chip or no chip?
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New User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2
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chip or no chip?
I havn't owned a Ford in over 35 years but have recently gotten an '01 350 4x4 with auto trans and 7.3 that I like a lot. It's got 36,000 miles on it. The previous owner gave me a 75 hp chip he had been running, but had taken out to do some warranty work (replaced a sensor) and had not put back in when I bought the truck. He said I would like the chip and when he put it in for me a month after I got the truck I immediately noticed a difference in driving as well as 3-4 more mpg on the onboard mpg monitor. My neighbor is a shop foreman for a company that runs a fleet of 250 Fords and he says the Ford people tell him that a chip will boost hp and mileage but will likewise shorten the life of the engine and transmission. So my question is twofold, did I really get 4 mpg more from the chip or did it alter my onboard computer so that the mpg monitor was incorrect? And, can I still get 300K plus miles from this engine and trans with a chip? This truck is a farm/recreation vehicle which will be used for pulling medium size horse trailers and boats. I'd love to hear from some folks with high mileage running chips. I've got the chip out right now as I'm far more interested in a long useful life than fuel mileage and hp. I
Post Fiend
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5,324
Likes: 1
From: Denton,TX
Don't rely on the computer to calculate mileage. Mileage may go up, but calculate at the pump. Anything you do to increase HP and torque will shorten the life of the engine. It depends on what you are willing to live with.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: Northeast,PA
Go with the chip, the thing to watch is the line pressure on the tranny. The psd is greatly detuned from the factory(engine) the engine has alot of potential for hp and torque, the problem lies with keeping the tranny from exploding from all that torque. You should have no problems with a 70hp chip, its the ones boasting 200hp or more you need to watch. Just keep an eye on your egt reading, high temps damage the engine.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 284
Likes: 5
From: Mena, AR
Be sure to run at least 4" exhaust if you are going to run the 70HP chip. Also invest in a pyro guage so you can keep tabs on the EGT's. They are probably going to run right up to 1200+ with the 70HP chip and stock exhaust. I run the Diablo 40 HP tune and haven't noticed any gains or losses in fuel economy.
