Well I finally got around to installing my tuned FICM from Power Hungry Performance. I guess I have had it for about 6 months and hadn't installed it - just waiting for the right time I guess.

As it turns out, this week was the perfect time. I took a 2500 mile (round trip) vacation (just got back two days ago) and the truck did real well except for the trip home. I got a CEL near Dallas (Rockwall actually). The DashDAQ gave me all the standard FICM codes. Drove 10 miles (never felt any loss of power, maybe dropped 1 mpg or so) and I pulled into a Ford dealership. I checked to see if they had a FICM in stock and they did, so I left it with them. Two hours later, I had a new (they are all remanufactured now) FICM installed and I was on my way - no charge. I did have to remind the SA that the emissions warranty meant "no deductible". For the trip, I had packed my tuned FICM as a spare, but since I was under warranty I had them install a remanufactured one and "flash" update my processors. I am glad I waited to install the tuned FICM now!!!!

I averaged 19 mpg on the highway w/ some idle time due to several road construction/accident traffic problems on one leg of the trip, and some heavy head winds on the return trip. Half of the return trip was with the new FICM. Max highway fuel economy with a 20 mph tail wind was around 21 mpg.

Today I figured "what better time than now to put my newly installed FICM in a box as a spare and install the PHP tuned FICM".

I know cheezit will laugh at me, but I took my time and installed the FICM in a couple of hours (he could have had the heads off in that amount of time). I also disconnected the batteries and charged them up and then load tested them. Working on the truck and watching TPC - Players Championship ............ a great afternoon!

I have only a few miles on the truck w/ the PHP FICM, but it drives well, idles well, accelerates well, and best of all (according to the electronic fuel economy readout) looks promising to get a mild increase in fuel economy.

BTW - my wife did something real helpful a year ago. She called up a list of all the Ford Dealerships in TX (where we do most of our travelling) and then printed it out for me in a notebook. When I got the CEL on the trip, I could see that we actually had several choices for dealerships - all within short distances.

 

Sorry that you had a little hickup in your trip, but congrats on getting another toy added to your truck.

Now I'm just waiting for you to lose it and throw a tuner on there so you can blow the heads off. You're going to be out of warranty soon you know.

 

LOL - if I do, I will just blame it on Tex ...............

 

Surely you can't mean me. It must be texans that you are talking about.

 

Evan - I am not sure that I will ever have the spare cash to get into the heavy performance mods, but I sure do like what you have done to your truck. Who wouldn't enjoy a "working" truck with 500+ hp .... very tempting!

I am sure of one thing ...... if I succomb to the temptation I will do it the way you did and stud the truck before installing a tuner.

Back to the FICM topic ........... I have not read much lately on the tuned FICM's. I would appreciate a post from those of you that have installed one (experiences, opinions, etc).

 

mark any time you are in my neck of the woods and need help call me. im not far from the dallas/ftworth area and always happy you help out.
also your right installing a ficm is a 15 min job. so I would laugh.
keep me posst on the thoughts of the ficm I have alot of intrest in it.
I will also say that running around with 440/700 hp/tq is a lot of truck, Ive found out first hand. I dont understand how Evan stops his truck from fish tailing out going around a corner. Much less I starting to think theres not a hole lot of need for an injector upgrade. But I still thinking the garrett turbo and a tunded ficm will put at or over the 475hp level.

 

I greatly appreciate the offer cheezit. I am pretty sure I still have your contact info, but I just need to put it in my "mpg book" so I will have it available on trips. I sometimes make the I35 trip to northern OK, so I am periodically in your neck of the woods. I did think about you when I got the CEL, but I knew what was needed. Worst case was to install the tuned one on the side of the road (and I bet I could have done it in an hour with the right motivation - ie the wife). My arms and hands are not made to access those "hard to reach" areas though .

I agree with you on the injectors and even the fuel delivery system seems more capable that I first thought. However, I do know that Evan feels the return regulated system is necessary - it is just a lot of cash! Now that you mention it, I sure do like the looks of that Garrett turbo. It is certainly on my list now! However, I think the next thing will be a 200 Amp alternator and wiring upgrade - I don't think I can wait much longer on Sarge for the "volume deal" approach.

As I get more time w/ the tuned FICM, I will update this post. Hopefully others will add to it also. I requested the tune for better fuel economy and not for power, but it sure seems more responsive than stock. It may just be that I want to have more power and am imagining it though.

 

Try the 03 turbo first then move on to the Garrett upgrade. 90%+ drivers probably have no use for an injector upgrade, maybe 98%. There is a monster under your hood in totally stock form. I'm not sure there is 475 rwhp available with stock injectors because of lack of fuel. They do have limitations. They do have enough fuel to go very fast though.

 

Better power is a byproduct of better efficiency from the fuel economy program. The higher HP tunes are the best fuel economy tunes. It's all about controling your right foot.

You've been driving a truck that has to be designed to please everyone that buys that truck for however many were produced. One "tune". Get the transmission tuned and REALLY enjoy your truck. You already have plenty of HP.

 

Most of the time I drive like a grandpa, which really get's people by surprise if I do stomp on it for whatever reason(usually a wild hair). I don't do much racing at all(really) and I don't even know what she'll do at the 1/4 mile. Don't really have much intention of finding out either as I can just imagine it breaking while trying to do something like that. Just me luck anyway. You also have to realize that peak hp is in a rpm range that I don't see all that often on the street unless I'm stomping on it or it's got to work. It's almost to the point of not being seen on the street at all, so even though my peak hp is at 508, I don't see all that hp just driving normally. I don't know what the peak hp is at the stock rpm level, I'm sure it's even higher then a just tuned truck, but I couldn't tell you what it is, however, it might help to reconcile why I don't fishtail around a corner.


Tungston coating is one huge benefit to an injector upgrade. Plus the tend to handle 0 psi for quite a bit of time before they crap out on it(mine still haven't during my time of 0 psi, but I'm still nervous about it and it's been over a year).

Necessary if you upgrade the injectors, strongly suggested if you are with the stock ones.

More then likely you have 03 or 04 programming on your truck and they were known to have more power and in some cases more fuel economy. As you got further a long in the 6.0 lifespan, that tended to go down for both.


Here I'm trying to sway bismic over to the dark side and your trying to get him to go the other way.

03 turbos have the potential to get about another 20 hp compared to what the later stock turbos would get, they are about 3mm bigger then the 05 and later turbos.

 

I was having trouble installing the Stock+ tune I usually run so I tried- and succeeded- the Mild Street. I don't hot-rod it around, but it sure is nice to have that little extra. I am carpooling with a buddy to where I'm working now, round trip is over 100 mi. I have seen my lie-o-meter gain about .5 mpg so far, hand calc at 13.3mpg (mostly hiway/rural roads) which I feel isn't bad for my configuration. Might be due to summer fuel, IDK. My point is, the few times I "needed" to get around someone, she doesn't mess around. Short bursts EGT only hits 1000*. Still very pleased with the old girl. I think that tune is 90 hp? It woke it up for sure. Tim- I'm still afraid to try those 2 tunes you sent me, but I have them in reserve. Maybe someday...

 

FICM firmware is the way to go with tweaking FICMs.

Much safer than the hardware mods, and within reason, much less likely to cause severe damage.

I am working on trying to talk to the Manufacturing people that actually made the FICM and see what their take is on the box.

 

The 58V FICM mod, like aftermarket injectors, isn't intended for everyone. Sometimes go fast guys just want to go fast. Although it would be nice to make a "bulletproof" FICM at 58V, it's just like the headgaskets. The components have limits that the go fast guys are going to push regardless of the consequences. It's all about application.

 

Well, I started pricing out what those people were doing, and what it would take to do a real proper job...

Before you know it.. I reached the point where it was easier and cheaper to order up a Common Rail Bosch fuel injection system, complete with injectors, pump, software etc. and swap it into the engine.

 

If you come up with a common rail for a 6.0 you let me know and we'll get rich.