Power chips

I've been thinking bout that for my 99 Ford v10.

These diesel chips posts in Tow Vehicles may help.

I have installed one in a Ford F53 V10 motorhome. Not actually a "chip", it is a tuner, plugs into the Diagnostic port under your dash, downloads and saves your original tune, and uploads it's new one.

Sponsor 5Star sells one for V10's. Mine was from Brazels and they also do them for workhorse.

These things are not scary. They will not blow up your engine (insert caveats here, particularly some of the more radical diesel tuners) They may require premium fuel, but most done for RV's don't.

For gas models, they change the timing and fuel curves to produce more power at specific throttle opening percentages, under certain conditions, in certain gears even.
They also, and this is a biggie, can change when the transmission shifts up and down, and eliminate "hunting for a gear" and constant up and downshifting on mild grades.

Brazel's Ultrapower a great chip for the 8.1L engine. One thing that is nice is you are sent a reader to insert into your OBDII outlet to monitor how you drive and what your engine is doing. Then, they custom tune the Ultrachip to your needs. I definitely got more usable HP for highway climbs and don't know about any mileage increase, since I do not monitor mileage or even care about it. I think it was worth the cost and after 30,000 miles I have had zero problems with it.

I thought I read awhile back over at irv2 that a Ultrapower chip from Brazels blew up a 8.1?

mike brez wrote:
I thought I read awhile back over at irv2 that a Ultrapower chip from Brazels blew up a 8.1?

Actually it was two engines and caused by a MAS sensor way out of specs on an engine with an Ultrapower chip. Workhorse changed the first engine with a new long block and used the same MAS sensor. After the next engine blew, Brazel's found the problem and replaced the MAS. Problem solved and even Workhorse said it had nothing to do with the Ultapower chip.
Nothing on the Ultrapower chip is ever modified to operate the engine out of manufacturer's specs which is why it does not affect the warranty. It is just fine tuning it for the specific vehicle that it is used on. A bare chassis goes to the manufacturer and the factory ECM is adjusted for "average" performance, without knowing what size/weight of the final coach.

Just can't help thinking if the manufacture wanted you to get max power out of your engines they would make them to operate at the higher edge of the engines capacity. They are set the way they are for a reason.

For someone to tell you to do this or that it'll be ok, then ask yourself if they"ll be their when you start to have engine problems with a open wallet to help pay your repair bills.

There are FOUR variables:

Power
Economy/MPG
Longevity
Emissions

Engine manufacturers do a "balancing act" on these 4. Can you sacrifice one to enhance another-- very likely.

Just be careful which of the 4 you are sacrificing!

wolfe10 wrote:
There are FOUR variables:

Power
Economy/MPG
Longevity
Emissions

Engine manufacturers do a "balancing act" on these 4. Can you sacrifice one to enhance another-- very likely.

Just be careful which of the 4 you are sacrificing!

That list has one thing in common. The warranty. If they find out your damaged engine was due to altering set parameters. It's voided. The problem is some will just trade it in and let some other poor soul worry about the problems they've caused.

et2 wrote:
Just can't help thinking if the manufacture wanted you to get max power out of your engines they would make them to operate at the higher edge of the engines capacity. They are set the way they are for a reason.

For someone to tell you to do this or that it'll be ok, then ask yourself if they"ll be their when you start to have engine problems with a open wallet to help pay your repair bills.

When a chassis is delivered to a manufacturer, they have no idea what the total weight of the final vehicle will be so the ECM cannot be optimized for an unknown. That same engine in a commercial truck has to be adjusted for a happy medium since the truck will have to operate between empty and full. Put that engine in an RV and it will be operating most of the time at close to the maximum load, which cannot be predicted until the coach is built and the vehicle weighed. That is why some chip programmers will want a reading of the way the vehicle is actually operating before they make any changes.

As far as having FOUR variables, that is old school when you did not have a computer controlled engine. With today's engines you can improve one aspect of performance and the computer will adjust and also optimize the others, while keeping things within the design specs for that engine. Today's computers can adjust for the different fuels used at high altitudes, whereas in the past you had to re-jet the carb and adjust timing manually.

Feel free to contact Ford or GM and see if they will void the warranty if their ECM is adjusted and still remains within the design specs. That is what Brazel's did and they use the manufacturer's own criteria with their ECM. It will not affect your warranty. They are not to be confused with someone adjusting an ECM for racing performance.
In truth, adjusting the ECM for the actual vehicle weight and use may actually prolong the life of the engine as well as producing fewer emissions.