I need to up the horsepower in my tow vehicle

usolm1 · 08-02-2010, 06:53 AM

Has anyone had any experience with a computer chip devise to up the horse power and has anyone had any thing to do with cold air intake systems. I have a speed shop here where I live and this is what they advised that we should do. I have no warranty left on the truck, so I don't think that this will be an issue. I also should tell you I have not weighed my TT but if I were a bettin man, I would beleive it is probibly right at the max. I think it has to be my wifes hair dryer.

ANy one out there have any ideas?

**Lloyd** · 08-02-2010, 07:46 AM

How many mi. do you have on your tv?
Do you intend to keep your present rv much longer? If there is any thoughts in your mind of going with a new rig in the near future------- with more of---bigger----- and better, then maybe you should consider raising the radiator cap and driving a new diesel under it.
With that all said, I think Bullydog has a program out now for gas jobs.

http://www.bullydog.com/

Hunter11 · 08-02-2010, 07:54 AM

I put a True Flow intake, Magnaflow exhaust and a Superchips Flashpac programmer on my wifes truck (06 Dodge Hemi)and it made a noticeable difference to her in power and throttle response. All I can go on is what she tells me since I never drive her truck. I have about $800 in those mods. There are some gains to be made with gas motors but the more you want the more it cost. Edited by: Hunter11

gtoguy1967 · 08-02-2010, 10:57 AM

How much do you want to spend ? Exhaust and Intake would be the cheapest, Safest for the $$ I would say. With a 2002 I'm not sure how much a chip would get you. If you could find a place to burn a flip chip I would loook into that. You can have a tow tune, a milage tune I think they can do up to 5 on one.

I bet the heads on that motor are a huge restriction but your looking at $2000 + unless you can do it your self.

Better be kind to that transmision.

gsxr · 08-02-2010, 11:20 AM

do you know what the rear gearing is? going with lower gear would make a big difference

fixit5561 · 08-02-2010, 11:24 AM

I opened up my intake snorkle with a poor mans cold air intake. What I did was take the snorkle out of where it went into the fender and got rid of it. It went from 3" dia. to 1 3/4" dia. starving the motor for air. Then I went to Lowes and used rubber and abs plumbing parts to make it 3" all the way through into the fender again. Make sure if you use a rubber end that you cut a piece of solid pipe and rivet or screw it into the end so that the rubber wont collapse when you step on the throttle.

I also got some MAF sensor cleaner from CRC industires and cleaned the heck out of my MAF sensor. It did make a difference.

Also added a K&N air filter.

Then I cut all the air chambers off the intake snorkle that goes to the intake and plugged all the holes so that it is a straight shot with no turbulance to the airflow.

I also went to the junk yard and found a 1995 3.8L Ford Taurus and took the 9 blade fan and motor off the radiator (hot rodders are doing this to just about everything out there 4X4's, mustangs, Jeep's, etc.). Then bought a variable speedFlex-a Lite fan controller. Then I took off my stock clutch fan from the motor and then mounted the Taurus fan into my fan shroud and ran the wires to the controller and battery (do a search on Frod Taurus fan mod and you will see bunches of sites explaining how to do it). The fan mod is supposed to up the HP around 10-15hp I conservitively think it is more like 10hp the intake mod I think added about the same 10hp. (I looked at cold air intakes from K&N's websiteand they claim that using their cold air intake adds 15hp)

All this together did give me a little more power to the wheels and didnt take a bunch of money. The fan controller is around $100.00 the fan from the junkyard was $40.00, the plumbing parts fromLowes were around $15.00. And last the K&N was around $50.00.

I did notice a nice improvement with these mods and I got better fuel mileage too with them. My mileage went from around 9-10mpg in the city to about 12mpg. On the highway I was getting 15mpg at best running 70mph, and now I get upwards of 17-18mpg at 70mph depending on if I have the air cond. on or not. Also another thing with the fan mod was that my air seems to work alot better now that the clutch fan is gone.

Also as gotoguy said take care of the trans. I changed the fluid to Mobil 1 synthetic tranny fluid. I added a trans temp gauge too and also relocated my trans cooler and added a 12" cooling fan and fan controller from Autozone to it. My trans temps when towing on flat were around 220 degrees and without the trailer were around 180 degrees before the fan mod. Now with the fan mod, towing, I run around 200degrees and never go over 205 and without the trailer Im running at 150 degrees. That is with the fan controller from autozone coming on at 140 degrees.Edited by: fixit5561

gtoguy1967 · 08-03-2010, 03:14 AM

Wow Brian, That's how you do it. All of that can be done in a weekend and is going to make a big change.

As some one said above a gear change would make a big change as well but your going to get less MPG and less top end. I would guess that a 373 would be your best bet. Another change could be the size of your tires next time.

usolm1 · 08-03-2010, 03:56 AM

Wanted to say thank you for all your replys. In answer to the question of how many miles I have on the TV, I have 60,000 on it, and it will have to be with us for a long time to come. I dont have any plans for a new TT unless it is donated to us to the gift of G-D. Anyway , now I am a little nervous about doing this , someone said to watch my transmission, can this kill the tranny? Gee I'm confused.

fixit5561 · 08-03-2010, 04:26 AM

If you go over 250 degrees for a long period of time with your tranny temps, yes your tranny wont last as long. Your tranny also needs the fluid changed abround every 30,000 miles or so. The trans will last longer and will love you for it.

I chose to keep an eye on my temps of the tranny and installed a trans temp gauge. I can see the temps and if it gets to 250 I will pull over and keep the truck running and let the trans cool down.

Most arent as picky as I am though.

scott · 08-03-2010, 05:12 AM

i've always believed that a vehicle is only as good as it's weakest link. With that said, if you upgrade the motor, you can plan on upgrading the transmission, then the rearend............ the madness never stops. But changing to a hi flow air cleaner, exhaust and maybe a chip is not going to make enough difference that you will need to worry about having to up grade the transmission. Likeothers have said, heat is the worst enemy so if you don't have atrans temp gaugethat would be my first purchase.60k on an '02 is fabulous so you should have many good years left on that vehicle. Now if you want to look at serious horsepower gains look into a procharger, and get your wallet out!!!

jimmbo407 · 08-03-2010, 05:44 AM

usolm1, IMO you have a great TV, I have a 2001 Suburban and I think it tows great. Mine has 3.73 gears, trans cooler, oil cooler and the autoride. I have 120,000 miles on it and only use on long trips, usually towing something. Although this is my first large camper, I tow a 4 place enclosed steel snowmobile trailer with snowmobiles or ATVs. The Suburban has done me well. The only real issue I have had with the vehicle is the autoride.

I have done somethings to make it easier though.I put the airbox mod in for more cool air in and run a high effienciey filter from Amsoil. I use all synthetic fluids also from amsoil. I also put a larger exhaust on inthe idea that more air goes in more should come out. I have flushed my trans at 50,000 and 100,000 miles also.While I did look into chips, just getting more air in and out helped alot and I am satified. The only other thing I am thinking about is going to 4:10 gears (If you go that route and have 4 wheel drive you have to do both the front and rear differentials.) I know a guy that has done that with good success.

After that know you vehicle. The 5.3L chevy engine powerband gets the best power at about 4500 RPMs. Yes that is not a typo. Some think that you are reving to high but your not. I tow in 3rd with the tow/haul button and cruise about 22-2500 RPMs and let the trans shift into 2nd and run about 4500 RPMs on longer uphill grades. I do not let the trans search for gears however. Shifting causes heat, and you don't want to shift too much.

I have towed like this with great success in mountains and flats. And for all the naysayers, I own a 2001 chevy one ton dullay with the duramax for the business. I take the suburban for the room for the family. My two boys don't fit to well in an extend cab to much anymore lol. And the dually is not 4 wheel drive.

I am going to look into a fan mod like fixit5561 spoke of, is that a ford thing?

fixit5561 · 08-03-2010, 06:02 AM

Hi Jim,

No I got the idea from looking at trans coolers online.B&M makes a trans cooler that has a fan attached to it. It is expensive, over $200.00 for it. So I said to myself, I can make that myself for alot cheaper.

My stock trans cooler was buried down below the grille. It had a small 4 louvered slot for air to come in but it wasnt much air IMO.

So I moved the cooler up to behind the large grille on the Navigator and went to the junk yard and got a 12" pusher fan $20.00 from a Mercedes. I bolted it about 2" from where I relocated the trans cooler forcing air towards the tranny cooler. Then went and got an adjustable fan controller from Autozone for $35.00 and wired it up. It says the lowest temp that the controller comes on at is 160 degrees but mine comes on at 140 degrees. It all depends on where you locate the temp probe in the small tranny cooler though so Im sure thats why it comes on sooner.Edited by: fixit5561

gtoguy1967 · 08-04-2010, 03:31 AM

Again I agree with the above, I don't think your going to brake the transmision but the heat might be an issue. You can get a GOOD guage for about $45. I would keep an eye on all of your temps.

What gear does your truck have ? I think it will tell you on the glove box door, On the inside, Maybe on the underside of the hood ? I will guess and say if you do not thave a towing package it's going to be a 342, Or with a tp a 373.

fixit5561 · 08-04-2010, 04:56 AM

Here is a link on how to chage your tranny fluid completely. It will be the same for a Ford as it is for a Chevy just try to find the right trans line to disconect. The theory is that the trans pump will force all the fluid out and you can add new at the top.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/idx/0/057/article/Changing_ATF_Fluid_in_a_E4OD_and_4R100_transmissio n.html

Im sure it will work just as well for a Chevy, just google your trans and find out which line you should use and how many quarts your truck takes.

If you dont want to do it yourself make sure to take it to a shop that can power flush it. That way they will get all the old fluid out of the torque converter. (My local oil change had a machine to do this, thats where I had mine done and they added the Mobil 1 synthetic trannyfluid)

usolm1 · 08-05-2010, 12:23 AM

just wanted to say thank you for all your responces. I now have to make the decision as to what to do. I think that I am leaning towards doing the performance chip and the cold air , both. I am pushing and pulling I figure about 7500 lbs and that means that the truck is right at the limits. I need all the help I can get.I do know that I have to do what ever it is that I am doing in the next wek or so, I will be towing up to Massachusetts in the Birkshires labor day weekend. Thanks again, I always get more than I bargain for on this forum.

gtoguy1967 · 08-05-2010, 01:06 PM

Look into a flip chip, You would have different settings, One for pulling, and flip it for a better mpg. Look around for a speed shop with a dyno.

We had 1997 Tahoe and we were towing about 7000 with it , It ran hard in the hills but I thought it did a good job over all.

usolm1 · 08-06-2010, 12:33 AM

Thank you, I did get a chip yesterday. I found it at a local speed shop out here on Long Island. It is a flip chip, can't remember the name and they actually showed me how to install and flip back to the origional programming. It also has a setting for economy as well. I also bought a cold air intake that will be installed next week by a professional shop. I dont want to take the chance of screwing that up. I can say that I did notice a difference in the performance already with just the chip. I found that when I step on the gas it goes. Thanks again for all your assistance in the horsepower challenge.

**Lloyd** · 08-06-2010, 12:58 AM

My Bullydog programmer has 3 settings. Tow--Performance--and Extreme. I have found that I get the best mileage in the performance setting, weather I'm towing or running empty.

KennyB · 08-06-2010, 02:15 AM

I looked at Bulldog for a chip for my Triton V10 and nothing comes up only for diesels. Has anyone here ever chipped a Ford V10? Mine is a 2003 so it's the bigger V10.

rock1424 · 08-06-2010, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usolm1

I also bought a cold air intake that will be installed next week by a professional shop. I dont want to take the chance of screwing that up. I can say that I did notice a difference in the performance already with just the chip. I found that when I step on the gas it goes. Thanks again for all your assistance in the horsepower challenge.

I would suggest you look at putting a free flow muffler on it also. The CAI can't suck any more air then what can get out. The stock muffler is pretty restrictive.

You may also like: