaust. maybe when it blows if it ever does then ill make it bulletproof and have some fun but till then Ill stay on the safe side

 

I wouldn't waste my money on the intake. The stock filtration system is VERY VERY good up to about 500 rwhp and/or a bigger than stock turbo. Spend your money on a good engine monitoring system of some kind (Scangauge II, for example) or a fuel pressure gauge, which is the first gauge I recommend.

 

really? I know on mkm customs, their afe stage 2 intake says it will gain 19hp and 119 torque. And my buddy said the afe stage 2 helped out a good bit in fuel mileage on his cummins as well. But i have hear the stock filter is better, I have thought about doing the zoodad mod but Idk if it would even be worth it

 

I have that same exact air intake and it does not do a single noticeable thing... except make the turbo whistle a bit louder. You can also expect to see dusting on your turbo impeller if you run the Pro-Guard 5 filters on that cold air intake kit. I have since switched to the Pro-Guard 7 filters which adds 2 more layers of filtration but if I had of kept my factory air intake instead of throwing it away like an idiot... that's what I would have back on my truck. Don't buy into all the hype those guys at the accessory stores sell you.... chance are they drive a rice rocket or something that isn't even associated with a diesel truck and all they care about is a sale going out the door.

 

Yea sounds like a normal salesman trick, but ok ill keep the stock air box, and now the guys at Innovative diesel are still telling my my truck will be fine running all the tunes except the anarchy race tune on my non studded truck. Id love to get the extra power but I wouldnt love to blow a gasket I just wanna know if theirs people out their who actually take care of their 6.0's and are non studded running tunes with no problem

 

you asked, and were answered honestly.

do you have gauges?
do you know what your temp deltas are?
do you know what error codes you have, if any?

you keep saying "i really want to do this, but i don't want anything bad to
happen". saying that over and over doesn't do anything.

you can't make an informed decision without information. engine metering
provides that information.

a side note... i had a tuner, nothing aggressive, on my '06, and everything
was fine, until 91k miles. the blown head gaskets at that time was $10k to fix.

you are at 85k now. do you feel lucky?

 

lol..... I just pictured Clint Eastwood saying this!

I agree with Fulthrotl. I had an Edge Juice Platinum I bought the same time I got the Cold Air Intake and Exhaust. Needless to say at 60,000kms I had my truck in getting new head-gaskets and shortly after that a new turbo. Also went through an EGR and oil cooler but pretty sure the programmer had nothing to do with those. I took the programmer that I paid $800+ for out of the truck and sold it for $350 and counted myself lucky that I did not end up buying a tranny while I had the Edge in there. I am waiting to do an EGR Delete, Bulletproof Oil Cooler transfer and ARP Head-studs before I bite the bullet on another tuner/programmer. When I get the programmer it will be an SCT with custom tunes from either Gearheads or Innovative Diesel. Do your research before tuning/programming and see if your bank account will allow for the repairs. If you are running a completely stock truck with tunes then it's a gamble!

 

bottomline: if ur gonna put a tuner / tune on ur car, it's always safer to do headgaskets and ARP studs. u dont want to go WOT at red light, and end up blowing something. tat'll be mighty embarrassing. not to mention, even costlier.

but mark and the guys on here have valid points for consideration.

 

"this is a six liter ford diesel, the most powerful engine in the
whole world, and it'll blow your wallet clean off... now, did i hit WOT
five times, or six? Do you feel lucky, punk? WELL, DO YOU?"

- with apologies to Clint Eastwood.

i can picture the OP saying..... "I gots to know....."



sometimes, i can be such an a$$ whole. this may be one of those times.

 

What about the edge cts evolution monitor? will that help me out any or is it basically the same thing as a tuner. I seen that it has different levels and such like a tuner for upgraded power but I ould like to have 1 to watch my EGT's and everything.

 

i'll make you a great deal on a Banks IQ with economind module.
one owner, low milage.

$350 seems about right. less than half price. plug it in, and you are ready
to rock. gauges and everything. +100 HP, and +150 ft/lbs TQ

private message me if interested.....

 

If you like the look and feel of the Edge monitor than just buy the Edge Insight CTS.... this is a "MONITOR" only and does nothing for programming. This is what I got for my pick-up and I like it a lot. It allows you to monitor most of the important parameters of your engine through the OBD II connector and if you want to run a programmer like the SCT down the road you can still do that plus use the monitor for checking diagnostics and important engine and transmission readings. It's also expandable.... you can add an EGT and a Fuel Pressure sending unit etc.... and it all goes to one neat gauge instead of 8 pods scattered throughout the cab. I also like the fact you can add a Turbo Timer to the Insight as well as a Reverse Backup Camera (I tow a 35' travel trailer and hate relying on my wifes directions when hooking up).

A ton of guys on here also like the Scangauge II and it's a pretty awesome tool as well. Just gotta decide what you want and go with it. Edge Insight CTS is more than double what a Scangauge II is but it is easier to read and operate, stays on fulltime and it's expandable.

Just do yourself and your wallet a favor and stay away from the Edge programmers!