pulling power ?

[surreyboy]

hey every one , im new to the whole diesel world here & have been reading other peoples threads . what is the difference between a tuner & a chip ?
i have a 97 f250 HD 4X4 5spd with 360,000 kms. the truck runs great , i would like more power for pulling my trailer up hills & through the mountains . the only mods on the truck are intake , 3" down into 4" strait & a set of 315/75/16s what would you guys suggest be the best way to go ? i would like to have as much power as possible under my foot for when i do need it BUT i dont want to start breaking things either
a guy told me the best way to go would be a pre burnt chip , just plug in & go ? i know nothing about chips or tuners or good brands to get

thanx every one for the help & advice , its much appreciated

[F-127]

Gauges are always a good idea because then you can 'know' that you're not pushing your truck too far as opposed to 'hoping' you're not pushing it too far. The main difference between programmers and chips are that most programmers have 'canned' tunes and most chips have 'custom' tunes for your vehicle. Custom tunes are vehicle specific(ie. tuned for a 94-97 7.3L manual) while canned tunes are not vehicle specific(ie. all 94-03 7.3L). Chips also allow switch on the fly functionality.

Expect to see a max gain of around 65HP for a 97 with stock injectors when using custom tunes on a chip. By golly PHP offers custom tuned 6-position chips. You've come to the right place!

PHP can put custom tunes on a programmer, handheld evolution, evolutionII, evolution cs/cts. They do it all! Must be why there are so busy.
I'd say the common method of attack on the diesels seems to be analog pillar gauges and a six position chip.

Welcome to the forum!

[surreyboy]

Ok , cool ! So the the custom tuned 6 position chip , how does that work ? is it a plug & go ? What's the 6 position mean ?

[majek5]

The "chip" plugs into the PCM. There is a knob with up to 6 positions, just mount in a convenient place. Just click to change the tune.

[majek5]

FWIW, I had the 40hp tow tune on my 97. I ran that tune all the time. For my truck, the shifting and power were the best. I also had the 80 perf, whisper, fuel sipper, and lope. Even with the 80 perf, still kept it in the tow tune.

[surreyboy]

thanx guys ! apreciate it greatly !
So the the 6 position chip has 6 diffrent pre burnt tunes on it ? Can you change the tunes while driving ? is this type of chip just a plug into the PCM & go ? Thanx again !

[F-127]

Yep, 6-position can have 6 different tunes on it. You can change while driving. It is plug into the PCM and go, but that does involve removing the PCM and cleaning off the J3 connector contacts. Not like a programmer which is plug into the OBDII port.

[surreyboy]

Thanx again ! I know that the PCM is in the fender just behind the emergency break . What's all involved in cleaning the contacts ? Is the PCM easy to pull out ? Just unplug a wiring harness & a few screws/bolts ? do I have to disconect the batteries befor messing around with the PCM ? Then install every thing & then reconect the batteries ?
so the 6 position chip doesn't have to have all 6 positions filled with a tune ? The more tunes you have pre burnt the more $ ? When purchesing a 6 position pre-burnt chip , does the chip come with the 6position switch & all the hardwear I need to install it ? Or do I have to purchase that as well ? Thanx to every one , these may be kinda dumb questions but I would rather ask them then not & do somthing wrong

[F-127]

I usually disconnect the batteries when removing the PCM. Unplug the harness, it is secured by a bolt. Unscrewing the bolt will pull the plug in out. I think there are two other bolts holding a cover retaining the PCM in place for OBS(its been a while). You will need to pry down the fenderwell a little as the PCM comes out the engine compartment. Remove the cover on the PCM and clean up the contacts, there is a silicone type coating on there. Remove parking brake bracket, reinstall PCM, install chip, secure with some duct tape and route switch as desired. Here's some pics I took of the PCM and contacts on my install. Your right about the chip, not all positions are needed, more tunes more money. Comes with what you need except the hand tools used to install it.(note to the observant, the PCM pictured did not go in the pickup pictured)

[surreyboy]

thanx f-127 thats great , what do you clean the contacts with ?

i like your setup on your avatar , whats the lift ? are your hubs manual ? where did you find rims to fit ? does your tire rub on your leafs while making a tight turn ? thats a nice looking truck

thanx again