[TooCoolTwo]

This is a long post. Grab a soda pop! I am an old 70 plus year man now. But about 10 years ago, I started posting on this fine forum after bought our truck, "Bubba".

Smokey was around a lot then and helped me learn a lot. However I am very slow to change, my bride of fifty-two years tells me. It has taken me ten years to finally get rid of my OE muffler!

At first it took me a couple of years to make the first, and one of the best mods, a Brian Truck Stop (BTS) transmission. I knew in my heart, however, as we made the pilgrimage to Lead Hill, Arkansas from Central Texas, it would be a good experience meeting Brian and his wife. I have never met nicer folks in business. Brian let me watch him build my new transmission, as he assembled parts with the touch of a surgeon's hand and feel. And when he finished, it seemed like I had gained twenty-five additional ponies on "Bubba". Plus they fed me cookies all day long, bought me lunch, and gave me and my wife free tee-shirts while there, mixed in with genuine Southern hospitality.

My second most meaningful mod has been a Infinity DP-Tuner. Many years passed with making many smaller mods mentioned in my signature, until I could make the leap to a tuner, for fear of harming the engine. Actually it took me about five years, soul searching, and a pulling our travel trailer up grades and mountains, with a lot of down shifting, engine screaming, to decide to make the tuner decision.

But others, such as Smokey and RT, plus my close friend, a Master Ford mechanic, encouraged me along the way. Well, let me tell you, our wonderful old truck is a different animal now with the DP-Tuner! It runs like a Corvette now (makes this old man grin and remember his youth) and old "Bubba" now laughs at towing long grades, heavily loaded, to see our grandchildren. No more down-shifting what-so-ever. Accelerating up grades! And believe me, this adds a lot of comfort and pleasure when one tows for eight to ten hours a day.

(My favorite two smaller upgrades have been the Ford Severe Duty Air Intake System (AIS) and International ELC coolant. Both represent tons of closed hood time and more engine protection, IMO.)

Well, I must end and I hope you will forgive this old man's ramblings. We old guys do that sometimes. But perhaps it will help someone who has been reluctant or slow to make a change to their truck.
Mike

 

[bigb]

I've also been on the fence for years about a tuner, just afraid I'll hurt my engine. I don't tow heavy.....yet. But there is a TT on the horizon.

Seems like every story I hear about a failed 7.3 involves tuners and chips.

 

[TooCoolTwo]

I was where you are at for many,many,years. When you start towing, you will want extra power.

I will never go back to stock.

 

[ArcticDriver]

I am getting a DP-Tuner F5 later this month after postponing for over one year.

I wish I had it on my AK R/T in 2015.

Thanks for posting Mike.

 

[blue99stroker]

Most failures on these are trucks are from adding power.

A 4r100 with stock cooler can get hot quick when tuned.

Some tuners use excessive timing advance to achieve better mileage. This has often resulted in widowed blocks (worst case) and loud, smokey, rough running trucks.

Do your research on who's tunes you want to run, not just on this forum. You will find the rest of the community has a vastly different opinion.

If you have any questions pm me.

 

[TooCoolTwo]

OK guys, the good Lord has let me and my wife live some years longer towing our small travel trailer with a tune. No problems with the 80 HP city/highway tune. Still must watch EGTs as we go up long grades and mountains, however, as they can creep upwards toward the 1200 degree mark. I watch them like a hawk! As does dear wife when she relieves me driving.

Towing in 6K-8K ft. Northern New Mexico/Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains is now much more of a pleasure with additional ponies and torque!

But you know, before I had the tune we were towing the same trailer, up the same northern 6K-8K ft. mountains without a tune. All factory. No tunes.

And we had no gauges, so I REALLY do not know what our Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGTs) were all the years past. We could have been towing at/near 1200 degrees EGTs and did not know it.

Springtime is around the corner and camping season will be upon us. Everyone must make their own decision about adding a tuner or getting tunes. And as mentioned, I was hesitant for many, many, years about making the leap. But I would never go back to stock/OE performance while towing.

Hope my 4-5 years experience towing with a tune helps someone on our wonderful forum!

 

[TooCoolTwo]

OK, it has been seven years since I wrote the original post. And my wife and I still have our beloved 2002 Ford 7.3 Superduty we named "Bubba."
We have not had any problems what-so-ever with the DP Tuner tunes, but our Infinity tuner/monitor finally bit the dust. Too much Texas sun and heat, I suspose.

I ended up contacting Jody, owner of DPTuner again and bought a SCT Livewire TS Plus tuner/monitor and Jody installed the tunes for me. I kept the same custom 80HP City/Highway tune I have grown to love so much and had him add a a custom 80HP Towing tune. I found my previous 60HP towing tune did not have enough ponies to keep the smile on my old face when towing. Looking forward to towing with the new tune one day. Jody gave me the same wonderful service which my wife and I have grown to love and respect from him.

The purpose of this follow up post to to affirm the DP Tuner 80HP City/Highway tune has not seemed to hurt our truck at all, the best I can determine. In fact, we have used it to tow with. I did like the Infinity monitor/tuner a little better than the SCT. Easier to navigate. But I am hoping the SCT monitor/tuner will be more reliable and can take the heat better.

Hope this follow-up helps someone, especially if you are thinking about adding a tuner.

 

[Big Horn]

Glad that you and the Mrs. are still enjoying your ‘02 PSD.

As long as my plans don’t get derailed I’m planning on looking for a goose neck dump trailer and a used fifth wheel in the near future.

Thank you for the update!

 

[Oneof6]

I have made many mod/upgrades on my 02 since I bought it new, most longevity type changes that one can't feel while driving and although valuable are hard to call "favorite".
Of the mods that I can physically feel and that make my truck more enjoyable to drive those are few only three.
#1 would be the Red-Head Steering Gear Box. #2 would be the Banks Programmer that I keep on "Economy". #3 would be the rear facing camera, can't twist n look rearward when backing after a back fusion surgery in 2015
I can justify the many others, just can't feel them on every drive like the main three "Favorites"

 

[TooCoolTwo]

Picking up on Oneof6's comments, he is right. As he mentions, most of my favorite upgrades have also seem to come into two categories: Longevity and driving comfort.

And I must give credit to some of my list of favorites to two contributors who I hold in very high esteem and who have graciously helped many owners like me over the years, fellow Texan RT and to Klhansen, Administrator. I have been blessed by their good advice for many years.

So I want to add one more favorite my longtime friend and Ford mechanic of 25 plus years from church encouraged me to make: 2008 Superduty Tow Mirrors.

Being an old stubbon Texan as I am and wanting to keep our beloved truck looking "orgininal looking", I intially resisted them. But a couple a years ago, I finally realized my eyes needed extra help with towing vision and bought a pair.

And folks, let me tell you, they are like looking out of airplane hanger doors!! Significantly more viewing space from my 2002 OE tow mirrors. If you need extra visibility towing, I can certainly recommend them. They are a direct fit and easy replacement for the OE mirrors!

 

[Greg687]

One other improvement, I bought some used 2005 headlight units, and put LED bulbs in them. HUGE difference.

 

[John in OkieLand]

One other improvement, I bought some used 2005 headlight units, and put LED bulbs in them. HUGE difference.

is that the setup that requires you to grind out a chunk of the OEM mounting, and preventing use of the Stock lens setup?

I have investigated those installs, and the "look is okay" but not being able to "see the light pattern" for myself, keeps me from buying the conversions.

Every one that I have looked at, uses LEDs for Low Beams and H7 bulbs for High Beams, and that is a "no go" for me

at 80 y/o now, I need to be able to see the signs light up half a mile or more down the road

 

[Greg687]

Yes, I did cut out a section for the 2005 lens housing to fit, but it was really easy to do. I then bought a replacement LED for the H13/9008 bulb. Nice and clear, white light. Uses the stock reflector so no glare issues.

 

[John in OkieLand]

Yes, I did cut out a section for the 2005 lens housing to fit, but it was really easy to do. I then bought a replacement LED for the H13/9008 bulb. Nice and clear, white light. Uses the stock reflector so no glare issues.

so you did NOT have to modify the trucks mounting brackets?
if so, I like that.

do you still have links to the LED bulbs you used.
so many LED bulbs are NOT configured properly for use in OEM reflectors

 

[Greg687]

Bulbs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SZMVNC7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9007 to 9008 harness adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MLWNGSW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I bought headlight takeoffs off of a 2005 F250. I found a link on Utube that showed how to cut the header panel to adapt for the new headlights, and with a dremel it was simple. You cannot tell that they are not factory.

 

[Big Horn]

I don’t know if I could even begin to try and pick a favorite, including some of my own. But, with the rising prices of new trucks and the dependable track record of the 7.3 PSD, it makes sense to give it a fresh makeover and some new gadgets 🤣🤣

As TooCoolTwo mentioned in another post I like my ‘08 tow mirrors and leave them extended, even with the power fold it helps to remind me the ol’ girl has wide hips😉