2006 Grayhawk Ford e450 v-10: Power increase
looking for ideas to increase uphill power - cheapest to expensive, that you've had success with...
Forum Discussion
rentman99 wrote:
I also purchased the 5 Star Super Tune, and I LOVE it! Noticeable increase in power and shifts LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO! I'm usually pulling a ski boat and the downshifting was ridiculous. Even when not towing, the slightest upgrade would cause the downshifting.
The Super Tune is money well spent. You'll definitely see results.
The V10 with the 5 or 6 speed tranny are designed to protect the components. The downshifting is done to prevent excessive wear in the transmission. With the factory specs that powertrain combination is rated for 300K miles (several of my motorhomes are proof of that, reaching numbers close to that without major breakdowns). The tuner changes the settings provided by Ford engineers. Can it give you different performance? Yes. Is it better? Depends what you call better. If the tranny is not downshifting as before, it is being put through unnecesary stress. If you are OK with shortening the lifespan of your powertrain, then it is OK.
To sum it up, You don't get more horsepower for free. No physical changes mean no changes. The tuners will affect the lifespan of your powertraing. Modifications to the airflow system will provide power increase without reducing the lifespan, but now you have more heat (headers) or risk of contaminated air (K&N filter).
I still have several friends in Dearborn that designed that engine. They are not dumb people, believe me. If there is a way to get more power out of the engine without a compromise, they would have done it. Actually, they did. The 3 valve per cilynder design is rated to 362HP.
I would leave it as it is...
