Do those power chips work?

Is it simply a matter of upgrading the exhaust to flow better?

What are the best DIY (time and cost) to improve power and performance on these engines?

TIA

 

A power module,or "chip", can add some power,but when you install one,be prepared to pay more for fuel.....you have to run premium gasoline(91 octane rating or higher),because if you don't you'll get detonation which can damage an engine.If you run premium,you'll have no problems.Probably the best way to get more power from a late-model EFI302 engine would be through exhaust upgrades.You could always swap in a different cam,but this can be expensive,and with your truck's Speed Density electronics,you have to be careful on how big of a cam you go with.Crane Cams makes a few RV-type computer-compatible cams for the 302 truck engine.I'm sure a few other cam companies do,too.Another upgrade would be to replace the stock,factory air/intake set-up with an open element K&N air filter.Hope this helps.