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what tuner should I use ?

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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 07:52 PM
  #1  
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what tuner should I use ?

Hey guys got a 01 7.3 f250 I just bought my new glow shift gagues and I'm putting mbrp exhaust 4" just keeping factory downpipe . I'm curious of what type of tuners would do me good ? I'm looking for better mileage ! But kinda want some power . I was thinking the SCT tuner . it flashes your computer so you don't have to worry about false
codes .
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 07:53 PM
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Forgot to mention my over head counsel says I get 10.5 mpg in city is this accurate ? I'm stock lift and tires !
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 08:08 PM
  #3  
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I hate to break it to you, but if you're concerned about the fuel economy there are many better options than a diesel pickup.

Aftermarket tuning isn't going to add any fuel economy.
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 08:31 PM
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Better mileage? You are driving a 4 ton rig with the aerodynamics of a dumpster.......I agree with above post......your best bet is to control your right foot and take off from stops like a granny and maybe....just maybe.....you will see a small improvement in mpg.....

We all would love the power with the fuel economy but the reality is diesel rigs are mid to upper teens at the most in mpg and many of the things we like to do with them and to them negatively impacts fuel economy. Want a lift? sure looks good.....kills mpg, you like the large heavy tires on larger heavier rims? kills mpg.....that new tuner and power makes you smile when you press the go pedal, but kills mpg.....wanna add that ARB bumper that weighs as much as a small school......looks great.....kills mpg.

At the end of the day, diesel trucks do a few things very well......getting great unloaded fuel economy isn't really one of them.
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 10:11 PM
  #5  
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I just wanted to to say that I have a 2.5" lift and 313 tires and I am luckily to get above 12 MPG. My truck is mostly stock, but my truck is Heavy and setup for Baja, as I chase a race truck a few times a year. Fuel economy is almost non existent. As for the glow shift guages, I have a boost, Trans temp and EGT, I have had them for 4 years now and they good guages for the money. I will say that on the EGT I had to cut the connectors after 6 months and redo them because I suddenly lost connection. To the sensor and support was great from glow shift!
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 10:28 PM
  #6  
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Not sure what state laws r but my sister has few 96-2000ish 7.3 , egr deletes on them and loves the heck out of them , I do believe the fuel isn't the same as it usta b So diesels aren't getn the power n fuel like they did before diesel was cheaper than gas . Everyone we t to diesel over gas because it was cheap and awesome mileage . But every one leans toward SCT for ford . The 5 stage edge attitude Was wicked in my bro's 01 dually. U really wanna stay on mild tunes so Ya don't end up with stretched head studs, but I think that was a more of a 6.0 thing ?
 
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 11:49 PM
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10.5mpg is still low, especially for the overhead lie-o-meter... I'm averaging 17.7-19.2. (usually closer to 17.5 daily) in the Excursion on 35's with the mods in my signature. Before investing in a tuner I'd suggest ensuring all aspects are working properly, otherwise you won't see full benefits from new tunes.

Verifying proper fuel pressure, condition of the compressor wheel, checking to see if the EBPS sensor, tube, and connector are clogged, etc. will all help you out. A ScanGauge or the TorquePro app will go a looooong way in helping you keep an eye on things (either or, both are not necessary) as well as being able to read and clear codes.

As far as tunes, I used to have an F5 from DPTuner but recently swapped to Gearhead's 6-pos (Hydra chip with custom tunes, the ability to get new tunes emailed is great, I usually have update tunes in my inbox in a day when I need them) and absolutely love it. Several friends have converted to GH and loved it as well (mix of Excursions and SuperDuty's). Personally, right out of the box the GH proved to be better IMHO across the board. Far less smoke, cooler EGT's everywhere, smoother shifts, and far more comfortable across the board. The progressive fuel mapping is nice too, along with full use of the throttle pedal for tuning.

A good tuner will be able to get the codes done so you don't get false codes, but if a legitimate issue comes up you'll get a code. That goes across the board, not just for GH stuff.
 
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Old Apr 5, 2015 | 07:10 AM
  #8  
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tuners opinions are a dime a dozen.
I personally would never use a tuner, if something happens when changing tunes you can be stuck with a dead computer.. I use a DP F5 chip.
 
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Old Apr 5, 2015 | 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by skidmarks82
Not sure what state laws r but my sister has few 96-2000ish 7.3 , egr deletes on them and...
Those years don't have egr's to delete.
 
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Old Apr 5, 2015 | 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Krazee Matt
10.5mpg is still low, especially for the overhead lie-o-meter... I'm averaging 17.7-19.2. (usually closer to 17.5 daily) in the Excursion on 35's with the mods in my signature. Before investing in a tuner I'd suggest ensuring all aspects are working properly, otherwise you won't see full benefits from new tunes.

Verifying proper fuel pressure, condition of the compressor wheel, checking to see if the EBPS sensor, tube, and connector are clogged, etc. will all help you out. A ScanGauge or the TorquePro app will go a looooong way in helping you keep an eye on things (either or, both are not necessary) as well as being able to read and clear codes.

As far as tunes, I used to have an F5 from DPTuner but recently swapped to Gearhead's 6-pos (Hydra chip with custom tunes, the ability to get new tunes emailed is great, I usually have update tunes in my inbox in a day when I need them) and absolutely love it. Several friends have converted to GH and loved it as well (mix of Excursions and SuperDuty's). Personally, right out of the box the GH proved to be better IMHO across the board. Far less smoke, cooler EGT's everywhere, smoother shifts, and far more comfortable across the board. The progressive fuel mapping is nice too, along with full use of the throttle pedal for tuning.

A good tuner will be able to get the codes done so you don't get false codes, but if a legitimate issue comes up you'll get a code. That goes across the board, not just for GH stuff.
He ^^^^ is offering really great advice, especially about making sure the truck is healthy before getting a tuner and about how to check said health.

Ask the opinions of people who have had tunes from multiple tuners. I have had them from three. There is a difference.
 
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 10:33 AM
  #11  
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You really ought to calculate your mileage by hand, to be sure what's really happening...
 
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by jhl3
He ^^^^ is offering really great advice, especially about making sure the truck is healthy before getting a tuner and about how to check said health.

Ask the opinions of people who have had tunes from multiple tuners. I have had them from three. There is a difference.
I went with Power Hungry Performance (PHP) and have been very happy. My fuel economy is about the same as stock. The truck is quicker but I don't drive it harder. Two big things I do as a driver to keep the MPGs up: keep the RPMs below 2000 (unless I'm getting on the freeway) and set my cruise control at 65mph on the freeway (that's about 1800rpm on my rig and seems to be a good balance between power and economy).

Agreed that 10.5 is low. I run about 14mpg overall and looking under the hood I know I've got a couple of leaks to chase (I'm only getting 16psi of boost so I know I've got at least one between the turbo and intake manifolds).
 
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 11:19 AM
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If you want low egt's, low cylinder pressures (some tuners don't measure the cylinder pressures resulting from their number fiddling on data tables), long term reliability, no smoke, and fuel economy, then check out the tunes from Ford.
 
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 02:01 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Y2KW57
...then check out the tunes from Ford.
LOL, yup, and they come free with the truck!

To the OP, All kidding aside, read, read, read. You're getting really good info here from some of the guys.

I have always used DP Tuner for my tuning needs, but I have also always been curious how my truck would run and feel with tunes supplied from a different source too, so I'm about to try something different.

Stewart
 

Last edited by Stewart_H; Apr 6, 2015 at 05:51 PM.
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 02:55 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by skidmarks82
Not sure what state laws r but my sister has few 96-2000ish 7.3 , egr deletes on them and loves the heck out of them , I do believe the fuel isn't the same as it usta b So diesels aren't getn the power n fuel like they did before diesel was cheaper than gas . Everyone we t to diesel over gas because it was cheap and awesome mileage . But every one leans toward SCT for ford . The 5 stage edge attitude Was wicked in my bro's 01 dually. U really wanna stay on mild tunes so Ya don't end up with stretched head studs, but I think that was a more of a 6.0 thing ?
There is way too many misleading things in this post. Sorry skidmarks but most of the things you're calling facts are not true at all about the 7.3. I'm not trying to burst your bubble but trying to keep the OP on the right track.

Try cleaning your EBP sensor. There's a good chance that it is clogged up and can cause a mileage drop. Never listen to the overhead ALWAYS calculate by hand.
 
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