I have recently determined that my Dp chip is likely failing and causing no starts,etc..

So, I need to find and buy a Hydra ASAP.
If anybody has a used one for sale, please let me know asap.

I suspect that I probably will not find a used one in the next couple of days. So, really it would seem that the decision of where to buy the chip comes down to who's tunes are best.

Total Diesel Performance (Tony Wildman) and CNC Fabrication are both the cheapest, @ $400 for the chip and 6 custom tunes.

Next is Irate Diesel Performance @ $450 w/ shipping. It appears they are just re-selling GearHead tunes.

Gearhead is @ $475 with shipping. ( chip and 6 tunes)

Power Hungry Performance is the second highest @ $574 + shipping ( which it won't tell me unless I register with all sorts of info) ( again chip and 6 tunes)
I'm really bummed and surprised that PHP would be so much. Its their chip. It ought to be cheapest to buy it right from the original source....

DynoProven is the highest, @ $650 w/ 6 tunes!

So, who should I buy from? Who's tuning is the "best"? My truck is a daily driver and a work truck. I don't currently tow, but I do haul up to 4k in the bed.

Is PHP's tuning worth nearly $200 more then either Tony Wildman's or CNC Fab's ? Worth $100 more then Gearhead's tunes?

Is DynoProven's tunes worth the astronomical price they appear to be charging?

 

If your truck is stock or stock-ish, you don't need custom tuning for the hydra. No matter where you buy it, you get access to their fairly large library of tuning for stock trucks.

My truck only has a 4" banks exhaust and i added the napa huge air filter (6637?). I bought my hydra from full force diesel and couldn't be happier with the "canned" php tunes. The 40hp daily tune has been helping to mask my tranny problems for a while. I'm getting the tranny done next week, but it helped limit the slipping and flaring shifts. The power gains from the 80hp daily tune and 65-120hp performance tunes are nice too, but my wounded 4r100 doesn't appreciate them.

If you have bigger injectors or turbo or modded valve body, you're going to want custom tuning. I hear gearhead has some nice custom tuning for the 7.3. I know they did great things with their custom tunes on my 6.0 before i got back into a 7.3.

 

Do you have a link to this library?

I'm not really happy with the Gearhead tunes that I have, and I haven't been very happy with the support I've gotten from them, either.

 

It won't help you ( or me.) I see you have 160/80 injectors. I have 180/0 singles. As far as I know, the "library" is for stock injectors only.

Please elaborate. What don't you like about the tunes, as well as the support?

I see in your signature you also have PHP listed. Are you running there tunes too? How are they?

 

gearhead is my favorite,no experience with the others cept dp,full disclosure,gearhead and very happy

 

http://www.gopowerhungry.com/hydraflash/_hydraflash.shtml

 

Keep in mind that a person can't just access the "library" of calibrations with their PC. When the Hydra chip is purchased, the link provided will take you to the download of Hydraflash, the program that links your PC to the chip via USB. There is a registration that must be completed with just a few bits of information such as your name and the serial number of the chip (which is found using Hydraflash). At that point, the calibrations will be available for download to the chip only (not download to your PC).

 

Dang.

My biggest complaint right now is the transmission won't stay in OD on flat ground while towing the RV. It hunts between 3rd and 4th.

As far as the support goes... I've e-mailed Gearhead twice about this issue and not received a response.

No, just gearhead.

 

At just the right speeds and RPM's this is likely to happen. What's it do if you goose the speed by five or ten MPH?

 

I disagree. I think it's poor programming. I should be able to do 60 MPH on flat ground and not hunt gears.

 

Anyway......... moving on.


DynoProven's website is back up.
Holy dollar sign$ batman! $650 for Hydra and 6 tunes? That's crazy, right?

 

Sometimes you have to pay to play...

I paid $500 total for Hydra with GH lifetime update tunes. I have been very happy with my tunes, but as you can see there are other opinions.

I paid ~$1000 for OUO traction bars, worth every penny if you ask me. Sometimes you can find a great deal, other times you just have to bite the bullet and pay the higher prices.

 

Heir Sous, out of curiosity, what gear would you be in while towing your camper at 60 MPH on the flats on the highway?

 

[All information following is concerning when I am towing our 12K lbs 5th wheel. Unloaded is completely different.]

On the flats I would probably be in 5th gear, but not guaranteed. When towing, I keep the truck in 4th gear up until about 55-65 when accelerating, then go into 5th. 60 MPH is a bit of a strange spot on a flat surface.

Honestly, I would see which the truck preferred based and how it was acting in regards to the cruise control maintaining speed and how it sounded maintaining speed. I think 60 MPH is a bit slow for 5th, but a bit much for 4th while towing, but it really depends on the feedback from the truck. I will tell you that at 65 MPH, it is 5th gear 100%, unless I am getting ready to climb a grade that I feel might be a bit much for 5th, then I get her into 4th as I start to climb and maintain 65 MPH and ~25 PSI boost.

I hope this makes sense, if not let me know and I will try to relay my thoughts a bit more clearly.

 

I have bought several tunes from a few tuners. I am now running my heavy tow tune from gearhead 100% of the time. Truck likes it the best and I like how it runs. If the tuner you want to use sells individual tunes it may be something to consider.