I have a 2000 F350 w/ a 7.3 engine. what is the best chip for this truck?

 

I bought an '02 F250 brand new and installed a BD Power 60 hp tow chip, really woke up the truck. Ran that chip for 15 yrs till I just sold it, do it again in a heart beat.

 

You will get many different answers to your question, I have a DP tuner chip & I'm very happy with the results, I have no experience of other brands but for me it was a toss up between DP & PHP (Hyrda), I only went with DP as I like the deceleration tune which no one else seems to offer.

 

Moved to the 7.3L forum.

 

There are off-the-shelf tuners (Edge, Bullydog, etc.) and guys that provide custom tunes (Power Hungry Performance, DP, Gearhead, etc.). You will get opinions and recommendations from all over the spectrum.

You need to determine what you want it for, how you want it to work, and how much you want to spend. You can get a tuner that plugs in or a chip with multiple options as you drive (switch or digital display).

My truck is mostly stock and have an aftermarket intake and exhaust. I have Power Hungry Performance (PHP) tunes and have been very happy with them. There are others that are very happy with their tunes.

 

Just as Brian42 says, what is the best chip for my truck may not be for yours.

I am however a big supporter of the Hydra tuned by GearHead. If for some reason I decide GearHead is not working for me anymore, then PHP has tunes already loaded to the software that I can change quickly.

Look at your goals for the truck in regards to use, gauges, performance limits, etc and make an educated decision from there.

 

What chip is best for you truck? Only you can answer that question! I've got tunes from PHP, Gearhead, and Swamps on my Hydra. For power, and if you ignore the way the shifting is for the automatic tranny, I preferred Swamps in my truck. But, I did not like the way their tunes were with the transmission shifting while I had a HD4R100 in it. Gearhead, in my opinion, was better with the transmission shifting with the HD4R100. Now, I recently replaced it with a Swamps rebuild, and Swamps tuning is great with it. With the aggressive tunes from Swamps, the throttle is very sensitive though. Wet roads and you will spin the tires without trying.

 

I am looking at the Hydra tuned by Gearhead or DP myself, if I do end up doing it. Have to talk to my smog testing station and see how often chipped trucks fail/pass.

This is not an endorsement, just an FYI, XDP has the TS PERFORMANCE SWITCHABLE 6 POSITION CHIP - 7.3L POWERSTROKE on sale right now, $249.95.

 

That's kind of like asking what the best beer is, because it depends on personal preference.

There are different chips out there and different tuners who write tunes for those chips. Some are propietary chips that only one tuner can write tunes for, others are non-propietary and anyone can write a tune for the chip if the tuner has the right equipment.

You're doing the right thing though, asking for personal experience, because that will help you decide which way to go.

We love helping people spend their money!

Stewart

 

That was easy!


So very true!

OP, most of us have good intentions and will help guide you in the right direction no matter what choice or problem you may be facing. We are even here to lend a hand if one of us is close and you need help.

 

Not sure if I should start a new thread but I'm stuck at a decision also, I am thinking perhaps the TS 6 possession chip would be a good starter for me as I am looking mainly to firm up the shifts of the trans and a high idle function, not much more for now until I get the gauges I want, would the TS chip be a good start for me? Does anyone have any good AND bad experiences with the radio 6 possession chip?

 

I've had a TS -6 position chip in 2 trucks and never had any problems with them. The tunes were from Swamps. But I believe you can get tunes from whoever you want with that chip.

 

would that be a good "beginner" chip to start with?

 

Sure would. Really anybodies tunes would be fine in my opinion. I found that Gearhead seems to be the best shifting with a regular Ford stock automatic. I've heard DP offers a good decel tune for towing, but I don't know if that comes in a TS Chip.

 

I'm really looking for a no start, high idle and a valet/no start mode for the chip and better/firmer shifting, I hate how the trans feels anemic during shifts up or down as well as punching it