7.3 PSD Tune Questions

ltr450 · #1 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 07:22 PM

I did not see this section the other day so I thought I would re-post it here.

I have an Evolution II on my truck right now. I want to upgrade to Gryphon. My questions are about what tunes to order, specifically towing tunes. I have a 2001 7.3 with a 4" MBRP exhaust and Tymar intake. I tow several different trailers, but the one I tow most often is a 34 foot toy hauler. The trailer is about 9000 lbs empty. I figure fully loaded with 3 ATV's in the back, I am between 12000 and 15000 lbs. Which towing tune do I need? I usually tow it in the #1 tune on the EVO. The other day, I forgot to switch from #2 tune and headed out to Arkansas. The truck pulled much better and I only had to back out of the throttle a few times in the mountains due to EGT's. I obviously want as much towing power as possible, without worrying about EGT's. I normally would never tow in #2, but like I said, I forgot and it towed much better. Also, am I correct on the pricing? $25 for the conversion and $30 per tune or do I need custom tunes? What is the turn around time on the conversion? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

When I use the Edge towing (#1, 40hp I believe) tune, I can't tell much difference over stock. In the #2 program (I believe it is 60hp) it tows really good. Has anyone towed this much weight with the 40 or 65 hp towing tune from Bill? I am afraid that the 25 hp towing tune will not give me enough extra to be worth the money spent. I know EGT's are the limiting factor so I am interested in opinions from anyone whose truck is similarly equipped.

Thanks in advance.

***cleatus12r*** · #2 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 08:22 PM

With a stock truck with a tymar and 4" exhaust, I wouldn't want to run more than a 45 HP tune for towing 15K. This may seem low but it will take much of the worry of EGT out of the picture and also help keep turbo compressor surge at a miminum.

You don't need custom tunes on your Gryphon conversion as the standard calibrations will work wonderfully for you.

ltr450 · #3 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 09:06 PM

Thanks for the response. From what I've read, Bill's tunes are AWESOME!! What will I gain with his 45 HP tune over the Edge 40 HP tune? Is it that much better and is it worth it? I also tow a 20' gooseneck with a tractor so I would probably also order the 65 HP tow tune for that trailer. What would be a good 3rd tune? It would be for daily driving. I am a pretty tame driver and am concious of fuel mileage, but a little more power is always nice!! Would the 65 or 80 HP daily driver tune be what I want or just use the 65 HP tow tune for daily driving also? Sorry for all of the questions, but I have never had anything but "canned" tunes on my trucks. Thanks again.

ltr450 · #4 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 09:26 PM

One more question. Who am I kidding? This is probably the first of several more questions. Are you suggesting that I use the Gryphon "canned" tunes or the standard custom tunes? Please pardon my ignorance (I hope I spelled ignorance right, or I'll really look dumb).

***cleatus12r*** · #5 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 09:37 PM

Bill's tunes are going to be a lot more "linear" feeling. The farther you push the accelerator pedal, the more power you will get up to maximum.

Fuel mileage probably won't change while towing. Empty, it will all depend on how you drive (and it's going to be hard to drive normal at first due to the "new" factor).

You can definitely use the 65 HP towing tune for a daily driver with no issues!

As for a third program? It's completely up to you but since it's an Evolution, changing programs all the time gets old. It's certainly not advisable to get a no-start or high idle in that position though!

ltr450 · #6 Tue, April 27th, 2010, 09:50 PM

Thanks so much for answering my questions. I hope to get this process started as soon as we get back from a camping trip this weekend. We are pulling the trailer to Colorado this summer so I am hoping to get it done before that trip. What is the ballpark turn around time to get the conversion done?

***cleatus12r*** · #7 Wed, April 28th, 2010, 12:17 PM

I can't honestly give you a turn-around time. The good thing about the diesels is that if they don't need anything custom done to the tunes, the process of tuning them isn't very time consuming. It's basically a matter of changing the Evo case to a Gryphon case, changing the firmware, and slapping a few tunes onto it.

I'd say that it wouldn't be more than 2-3 weeks start to finish ---- if I had to guess.

ltr450 · #8 Wed, April 28th, 2010, 03:13 PM

Sounds great. I am really excited to try y'alls tunes. Thanks again for all your help. This site is awesome. Never been on a site that is so helpful and nobody tries to make you feel like an idiot for asking questions. The only bad thing about this site is the Arcade section. I wasted a lot of time in there last night. My kids saw me on there and can't wait to get home from school today and try some games out. They said it looks more fun than Playstation. Go figure!! Thanks again!!!!!