I'm thinking about geting a super chip, and I just want to know why premium gas is required.....And what is the difference in performance gained between a '97 (what i got) and a newer f150 with a 4.6?.....thanx!

 

You don't have to switch to premium, but if i understand it right, you only have to go one up to 89 octance with a stage 2. forgive me if i get the stages wrong. if you get a custom one or something i assume thats stage 3. but apparently there is more performance available in a higher octane, and they program everything to work with that octane.

 

One of the primary ways the superchip allows you to get more power out of your engine is to advance the ignition timing by several degrees. When you advance ignition timing, you get a more complete burn and hence, more power. But, advancing the timing also causes increased cylinder head temperatures, and this in turn will lead to pre detonation or engine knocking. The only way to stop the knocking is to go to a higher octane gasoline, or you can seriously damage your engine.

 

Hi Phatty,

The Superchip specifically re-tunes the engine for the use of premium gas to increase power, improve driveability, etc.

It's far more than just a simple matter of a few degrees of spark advance; though increased spark advance is used, it is just one of numerous changes to the engine tuning to unlock additional power & efficiency by tuning specifically for premium gas. There are also changes that have to be made to the fuel curves and numerous other areas of the powertrain program that are changed as well, all to raise power, improve driveability, quicken the response of the powertrain, etc. This tuning process yields more power and a more efficient burn of the air/fuel mixture, as well as a noticeable improvement in driveability.

If you were to try to use lower octane with the Superchip, you would not get the power gain, and depending on the total effective compensation range of the knock sensor system in your individual vehicle, you may also get audible detonation, commonly referred to as the sound you hear when it happens, "pinging", more correctly stated as "pre-ignition". It means improperly controlled combustion, either as pre-ignition (too-early ignition of the A/F mixture, while the piston is still too far down in the bore) or from "hot spots" in the combustion chamber causing uncontrolled combustion, etc. The net effect is the same, if detonation is frequent and/or heavy in nature, it can potentially cause engine damage, so you need to use the proper octane level of fuel that your engine is tuned for. From the factory that is 87 octane, and with the Superchip, it is 91 or higher octane.

For those who want to be able to run lower octane gas and not get as much power gain, we also offer a 2-program Superchip Flip Chip, which we can set up with one program for use on 87 octane, and the other for use on premium gas, so that you can retain the ability to run 87 octane, and then use premium gas when you want maximum power. The power gain on the optimized 87 octane progam in the Flip Chip is going to be small of course, 3-5 horsepower or so, but you'll still have a little bit quicker acceleration and a faster response from the powertrain, and then when you want maximum power, just fill it up with premium and flip the switch.

The power you will gain from the Superchip in your 1997 4.6 is very, very close to what the newest 4.6 motors gain, there isn't more than a couple horsepower difference. The maximum rated gain is 26 horsepower and 40 lbs./ft. of torque. In round numbers, call it a 10%-12% power gainer, as that is basically what's going to happen to your power in a healthy motor.

If you'd like to go over this in more detail, etc., please feel free to give us a shout, our contact info is just below, & we're always happy to speak with you.

Good luck with your truck,

 

Thanx abunch for the info..Im proboably going to order the flip chip in a week or so...depending on how much I have to pay at the ford dealer tommorow (my trucks acting funny)...I'm excited though, it's going to be my first mod to my truck. ( Im replacing smoking with playing with my favorite thing in the whole world.....My Truck!)

thanx again!

 

Hi Phatty,

You're very welcome!

That's an interesting way to quit smoking (maybe I should pay attention!), by deciding to have some fun with your vehicle, good for you!

I hope whatever is causing your truck to act up isn't anything major, it's usually not, so good luck with that.

Have a great weekend,

 

Phatty,
I just thought I'd let you know about my experiance with the Superchip. It was my first mod. It was pretty easy to install. I knoticed gains right away. The gains aren't earth shattering. They are subtle. They are noticible though. The speed limiter was gone, which was one of my biggest concerns. Without the Superchip my truck would not exceede 95mph.
The next mod was the dual outlet exhaust. It also exibited a slight gain. The truck felt better than stock.
Down the road a bit I was able to install a FIPK. I think that was the icing on the cake. When the FIPK was installed the truck showed very noticible gains. The truck rips now!
I guess what I am trying to say is the three mods that I have mentioned work very well together. I think many will agree.
Each one , by it's self will give gains. When you put them together, well check it out for your self. You could get all three for under a grand. I think thats pretty good!
The use of premium gas can be a sticking point. I spend more at the pump, but I get it all back. My truck runs smoother, quicker and is faster than stock.
I have also been able to get better gas mileage. Not every one does. I did! As each mod went on I saw a small increase in gas mileage. (The one thing I didn't mention here is the bed cover. That is one thing that will give better gas mileage.)
When I got the truck I would get around 16mpg around town. Not stop and go, just not highway. My last fill up, the first one after the FIPK, I got a solid 19mpg. (390mi,20.1gal) Around town! (I know my truck is configured different than many out there. I think some others might not see gains as good)
I have no problem with paying the extra for premium!
Hey if you manage to kick the habit it will be easy to afford the mods. If I could kick the habit I would like to be in a Lightning. Well I would have had to quit years ago to be able to do that!
Sorry for the long post.
Good luck!
Tom

 

Hi Tom,

Great post, and you make a valid point aobut how well all 3 of those areas work so well together, meaning the powertrain programming being optimized with the Superchip, the AF1 intake and the exhaust. They do compliment each other very nicely, and it's a very popular set of mods.

The icing on the cake is an improvement in fuel mileage, which helps to offset some of the cost of running the premium gas. Actually, just to play with some numbers a bit, being able to go from 16 mpg to 19 mpg, using your numbers, represents an 18.75% improvement in gas mileage. Assuming a 20 cent per gallon price delta between regualar & premium, and our average gas prices here, ($1.25 for 87 & $1.45 for 93 on average), meaning about a 16% increase in cost, those numbers would actually indicate spending a tiny bit *less* money overall for gasoline than you were before.

This assumes a cost for 87 octane of $1.25 per gallon, and a cost for premium of $1.45 per gallon, and I have no idea of those prices are representative of pricing in your area, but just to use something rough, overall it shows that, getting 19 mpg, you aren't spending any more money for gasoline than you were before, even having to burn premium gas. And, the higher that gas prices go, the less of a difference in terms of a percentage there is between the cost of regualr & premium, because the basic cost delta between regular & premium stays roughly the same, so the higher gas prices go, the better the numbers look, when you;re getting solid mpg gains like you've posted..

Just playing with the numbers a bit, trivia really, but it's fun to look at the numbers in different ways, assuming I haven't misunderstood something in your post and made a mistake, of course.

Great post!

 

I haven't done long term testing. That is what is really needed to show a true increase in gas mileage. The times I kept track I have seen an increase. I have not ever seen a decrease. For that I am happy.
There are many outside factors that effect gas mileage. My numbers only reflect my miles driven and the amount of fuel used. I understand that the outside factors may affect the outcome.
The way I look at it is if I was getting 16mpg in the beginning, if I can do better than that by even one mpg I am doing good.
I did the mods for increased performance and better driveability. That is a result I feel every time I drive.
I think the cost of premium gas is off set by the feeling that my truck goes like I want it to.
Tom

 

Hi Tom,

Long-term testing certainly has it's value in some things, but gas mileage isn't necessarily one of them, at least, not for the past few years now that we're seeing so many more frequent changes during the year in fuel formulation, thanks primarily to the Federal air quality monitoring campaign. "Long-term testing" is not required to chart a decrease or increase in mileage. In fact, over the past 4 years that's a good way to skew the numbers due to changes in fuel formulations. Of couse, it also depends on what your definition of "long term" is.

We use 3-5 tanks of each brand if we're doing gasoilne brand comparisons, or after each change/modification we've made to a vehicle, to get our data. We do it like that so as to reduce, as much as possible, the effects of changes in fuel formulation and their resultant alteration of energy content. There are changes made to fuel formulations in virtually every area of this country over the course of the year, in some cases numerous times during the year if it's in an area where air quality is suspect or has not reached "attainment" status, and those changes do affect the energy content, and so will affect mileage results and skew any direct comparisons.

So to negate as much of that effect as possible, we'll do 3-5 tanks in our comparisons. Anything much longer and you start to introduce other factors that can skew the numbers.

For just one obvious example, you'll have a difference in your winter gas, you'll virtually always get less mileage on the winter gas formulations in any area of this country that has the normal change of seasons. There are many others, that's just one example.

I agree completely, if you raised mpg by "only" 1.0, that's much better than staying the same, 1 mph is 1 mpg!

I also agree that most people think like you have expressed, in that they do modifications to their vehicles (of this type) to increase performance, and if that is achieved, then mission accomplished, and any mpg gains are icing on the cake. Looks like you've got some nice icing there so far!

Good luck!

 

Well just filled the tank again. I have been kind of surprized at the mileage I have been getting. It has actually been pretty consistant. I would get around 19mpg.
This last tank of gas was a fun one. I felt the power often. I was on the throttle, because it felt good. I was able to be assured that this truck can hold it's own. I also let a couple people take a test drive, so they would believe what I have been telling them. I got 17.79mpg. (388mi, 21.81gal)
I get good gas mileage.... if I am not having much fun!
Tom

 

Hi Tom,

OK, so on this tank it sounds like you've been "feeling" that power a bit more often, perhaps. Still, to get just shy of 17.8 mpg driving it harder isn't bad, and those 19 mpg numbers you've been getting are of course excellent!

Talk about consistent mpg, mine is consistently poor, but I'm grinning from ear to ear. The new Lightning got 12.27 mpg on it's first tank. Then each of the last 3 tanks it has returned *exactly* 2 mpg better, 14.27 mpg, right on the nose, to the digit, for 3 tanks in a row. And that's driving it conservatively, only getting on it 2-3 times during each tank of gas. Then again, I didn't buy it for the mileage, we bought it for the smileage.

Have fun!