Chip for a Ford 6 litre diesel

M

ModMMax

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May 8, 2005
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Midland, Ontario
Attended the Motor Trend car show last weekend and spent some time talking to the owner of a diesel aftermarket shop. He offered to install (free) a 70 hp upgrade to my '05 F350 6 litre. Claims that the program will remain in effect for about 3 days and then default back to the original factory program. I have changed the exhaust to 4" from the turbo back and have installed a stage 2 AFE intake system. The program he is selling and offering to install is call Bully Dog. Anyone have any experience with this product? Cost to purchase including the dashboard item is $700 usd. Any intel appreciated.
 

I can get you that model for your truck for $550 +shipping. As far as shipping to Canada, i'd have to check on Monday morning for you. I know this doesn't really help as far as testimonials or whatever, but if you do decide you want it... just let me know.
 
Thanks Jigg. Does that price include the dash controller? BTW, I'm living in the US until mid March. Back to Canada after that. I may take the "free 3 day trial" seriously when I head for the mountains late Jan. The claim is improved towing performance and fuel economy. I'd like to get a trailer load on the truck so I can prove/disprove the difference.
 
Is this the one you're referring to with the dash controller?

Bully Dog Outlook Combo

If so, that one would be closer to $700 +shipping.

There are quite a few testimonials at the bottom of that page you can read through to get some opinions, i'm sure they're a bit biased... but either way.
 
MODMMAX: I have a buddy running a Edge Programmer on his 06 6.0L Ford and the gain you get from a programmer is unbelieveable compared to stock. His is a 4 full door 4x4 F-250 and is gettin any where from 17-20mpg in the city and 20-23mpg on the e-way not hauling nothing of course and running in the highest performance mode. Which gives ya another 125 plus hp and over 200 ft-lbs. of torque. Just make sure you follow the towing instrustion the more weight ya tow the lower the setting you have to run. If I wasnt a gas runner Edge and Bully Dog would be my top picks for a Desiel. Even being a gas runner I still have a Edge Programmer on my 4.6L Ford 4x4 gain isnt as larger on gas motors but add mods on top of it and it a whole new truck.
 
Towing with a chip

Thanks for the info. Here's a pic of the biggest load we pull, about 16,000 lbs. While the truck handles it OK, more power and better fuel economy would be welcome. Sled trailer weighs about 7,000 lbs but fuel economy is similar to this 5th wheel, probably because of the wind load. In addition, this 5th wheel gets towed in the summer when fuel is thick. The sled trailer gets used when the truck is on winter fuel. I'll bet the fuel issue has more of an impact than most people know. i won't lie about fuel mileage so here it is. About 8.5 mp us gallon at 75 mph on interstates highways. Performance on big hills is acceptable but lots of shifting and speeds will often come down to as low as 50 mph. I think I will try this chip. Thanks again for the intel.
 

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Modmmax, Keep In Mind Ifyou Need To Take Your 6.0 In For Any Dealer Repairs, And The Root Cause Of Any Drive Train Concern Can Be Linked To The Use Of An Aftermarket Chip, Engine And Even 3-36 Warranty Can Be Voided. Just A Word Of Caution.
 
Good advice guys. I purchased the extended warrantee so in theory the drive train is 100% covered through 150,000 kms. Has 60k on it now. Removing the chip is easy but the controller has an EGT sensor that drills into the turbo intake. Really hard to hide. Maybe the smart thing to do is just add the upgraded program via the supplied programmer and remove it when necessary. I like gadgets so the dash info center with egt and transmission pressures and all that other stuff is attractive. I think I will start with the free trial program and go from there.
 
A EGT gauge is the same is on a sled just a window of performance to watch your temps. If something bad happens itll be to late and the damage will be done. My buddy doesnt run a EGT, like I said before just follow the tow instructions and you'll be fine. If ya push the limits your only costing yourself time and alot of money on a new motor if the motor goes VS. burning some extra deseil fuel. And like TopGunn said when its goin into the dealer just set it back to stock and they wont able to detect nothing in there system. Only takes max. 10 minutes to set em back to stock anyway. Im running on high performance mode with prem. normal driving and drop down to tow performance when hauling sleds. made a huge diff in my trans. Alot less slippage goin on. I bet ya your stock tires wont last to long after ya install a programmer.

P.S. DO NOT BUY A CHIP, BUY A PROGRAMMER there much safer to run than a chip.
 
Thanks ExpertX. Yea, I started reading the brochure that was given to me at the car show. This system is a programmer, not a chip. Setting operating perameters back to stock appears to be easy enough. Like I said, I think I'll try the free trial program and then make a decision. I agree with your opinions about the egt thing. The programmer that comes with the base version of this item seems to provide a lot of info, in fact everything except egt. I can live without egt.
 
It is VERY critical to monitor EGT'S, and you have to becareful with the added boost because the head bolts can't really take the extra stresses and will let the headgasket area breathe. Becareful as it will push the headgaskets out and you gain a water leak, typical of block /bolt breathing.

I have a guy that I work with that wanted to try to get a business going by doing mods to diesels, well he did one of his buddys trucks and that guy abuses his stuff and tried to pin the blame on the guy that I work with for issues that the owner of the truck is having and the whole situation got ugly. Also, I have a buddy that works at a Ford dealer and if you come in with an oversized exhaust they(his bosses) will bitch and assume that you have mods done and will not want to repair anything drivetrain related under warrentee. He said that Ford and International claim that by opening up the exhaust it causes shat they call turbo overspeeding and that that reaks havoc on the variable vein turbo and motor from over boosting.
I'm NOT knocking making any improvments to your vehicle just trying to give some hard learned experience advise. I have an '03 7.3L that is enhanced and love it! You will have to try to find a dealer that is what is called a performance orientated dealership, usually those folks will work with you when modified vehicles have issues. Also if a dealer refuses or claims that your mods broke the vehicle there is a leagl document/act called the Magneson & Moss act that states something to the fact that the dealer has to prove outright that the mods that were done specifically caused the failure. If you read the Bully Dog brochure on the last page they stated that they are not responsible for any damages done when you modify your vehicle using their product. Good luck, Tracy

P.S. Fwiw I am running Gale Banks Enginnering components, it seems that he is Fords test bed for their engineering on diesels.
 
Thanks SRX700. Good advice. The guy at the show booth did say that the only issue they have had with the "shop truck" is a stretched head bolt but then went on to say that the driver bags the shat out of it. Claimed that if its driven/used like a normal person would use it, there would be no issues. Hard to see into the future. Intresting comments about the big exhaust and the turbo. I have noticed that it will pull a hill without shifting at slightly more than 25# of boost. Seems to me it would shift in that same situation before the exhaust was changed. I do believe the exhaust and intake have caused it to perform a little bit stronger, especially noticed while towing.
 
Were you talking to some directly from Bully Dog at the show or someone who sells Bully Dog products?
In the spring of '04
My dad had just replaced his muffler on his '01 7.3L with a magnaflow 4" unit and he could not believe the performance that he gained just by uncorking the exhaust, Then for his b-day I bought him a 40 hp chip and he was hugely skeptical that it wouldnt work as well as opening the exhaust did. He took it for a ride after the install and to see a 70 yr old man giddy like a school girl after his ride was fun to watch. His comment was I would NEVER believe that this truck could EVER run like this just by adding a chip and changing the muffler and tail pipe....Then the comment came about fuel economy, I told him if you don't like I'll pull it back out. Plus, he gained fuel economy too which he watches like a hawk. He thought his lesson to me was going to be that I had spent to much money unwisely($2500) for "hot rod" parts to make my truck perform better and that he had to ONLY change his exhaust to show me that that I had spent my money unwisely and that I was shafted for the equipment that I bought. Tracy
 
Well, I took the first step. Had the Bully Dog guy load the 6 hour, 70 hp demonstrator program. Wow. Power is noticable up. Freeway performance (60 - 85 mph) is nothing short of fun. Brought it home and parked it. Want to save most of the 6 hours for when I'm towing so I can see the difference under load. SRX700, I was not talking to Bully Dog owners. The business I talked to is called Alligator Performance in Las Vegas. They really seem to know about diesels. I asked lots of Q's and listened to believable explanations.
 
Power

I use a 03 PowerStroke 7.3 to haul my toys, the only thing that we have done to it is set it up with a Superchips programmer, this thing moves and pulls. its a 4x4 full 4 door 8ft box f-350, this is my dads truck, my truck is a 99 GMC fullsize 4.8 SuperChips programed/highflow exhaust/ intake/and a few other doo-dads, all i have to say is dads truck blows the F@#$%ing doors off my truck...... (7.3 soon to have intake and dual 4 inch exhaust)
 
I have been running the Bully Dog Power Pup and it is by far the best chip I have tried thus far. I have tried a couple prior to the bully dog and did not like the way they shifted the tranny way to hard. They all had the power but the bully dog by leaps and bounds shifts my 04 350 6 litre diesel the best. I have the 4 inch exhaust and the AFE air filter I set the bully dog at 70% and have left it there. I should also note that I pull a 34 foot Citation 5th Wheel at 120 klic and this truck with this set up will hold it there up hills and down. I am very happy with the bully and have been using it for over 1.5 years with no problems.
 
Thanks sled dog. I think my mind is made up. This demo program they loaded for free is amazing. The fun factor is way up. Thanks again.
 
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