Hello?!? Any help would be great! I have a 2005 5.4 gas/auto F150. I got the 1745 Handheld tuner and selected the Performance option as I use 91 OCt gas. However, there are options as far as shift points and other things I do not quite understand and would hate to not get the best tune for my truck. I DID manage to put the new tire size in, play with the rev limiter, keep the speed limiter (never above 90mph ), but the shift points etc. are things I want to understand. I allow emails to come to me if anyone can explain the various options in plain english!

Saturday night 7:09 PM EST

 

I don’t have a 1745 so I can’t say first hand but from reading various posts about that same question you present, the general consensus is to except the Superchips settings with some minor changes

the 1715 is basically the same as the 1745 ~ they’re just for different year trucks

question
answer

 

Thanks. I just retuned the truck with the shiftpoint adjustment and took 'er for a test drive. A nice grade on the expressway near my house validated what was written. I may play around with the other shift points just a scoche to see what happens. If I blow up the truck well, hell, it's under B2B warranty still! He he he!

For answering my post so quick jpdadeo gets the dancing banana award!

 

Hi cyberart4,

There are some things you need to know about this, so I dropped by to make a few points..........

We do NOT recommend changing anything else in those shift schedules, as you will only hurt the vehicles' performance by slowing down it's rate of acceleration. You can also potentially hurt things when you go pushing things higher and running it at full-throttle - nor would it be appropriate to screw around with the shift schedules taking things too far, break something in the powertrain as a result, and then stick it to Ford under the warranty because you pushed it harder and harder - that kind of thing only makes all of us have to pay more for these vehicles, and cause rightful warranty claims to potentially be denied. This is just some good for thought.........

The "Superchips" shift points are set in each program in that tuner so that they are appropriate for the type of tune - in the performance tunes, so that the vehicle will accelerate at maximum velocity at full-throttle, for example.

The only change we recommend making is what John (jpdadeo) already posted, where he quoted us previously telling people to make ONE change, and that is specifically to bump up the 2-3 upshift point by precisely 2 "notches" in the 1715 & similar Superchips Inc MAX series Micro Tuners for these F-150's. The *only* reason we say to make that change is simply because it helps the vehicle to get back up into Overdrive quicker after a load event, such as going up a grade, when operating at part-throttle - even though it is a change to the 2-3 shift point, that change allows the engine to get back up into Overdrive (4th gear) much quicker after a load event, like a grade, etc., by allowing it to land in 3rd gear at a better point in the torque curve on part-throttle.

It also helps to have some knowledge about what these F-150 powertrains can and cannot take and have a normal service life - for example, one important thing you'll want to know is that the torque converter in these vehicles is the weak link in this regard (in terms of how many rpms you can safely turn), and it is not designed to see anything more than about 5400 rpm or so on a regular basis - so forcing it to shift at a higher point on a regular basis (and those who tend to push things higher & higher tend to do it frequently when they are behind the wheel, like a of of us hot-rodders ) can cause the TQ to balloon - that can potentially damage the TQ, and in a rare worst case scenario, if taken high enough & done frequently enough, potentially force the crankshaft forward when the TQ balloons, and damage the engine -

Another important thing to remember is do NOT rely on the factory tachs when accelerating at full-throttle, as they are well known for reading too low when accelerating at full-throttle - and in a few cases, even reading too high! Meaning in many cases they don't indicate the correct rpms the engine is actually turning when accelerating at full throttle. What that means is, you could easily be spinning the engine at too high an rpm level even though the tach is indicating lower rpms if you push the shift points higher.

Having specialized in F-150 performance for the past 14+ years, we know them extremely well in this regard. So for what it's worth, I would suggest that you leave well enough alone at this point, as your shift points are already optimized in that unit. The only change I would make is what I said earlier, and what you have already done - that 1 change to the 2-3 upshift point that we have previously described - that is how your vehicle will run best and live a proper service life without pushing components beyond their design limits.

I hope that information helps you understand this a bit better, & best of luck with your truck whatever you do!

 

Mike,

Thanks for the info on the chip. I have the 1745 for a 2005 and there are no "notches" for the 2-3 shift point. I just went with the default setting anyway. I never played around as I could break somethig. I do wonder though. I stomped it at 60mph and the passing gears kicked in for a brief second and then back down. It seemed "confused" as to where to shift. I did not have this issue on my 99 F150. It just went when told! I do alot of highway driving and really need the response at top end without over revving. I accepted the stock option for the rev limiter and switched to the tow tune to see the difference. I just filled up with 92 OCT and am going to put the performance tune program in tomorrow. I accept all setting except for the tires which I measured and entered for the speedometer. No cops are good cops I always say! I would be interested to know what those numbers mean anyhow. 2-3 1-2 etc. THe options are 10mph over superchip etc. What the hell is all that. I hate not knowing what these things mean. Give me info and I'll buy something for my truck off your site.

Underdrive pulleys? Never heard of 'em. But I like what I read!

 

Hi. Just an FYI, okay?

While waiting for a response, I'd suggest the Search feature - Advanced Search - with filters. For example:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...5+shift+points

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...=4-3+downshift

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...erdrive+pulley



And many more.... Get the idea? Search enough, and you may not need a response.

As for full throttle downshifts from 4th(O/D) - you should consider tapping your O/D button first to drop back to 3rd before hammering it, if you are expecting to do that - it will help avoid damage to your tranny under those conditions.

You can always call Superchips Customer Service:407-585-7000, and ask them your 1745 Q's.

ALL this stuff has already been discussed, in detail, many times. Okay?

BTW - you chose the right Vendor.

Cheers
Grog

 

Hi cyberart4,

MGDFan makes some excellent points, as usual.

In the 1714 & 1745, you simply alter shift points by the number of mph above or below the "Superchips" optimized settings - when it says "Superchips" for any of the parameters, that means it is already optimized, and you are making changes from *that* level, in miles per hour.

The 1715 unit, which is for the 1996-2003's, is the one that uses "notches," on a scale where the center point is the Superchips optimized settings, so your unit simply works in mph +/- the already optimized "Superchips" settings.

Underdrive pulleys reduce the amount of power lost to turning accessories at speeds higher than they need to be turned - the power steering pump, A/C compressor, etc - and thus reduce what are called "parasitic losses," to send more power to the rear wheels. For example, our underdrive pulleys give you about another 12-13 HP at the rear wheels, so it's a very popular modification given it's low cost.

If you'd like to go over any of this in more detail, just give us a cal at our number listed below & we'll be happy to help.

Have fun!