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Those that have tuned or programmed

Super_Dave
Explorer
Explorer
My Smarty programmer has economy, tow and performance settings. My question is, do you all tow exclusively in tow mode or any of the other 2?
Truck: 2006 Dodge 3500 Dually
Rig: 2018 Big Country 3155 RLK
Boat: 21' North River Seahawk
51 REPLIES 51

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
SCT tuner on Ford 7.3 diesel. Now it is a hot rod. I only tow in tow mode.
Record mpg empty is 23.8.

cptqueeg
Explorer II
Explorer II
Super_Dave wrote:
Appreciate you guys turning my thread into your own personal sh!t show.


FWIW, I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Thanks for starting the thread.
2024 Chev 3500 CCLB Diesel
Four Wheel Camper Granby Shell

frankwp
Explorer
Explorer
Super_Dave wrote:
Appreciate you guys turning my thread into your own personal sh!t show.


Well, once the testosterone taps get turned on, it can be tough to turn 'em back off.
2010 Cruiser CF30QB
2003 GM 2500HD, crew cab, SB, 8.1, Allison

LanceRKeys
Explorer
Explorer
Super_Dave wrote:
Appreciate you guys turning my thread into your own personal sh!t show.


No kidding!

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
Super_Dave wrote:
Appreciate you guys turning my thread into your own personal sh!t show.


Sorry, I will stop. My goal was to provide some kind of info on what your truck can sustain at certain tuned power ratings, and what mods are needed.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

Super_Dave
Explorer
Explorer
Appreciate you guys turning my thread into your own personal sh!t show.
Truck: 2006 Dodge 3500 Dually
Rig: 2018 Big Country 3155 RLK
Boat: 21' North River Seahawk

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
There is nothing wrong with advertising short burst power over sustained power. It is completely legit using SAE methods and all of them do it to a certain extent. Some more than others. To some companies, highest power ratings possible is more important for marketing and being "best in class". Other companies feel that sustained power is a more important figure for their customers. I have worked for both Ford and Cummins and I would definitely put Ford in the former while Cummins was more in the later.

Ford knows that "best in class" power ratings sells more trucks, and they will do whatever they can to keep these titles. So does Ram, and they(or Dodge at that time) wanted Cummins to post highest power levels possible back when I was there and probably still do. However, that is not the way Cummins does things and would rather give a more sustained hp rating to their customers rather than a short burst power rating so they tune their engines accordingly.

Take the Ford F450-550 and Ram 4500-5500 trucks. The highest rating for the PSD is 330 hp while the highest rating for the CTD is 360 hp. That alone tells you that the Cummins is able put out more sustained power since the emissions and power certifications on these trucks is geared towards the emissions and power at sustained power outputs.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
Oh ya the Powerstroke is rated for short bursts. Is it the intercooler that canโ€™t keep up? Them dumb engineers made all those changes to the engine when all they had to do was increase the size of the secondary radiator. ๐Ÿ˜‰
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
More passive aggressiveness. I thought we already covered the difference between short burst rated power outputs and sustained rated power outputs and how sustained power is more important while towing.

Although it is not just about power, it is also about fuel economy. Tuned, I am able to pull up hills at lower rpms that would make my father in laws 2019 F350 downshift into a lower gear at much higher rpms. It takes a lot to make it shift out of the 1,800 rpm range at 65 since I have about 400 hp available at that rpm.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
I guess I donโ€™t pay enough attention to the tune threads as I actually didnโ€™t know you had a custom built 68rfe .... I think that is a good move for those who like to push their engines power levels. I will be replacing my truck soon and although Iโ€™m leaning toward another Ford I might even take a Ram for a test drive ... I do like the Ram interior. If I buy a Ram I certainly wonโ€™t feel a need to modify it as being third place in the power war would not be an issue for me.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
4x4ord wrote:
Shiner I know you know some things. I also know you have more experience with tuned engines than I have, but when you say things like:
ShinerBock wrote:
I tow mine in level 3 of 4 which is about 475 hp at the wheels. I never have a problem with EGTs, but my intake and intercooler is not stock. Neither is my turbo, exhaust manifold, and the rest of the 5" exhaust.
One can reliably tow on higher power level tunes if they have the mods to support it.


it comes across to me as though you are claiming that you can reliably put 475 HP to the pavement with a tuner plus a few mods to your intake and exhaust.... maybe you can for a 20 second run. Maybe you and I both know that, but you don't say it. You don't say that if you actually made your engine deliver 475 HP to the rear wheels the engine would overheat in a matter of minutes; You don't remind whoever is reading this that the 68rfe is designed to handle 300 rear wheel horsepower and that it will have a very limited life if it is expected to handle 475 HP. Whether the Cummins engine can tolerate that kind of power for any length of time or not I don't know but I suspect that if Ram ever wants to increases their power ratings to the 548 crankshaft HP you talk about, Cummins will make some significant changes to their 6.7 and not just because of the emission BS. I actually started out wanting to ask you some questions to learn what is out there in the aftermarket diesel world .... especially in the area of cooling.


Again, you are not reading what I am posting. I already stated that while I mainly tow in the 475 hp tune, but moslty for the power/torque it makes at 1,800 rpm. I rarely use all 475 hp except for a few passing scenarios which I stated earlier as well. Why are you not reading what I am saying? If you did, then it would have saved both of us lots of time.

I also have a custom built 68RFE which I have mentioned multiple times in other threads. Although with trans tuning and light mods, the 68rfe can handle up to around 500 hp with a long life. It wasn't until around 2013 that the tuners were finally able to tune the 68RFE to be able to handle the added power. Before this tuning, about 450 hp was all it would handle.

Beginners will generally refer to their tunes as tow, economy, race, or hot which is not really a good indication to know what kind of power you are talking about. Why? Because using terms like tow or level one could mean two different power outputs between various tuners. One tuners tow or level one on a Cummins could be 430 hp while another's could be 390 hp. Using hp increases is not a good term either because some tuners use higher gains throughout the whole rev range while others use the gains at peak.

This is why Calibrated Power Solutions(and myself) refer to tunes by the horsepower ratings in the video I posted because people will know that max effort on all of the big three current diesels tuned on stock fuel and air is about 520ish hp and giving a power level instead of a tune number or name(which could mean anything) is a way to better understand how close to max effort the tune is given what kind of mods are on the truck. Also in that video they reiterated what I have been saying about having gauges and knowing your truck before going to the higher powered tunes.

So I am sorry for you that you don't like the fact that I refer to my "level 3" tune as my 475 hp tune, but that is what it is based on my dyno and is what I will continue to call it. And I have to call BS on the learning thing. A few passive aggressive fanboy posts blows that excuse out of the water. How dare I say that the mighty Powerstroke's 475 hp rating is not sustained or say that my truck makes more power than that. You must defend Ford's honor..... lol
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
Shiner I know you know some things. I also know you have more experience with tuned engines than I have, but when you say things like:
ShinerBock wrote:
I tow mine in level 3 of 4 which is about 475 hp at the wheels. I never have a problem with EGTs, but my intake and intercooler is not stock. Neither is my turbo, exhaust manifold, and the rest of the 5" exhaust.
One can reliably tow on higher power level tunes if they have the mods to support it.


it comes across to me as though you are claiming that you can reliably put 475 HP to the pavement with a tuner plus a few mods to your intake and exhaust.... maybe you can for a 20 second run. Maybe you and I both know that, but you don't say it. You don't say that if you actually made your engine deliver 475 HP to the rear wheels the engine would overheat in a matter of minutes; You don't remind whoever is reading this that the 68rfe is designed to handle 300 rear wheel horsepower and that it will have a very limited life if it is expected to handle 475 HP. Whether the Cummins engine can tolerate that kind of power for any length of time or not I don't know but I suspect that if Ram ever wants to increases their power ratings to the 548 crankshaft HP you talk about, Cummins will make some significant changes to their 6.7 and not just because of the emission BS. I actually started out wanting to ask you some questions to learn what is out there in the aftermarket diesel world .... especially in the area of cooling.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

kellem
Explorer
Explorer
I've towed with a performance tune for years without issue but posses common sense.

My only complaint is the requirement of higher octane fuel but understand why with timing advance and slower burn.

Yes, watch my guages.

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
4x4ord wrote:
I have been reading what you posted. You didnโ€™t seem to appreciate my post suggesting the need to watch your gauges closely when towing with a tuned truck. I just wondered what would happen if you ignored them. Seems like we agree that tuning a truck puts it in a category where you need to be careful with it while towing. I also agree with you that your turbo upgrade is a very important addition if youโ€™re wanting to tow with a tuned truck. You come across as though you donโ€™t think the cooling system on a stock Ram is a very limiting factor when you start adding power. I know first hand the kind of cooling that is required to put 400 hp to the pavement with a truck.... and I know youโ€™re not going to get that kind of cooling out of a 27 x 22 inch radiator. Getting rid of the EGR is not what it used to be. Basically you canโ€™t throw a turbo and tuner on a pick up and turn it into a Freightliner.


Again, have you even been reading my posts? Seriously, go back and real all of them and you will notice me telling people that they need gauges and supporting mods when they are towing heavy on high power level tunes. This isn't my first rodeo and I know what my truck is capable of along with what it's limits are. I am not sure why you feel the need to explain things to me like I don't.

So please, stop being so concerned for what gear I tow in and and what power levels I choose to do it in. Besides, I probably have way more experience behind tuned vehicles and various medium/heavy duty diesel engines(both driving them and test cell dyno testing) than you do so why would I listen to an armchair quarterback with less experience especially one that doesn't have any experience driving what I do?
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS