I just got back from talking to my local Superchip dealer. I asked about a flip chip so that I could run 87 octane part of the time and he told me that I did not have to run high octane fuel with the chip. I told him that I was pretty sure that you did and he said that it "used to be that way". He went on to say that he had one in his truck and he ran regular gas in it. Is this true?? Im almost certain he was filling me full of ***** but figured I would ask anyway.

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99 F-150 Sport XLT Black supercab 4.6L auto 3.55LS
K&N filter, Velocity Tube, dual flowmasters
Ground Force 2 in. rear drop

 

Hi This end up

Got my SC flip-chip thru mike t.

The way superchip set it up was.

Program 1 87 oct.
Program 2 92 oct.

Alot of debate about 87 vs 92 oct. I dont play games with the chip, i use it the way it was intended to be used. Theres been alot said about octane etc, here on this site.

Anyhow, the only thing im unhappy about, sure miss the gains when i switch from 92 to 87oct.

Good luck. OT

 

I don't know about you but Mikes explanation for why we have to use the higher octane makes sense to me. Slower burning vs. faster burning and its relation to timing, ect, ect. I've read Mikes responses many times. It sounds to me he is talking the truth. As far as you local Superchip dealer, I don't know. Did he mention the difference between 87 and 92? With all the people here using the Superchip, I would think if it were possible we would all be doing it.
If you think you might buy a Superchip from your local dealer, maybe it would be a good idea to ask some of the questions we see often here on the boards. Then compare the responses.
Thats my 2 cents.
Tom

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'98 F150 XLT,short bed, STX appearance group, 4.6, 5-speed.
Current mods: K&N air filter, cat back exhaust (Flowmaster 40 w/dual rear side exit), Superchip.
Future mods: short throw shifter, K&N FIPK, lowered suspension, other things seen here!

 

see the 90 octane post.

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2001 F-150 XLT S-CAB 4.6 "Fully equipt, and Superchip'd!"
96 Taurus GL
93 Kenne-Bell Supercharged Mustang
"Injection is nice, but I perfer being blown!"

www.kenne-bell.com/owners.asp
http://www.corral.net/cgi-bin/member...p00000403&p&p0


86 Kawasaki ZG 1000 A-1 Concours

 

Hi this-end-up,

Wow, I guess must have multiplied overnight, I never knew there were so many of me! Great, this will help out with our workload! (just kidding here guys!)

No, you were told incorrctly by whoever you spoke to, they are *wrong*. They probably just don't have much product knowledge specifically about the Superchip & how it's tuned, etc., though they may be proficient in other areas.

The Superchip, like any performance chip that actually increases power significantly, has *always* required the use of premium gas, that is the single most basic trait in any performance chip, the use of premium gas, and that has not changed. It is not possible to raise engine power significantly in these vehicles via powertrain programming (meaning the Superchip) without raising octane to premium gas.

It's *not* OK to run the Superchip on anything less than premium gas (unless you have the Flip Chip where one side of it is actually tuned for 87 octane). That has *never* changed, it is not true that "it used to be that way", it's *always* been that way, and still is.

What happens when you run the Superchip on 87 octane is first, the power gain goes away, of course, as the knock sensor has signaled the ECU to reduce timing, and there goes the power gain right out the window. You still get the improved automatic transmission shifting & removal of delays & retards, so the vehicle still is a little bit quicker, but the raw engine power gain is basically gone when you run it on 87 like that.

Second, depending on the total effective compensation range of the knock sensor system in each individual vehicle (and they vary widely), you may or may not get detonation (pinging, spark knock)as well. The bottom line is, you *cannot* run the Superchip on 87 octane *safely*, even if you don't hear any pinging. There are forms of detonation that are not audible, and that aside, the burn rate is off. 87 octane gas burns quicker than 92+ octane does, meaning the speed at which the kernal of the flame front actually propagates itself in the combustion chamber, and with computer controlled fuel-injected motors, the fuel curves must be precisely calibrated for the burn rate of the fuel being used. Otherwise, driveability will never be what it could, nor will power or even mileage, in most cases.

This is exactly why most Ford owners manuals for these trucks tell you to use only 87 octane, because that is what they are *tuned* for from the factory, including the calibration for the fuel curves, for the burn rate of 87 octane. The owners manuals that mention this usually say that using premium gas can cause loss of power, driveability problems, and even less fuel mileage. This won't *always* happen, but it can, and that's why they warn us to use only 87, because of the burn rate.

The Superchip re-tunes the engine *specifically* for the use of premium gas, including compensating the fuel curves for the slower burn rate of premium gas so that driveability is correct as well as adding power & potentially a bit of fuel mileage. The same thing applies in reverse, you don't run a 92 octane program on 87, as again, the burn rate is off, and the results will not be what they could. You can run that 92 octane program on just about any high-quality premium gas from 91-94 or so octane, preferably 92-94.

If you want a Superchip to run on 87 or 92 octane, go with our Flip Chip 87 & 92 octane combo, and that way, the engine is properly tuned for the octane level you run it on, either 87 or 92+.

If you'd like to go over this in more detail, please feel free to give us a call, we'll be happy to speak with you about this.

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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

 

Thanks Mike thats what I needed to here. I will be giving you a call in the next couple of days.

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99 F-150 Sport XLT Black supercab 4.6L auto 3.55LS
K&N filter, Velocity Tube, dual flowmasters
Ground Force 2 in. rear drop

 

Thanks for the speedy replies guys.

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99 F-150 Sport XLT Black supercab 4.6L auto 3.55LS
K&N filter, Velocity Tube, dual flowmasters
Ground Force 2 in. rear drop

 

Hi this-end-up,

Anytime, you're very welcome.

We look forward to speaking with you!

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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