V10 Power

Made a big difference on my V-10 with the 5Star tuner. I got the 87 performance...87 tow and 89 tow. Mike is a great guy to work with!!

I have the 5 Star Tuner with the 89 octane tunes (3 tunes economy, towing and performance) they have tunes for 87, 89 and 93 octane. I got mine specifically for the towing tune which adds power, but more importantly changes the shift points so the shifts are at a higher RPM and allows the V-10 to make better use of it`s power. as partsjockey said the Ford transmission shift strategy sucks!, but I like his description better! :B I can now also hold O/D longer which also gives me a bit better mileage (about .5mpg) and the power when merging is exceptional. couldn`t believe it the first time I was getting on an on ramp, I had to back off much sooner on the gas because it accelerated that much faster. 5 Star only adds about 20HP and 20lbft of torgue with there towing tune so no need to worry about longevity.

Well worth the $$$

I have an 03 f250 ECLB with 3:73 gears. I tow a 2010 Puma 30kfbs. Before the tuning from Mike @ 5star the truck was "ok" but honestly felt like a drunken sailor was in control of the transmission.
After the tune the truck is a completely different animal. The transmission finally has some common sense.

@ the 59 mile marker on I 75 in KY there's a stretch of road referred to as "dive bomb hill" before the tune I'd top it at 58-63. After the tune I pulled the same hill @ 68 and was picking up speed. I'm confident if I pushed it I could've hit 70. Granted I was turning 4k rpm, I've been told to let the V10 eat and I've been plenty impressed by it.

huskyfan1968 wrote:
I know I've posted this before - Can anyone with a Ford V10 give some feedback on if they have used any kind of electronic tuning device to boost performance?
I got some info from 5-star tuning about installing a device to boost towing. I'm nervous that it will cause more wear (or other reasons)- Can anyone vouch for whether it's worth it? The truck already has 4.30 rear end gears.....

I've run my 5 Star for about 30k. The truck had 95k when I bought it and there have been no issues. The 5 Star tune is the best investment you will ever make. Yes, there is a noticeable difference, especially in the transmission tuning. Make sure that you get the 87 Tow Tune. Sorry to carringb, but the Diablow tuner does not do anything for our trucks. I got rid of mine for $50 just to buy the 5 Star. You probably won't get any mileage boost becuase you'll want to keep flooring it.

The V10 is not at all optimally set up from the factory. Five Star specializes in V10's and arguably knows them better than anyone in the industry.

When it comes time for my tuner (got to get some other things taken care of on the truck) it will come from five star.

Give them a call and ask for Mike. He is a great guy to talk to and there have been no negative reports found on the net about his V10 tunes. If the Internet has proven anything it's that if there is any little problem with a product or service... It will be on the web.

Thanks!

Installing a tuner on a diesel or gas engine will increase wear due to the additional HP and torque produced, pure and simple. How much is dependent on the tuner settings, other modifications made, how you drive and maintenance performed. A non turbo charged or non super charged gasoline engine will have a marginal increase in rear wheel HP/torque just from adding a tuner. It might change the transmission shift points to make it seem like the engine is performing better which generally decreases MPG...just my 2 cents :-)

Depends how you define "to boost performance"...

Trying to get better mpg? would be better off slowing down...

Trying to tow a larger RV than your truck is rated for? better to think of getting a capable tow vehicle...

I have the Diablo Predator. It works well once some of the paramters are changed towards better towing. If I did it over, I would go with 5-star since their tunes are made with towing in mind.

I'm running an 87-performance tune. I was actually surprised how much improvement this made. Enough so that running the higher tunes on higher octanes made much smaller gains beyond the 87-tune. It is on the edge of pinging though. I actually have to be picky about where I get my gas, because some brands will make it ping with that tune (Chevron/Texaco, Safeway & Fred Meyer are my safe brands.... Seems hit and miss with shell or 76.... I won't gamble with the no-name stuff anymore). I do carry the programmer just in case I get a really bad tank and have to go back to stock temporarily.

Engine is holding up great. Beside the programmer, I also have the full Banks PowerPack and AFE Stage-2 intake. I run the van hard and fast, with most of the miles towing. I'll hit 356,000 miles later today.

The extra tuning does make more heat. I put a larger transmission cooler in (Tru-Cool Max 40k) in and both a trans and diff temp gauge. If I'm towing really heavy, its my diff temp I have to keep an eye on (yes, I am running syn and I have a high-capacity finned cover).

The main issue directly related to running the tuner is spark-plug life. Double-platinums are worn way down by 60,000 miles. Last time around I tried AutoLite Irridium plugs, and they look great still! I should be back on a 100k tune-up cycle with the Irridiums.

Check here do a cearch if you don't see it mentioned. I think you haveto use Premium fuel with the tuner but not sure.http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum49/