Hey guys I just bought a 05 f-250, and i have always owned trucks but never a diesel. Can anyone tell me what kind of programmer gives the best power gains and also one that is adjustable when drivin, like a switch or LCD display. Money really doesnt matter i just want a really good one that i will be happy with and wont have to replace in the future.

 

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Take a look around and search other posts (and drive some tuned vehicles with all products) before you come to a conclusion.

On the 6.0, it is the overshadowing majority that uses programmers on the, due to some serious limitations with inline devices that change on the fly.

Changing power on the fly is nice, but it is at the expense of transmission control (they don't shift well with inline devices), rev and speed limiter changes and will not allow for a power bandwith increased length (rpm).
They basically "trick" the PCM, rather than giving it the correct logic.
EGT usually suffers dearly, too.

 

Looking at the same thing, after reading a number of posts is sounds like the SCMT is considered the 'safest' of the tuners, some have reported tranny problems, etc with the predator (but there are also a number of predator users that are quite happy with them). I ran the SCMT in my '97 and it worked well, didn't have the higher HP settings and didn't have the code reader in it.

At this point, based on what I've read, I'm heading toward the SCMT.

 

Choose whichever you want, but make sure your info is accurate...
including the marketing glitz you get.....
or give !
like what tranny problems with the predator ?

 

Drive both.
Make your choice.

 

Welcome, You'll get a million answers. What are going to do with your truck. I have not made any "computer" changes after 10K of misc driving and towing. I like BD's moniter; and the "pup" will let you change on the fly. Others will too. They are not one of the sponsers here. Everyone has a story about their experiences.. Having one that can go back to factory settings prior to going in for service may or not be important, I would look for that feature....Good Luck

 

SCT and SCMT use RPM-anticipated shifting. With either of these units, the learn time is nearly non-existant because the computer is able to antipate RPM MUCH better than speed without a learning time- this ends in a more predictable, consistant shift under high-rpm and high-load conditions.

From looking at the tuning, the Predator does little more than a bump in line pressure. The SCMT and SCT change the overall calculated slip time values (both inertia and torque), along with proper value manipulation in the torque tables. Using the slip times to change the shifting in these transmissions is far more effective than line pressure due to the lack of an actual valve body; the VFS solenoids in the Torqshift will falter when the pressures are raised excessively.

With nothing more than the 100 HP made by the Predator, in all honesty this will work just fine (if you aren't constantly beating the crap out of the truck). If you start piling on other mods, however, the shifts will start getting out of order quite quickly.

I don't believe the Predator will do any damage by itself, but it has by no means the most efficient and cleanest shifting on the market.

 

Jdadamsjr, these are the kind of things I was HEARING, along with the 100 mile + learn time in which the truck shifts poorly, are the things I have HEARD.

Thats why I also said there were many happy predator users as well, not trying to start a war between the two groups of users, just trying to share a little of what I had gleaned. My only experience is with the SCMT on a '97 and it works great.

 

Hey what do yall think about the Banks PowerPDA, and other banks products. I guss im just tryin to get a grasp on what i should use bc diesel are so new to me, im only 19 so this is my second truck and iv done all my own work on my other one so its not like i dont understand mechanics or anything i just need to learn about diesel and the first thing would be these programmers.
Thanks yall

 

IMO, the Banks equipment for the 6.0 is no better than any of the other fuel boxes out on the market. Its overpriced, doesn't make as much power as the others, and does nothing to assist the transmission.

As for thier intercooler, it is a good investment to drop EGT's. Mine fell about an average of 90-110 degrees depending upon load. It is well built, too.

Keep one thing in mind when you are searching through these products- just as JD stated earlier, dont let the marketing glitz get to you. Listen to what the USERS of the products you are interested have to say, not what the makers have to say.

 

Any time you install new batteries, put a new program in the PCM with the Predator or the SCMT or disconnect the batteries for any other reason, you must take the truck through the tranny learn proceedure. This is in your owners manual. There is no "100" mile learn time. Someone just picked that number. You can easily see if you installed a tune, got on the freeway and drove 100 miles you would not acomplish a learn cycle in 100 miles. The learn cycle that is recommended is in the technical articles at the beginning of this forum.
For anyone to say that the SCMT or Predator trans program is "better" than the other is pure speculation. No one making those statements has ever done a comprehensive test with installed pressure gages and other data acquiring devices. The only people who have done these tests are possibly the manufacturers who will not divulge the results.
We have made note of the fact that in our (unscientific) dyno tests on different trucks that the SCMT makes about 50 HP less than they claim and the Predator makes about 50 HP more than they claim. If SC will make misrepresentations in their advertising about their power levels, it follows that they are likely to be liars about their transmission tuning as well.
Above all, one should not believe anything that a certain SC representative posts on these forums. These statements in the past have proven to be less than factual.

 

Are the 6.0L's intercooled?

 

I have yet to hear of a perfect tuner that beats all the others in every category. Its a matter of what you want and what features are important to you.

 

Understand Bricot.... not trying to escalate a war either...
just as I did when I investigated whether or not I wanted to go to the SCMT when it came out... even though I had already had fun with the predator for months...
I just like to make sure I got my facts straight....
and so I just asked for clarification of what tranny problems
cuz I ain't got no stinkin' tranny problems
I mean, I had some on my 02 7.3L while I had a SCMT for it, that's why I got a 03 6.0 replacement, but it was tranny issues, not scmt issues, I think .....

Have a good weekend...