Forum Discussion

adamis's avatar
adamis
Nomad II
Oct 27, 2017

De-Chipped my 7.3

I was having problems with my TS 6 Position performance chip for my 7.3 in that it wasn't starting about 60 percent of the time. I would have to cycle the keys before the chip would successfully work and the truck would start. Other than a bit of annoyance, the performance gains were well worth the hassle but my storage yard wasn't excited about having a truck that was difficult to start so the chip had to go until the problem is fixed.

I'm in the process of shipping the chip back to have it reprogrammed and tested. In the meantime I had to drive my truck, camper and cargo trailer back to the storage yard. It had been quite a while since I drove the truck without the chip and I was shocked at how much slower it was. At one point I was going up just a small incline after a stop light and found myself maxed out at 40mph! Throttle response was nearly non-existent either, having to mash the pedal to the metal to get rolling. My estimate is between the truck, camper and trailer I was moving ~15,000lbs so it stands to reason the 7.3 in stock form isn't going to be winning any drag races. It is also impressive at just how much performance can be unleashed with a simple chip mod I bought for $160 on Amazon. Even with all of that weight, driving it was no problem.

Needless to say, I'm hoping to get the chip back and everything working correctly as soon as possible!
Truck Campers
  • work2much's avatar
    work2much
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2017
    Drove a 7.3 for a few years as a company supplied work truck. Yea, it was no powerhouse.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Oct 27, 2017
    My 7.3 isn't chipped (far as I know at least). I believe Ford SVO reprogrammed the ECM while they had it in 1998. I have the OEM rubber plug in the port above the e-brake pedal. I know the transmission has be remapped because everything inside was changed and it shifts hard and quick all the time.

    I've read quite a bit of bad press on aftermarket chips and how they advance the injection timing and what that eventually does to the engine and I'm planning on my truck outliving me so no chips on mine. Mine hauls butt the way it sits.

    Mine is hard on U joints and carrier bearings but I think it's because of the abrupt way it upshifts.

    Been so long since I had a payment book I wouldn't know what to do with one....

    Just put it to bed for the winter. Added biocide to both fuel tanks and Archoil fuel additive and topped them off and fogged the fender wells and wheel arches with oil. Have the battery tender on it and it's sitting next to the camper in a heated garage. It won't come back out until April other than starting it every few weeks and circulating the oil. In the spring it's getting all new hoses, new serpentine belt and a spin on water filter with a potassium permagnate block in it. That will save me from adding DCA4 every few months and using test strips to check the silicate levels.
  • 352's avatar
    352
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2017
    Please tell us that indeed you have a built tranny which would included a Billet torque converter that can handle the additional torque.
  • burningman's avatar
    burningman
    Explorer II
    Oct 27, 2017
    I’m all about better electronics, turbos and bigger/better fuel injectors.
    How do you think the factories keep upping the power?
    I’ve driven some 7.3s that were “spiced up” under really heavy loads that absolutely hauled the mail.
    Sure they’re dogs dead stock. So was my old Cummins.
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Oct 27, 2017
    1999 was early 7.3l so it has lot of potential.
    On Ford forum you will find that engine modified to over 1000 HP.
    But on the other hand this is probably the only diesel I did not hesitate to keep at pedal to the metal for long time, like those 17 miles grades in California.
    The 7.3-l engine was rated 250 HP from the factory. Those days German pull more from 3-liter diesels.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Oct 27, 2017
    352 wrote:
    Please tell us that indeed you have a built tranny which would included a Billet torque converter that can handle the additional torque.


    I didn't do any of it. In 1998 my BIL 'asked' me if Ford SVO in Dearborn could borrow my truck for a few weeks and I'd get it back much better than when it left. How could I refuse. he worked at SVO at the time (now he's a head engineer in the powertrain sector, had his fingers in the new Ford multispeed box in the F series pickups.

    Don't know what all they did, they put almost 1000 miles on it, got it back nothing like it left and I haven't touched anything all these years other than normal maintenance, cleaning the washable air filter and changing the trans fluid yearly, like I as told to do. I was also told to keep an eye on the pyrometer (has a full set of gauges) and try not to run the tires off it (I don't, I'm old). Lest with open diff's came back with lockers. Left with a stock trans, came back with a very non conventional looking transmission, at least it don't look like any E4 that I ever seen.

    Nice truck, no rust, runs great and gets decent mileage too. I like the new trucks with all the 'stuff' on them but I don't like Tier 4 final engines so I'll just keep the old smoker for a while yet.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Oct 27, 2017
    Kayteg1 wrote:
    1999 was early 7.3l so it has lot of potential.
    On Ford forum you will find that engine modified to over 1000 HP.
    But on the other hand this is probably the only diesel I did not hesitate to keep at pedal to the metal for long time, like those 17 miles grades in California.
    The 7.3-l engine was rated 250 HP from the factory. Those days German pull more from 3-liter diesels.


    Horsepower don't mean much to me. It's the torque I'm interested in... and high torque rise at low rpm.

    I think the Krauts found out the hard way about their 3 liter diesels. I heard to the tune of 23 million in fines.

    Burningman and I have a common thread... No Payment Book.
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Oct 28, 2017
    Torque is result of HP and gearing ;)
    The truth is that "there is no replacement for displacement" and having manual with 7.3 I had no problem to break retaining wall on idle or to start on 3rd gear (the shifter was tricky, so it took me some time on rarely driven truck) but the 900 lb of engine weight takes big chunk of performance as well.
    When it is hard to compare light duty engine, when full throttle doesn't last more than 10 seconds to HD engine that runs at > 90% output whole day, the 250 HP modern diesels don't weight much more than 200 lb.
    My latest 195 HP diesel is 4-banger 2.1 liter. How 40-50 mpg sounds in heavy sedan?
  • NRALIFR's avatar
    NRALIFR
    Explorer
    Oct 28, 2017
    I keep thinking back to the 80-something F250 I used to own with the 6.9L Diesel engine. I don’t think they called that one a Powerstroke. About 125 HP if I remember right. Drove it all over the US though with a 10 foot Jayco TC on it. It was awful in the mountains. Smoked like a coal train at high elevation.

    :):)

About Travel Trailer Group

44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 20, 2025