Community Forums

terry horkman sr · 12-01-2004, 07:12 PM

I HAVE A 2001 CHEV. 1500-HD CREW, WITH A 6100 ENG. I PULL A 28'5TH. IT PULLS OK ON FLAT LAND BUT NEED SOME MORE POWER IN THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS. I HEAR THERE IS A CHIP THAT I CAN GET THAT WILL GIVE MY CHEV.MORE POWER. I NEED SOME MPUT ON IT, IF SOME ONE CAN HELP. IS IT BAD FOR THE ENG.? IS IT A WASTE OF MONEY? OR DOES IT WORK? THANKS FOR ANY INFO. TERRY H.

terry horkman sr · 12-01-2004, 07:12 PM

I HAVE A 2001 CHEV. 1500-HD CREW, WITH A 6100 ENG. I PULL A 28'5TH. IT PULLS OK ON FLAT LAND BUT NEED SOME MORE POWER IN THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS. I HEAR THERE IS A CHIP THAT I CAN GET THAT WILL GIVE MY CHEV.MORE POWER. I NEED SOME MPUT ON IT, IF SOME ONE CAN HELP. IS IT BAD FOR THE ENG.? IS IT A WASTE OF MONEY? OR DOES IT WORK? THANKS FOR ANY INFO. TERRY H.

Frankenstien · 12-02-2004, 04:06 PM

The difference when using a chip/programmer on a Diesel is night and day... on most Gas vehicles its Dawn and dusk... I beleave where you get most of the difference is how the programmer adjusts your shift points and preasures. Also most programmers will have the vehicle "think" its not fully warmed up, this will cause it to run a little richer, .. So the short is ... Yes I do beleave you would see a gain in performance, and the "is it worth it question.... Thats a tough one .. as for 1 person 3-400 dollars is no big deal ... to the next guy.. thats soda,grocery,beer,electric bill... money.

RipVanWinkle · 12-02-2004, 05:16 PM

Terry:

I just bought a used 2001 2500HD Silverado diesel and pull a 10k# 5er with it. I had an F250 gas truck before and it was not enough engine. Flat ground was OK but in a headwind or up a hill was 50mph in 2nd gear at 4500rpms. Wound that engine tight all the time.

The moral of the story: the right engine will make a huge difference.

Now, about chips for added performance: a buddy of mine has nearly the same truck as I just bought. He said he put a chip in his and it improved his gas mileage by at least 10% when towing and about 15%-20% hwy empty. He says the improvement in power on the hills is remarkable. He's pretty much got me sold on doing it, as soon as I have $350 burning a hole in my pocket. By the way, this buddy of mine--he runs a trailer mfg company. He knows his stuff, knows his diesels and knows his performance.

At $2.15/g for diesel, it wouldn't take long to pay for the mod.

I have no idea what the improvement numbers are for a gas engine but if your truck is anything like my old one, you are getting about 6 or 7 mpg towing, and if you improved that by 10% you'd only pick up one mpg at the very most. Doesn't seem logical to spend the money on it at that point.

If you need more power just save your money for a bigger engine. You'll be glad you did.

Rip

RV Dude · 12-03-2004, 02:37 AM

You will gain somewhere in the range of 20 HP but you will most likely have to run premium to prevent pinging. On gas engines it tells the computer the engine is still cold so the computer adjusts the timing. Many of them can adjust the shift points on the tranny too. If you don't have the tow/haul mode it would be nice to have.

JimmyDee · 12-03-2004, 06:24 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RV Dude:
You will gain somewhere in the range of 20 HP but you will most likely have to run premium to prevent pinging. On gas engines it tells the computer the engine is still cold so the computer adjusts the timing. Many of them can adjust the shift points on the tranny too. If you don't have the tow/haul mode it would be nice to have. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Son-in-law has the HyperTech programmer on his 454 GMC and he would agree 100% with above statement.
Jim

Dave Pelletier · 12-03-2004, 06:49 AM

There is a huge difference between "chipping" a gas motor and adding a fueling box to a diesel. I agree that you are probably looking at a max 20hp increase with a chip on your gasser. Some of the diesel fueling boxes are remarkable. TST has one for the Dodge Cummins that dynoed at 193 hp increase over stock!

Dave

motorjock · 12-03-2004, 08:38 PM

Go to www.hypertech.com, look up your truck and click on the dyno chart downloads. There you will be able to see exactly how much HP and Torque will be gained throughout the RPM range. Most gains are just off idle and at the top end (read-wide open throttle). Generally there's not a lot gained through the mid range (2000 to 4000 rpm) which is where you generally run at highway speeds when towing. A cat-back exhaust system may add a few ponies too but don't expect to feel a "seat of the pants" difference. You may see a slight difference in economy but to realize the biggest performance gain you'll have to use 92 octane. The gains in mileage will be negated by the additional cost of the more expensive fuel. Looking at the chart on your truck it appears the biggest torque gain is just off idle. This will aid in getting the rig rolling but won't do a lot for you once you've reach cruising speed. Just my opinion, don't take my word for it, look for yourself.

kerfcutter · 12-05-2004, 02:20 AM

My brother in law tried a chip in his 94 454 suburban. He ended up taking it back out and returning it. He said while it made a difference, it wasn't worth the money he put into it. On the other hand, I have chipped my diesel, and as others have said, it is like night and day. Lot more power.

That being said, BEFORE buying a chip you need to invest in a set of gauges. Never chip your truck without knowing what your EGT's (exhaust gas temps) are. Then the next thing you could be looking at is a larger exhaust. The larger exhaust will get rid of the added heat.

I personally, put the gauges on and chipped my truck. Loads of power, but with a run out to Arizona and going up the grades I was hitting the redline on my egt's. I kept having to back out to keep them under control. I have since put a monster exhaust from Banks on and no longer have the temp problems. Now it is a pulling machine, but at a cost. Just a fore-warning to those that are contemplating a chip for their diesels.

gearman · 12-17-2004, 04:11 PM

terry horkman sr,

Since you have a small block you will only see very small gains of 10-15 hp at best! What you need for towing performance is more torqe, which is very hard to get more out of a gas motor.

Your best bet is to save your pennies and upgrade trucks, at least to a big block, preferably to a turbo diesel (pick your brand, can't really go wrong with any of the big three).

Grandpaw · 12-29-2004, 03:54 PM

As stated by the others, a diesel really comes alive with a chip............ the gas engines just do not get much of an increase, plus having to use higher octane fuel.......another point, your factory warranty will probably be voided if you are "caught" by the dealers service dept.

Johnny · 01-16-2005, 07:06 AM

I have to DISagree on a chip. I've driven the same vehicle (318 Magnum Dodge) before and after...it's impressive. However, it's best utilized on a truck with other modifications (in the previous case, K&N air filter, headers, cat-back, big throttle body). On a 100% stock truck, probably not worthwhile.

CyberVet65 · 01-16-2005, 07:45 AM

What Johnny said. Get the modifications done to the intake and exhaust first. This is especially important on a gas engine.
Then if the improvemnet isn't enough do some things with a cam or a chip. Gas engines have a whole different way of gaining power than a diesel.
My F350 has exhaust, intake, trans and chip mods. I now make the HP and torque numbers that the '05 6.0 makes at stock settings!

Chet