i was just wondering if anyone knows if the hypermax chip is good or bad
thanks for the help

 

Good.

Not as much all out power as some, but seemless and very well mannered compared to some of the super agressive chips.

Nowadays there really aren't any "bad" chips for the 7.3, folks have pretty much got this programming thing down.

 

is there anything i should do to the tranny with the chip or will it hold up fine. i have 200,000 miles on it and i dont know if i start upgrading it now or is it too late and just leave it.

thanks for the help

 

I don't think I'm qualified to comment on when it's too late to start modifying. Mine's at 134,000 miles and has been pumped up since 12,000. I don't think there is a bad time to start, but that also depends on the general condition of the vehicle.

By fay the most popular upgrade to the automatic tranny when altering the engine's output is the sonnex valve/tricumulator spring. I saw in your other post that you were looking at BCD's website....they carry it.

 

ya i was looking at the sonnax but i dont know if my tranny is too used to start upgrading it. i cant afford a new one, and with the chip im putting in i dont know if it will handle the extra power without it. A buddy of mine had the hypermax chip with the stock tranny without any problems but as soon as he upgraded to a chip that increased the line pressure his tranny fried, but he does a lot of plowing and towing and i dont. any ideas on whether i should updrade it or not?

Thanks for the help

 

the sonnax is one of the best mods i have done... it really helps the tranny put the power on the road... as for needing it to handle the extra power... my vote is yes... and if you are gonna start pumping up the power on your engine, you need to do everything you can to help that tranny handle the power... if you pump up the power by 100hp and 200 ft lbs of torque and then go hot rodding around town on a stock tranny that has 200k on it, i think you can plan on having to put in a new tranny sooner rather than later unless that tranny has had extremely good maintenance done on it for it's entire life..! jmo here, but i have read several stories on the net of people doing just what you are talking about and shredding their tranny in very short order... the sonnax was one of the first things i did after i got the predator tuner, even with the tranny line pressure pumped up by the predator, my tranny didn't shift anywhere near as well as it does with the sonnax kit.... i would reccomend that kit even for a stock psd... it should have come from the factory like this...

 

Hmm. 200k on the clock. For the engine, that isn't so much. For a stock tranny, that's getting up there.

I'm going to reluctantly agree with Johnny8 - IF you're going to put in the Hypermax chip, go for the Sonnax kit. Also, make sure you have a good tranny cooler - an external trans filter (bypass type) wouldn't hurt either.

I say reluctantly because, with that many miles on the tranny, I'd be inclined to put money away for a rebuild, then put the chip in AFTER the rebuild.

With 200k on the clock, you know the trans is going to fail sooner or later. I'm afraid increasing the engine power that much could cause your tranny to give up the ghost sooner rather than later.

Also, I've read repeatedly that if you use the Sonnax kit, then you aren't supposed to use a chip that does any tranny line pressure mods. Apparently, that can cause too much stress on several parts including pumps. Every chip maker I've talked to will sell you their chip without any tranny tuning.

Let us know how it goes.

 

i would have to agree with this... if you want to keep this truck, i would also be saving up some money for a new tranny, and not a stock replacement, i would be doing some reading in hear and asking some questions.... when the time comes i will be getting a really stout tranny from someone who has a 4R100 custom built for towing... i won't be spending huge money just to put a stock tranny back in my mule...

 

the chip that i put in does not change the line pressure and it shifts exactly the same as it did before the chip. all of my trips are short from my house to school and work so it shouldnt overheat especially in the winter here and i dont hot rod my truck at all im only 18 and a new tranny is a little more than i can afford but i realize it has a lot of miles on it and it will go sooner or later so is the sonnax a good temporary fix or should i just wait and ride the stock tranny as long as it will last without the chip its a tough decision because im not hard on the truck at all but would like a little more power im just afraid that if i will do something its not used to and it will go right away

thanks for all your help

 

well, like i said, it's your truck... i just know that i would be a little nervous about putting extra power through a tranny with that much mileage... i think you should just run your truck and enjoy it... there's an old mechanic's saying... "if it isn't broke, don't fix it..." it's funny how many of us in here have FORGOTEN that one...! and i'm just as guilty as anyone on this..!

 

i find that if i run my "stuff" on the stock settings, it will shift alot firmer. as i click up the notches and upload more power, the transmission acts more like a CVT. i guess all that power is too much for the stock t/c. i plan on a BTS T/C eventually. or a BTS complete tranny!

 

. i think you should just run your truck and enjoy it... there's an old mechanic's saying... "if it isn't broke, don't fix it..." it's funny how many of us in here have FORGOTEN that one...! and i'm just as guilty as anyone on this..![/QUOTE]




its hard to leave it stock with all the upgrades you can do. i like the saying "if it aint broke change stuff till it is"

thanks for your advice guys this website is great it has saved me a ton of money already

 

yeah, "bash it till you break it. if it isnt broke, bash harder". that was my motto when R/Cing. now that replacement parts are several hundreds to several thousand dollars, i have became more conservative. i had $1500 into my one RC truck and that would take anything and keep rolling, but $1500 wont even get a BB turbo, maybe a torque converter. man i miss my R/C days..

 

i remember the rc days then it turned into 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. and it still is but now theres a truck added to the list
lol it just keeps getting more expensive

 

That doesn't sound like the torque converter. It sounds like your mule is slipping too much on shifts - the clutches don't have enough pressure to hold them from slipping OR they are worn out. Unless they are worn out, a Sonnax kit will work wonders.