LOCK UP

[AussieOiler]

G'day All,

I have a 2005 (Nov 2005) 7.3 Powerstroke (US 2003).
JW Valve Body and extra Transmission Cooling, Guages etc.
I have a PHP FU2 6Pos Chip in it and have had so for many years.
4 x Tow tunes, 1 x Daily Driver, 1 x Performance.

I'm looking at fitting a Torque Converter Lock Up Kit in it.
Would doing so have any negative effect on the Tunes?

If not; Is there a recommended kit compatible with the PHP FU2 Chip?

By the way I see ya'll having a very harsh winter over there, it's 42 C (108 F) here in Victor Harbor South Australia today.
So we're having the opposite extreme here at present.

Stay warm & Safe,
Cheers,
Reg

[cleatus12r]

You shouldn't have any problems at all unless something goes wrong with the torque converter control. In other words, you won't experience any more of an issue using something like this whether using a chip or if you're stock.

[AussieOiler]

Thank you for the assurance.

Cheers,
Reg

[AussieOiler]

G'Day Again,
I've been considering this mod for some time and read heaps of pros and cons on doing it.
It seems of late there is lots in the opinion that 'if' your tunes are designed fit for purpose there is little if any need for the 'Lock-up" Switch?
The talk is that the later tunes are now much better than the earlier tunes in regards to shift strategies, pressures, fuel curves, injection timing and "Lock-UP".
I fitted the FU2 Flex Chip in November 2010 with the following tunes programed by PHP before shipping.
25hp Tow, 40hp Tow, 65hp Tow, 80hp Tow, 80hp DD, 100hp Perf.
I do a lot of offroading, desert crossings and tow an offroad/rough road caravan in remote harsh country.

Although I have the burner I've seen a need to try other tunes (yet).


I guess my question is; seeing these tunes are 7+ years old in design, have the later tunes been been tweaked for the better eliminating the need to consider a Lock-up Switch?
If so how do I go about upgrading those tunes?

Cheers & Beers,
Reg

[cleatus12r]

G'Day Again,
I've been considering this mod for some time and read heaps of pros and cons on doing it.
It seems of late there is lots in the opinion that 'if' your tunes are designed fit for purpose there is little if any need for the 'Lock-up" Switch?

I wouldn't say that there's little need for it. Some driving conditions arise when the "mod" would be quite handy because no matter how much time is spent writing a calibration that will do all of the desired things with the torque converter clutch apply/release, there are times when it becomes annoying.

The talk is that the later tunes are now much better than the earlier tunes in regards to shift strategies, pressures, fuel curves, injection timing and "Lock-UP".......I fitted the FU2 Flex Chip in November 2010......

Realistically, there are probably very few changes to any of the calibrations over the last 7 years because once a calibration "works", the time spent to change it and then test it out over a long period of time isn't feasible. Besides, there are very few monumental changes made to the transmission shifting and converter clutch strategies when dealing with stock-ish pickups that are not purpose-built for one particular duty. Sure, the shift speeds based on accelerator pedal position and velocity are changed ever-so-slightly between different calibrations meant for daily driving or towing but there are A LOT of things to consider (and many issues can arise and might not be thoroughly ironed-out when making big changes to transmission operation) when writing tuning that changes torque converter clutch apply/release speeds much more than stock.

I do a lot of offroading, desert crossings and tow an offroad/rough road caravan in remote harsh country.

In these situations, especially at high ambient temperatures, being able to apply the torque converter clutch in 2nd gear under light loads would be beneficial when transmission temperatures can spike. I run into this issue on mountain roads towing things where the maximum speed varies between 20 and 30 miles per hour but I haven't put enough load on the engine to cause the torque converter clutch to apply. So......I have written many calibrations that apply the torque converter clutch in 2nd gear under light load when the vehicle is at a speed lower than the 2-3 shift but not when the accelerator pedal is pushed farther than what would typically incite a 2-3 upshift. This also works well when the shifter is in the "2" position. There are a couple other things that require attention when doing this, but know that it IS possible to tune a more low-speed-towing-friendly converter apply strategy but it's REALLY hard to nail down without live tuning.

Although I have the burner I've seen a need to try other tunes (yet).


I guess my question is; seeing these tunes are 7+ years old in design, have the later tunes been been tweaked for the better eliminating the need to consider a Lock-up Switch?
If so how do I go about upgrading those tunes?

As stated earlier, you LIKELY will not experience any difference between the tunes you have now and PHP tunes that are more recent (I've been out of the loop for a LONG time concerning PHP tuning for the 7.3L). However, the burner and software you have will allow you to contact vendors who still email tuning for TS Performance chips and try out other "flavors". They might also work with you on special needs for converter clutch operation. Good luck!

[AussieOiler]

Thank you Cleatus for the detailed response.
I'll that all that onboard and research further.
Cheers,
Reg