Your honest opinions to help me decide?
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Member
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Alamogordo, NM
Your honest opinions to help me decide?
Help fellow F150 members...
can't make my mind up. I have the opportunity to buy a SuperChip for 1/3 the cost, have it reflashed for my truck. Also, I have to opportunity to but the MicroTuner for about $50 less then I've seen? Question is...do I go with the SuperChip and use the savings for electric fans? pulleys? exhaust? I currently have the AF1...OR? is the MicroTuner going to make that much more of a difference, then the SuperChip...I don't plan on
any tire changes any time soon, basically use our '01 Screw 5.4L AUTO around town, summer trips across the great country and approx. 3-4 camper trips per year? 
I bow to your "humble" opinions. Thanks from the "newbie"! 
can't make my mind up. I have the opportunity to buy a SuperChip for 1/3 the cost, have it reflashed for my truck. Also, I have to opportunity to but the MicroTuner for about $50 less then I've seen? Question is...do I go with the SuperChip and use the savings for electric fans? pulleys? exhaust? I currently have the AF1...OR? is the MicroTuner going to make that much more of a difference, then the SuperChip...I don't plan on
any tire changes any time soon, basically use our '01 Screw 5.4L AUTO around town, summer trips across the great country and approx. 3-4 camper trips per year? I bow to your "humble" opinions. Thanks from the "newbie"!
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Louisville, KY, USA
I would say go with the tuner over the chip. There are several benefits. Some of wich you may take advantage of and some you may not. Do a search on "Micro Tuner" and I'm sure you'll find a wealth of information to help you make your decision.
One caveat......you get what you pay for. Is the person you buy from for $50 less going to be there for you with technical service or advice with any problems on your install? I am going to order mine from Mike Troyer around the first of the year. I have had several conversations with him and correspondence over these boards on many subjects relating to his products as well as others. He is a wealth of information and I believe the extra cost is well worth the intangibles that gets you.
Good Luck on your choice,
John
One caveat......you get what you pay for. Is the person you buy from for $50 less going to be there for you with technical service or advice with any problems on your install? I am going to order mine from Mike Troyer around the first of the year. I have had several conversations with him and correspondence over these boards on many subjects relating to his products as well as others. He is a wealth of information and I believe the extra cost is well worth the intangibles that gets you.
Good Luck on your choice,
John
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Alamogordo, NM
Chatted with Performance today...
JBRIII
thanks for the reply...I chatted with a lady at Performance today. The chip came from them about a year ago...they will re-flash it and she said that it "should" be ok. Was going to try to have Mike call me back, but they must have been busy.
thanks for the reply...I chatted with a lady at Performance today. The chip came from them about a year ago...they will re-flash it and she said that it "should" be ok. Was going to try to have Mike call me back, but they must have been busy.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Louisville, KY, USA
I tell you the main reason I want the tuner over the chip is the ability to set the shift firmness. I put in a new valve body and I want the ability to custom tune the 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 shift charecteristics. You can either go up or down several levels of firmness over the chip.
These people are great to deal with. If you leave a number and a time Mike will call you back.
John
These people are great to deal with. If you leave a number and a time Mike will call you back.
John
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Louisville, KY, USA
Welcome!!
Almost forgot.........Welcome to the board. you will be amazed at the amount of information you'll be able to find on these boards. I've learned a great deal on how to do projects, diagnose problems, pros and cons of different mods.
John
John
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: New Orleans
They do the same thing, although the tuner alows you to adjust shift firmness, correct for tire size, adjust shift point, and maybe some other stuff, but the raw power gain is the same.
BTW where in NO do you live, and do you go out to the lake often?
BTW where in NO do you live, and do you go out to the lake often?
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From: Tallahassee, FL
Remember if you ever plan to do anything to the truck that would require custom programming such as headers, throttle bodies, mass air sensor changes, or anything like that then you will not be able to use the micro-tuner to make the necessary adjustments. You can not create a custom program with the micro-tuner. Only a normal superchip module can be custom programmed.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Louisville, KY, USA
Custom program ?
F150,
I was under the impression that for the type of mods you described, except for the MAF, the std program is all that Mike reccomends. This would be covered by the tuner, but allow you to make the other changes.
About the MAF, would a normally aspirated engine benefit from an MAF change? I haven't read much on that mod, except in supercharged applications. I have the 75mm TB, but from what I've read it's kind of overkill on a normally aspirated engine. At about $300 plus a reburn fee, it it worth it?
Thanks,
John
I was under the impression that for the type of mods you described, except for the MAF, the std program is all that Mike reccomends. This would be covered by the tuner, but allow you to make the other changes.
About the MAF, would a normally aspirated engine benefit from an MAF change? I haven't read much on that mod, except in supercharged applications. I have the 75mm TB, but from what I've read it's kind of overkill on a normally aspirated engine. At about $300 plus a reburn fee, it it worth it?
Thanks,
John
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From: New Orleans, LA, USA
beast i am out west of the airport. do go to the lake but not always in the truck. i have a 70 chevelle SS that I like to run, or a 2k Vette that i run also. so anytime out there i am either in the truck, vette, or chevelle - just depends on the mood of the day.
... maybe a 360 Modina next...
... maybe a 360 Modina next...
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Joined: Mar 1998
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From: Virginia
Hi polingt,
It's very easy to reach me, even if I'm out or on another line at the precise moment someone calls all you need to do is leave a message and I'll return the call, as others have pointed out in this thread.
All it takes to reach me is a simple phone call, as I mentioned in my email response to you earlier today, so please feel free to give us a call, and if I'm not available at that particular moment, just leave a message with your name and number and you'll get a call back from me just as quickly as is possible!
All the best, & I look forward to talking with you!
It's very easy to reach me, even if I'm out or on another line at the precise moment someone calls all you need to do is leave a message and I'll return the call, as others have pointed out in this thread.
All it takes to reach me is a simple phone call, as I mentioned in my email response to you earlier today, so please feel free to give us a call, and if I'm not available at that particular moment, just leave a message with your name and number and you'll get a call back from me just as quickly as is possible!
All the best, & I look forward to talking with you!
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Alamogordo, NM
THANKS Mike...
Mike I did leave a message for you yesterday...just figured that you were pretty busy. I just left a phone message for you under #11 on your phone system. Wanted to chat with you about the exhaust system for my 5.4L Screw and pulley's...trying to get the most "performance" and effecientices.
THANKS
Tim
509-244-5730
P.S. I wasn't upset??? I just figured that you all were real busy after the holidays...the lady I spoke with said she would give you the message. Sorry about that!
THANKS
Tim
509-244-5730
P.S. I wasn't upset??? I just figured that you all were real busy after the holidays...the lady I spoke with said she would give you the message. Sorry about that!
Last edited by polingt; Dec 3, 2002 at 11:50 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Tallahassee, FL
John,
Maybe for the throttle body you don't need it but there is a plethora of other upgrades that require it...you can do a search in this forum to see some posts from Mike on what upgrades require it and what don't.
As far as the worth of the Throttle body is concerned, Mike told me you may see about a 10 hp gain out of it. You have to ask yourself if it is worth it. Mike and I worked over a month or two on my upgrades as a plan that will net me the best bang for the buck. It makes no sense for me to do anymore upgrades without changing my fuel system. So for me it would not me worth it because my stock fuel system is maxed out or close to it. Phase II of my plan will be fuel system upgrades to support a blown application. In this phase, I will include TB, MAF, Injectors, Fuel pump, etc.
Mike may be able to clarify this a bit more though.
Maybe for the throttle body you don't need it but there is a plethora of other upgrades that require it...you can do a search in this forum to see some posts from Mike on what upgrades require it and what don't.
If you are going to do more involved engine modifications such as a supercharger, or changing the MAF or fuel injector sizing, ported heads, etc., then you won't be able to use the Micro Tuner, you will need to use the traditional Superchip module.
However, the most important thing here is that you can't use the Micro Tuner anyway, as you already have present modifications (and are going to be doing even more modifications later on ) that *require* custom engine tuning, the aftermarket MAF & since we have to do that anyway, we should also tune for your headers too. The F-150 Micro Tuner cannot be used for custom engine tuning applications, so this is a basically a mute point in your case, as you will need to use the traditional Superchip module due to your modifications.
However, the most important thing here is that you can't use the Micro Tuner anyway, as you already have present modifications (and are going to be doing even more modifications later on ) that *require* custom engine tuning, the aftermarket MAF & since we have to do that anyway, we should also tune for your headers too. The F-150 Micro Tuner cannot be used for custom engine tuning applications, so this is a basically a mute point in your case, as you will need to use the traditional Superchip module due to your modifications.
Mike may be able to clarify this a bit more though.
Last edited by f150intally; Dec 5, 2002 at 02:00 PM.
So I think the tuner will suit my needs.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 479
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From: Tallahassee, FL
Trust me John...I know what you are talking about with the wife factor. I purchased all of my mods at once and pitched the story of some much needed 60k maintenance. Not to mention I had just paid my truck off and told I need to put some money back into to get it ready for the long haul. I'll probably drive it until the wheels fall off, but it should be fun to drive, right?