DougCarden Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hey folks, I am reaching out for somebody's experience, good or bad. I have a 02 F 250 Superduty with the 7.3 diesel engine, 88K on it and just gone through by my techs. I just had a 4in drop from the turbo and a 5in exhaust installed with a Hypermaxx Boost Gauge/Pyrometer and a AFR Air exchanger as well. I am ready to buy a chip, and am looking at the 330hp chip from Hypermaxx and the Big Hoss from Banks. I am getting a chip and not a tuner. I am not really hauling anything, just my lard a$$ and buddies to matches in Colorado, PA, and NJ this year. I am looking for the Fuel economy that my friends are having...Over 20-25MPG if they keep the tac under 2K. My friends use the Hypermaxx and like it, but I can get the Banks cheaper. The only bad thing I have heard is that the Banks chips run hotter, but that doesnt really tell me anything. I am not gonna beat on my truck, but do want the performance and better fuel economy so I can afford to travel to matches...Yeah, I know I could have a new Open gun with what I spent on this truck....... Thanks for any assistance! DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Doug, I'd look here..Powerstroke diesel forums Their sister site for the DuraMax diesel has a ton of info. I'm sure you'll find the answer here. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Ray, ....with taking care of the kids when I am home and reloading ammo I never even thought of Diesel forums....... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 In addition to Banks and Hypermaxx call Edge Products, Diesel Dynamics, and Bullydog before plunking down any money. Get the advise from ALL of the companies you are considering, there WILL be a correlation in the advise, and that is the way you should go. You won't find a specific chip but you will find a power level and an approach to getting that power level that is safe and will net the gains you are looking for. Once you know that, then research the products that are reported to do what you want. If you have an automatic trans KEEP IT CONSERTVATIVE!!!! No more than about 40-50 HP gain until you get the tranny addressed. Diesel Transmission Technology in BC is who I would call for consultation on what the stock trans will take and what to do about that. If you have an auto and add a chip without doing anything to the trans DO NOT use the torque down low, the higher the RPM and the heavier the throttle posistion the stronger the transmission holding power is. It is exactly the opposite of common conceptions and that is a big part of why so many automatic transmissions die behind diesel engines. Remember, high RPM and a heavy foot will actually be easier on your trans than trying to baby it and throwing a lot of torque at it down low. I run a mild Dodge 24V quad cab 4x4. It makes about 350HP and 750 lb/ft at the wheels, is stone reliable, and will outrun more vehicles than you would believe until you drive it or ride in it. At 80 mph on the interstate I get about 18 mpg, more or less depending on wind direction and so on. At 55 MPH, and it is PAINFULL to go that slow, it will get 24 mpg without any problems. Bear in mind that most fuel economy discussions are inflated by at least 10%, just like fish stories and the like. If you expect more than about 5% increase in fuel economy with performance chips and other mods you will be dissappointed. The extra power is well worth the cost of the mods, the economy is just a small bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Banks and Bullydog are definitely in the lead for me. I put one into my buddies welding rig (creb cab 1 ton duelly Ford) and we were breaking the tires loose all day long with that thing. And on the freeway at speed...romping on the pedal...forget about it. I thought I was driving my Chevy! His is a full Bullydog, chip, intake, exhaust, etc. system with presets depending on what mode he needs to be in (cruising, hauling, towing, etc.). It was a breeze to install. I've heard the same about the Banks kits and since he's "The Man" when it comes to diesel engines, he's definitely a safe investment. SPC Richard A. White, Senior Medic 249th MP Detachment (EACF) Camp Humphreys, ROK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 Guys, thanks for all the info. I have been cruising the Diesel forums... lots of info there, just have to sort through it.....Fun though DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad allred Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Dude,check out the "Bully Dog" stuff,all my freinds with diesels have them and there trucks haul a$$! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtielke Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 My brother got a Bully Dog chip for his '00 F-350 dually. After he installed it he test drove it a bit then decided to turn it up to it's highest setting to see what it could do. Shortly afterwards white smoke started pouring out of his exhaust. He had completely destroyed his turbocharger. I drove him to a shop in San Antonio that specialized in turbochargers for diesel engines and we showed it to the guy working the front. He proceeded to call everyone from the back of the shop that was working there up front to look at it because he hadn't ever seen one that messed up. The shaft wiggled about 1/2" from side to side and the casing was discolored purple from where it had almost melted. They estimated it had to have been spinning 3-4x it's max speed to do that kind of damage and there was no way they could rebuild it. So my brother had to shell out close to a grand for a new turbocharger. Since then he hasn't ever tried that highest setting again but the lower two settings still give him a good increase in power. Just make sure you don't try for too much or you can cause some serious damage to your truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdragon Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Check out Super Chip, Best bang for the buck. Ivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huston in Austin Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I've got a 99 F-350 crew cab long bed with the 7.3 and an auto trans. I think I've got a super chip. It has mild tuning. It was supposed to be a balance between power and economy, and get rid of the damn governer. I put it in when the truck rolled 100K miles. I've now got a little less than 300K miles and the truck runs great still. I did break a Universal screwing around at a stop light. However I've never had any problems with the transmission. It was pointed out that I should never use a K&N air filter as it lets too much stuff through it. As for milage, on the last tank ( filled up around 4:30 this after noon ) 17.1 mpg. This was the first time I tried to run the B20 biodiesel. If I run Shell premium Diesel I get 17.5 to 18.5 mpg. I have gotten 20.+ exactly twice and I don't know what was different. I got 22. once and I figure it was a mistake somehow. Oh it really doesn't make any difference how I drive or how the truck is loaded down. I helped a buddy deliver lead bullets to Mid South Shooters Supply from North Al to Clarksville Tn. We had around 4K lbs of bullets and 1000 lbs of diesel ( 140 gal aux tank ) I didn't notice any difference in mpg. Oh back to the mention of the governer, I really don't know how fast my truck will go, but it will double the speed limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I have a 99 7.3 F250 I can get over 20 mpg if I keep my Foot out of it and stay under 75 But the big thing is the tires when I had a lighter tire the mileage coud be up to 25 . but with bigger tires I cant touch that now. All the cash on a chip that may do damage??? I can't see it as a good trade off. If you don't need it to change shifting for a tariler ? why? spend $300 to save 5% on fule my cost for the 1300 miles to the West Coast cost $188 in fule ... if i saved 5% that would be $9.40 or at 30,000 miles a year that is $78.94 a year = that is fig. at 19 miles per gallon avg. and paying 2.75 per gal. Put the chip in for Fun but I don't see it as a cost effective add. And the Diesel Forums are great ...Saved me $400 on the Crank saft sensor problem. Ford gets $500+ to install a sensor that takes 5 min to install and can be purchased at International truck for $100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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