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Tune or not

4210 Views 23 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  KenR, 
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Just picked up an 04 6.0 with 188k on it and need some advice. Engine is untouched other than an intake and supposedly BD ported headers.

This is a weekend truck for us and I don't need to burn the tires off. I do plan on pulling a light/medium size 5th wheel which should be about 10# max.

My question is should I just drive it or invest in a tune and bullet proofing, or just a light tune. I had a light tune on my GMC gasser and it ran much better than stock without dumping a bunch of money into parts. It was much more drivable. Same situation for the 6.0 or would I need to start with the bullet proof upgrades to keep it safe.
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Corey@CNCFAB
Spirit said:
The very first thing you need to do is get a monitor and learn the numbers. As far as bulletproofing goes, I now think (after the fact for me...lol) it's probably better to wait until a problem(s) materialize before spending those bucks, but if you have the money available and plan to keep the truck, it's your call. Your monitor will also help you in making this decision. As far as tuning goes, a properly tuned 6.0 is a wonder to behold and well worth the investment.
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1000% agree^^^^^

Most people go with the EDGE CTS3 monitor with EGT probe, and a SCT X4 programmer. Just run the truck on the mild tune. Here's a few links if you're interested.

EDGE- 84130-3

Find 84130-3 Electronic Multi Pur from Edge Products and other parts you need at cncfab.us.
cncfab.us cncfab.us

Edge Products #98620 EAS STARTER KIT W/15IN. EGT CABLE FOR CS/CTS/CS2/CTS2 (EXPANDABLE) - cncfab.us

Find 98620 Performance Module A from Edge Products and other parts you need at cncfab.us.
cncfab.us cncfab.us

And here's the programmer.

SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer - 7015

Driven off the lot, a vehicle's computer is factory-calibrated for economy performance. Engineered with the average driver in mind, rather than a performance enthusiast, this generic tune leaves valuable horsepower & torque 'hidden within' your vehicle and makes for a mediocre driving...
cncfab.us cncfab.us

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Corey@CNCFAB
KenR said:
So with the SCT I can first monitor then add a tune if I want to? Seems like all roads lead back to this tuner or the Edge. Does the SCT have enough features to use as a monitor vs the Edge?
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The SCT X4 does monitor, but it's not near as nice as the EDGE monitor.

You could definitely go with just the X4 for now and use it to monitor to see if it fits your needs.

Things you need to watch on a 6.0 are battery voltage and FICM voltage. Oil temp vs coolant temp. Those are the 4 most common.
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