7.5L V8 (gas) Tuning??

[Clarkboulder]

Curious if anyone here has any experience or recommendations on performance tuning a Ford 7.5l V8? It was recommended to me by a CO Camper Van employee that I check out 5-Star Tunes but it appears they do not make a tune for the 7.5L (460). But some interweb searching turned up Magnum Tuning and this product. https://www.magnumtuning.com/en/deta...fuel-injection. Curious if anyone has employed this on their engine, if I should even consider it, and what risks or benefits might come from it. My SMB is a, I believe, a 3.55 gear and while I understand that to provide a slight benefit in mpg, I feel like it dogs a bit on the up hills (both highway speeds, and steep forest roads). Maybe that is the price I pay for a beats but if there is a tune that could eeek out a bit more I would consider as long as it's not going to reduce the engine lifespan or swallow more fuel or anything like that.

[carringb]

Better breathing and a higher voltage ignition coil (with corresponding better plug wires) is about all you can do. Tuning won’t do a thing on the 7.5L. It’s got a very basic EFI system and it’s just not a very efficient engine.

[simplesez]

There is no tune for that van. The magnaflow exhaust helped. The K&N panel filter didn't do much. It has an upgraded ignition coil. Put the Ford Racing spark plug wires on I gave you when you do the plugs.

The best way to find the sweet spot for uphill power is to downshift manually and turn off overdrive.

Now imagine how much you would hate life with a 5.4 on our roads.

[Clarkboulder]

Originally Posted by carringb

Better breathing and a higher voltage ignition coil (with corresponding better plug wires) is about all you can do. Tuning won’t do a thing on the 7.3L. It’s got a very basic EFI system and it’s just not a very efficient engine.

Thanks for the reply,
just confirming..... Mine is a 7.5l Gas, not a "7.3L" D. was that a mis type on your part? I have read the same on this engine elsewhere. but MagnumTunes says differently.

[Clarkboulder]

Originally Posted by simplesez

There is no tune for that van. The magnaflow exhaust helped. The K&N panel filter didn't do much. It has an upgraded ignition coil. Put the Ford Racing spark plug wires on I gave you when you do the plugs.

The best way to find the sweet spot for uphill power is to downshift manually and turn off overdrive.

Now imagine how much you would hate life with a 5.4 on our roads.

Thanks for the reply Simplesez,
yes, down shifting and turning off overdrive (which I think is disabled when down shifting anyway). Its not unbearable by any means but I thought if it was tunable why not. But I see that it's not.
Will put new wires on when time comes. Not sure its worth it if the plugs are still working good. But maybe. (FWIW, the gas guzzling is not as bad as I expected...or should I say not as inconvenient as expected give the huge tank volume.)

[carringb]

Originally Posted by Clarkboulder

Thanks for the reply,
just confirming..... Mine is a 7.5l Gas, not a "7.3L" D. was that a mis type on your part? I have read the same on this engine elsewhere. but MagnumTunes says differently.

Yup I meant 7.5L

Magnum might sell a “tune” but the PCM on that PCM isn’t really tunable because it’s pretty basic. And you cannot modify it through OBD-2. You have to rewrite it by connecting directly to the PCM with a ribbon cable using Ford IDS and an old windows terminal. Banks used to sell a chip but not anymore since there’s not demand anymore. And even chip didn’t do much. Mostly adjusted the threshold when the timing would be retarded.

Also, call me a skeptic, but after looking at their site I’m not sure any of their products do anything. Plenty of snake oil for sale though.

[86Scotty]

I can attest to pretty much everything CarringB is saying, from experience. You won’t get much more out of the 7.5 unless you go backwards in technology. Go to 460ford.com and you’ll see what I mean. It’s an old school engine and only old school upgrades will do anything. Carburetors, headers, mullets, Def Leppard T-shirts.

You can make one powerful but not efficient, quiet or desirable as a daily driver or freeway cruiser.

[Clarkboulder]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I can attest to pretty much everything CarringB is saying, from experience. You won’t get much more out of the 7.5 unless you go backwards in technology. Go to 460ford.com and you’ll see what I mean. It’s an old school engine and only old school upgrades will do anything. Carburetors, headers, mullets, Def Leppard T-shirts.

You can make one powerful but not efficient, quiet or desirable as a daily driver or freeway cruiser.

Thanks 86Scotty, I was poking around on the interwebs on this engine (looking for a source of gasoline smell at certain times and came across these dudes. They probably sell the performance Def Leppard shirts you speak of as well (haha) but I am curious if anyone has any experience with their products and if hey are worth considering in any way. I am NOT trying to build a hot rod or spend money that is not worth it or will do long term damage. But if it eeked more complete air flow and performance out of the engine w/o a bunch of $ than why not. https://460efiguys.com/
They describe a few things that I can do pasted below.

"The first question I should ask is whether your's is speed density or MAF. It changes the approach a little bit if its MAF, as speed density self tunes better. Before I go into the tuning side of things I'll go over the real issue with these engines. They were horribly choked down from the factory. An engine being and air pump (as they say) they suffocated them with a horrible air filter, air tubes, upper plenum and intake manifold. On the exhaust side they were not much better. Our throttle body and intake really lets them come to life and headers and better exhaust then finish the outlet side nicely. As far as the internals go: the camshafts in these motors were very sad, and the compression ratio was very very low. The heads on these however, were not really that bad. The f3's yours would have, can support a lot more power than they make with everything else fighting them. So upgrading the camshaft and either going to a higher compression piston or milling the heads dramatically improves the engines efficiency. As far as tuning goes. With speed density it really isn't necessary, It will self adjust. If yours is a MAF ECU it will self adjust to a small point. With either setup you can add a tweecer RT and have multiple tunes though. For a little extra Mike will write them for you also. The easy way to tell the difference between the two operating systems is whether yours has two 3" tubes hooked up to the air box, or just one (with a MAF sensor)."

[simplesez]

Intake and exhaust covered. Cams? Lol just buy a wrecked Transit and put the 3.5 Ecoboost in your van. Game changer.

[Clarkboulder]

I know you did the exhaust and ignition and air filter but what more did you do on the intake?