Brand new here, and this is a very nice forum. I am doing this for my dad because he is computer illiterate

Here is a list of his mods-

Flowmaster Cat-back w/ 50 Series mufflers (American II [I think])
Jacobs Pro-Street Ignition System
K&N FIPK

The only other upgrade he is going to do is a computer chip to complete his warranty-safe package.

I know JET Chips are inferior to Superchip, but they are warranty-legal. Here are the questions-

Are Superchips warranty-legal?
What is the difference between a regular Superchip and a Flipchip?
What type of performance gains can I expect?
Do I need to run a 160 or 180 degree thermostat on this (like I do with my vette?)

Thanks in advance,
Andy

 

1st question "yes" they have to prove the chip caused any damage....
2nd question on a non lightning truck the flip chip has two programs one for 87 octane fuel and the other for 91+
3rd question around 25+-
4th no....

 

About the warranty. To be specific there is the Magnuson Moss warranty act to protect people who use aftermarket parts. You might want to check out: http://www.sema.org/ . You can find out more about this act and lots of other cool stuff.

From what I have seen here, there seems to be service dept.'s that believe the mere presence of a chip will void the entire warranty. This is not at all true. I think some of the service dept.'s just don't have all the correct info.

The way it's been explained to me is, that in order to deny a warranty claim they must determine that the aftermarket part caused the failure, and it wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Some dealerships seem ok. The one I go to said that they generally don't have a problem with aftermarket parts. I haven't mentioned the chip to them, they said this about the FIPK. I guess some dealerships try to intimedate people. So be informed of your rights.

I have the Superchip in my truck. I use 93 octain. It costs a bit more but I believe it's well worth it! I won't give you numbers about the gains. They are there.
I'll put it to you this way, I wouldn't want to have to run my truck without the chip for too long. It's quite good. Now a supercharger would be a lot better but the chip is more cost effective.

You would also have the benefit of the improved shift points. I have the 5-speed so I can't comment on that.

With the mods that you've got there I think a chip would be a very good idea.

Good luck.
Tom

 

Hi Andy,

Thanks to the overall knowledge level & how friendly & helpful people are here on F-150 Online, your questions have been answered very well by now, so I don't have a lot to add.

In terms of performance gains, the 5.4 models like your Dad's, and we have a 2001 in the same trim, 0-60 & 1/4 mile acceleration times can drop by a full second. The average across the board over all the various 1997 & up F-150's with every engine, transmission & gear ratio combinaiton is roughly a half a second off the 0-60 & 1/4 mile times, with a range of from a low of 3 tenths to as much as 1.2 seconds. These 5.4 4X4 Lariats tend to knock about 1 second off those times, on average.

The maximum rated power gain is 28 hp & 46 lbs./ft. torque, at sea level altitude. In round numbers, the most accurate way to look at the Superchip is basically as about a 10% power gainer. That is what the vehicle will feel like, like you gained about 10% more motor under the hood, as you'll have about that much more power at any rpm & throttle position, and more in some transient areas.

There is no difference betwen the various name-brand chips as to whether they are "warranty legal" or not, all aftermarket partrs, regardless of whether they are replacement, appearance or performance in nature, are coverered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, as was mentioned by another poster.

The Superchip is of course programmed for each vehicle's exact computer code, and works adding power all the time, at any throttle position or rpm, 2 of the main reasons it is far superior to Jet, Hypertech, etc. It is 50-state emissions certified by CARB & EPA.

The Flip Chip is simply a 2-program version of the Superchip. It is used primarily by those who want to have dual octane capability, meaning the ability to use either 87 octane or premium gas at the flip of the attached switch, or those who need custom programming, have installed superchargers, etc. The single-program Superchip requires the use of premium gas, that is how the power gain is made, by retuning the engine specifically for the use of premium gas.

You use your standard factory thermostat.

If you or your father would like to go over any of this in more detail, etc. please feel free to give us a shout, our contact info is just below.