Don't scare the poor guy off, Lars!
As long as the truck's been taken care of for the last 345K miles, you should be alright for about anything. The only real issues that come to mind with that many miles are the valve springs, connecting rods, high pressure oil system, and possibly the injectors.
Otherwise, mod away. The only gauge you really need is a pyrometer to monitor exhaust gas temperature. Boost is a "fun" gauge and not really good for anything. Since you have a manual, you could install a temp gauge but it's not really a necessity.
I'd recommend a 40-60 HP program and an 80 HP program. The 100+ HP programs aren't really going to make any more power on a stock truck but they'll smoke more from a stop or after a shift. With just a couple of tunes, you can tow respectable weight without worrying too much about EGT and then switch to the 80 HP while daily-driving.
I always like my high-idle programs too.
The thing about having a manual-equipped truck is that you are buying power programs only.....there aren't any transmission parameters to change for specific driving requirements so you only have to decide on how safe you think your EGTs will be.
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Tuning, flashing, burning chips, and repairing all aspects of 7.3L Powerstrokes.
SEVEN 7.3L-powered vehicles in the driveway. Two didn't come that way from the factory!
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