This is a question basically for Mike form Superchips but I am beginnin to realize that there are many people on the board that also have a wealth of information. Also I am new to the board and have been trying to soak up as much as I can before asking some technical questions that might have already been answered.

Mike T.....

I am the owner of a '95 Ford Explorer XLT (4.0 L - 65 K Miles) and have on order, a 2001 F-150 Screw (see Signiture for details).

I vacation in Northern Wisconsin (350 miles from home) and have noted a significant increae in mileage on my way home driving the Explorer....getting 15-16 mpg on the way up and 17-19 on the way home. I have accredited this jump in mileage to the qualities of the gasoline that is provided in each of the states...reformulated in IL and more pure in Wisconsin.

My questions to you are

1. What can I expect with regards to performance and mileage gains on each vehicle with repect to the two gasoline qualities (of course using 92 octane from each states)if and/or when I install the Superchips on both vehicles?

2. Is it really worth installing a superchip on the Explorer and dO you have any success stories with regards to installing a Schip on a SUV as old as my Explorer?

3. Do you recommend any "Break-in Time" for the Screw before installing the Schip?

4. Do you offer any discounts for ordering more than one chip? (Might not be an appropriate question for this thread)

Thank yo in advance for your consideration.

G-money

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2001 SCrew Lariat, 5.4L, 4x4, Arizona Beige, CD, Leather 60/40, Skids, Slider, 3.55LS, Tow Package, Block Heater. Future Mods: Plastic Bed Liner, Westin Chromed Stainless Step Bars, Front Hitch, Warn semi-hidden winch. Bed Cap. K&N Filter

 

Hi G-money,

1.) Good question! In all candor, I can't give you the exact power gains on various fuel formulations in your area, that would require extensive dyno testing up in that area, of course. Prior to release of most programs, they are tested in various areas of the country to make sure that no detonation is induced, but to actually do thr type of testing that would be required to know exactly what every different fuel formulation in the country is going to do under every possible circumstance, that realistically cannot be done, nor is it requried.

What I can tell you is that as long as you use a high-quality premium gasoline, 92 octane or better at an altitude of sea level, you'll get the rated power gains, that is the exact "specification" of that rating.

I was very glad to see that you're tracking your mileage consistently. However, less mileage does not always equal less horsepower, for as long as the knock sensor is not activated, there is no spark retard to reduce engine power. So it is entirely possible to not lose any of the rated power gains, but to see less mileage from one brand to another, as the engine's systems burn the fuel as required based on vehicle load & throttle demand. It's also possible to make a couple less horsepower, but there isn't going to be a significant difference as long as no detonation is present, it's more of a mileage factor than a power factor in the F-150.

Now if the energy content is so low that you start to pick up detonation, the knock sensor will kick in and quell it, which will cause a loss of power. You'll hear this when it first happens, the detonation I mean, and as the knock sensor system reacts, it is quickly eliminated, provided there is enough total effective compensation range in that vehicle's knock sensor system, and that can vary a bit in these vehicles as well.

You'll also have to track your mileage more precisely than "15-16" if you really want to know what exactly is going on, you need to do it right down to at least the tenths as well, for exact results, of course, but you already know that, I'm sure.

In general, that area of the country does not have extremely low-energy fuel formulations.

2.) We have thousands upon thousands of FoMoCo (and most other vehicles) running all over the country with Superchips. The Explorer is not unique or different, it's just another FoMoCo computer-controlled powertrain. The 1995 is not that old, it has everything but the OBD-II provision that wwere implemened in the 1996 model year. It has all the same soft-shift strategies, and is tuned the same as most other FoMoCo vehicles, for regular gas from the factory, just like the F-150's. We go back much farther than the 1995 model year, we go all the way back to the very first fuel-injected computer-controlled engines that Ford ever made, back in the mid to late 80's. Your 1995 Explorer (we've owned a few of those as well here at Performance) is the first year of the new body style, and has the benefit of a new front suspension and finally, an excellent braking system, 1995 was the first year for that. We've been tuning Explorers since the first one rolled off the line for the 1991 model year. Interestingly, in 1995 they increased the red line on the factory tach without making any change to the engine. In the 1994 & earlier Explorers, which all used the same 4.0 V-6 (1991's was rated at 155 hp instead of the later 160 hp version that you have, that change was made in 1992) the redline on the factory tach was 4800 rpm, and in 1995 that was increased to 5500 rpm, with no changes to the motor.

The 160 hp version of the 4.0 1995 Explorer will gain 16 horsepower and 25 lbs./ft. of torque with the Superchip. It will also firm up the transmissions shift characteristics just a bit, not making them really "firm", but primarily eliminating more slippage, as well as removing upshift & downshift delays, etc. The top speed limiter will also be removed, and if you do high-speed driving (100+ mph), please be careful if you still have the original factory Firestone ATX or Wilderness AT tires they used stock, as they tend to come apart at sustained high speeds. We had one 1995 Explorer that we did the Superchip, a K&N FIPK kit, and a Borla exhaust to, it was a 2-door Sport 4X4, and that vehicle ran over 125 mph in that configuration.

3.) Good question! While we rarely get off the dealer's lot without installing ours in our new vehicles, I think it's a good idea to have at least a few hundred miles, say maybe 300-500 miles on the vehicle prior to making any kind of changes. This is just to insure that there are no obvious problems with the new vehicle that require immediate attention.

4.) You're right, we need to discuss that privately, so please just give us a shout on that. Yes, we'll work with you on that is the short answer.

I hope this gives you the kind of information you're looking for, and of course please don't hesitate to give us a call if you'd like to go over this in greater detail.

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
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