The boost gauge swings past 25 psi as the SuperDuty gathers steam and accelerates with surprising authority. With a chirp of the tires at the second-gear shift, 8000 lb of 4x4 Crew Cab is doing its best impersonation of a Lightning. This is fun!
The Turbo Tri-Power is a bit more complicated to install than simply replacing a chip. Several underhood connections must be made, including slicing into the wiring harness behind the fuse block. Complete instructions are supplied.
That wasn't the case just a few hours earlier. Prior to the installation of Western Diesel's ProShot Package with innovative Tri-Power chip, the stock PowerStroke powertrain did a good job of moving the SuperDuty's bulk, but it wasn't about to surprise anyone away from a stoplight. With the 35-in. BFG All-Terrain T/As, the stock truck ran the quarter mile in 19.1 sec at 75.3 mph and shifts rolled into gear without much distinction. After the Western Diesel transformation, the SuperDuty tripped the quarter-mile lights in just 16.8 sec at 84.1 mph. Shifts are positive, and it locks up the torque converter quick enough to light the tires at will. Considering the physics involved (this truck weighs over 4 tons empty), that's impressive performance in anyone's book.
A look at before and after rear-wheel- chassis dyno numbers explains how this is possible. On the 31-W Insulation's NASCAR calibrated Dyno-Jet chassis dyno, the stock SuperDuty produced 187.2 hp at the rear wheels. The Crew Cab 4x4 has a fair amount of power eaten up by the extra-long drivetrain (more than 20-percent loss). Crank numbers are 235 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. After Western Diesel installed the ProShot Package with the Tri-Power chip, the SuperDuty produced 316.7 hp at the rear wheels (approximately 380 hp at the crank), and 773.6 lb-ft of torque.
In this installation, the Tri-Power control toggle switch is mounted on the dash right below the shifter for easy access. Any of the three modes can be selected on the fly.
The brains of this performance upgrade is Western Diesel's unique Tri-Power chip that offers three different performance settings. A lighted, three-position dash-mounted toggle switch controls the different settings you can shift on the fly. The up position (green light) is the tow setting, calibrated for extra muscle needed when towing, while maintaining safe exhaust-gas temperatures for handling heavy loads. The middle (no light) setting is the economy mode, where you'll notice increased overall performance and fuel-economy improvements.
During back-to-back highway driving cycles, we observed a 1.6-mpg increase. The down position (red light) is the hot-rod setting, and the increase in performance is dramatic. Shifts are firm, quick, and positive. Acceleration is also impressive, and, while the hard launches are fun, we found the most satisfaction in the way the truck now pulls at speed. We ran all our performance tests in this mode's setting.
Carefully and thoroughly clean the clear acrylic coating off the connector. Next, press the Tri-Power chip onto the edge connector until it bottoms out in the computer case. Reinstall the computer in the truck.
As mentioned, the Tri-Power chip installation was complemented in this application by Western Diesel's ProShot Package. Feeding more air to the PowerStroke is Western Diesel's TurboRamAir unit, which provides a huge 18.5x 3-in. inlet at the upper portion of the grille with a direct shot back through a conical, foam air filter. The RamAir benefits didn't show up in our dyno tests, but the unit feels effective at freeway speeds and under load conditions.