I have read their website on how they say it works. When I watch the install video, it just goes in-line with the ICP. It appears to me in my somewhat small tuner knowledge is that the predator just increases the fuel pressure?????

I may need a few more FT-LB's of torque for towing and I like the way it is down stream from the brain-box on the truck. Do these leave a footprint behind? I still have the 5/100K and would like to keep it that way.

 

I have a 3 position predator on a E350 van 6.0. 50/80/100hp. Impressive. I pull around 4000 pounds (16' enclosed) all over the southeast and the torque is super.

 

PS: I had a high pressure pump to fail. Ford dealership replaced it under warranty and never mentioned the chip. Mechanic was aware of it. I Talked to him at length and he stated that the 6.0 had a rep for that pump.

 

If you want the safest tuner on the market for the 6.0 then that would be the SCT. If you go back and read many posts on this site, all of the tuners, chips etc have been tried, and the SCT is by far and away the safest and most user friendly for the 6.0.

Problem with chips that plug in line is that they do Not properly address the transmission with the increased power and they can only alter the signal input in a fixed way, mainly by changing fueling or fuel timing. With the SCT All parameters in the engine and transmission can be modified to work in concert with one another.

Any inline fuel device (ie Banks Six Gun, Edge etc) increases the Hp & Torque output of the motor, but the PCM, TCM and all of there sensors are not made aware of this and therefore cannot compensate for the problems encountered by changing the pulse width, timing and fuel pressure. Stress on the head gaskets is effected by; Boost Pressure, Backpressure, Injection Timing levels and Mean Cylinder pressure, Engine oil temp, Coolant temp, and EGT to name a few.

Mean Cylinder pressure is a derivative of the actual power that the engine is producing.

Any inline fuel device alters the fuel pulse width, fuel timing and fuel pressure, yet the PCM is not aware of this change, furthermore, the Edge (or any inline fuel device) does not monitor the other parameters in the engine, so the safe guards that are in the PCM are thrown out the window. Since the PCM is unaware of the changes made to the fuel pulse width, timing and pressure, the PCM does not know to alter boost pressure etc to maintain safe levels. In addition, the factory parameters by FMC & IH are set to de-fuel the engine if the engine coolant temp reaches 227F or the engine oil temp reaches 254F. But since the Banks Six Gun (or any inline fuel device) overrides the fueling strategy of the PCM then these safety parameters are no longer available to the PCM to maintain safe operating parameters of the motor.

Any inline fuel device it allows the factory boost parameters to go on as the factory set them in the PCM because the PCM is unaware that the fuel pulse width, timing and pressure are being changed after the PCM sends out its requests. So the boost pressure that the Edge system is allowing can become to high for the current conditions do to the changes in fuel strategy which effects Backpressure levels and Mean Cylinder pressures. The factory settings generally limit boost to 30psi, however as little as 22psi boost can break engine components when coupled with backpressure levels, fuel injection pulse width, timing & pressure or Mean Cylinder pressures that are outside safe parameters. Since the PCM is unaware that the Banks system is altering fuel pulse width, timing and pressure, the PCM does not know to properly control boost levels for the new Mean Cylinder pressures that are now being encountered. So simply put the Edge can allow unsafe boost levels to occur.

I can tell you when the 6.0 first came out the Edge was the tuner,chip of choice until people started damaging motors and transmissions with it. The edge still does not properly address the transmission.
So bottom line if you don't care about your transmission, then get an Edge or Banks or any other inline chip and go happily on your way. If you want the tuner with the proven track record then get the SCT.

Matt (PSD 60L Fx4) at www.lidiesel.com is the leading perfromance guru for the 6.0. He has been there and done it with all the possible mods and then some on the 6.0.

One other point to ponder is that all after market performance mods can void the factory warranty if they cause damage. And the chips can be detected by the swirl patterns on the piston tops. So bottom line if your gonna play, the be prepared to pay the consequences. If you don't want to take any chances with your warranty then don't install in tuner/chip.

Things that can be installed without effecting the warranty are; guages, cat back exhaust, coolant filter, by-pass oil filter.

Hope this helps.

 

Blackhat620
Actually, I have had two high pressure pumps to go. One at about 25000 and the other at 38000. Both were fixed by dealers and they were fixed under warranty with the Predator chip staring at them. Again, they did not blame the chip. The last time I asked the mechanic and, again, he talked to the history of the high pressure pump failures.
I can take my 2005 E-350 SD pulling the 16' enclosed with gross weight of around 5k pounds, good tongue weight (I run a Reese Dual Cam Anti-Sway) ease out and at around 15mph light up the right rear tire.
The Predator does adapt itself to your transmission. You must go through some acceleration and stopping proceedures to prevent erratic shifts. It WILL shift erratically if you do not. The booklet states that it "learns" your driving style and adjusts. Course, in my case, the van comes with 265hp. Boosted, it supposedly makes 365hp. I have the same transmission as the truck and that puts me just over 30hp more than the truck transmission. If I did not desire the van for my hobby I would use the Predator on a F350.
I leave it on the 100hp setting. Prevents 95% of downshifting because of the hp and torque.
Sunday I will fill up the van and drive fairly hard to WV (mother) for 4 1/2 pretty hard and hilly driving. I will return home with almost a quarter of a tank (no trailer). I have never calculated the mileage. I bought the van solely for torque. Sold my Chevy Express 3500 gas and do not regret it.

 

By the way, I have a Kleen Oil filtering system. Nothing to do with the chip but sure does work.

 

Fluffyhauler,

With your 4 posts and being a around here, you can post all you want about the predator being safe for the tranny, but unfortunately for the many people who have used them and run the 6.0 hard on this forum, the statement that the Predator is safe for the tranny is dubious at best. It does not sufficiently alter line pressure or anything else in the transmission or TCM. The learning procedure it talks about in the instructions that came with it are referring to the FMC learning strategy that occurrs any time the PCM is flashed, the batteries are disconnected or driving styles change.
Sorry to many testing miles by the guys who run these hard and race em.

As for your dealer repairing your truck with a chip, good for you. But many dealers and FMC will void the warranty at the first sign of a chip or tuner. So your experience is not the norm.

Good luck with your E350 and predator. The reason the vans are detuned compared to the pickups, is the vans are much harder to keep cool and the intercooler is smaller.

 

Yep, the van is tough to cool. That is what the mechanic says.
You know, I shoot Colts. Don't screw around with the cheap stuff. My opinion. You have yours.
My dealer/mechanic is pretty experienced in performance products.
What the hell does being a newbie have to do with my right to post my toughts about Predator?
You have a bad hair day or are you always this offensive?

 

Its nice to know you don't screw around with the cheap stuff, but price of something doesn't always make it better. You can spend a lot of money on after market tuners/chips and exhaust, that won't hold a candle to the SCT XcalII with custom tunes, and an MBRP exhaust or just striaght pipe. There are many products that cost as much or more than SCT XcallII with custom tunes and don't even come close to the performance or safety levels.

Well until your mechanic can come close to the leading 6.0PSD perfromance experts and techs on FTE, you may want to do a little reading around here. You will find the answers and information about what i speak.

The newbie reference is what it is. You can throw out your opinion all you want, but if you want it to be listened to you better find all the facts to back it up. As far as performance and the 6.0PSD we have got the facts to back up the statements i posted above.

Offensive, i am one of the nicer ones. You haven't met the offensive ones that show up when incorrect information is posted.

You will find if you do a little searching and reading around here we pride ourselves on finding and posting the facts, not heresay.

 

I've had a Predator for two years no issues to date. I don't dog on my truck either. I pull a 31" TT about 12-15 times a summer. I know a guy who beats the heck out of his truck with a Predator also and has had no issues. I will say that I'm seriously considering an SCT with all the good I have heard about it.
When I bought my Predator it was highly regarded. There's always someone out there developing a better product. But where ever you look on here there is plenty of great info. But again if you play you may have to pay! Make your decision and live with it. That's my $ .02

 

You are aware that there are TWO "predators" on the market. The "Diablo Sport Predator (Tuner)" and a "Dr. Performance Predator Module (in-line fuel module).

wiingnut, which one do you have?

Neither are very good products, but the "Dr. Performance Predator Module" is junk. Just another in-line fuel device that is extremely hard on the transmission and engine.
The "Diablo Sport Predator" is a better product than the "Dr. Performance Predator Module" ( and cheaper), but its canned tunes leave alot to be desired, and in no way compare to the SCT XCalII with custom tunes for performance and safety.


Best bet is to stay far far away from any in-line fuel device for the 6.0, and if you are going to go with any kind of tuner or chip, understand the dealer/FMC can detect them and may void your warranty. So if you are going to play then you have got to pay.

 

I have the Diablo Sport Predator, I never evenknew the other existed.

 

I wonder what the pickups would be rated at, if like in the E-Series Diesel van, there wasn't Dodge and GM to compete with?

 

I can say from experience that i have to fully agree with Blackhat.I have run the Diablo Sport Predator tuner, power was good, but shifts were hard and the EGT's were outa sight. This was an early 04 unit.

I have also run an inline device like the Predator device, that alters the ICP signal. I have used this in conjunction with a custom tuned SCT on level 2, so i could step up to a higher power level if needed.(like if a ricer puller up next to me at a stop light). There is a definitely increase in power, but the transmission requires some learning, and that means you cant immediately used the new power.Also the EGT's rise very rapidly as the turbo isnt aware of the added fuel. Although not the Predator unit, it does the same thing.

Currently running the SCT Excal with customt tunes. On level 3 the power is incredible, the shifts are firm but not harsh, the EGR is disabled, the speedo is compensated for larger tires. Cant help but to love to drive my beast. I experimented with the ICP device on level 3 and noticed no difference, so the SCT had already adressed .that performance aspect

 

Good grief.