Starting Over! New to 6.0 Performance

Connor M · Apr 15, 2019

I love my 6.4 and still drive it every day, but I just picked up a high miles 2003 f350 rclb for dirt cheap for my work truck.
Anyways, what I know about common rail trucks doesn't really translate to heui, apparently. I'm planning to wait for headgaskets to pop, and I'll replace the lifters, rebuild the heads, stud, etc.

I'm looking for some info about the difference between ficm tuning and like an sct with custom tunes. Benefits/cons/what do I need for my application.
What are the big names should I look for in tuning?

Also, what other modifications are needed beside egr intake exhaust oil cooler? I'm just trying to have a little more pep and power in the work truck, and sound better.

Basically I need a little cheat sheet for a new 6.0 owner, didn't see anything like that in here.

sootie · Apr 16, 2019

skip the ficm tuning. Get Gear Head to tune the truck.

slvr bullet · Apr 17, 2019

Gear Head tuning for sure, but don't skip the FICM tuning. I run the atlas 40 tune and I think it makes a big difference, I think it just smooths everything out, starts nicer too. Do a regulated return fuel system to save those injectors when you pull it apart.

jeremiahmercier · Apr 20, 2019

X3 on the gear head tunes, I've got other tuners tunes as well, gear head is definitely my favorite. As for FICM tuning, the previous owner had already put the atlas 40 on truck, (so Gear Head tuned accordingly) so when FICM went out, I bought the 58v from swamps with same tune already on it. So I cant say wither it makes a difference.

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superduty4x4 · Apr 25, 2019

sootie said:
skip the ficm tuning. Get Gear Head to tune the truck.

I'm currently running PHP tunes on my otherwise stock truck, what makes the Gear Head tunes superior to others?

sootie · Apr 25, 2019

superduty4x4 said:
I'm currently running PHP tunes on my otherwise stock truck, what makes the Gear Head tunes superior to others?

Best shifting, most power. Doesn't play well with others ficm tuning

Connor M · Jun 5, 2019

Truck’s running well, for a $2600 pile. It’s got some tunes on it, it’s pretty quick once it spools up and if you stomp it at a stoplight it will eventually blow smoke and spin the tires going down the road. It’s a blast to drive, but mild under half throttle. After I put a vgt actuator in it I was shocked.

Weird issue is, it won’t fire up cold without letting the glow plugs go, even when it’s hot out. It was 65 this am and i had to wait for the coil light to go out before it would fire. My friends said either a glow plug issue or a ficm issue, am I sniffing in the right place?

PSD POWER007 · Jun 5, 2019

sootie said:
Best shifting, most power. Doesn't play well with others ficm tuning

Define “don’t play well”. PM me if you like.

6.0 Tech · Jun 5, 2019

Connor M said:
Truck’s running well, for a $2600 pile. It’s got some tunes on it, it’s pretty quick once it spools up and if you stomp it at a stoplight it will eventually blow smoke and spin the tires going down the road. It’s a blast to drive, but mild under half throttle. After I put a vgt actuator in it I was shocked.

Weird issue is, it won’t fire up cold without letting the glow plugs go, even when it’s hot out. It was 65 this am and i had to wait for the coil light to go out before it would fire. My friends said either a glow plug issue or a ficm issue, am I sniffing in the right place?

I would check fuel pressure. The glow plugs arent needed really above 50 or so degrees, but if you have to wait for the light to go out, even when hot, you may have a fuel pump bleeding back, and that 15 seconds or so is enough time to get pressure built back up to the bowl.

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darianmacdonald · Jun 5, 2019

sootie said:
Best shifting, most power. Doesn't play well with others ficm tuning

PSD POWER007 said:
Define “don’t play well”. PM me if you like.

Im curious about this as well? I currently run ********s tuning paired with a FICM tune (IDP), and no issues. Although I dont know any different as thats all I have ran ********s files with.

PSD POWER007 · Jun 6, 2019

darianmacdonald said:
Im curious about this as well? I currently run ********s tuning paired with a FICM tune (IDP), and no issues. Although I dont know any different as thats all I have ran ********s files with.

Do your EGT’s seem a little warm?

darianmacdonald · Jun 6, 2019

PSD POWER007 said:
Do your EGT’s seem a little warm?

Not particularly. Nothing that is alarming anyways. But sometimes cruising highway unloaded at say 75MPH it seems to be a little warmer than necessary, 800-850*ish. They wrote me an SRL file with some fuel pulled and I use it for pretty much everything, towing and all. Never seems to get hot per say, but I have my towhaul button programmed to lock out OD as I’m non VGT so I never really put in a situation to do so. WOT max 1250, highest I’ve seen.

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jeremiahmercier · Jun 7, 2019

I also have ********s tuning, with atlas 40 FICM (PO had tuned FICM, it failed a couple years after I purchased and it is now a swamps 58v with atlas 40) tune from PowerHungry, I personally have not had any issues that I know of... I also have never had a stock FICM since buying this truck to compare with. I do have other tunes from both WPE and the Looney wild, they were not my personal preference, and definitely all drive completely different, but as far as I know had no issue when in those tunes either with a tuned FICM.

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darianmacdonald · Jun 7, 2019

jeremiahmercier said:
I also have ********s tuning, with atlas 40 FICM (PO had tuned FICM, it failed a couple years after I purchased and it is now a swamps 58v with atlas 40) tune from PowerHungry, I personally have not had any issues that I know of... I also have never had a stock FICM since buying this truck to compare with. I do have other tunes from both WPE and the Looney wild, they were not my personal preference, and definitely all drive completely different, but as far as I know had no issue when in those tunes either with a tuned FICM.

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Yeah I talked to them regarding it and they said they sometimes had overfueling issues with anything over a 40HP FICM tune. So I would think atlas 40 would be just fine. Curious as to what IDPs “Performance” file is rated at wonder if I should put the lesser “inductive heating” file on.

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PSD POWER007 · Jun 8, 2019

darianmacdonald said:
Not particularly. Nothing that is alarming anyways. But sometimes cruising highway unloaded at say 75MPH it seems to be a little warmer than necessary, 800-850*ish. They wrote me an SRL file with some fuel pulled and I use it for pretty much everything, towing and all. Never seems to get hot per say, but I have my towhaul button programmed to lock out OD as I’m non VGT so I never really put in a situation to do so. WOT max 1250, highest I’ve seen.

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Yeah, my truck isn’t overly hot, but the EGT’s are definitely warmer than they should be. I have the Atlas 40 now and it is night and day difference from the 80 power wise, which I started out with. The 40 is cooler than the 80. It was explained to me that the FICM tunes add pulsewidth across the board and will cause EGT’s to be higher. So I think I’m gonna go to the Econo or maybe even a stock flash. Just let my custom tunes do all of the work.

Connor M · Apr 14, 2020

Bumping my old thread instead of making a new one.

Definitely ficm tuned, did some swapping when one died in another truck.

I’m replacing all the injectors. First of all, how are warren diesel’s stock injectors? I have heard good things about their bigger sticks but their stocks are about 400 dollars cheaper than I can find motorcraft injectors anywhere else, are they cheaply rebuilt, or missing parts that should be replaced?

Secondly, with an unknown ficm tune, should I go stock/stock or 155/stock? Assuming stock/stock, unless I want to tune the truck with an ecm tuner and figure out how to get it to play well with the unknown ficm tune.

Sixleaker4 · Jun 4, 2020

I would recommend **********'s tunes, I've ran ******** as well and after I did my 175/stock sticks it just never ran right. Their customer service was great, revised it a few times to try and get it right. After I switched to ********** it runs fantastic, I am currently running their street tune that allows for towing up to 10k and I love it.