Could someone tell me if running 87 octane on the superchip will hurt my engine. I am just trying to decide wether to get the regular chip or the flip chip.... And I realize Mike can't say anything about prices in this forum but does anybody know if the flip chip is the same price as a custom chip.

Thanksssss....

 

I have just received my flip chip but haven't installed it yet.

Anyway, because I needed custom programming to get the 4.10 gearing compensation, I got a flip chip with 87 and 93 calibrations.

The cost for the flip chip (from Mike) is $25 cheaper than a single custom programmed chip(!) because programming is included in the flip chip price.

Ian

------------------
99 Expedition EB
5.4l, 4x4, 4.10'S
WMS Tube, Bassani Cat Back Exhaust.
Superchip Flipchip on Order

 

Sorry but the flip chip is more expensive then the straight chip. at least it was for me--lol. Beardoge maybe, Ian N knows mike better then i do--lol. common sense says it should be more because there is more to it, maybe not as much more but more. 225 reg and 325 flip. hope i didn't get mike in trouble.
yes i think it might hurt at least your truck will should ping abit-lol. In closing, i"m getting the flip chip. why? just in case gas goes out of sight i guess and i don't need top performance at times. (RUMOR: GAS IS SUPPOSED TO HIT 3.00 A GALLON THIS SUMMER), and if thats true you can say you heard it here.--lol

[This message has been edited by Predator1 (edited 03-17-2001).]

 

Hi Beardoge,

No, you cannot ever run the single-program Superchip on anything less than premium gas, you cannot ever run it on 87 octane. While these vehicles have a knock sensor, they have a limited amount of total effective compensation range, so you cannot safely use anything less than premium gasoline with the single-program Superchip. Even if the knock sensor systems were "absolute", which they're not by a long shot, and could compensate in every vehicle to prevent detonation no matter what gas was used, the driveability is never going to be right, as the fuel curves in the Superchip are very precisely calibrated for the burn rate of premium gas, which burns considerably slower than 87 octane gas does, it's not just a matter of spark advance versus octane. There have been a few people who have posted that they used just 87 octane with the single-program Superchip that requires premium gas, and they didn't get any audible detonation, but they were just lucky, and the Superchip should *never* be used like that, as you cannot count on your knock sensor having *that* much adjustment range, as most don't.

So anyone who wants the performance of the Superchip with the ability to run on 87 octane when you want, needs to be in the 2-program, Superchip Flip Chip, which we can set up with a pair of programs for exactly that purpose.

The 2-program Superchip Flip Chip is of course going to be more expensive than a product that delivers half of what the Flip Chip does, just like any product.

I know you realize this Beardoge, so this isn't aimed at you or anyone else in particular for that matter, but just as a general reminder to everyone, the Webmaster here has policies against exact pricing issues being discussed on the message boards here, to keep them free of what is considered blatant commercial content. This isn't just a limitation on just what *I* post here, that policy is for everyone, and for good reason. There are also policies against Vendors & customers discussing issues that should be kept between Vendor & customer, such as pricing, shipping details, delivery dates, etc., as again, that kind of thing needs to stay between the 2 parties, to keep the boards "clean" of that kind of content, so to speak. So sometimes it seems a bit funny I know with all we discuss here, and can be a bit hard to stay completely in accord with those policies, but they're there for very good reasons, and we do abide by them, and encourage everyone else to do likewise, so we can all enjoy these free public mesage boards, provided by F-150 Online.

One thing we do tell everyone is that if you need custom programming done, you're always better off using the Flip Chip, as Superchips includes the cost of any custom programming needed at time of purchase in the price of the Flip Chip, while there is an additional custom programming fee for a custom program in the single-program Superchip. So with our F-150 Online discounts, someone needing custom programming, as "Ian N" correctly mentioned, will come out $25 cheaper, and get 2 programs instead of one by using the Flip Chip instead of the single-program Superchip.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 03-20-2001).]

 

Hi Predator1,

You're right on the money, the 2-program Superchip Flip Chip is still more expensive than the single-program Superchip; always has been & always will be, just as you mentioned, because the Flip Chip gives much more.

What Ian was talking about specifically is that if you need a custom program done (such as a program for regular gas on one side of the Flip Chip), then you'll actually come out $25 cheaper doing it in the Flip Chip than in the single-program Superchip, because Superchips includes the cost of any custom programming needed at time of purchase in the cost of the Flip Chip, but in the single program Superchip, there is a $125 custom programming fee, so that's the only way you come out $25 cheaper in the Flip Chip, only if you need custom programming.

Good grief, I hope we don't see $3 a gallon gas prices this summer, OUCH!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 03-18-2001).]

 

Having just installed the Superchip, I did notice that I could drive comfortably on the 1/32 of a tank of 89 octane to the gas station to drop 92 into it.

Seems to be pretty good so far.

Now if only I could get those damn 5.4 heads........

 

Hi Caelistis,

Glad to hear you didn't have a problem, 89 might have been the reason. It all gets down to just how much total effective compensation range is in the knock sensor system of each individual vehicle, because they do vary, and vary widely. For that reason, we have to tell everyone to play it safe, of course.

Thanks for your post, & good luck on the 5.4 heads!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 03-19-2001).]

 

Just how premium is the "premium" gas you all are referring to? 92, 93 or 94 octane?
What octane is the chip programmed for specifically?

Also, is there a way to test the octane of gas, how do you know if you are actually getting 94 out of the pump based solely on pushing the right button on the pump?

Thanks,

Paul

**********************
2001 Supercrew 4.6 4X4
**********************

 

Hi Paul,

The Superchip is programmed for 92+ octane. It can be run on a high-quality 91 or higher octane, you'll get your best results with 92, 93, or 94 opctane. Most pump premiums here in the East are 93 octane, and out West they're usually 92 octane.

As far as "testing" for octane, you can't do that yourself very easily, it takes a lab to really do that accurately. It's done by taking the octane derived by using the Motor's method combined with the octane derived from the Research method, and then dividing that total by 2. That gives you an average of both the Research and the Motor methods of determining octane, and that is what you will find labeled on each individual gas pump.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

Does the flip chip give as much hp and torque as the regular superchip? Because I would like to get a superchip but I can't afford the gas prices all the time! I might opt for the flip chip if the power is about the same and can run 87!

 

Harleyboy,

The flip chip gives you the ability to run two independent programs on demand. Usually one of the programs is a regular superchip program, meaning it improves the engine AND transmission performance but forces you to run 92+ octane. The second program is typically a tranny only program without any engine tuning modifications so you will be able to run 87 octane but still get the benefits of improved tranny performance.

[This message has been edited by junior (edited 04-03-2001).]

 

Hi Harleyboy,

The Flip Chip is still a Superchip, it's simply a 2-program type of Superchip, called the Flip Chip.

Actually, the way that works is, when we set up the Flip Chip with the regular & premium gas program combination, the program for premium gas that is in Position 2 of the Flip Chip is normally the exact same performance program you get in the single-program Superchip that always requires the use of premium gas. That is, unless the customer specifically asks for something different like say, even harder shifting on the premium gas side, for example. The basic answer to that questions is yes, they're the same.

The engine tuning in the 87 octane program in the Flip Chip is not stock, so it does give a small power gain, nothing to write home about, maybe 3-5 horsepower at best. The vehicle will still accelerate a bit quicker and have better powertrain response, thanks to the small power gain & all the other changes we make in that program to limiters, delays & retards, etc.. Then the substantial increase in power comes when using the program in Position 2 for premium gas.

However, what you're thinking, that you can run the Flip Chip on 87 octane and still get the same power gains as the premium gas program is dead wrong, that's never going to happen.

The power gains that can be made via powertrain programming and still use 87 octane are very small, as I mentioned above, 3-5 horsepower at best. To increase power substantially via powertrain programming requires the use of premium gas, and there is no getting around that, which is why performance chips have always required the use of premium gas.

The 2-program Flip Chip will give you the flexibility to use whichever octane you choose, just be aware that substantial power gains are only going to come when running on the premium gas program.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer