Thanks LRM! It's an Olympus D-450. The macro shots are hard to come by, I still am trying to figure it out

--Duke

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2000 F-150 Lariat, 4x2, 4.6L automatic Supercab, Styleside, Blue with gold two-tone, 3.55 slip axle, class III towing package, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, leather interior, in dash CD, Ford/Duraliner bedliner, Ford chrome nerf bars, Ford bug deflector, Steel Horse billet grille, Leer hard tonneau cover, Superchip, Airaid, Billet door sills & antennae, Gibson split rear exit

[This message has been edited by Duke (edited 02-02-2000).]

 

Hey Duke, can't seem to get to your article today. Site down? I was doing a preliminary look over yesterday and noticed a brass colored screw and bracket under the computer in the cab. Does this take part in any of the install? I can't remember anything about having to remove a screw there but am going on memory. Was hoping to refresh my memeory with your article but no luck.

 

Nope, the brass colored screw and bracket under the computer in the cab stays--all you have to remove is the black plastic clip. Good luck (the site is up, BTW).

--Duke

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2000 F-150 Lariat, 4x2, 4.6L automatic Supercab, Styleside, Blue with gold two-tone, 3.55 slip axle, class III towing package, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, leather interior, in dash CD, Ford/Duraliner bedliner, Ford chrome nerf bars, Ford bug deflector, Steel Horse billet grille, Leer hard tonneau cover, Superchip, Airaid, Billet door sills & antennae, Gibson split rear exit. My How-To Articles


[This message has been edited by Duke (edited 02-02-2000).]

 

I'm up and running! First time had the no start. I knew I had not been aggresive enough with the cleaning but second time I got it right. First impressions are excellent. Very crisp and good response. More later.

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97 F-150 SC Lariat, Styleside, White over Gold, 4.6L (Windsor), Automatic, 3.55 rear end, electronic 4X4, w/ every option of Lariat and ORP packages except the 17" wheels (I even got the OR decals now!) Almost completed the Towing Pkg. options, MOD's so far: K&N air box mod, Gibson Super Truck, clear Bugflector II, Leer TSC 600 hard cover, Bridgestone Dueler OWL ATP 265/75 R-16's, TrailMaster Invader N7 shocks, Smittybilt step bars, Ford moulded mud guards, "White-white" head lamps, Cloud Rider Design's SS Grill and bumper opening, Bosch Platinum + 4's, Hayden 30K+ Tranny Cooler, Superchip on the way!

 

Excellent! Did the article and the info there help?

--Duke

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2000 F-150 Lariat, 4x2, 4.6L automatic Supercab, Styleside, Blue with gold two-tone, 3.55 slip axle, class III towing package, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, leather interior, in dash CD, Ford/Duraliner bedliner, Ford chrome nerf bars, Ford bug deflector, Steel Horse billet grille, Leer hard tonneau cover, Superchip, Airaid, Billet door sills & antennae, Gibson split rear exit. My How-To Articles

 

Most definately! Made me more confident. However I must say that everyone has downplayed how tight the area behind the battery box that you have to put your hand in to in order to get to the 10mm bolt. My back of my hand is now all scratched up from doing this twice. You have a lot of little tubes and wires and things that confine you to only about two or three inches of travel for your ratchet. If it wasn't so much trouble it would be easier to take out both the battery and the battery box.

 

Dear cphilip,

It is a bit tight behind the battery, but if you use a 1/4" drive rachet it works very well, I've found. If you look at the pictures that Chris took and posted for his article, it isn't *that* tight behind there on the vast majority of these vehicles, so it's not a matter of anyone "downplaying" the closeness of the battery, some of these vehicles can be tight like yours, just very few of them from what we've found. In almost all of these vehicles, there is room for a 1/4" drive rachet there.

Now if you happen to have a particular equipment package, like the offroad package, etc. sometimes there will be a solenoid mounted there on the firewall that prevents getting to that 10 mm bolt head without removing the battery. I wonder if it might be possible that you just happen to have a vehicle equipped like this, perhaps? That might explain why yours was so tight behind the battery. Or maybe you just have huge hands?

Glad to see you're up and running, at any rate!

Have fun,

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Online Superchip ordering system:https://www.f150online.com/scpp/index.html

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-07-2000).]

 

It wasn't that bad for me on my 2000 F-150. I didn't scrape my hands at all and I'm a large man (well, 6' tall). Maybe it's a little bit more cramped in your '97?

--Duke

 

Well....it is a full bird 4X4 lariat with all the trimmings. I was using a 1/4 drive because it was the only drive I had with a 10 mm shallow well anyway. I am only about 5'6" so big is not me. I did remove the battery to get at it a little better becasue I had to reach over and come in from the side through this "hole" in the tubes and wires. There was a lot of stuff back there in that 5 or 6 inches between the battery box and the fire wall and I could only get in from a reverse angle in one "hole" that limited my ratchet to a couple of clicks per stroke. I had to hold it by the very tip of the handle to reach back into the bolt. To make matters worse the plastic trim around the bolt was a little off center and the socket had a hard time slipping on as it had to push the plastic to the side to clear it. This all being done from a right angle. I droped the ratchet several times and had to retrieve it as I could only hold on to the very end of it. Patience was a virtue on this truck. Now every one asks me what I did to my hand. It looks like a cat got hold of it. I am forced to explain the whole thing so maybe it's a way of Superchips getting some free advertising!

 

Dear cphilip,

Easy there, I didn't mean to upset you, or make you feel like you have to explain yourself, that wasn't my intention at all.

We're all very open around here, and talk very openly about installation techniques, etc., so I always try to make sure that everyone is aware of any tips or tricks, etc. that might help. That was also Chris Duke's whole idea behind setting up that "How to Install a Superchip" thing there on his website, to try to help others. A very nice thing for Chris to do, to say the least.

Please accept my apologies if I have made you somehow feel like you're "on trial" here, that wasn't our intent at all. Our intent was just to try and see what may have happened, or if there was a different level of equipment on that vehicle that may have contributed to you having to remove the battery, that's all. Just trying to help everyone.

That's is what these message boards here on F150online are all about, the exchange of relevant information. It's not to make you feel like you somehow did something wrong, or that there is any one way that is the absolute "correct" way to do a chip installation. Everybody does things differently, and we all try to post our tips and other info here to help others, that's all.

With your truck being a loaded Lariat, you have other equipment that makes it tighter than "normal" behind there, which is why I mentioned that aspect in my last post, and obviously you had to do what you had to do.

We thank you for sharing that information, and hope your hand heals quickly.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Online Superchip ordering system:https://www.f150online.com/scpp/index.html

 

cphilip, thanks for the additional info--it's good to know that it can be a bit cramped in there... I still have a great knuckle scar on my left hand from working inside a Honda years ago

I've updated my article with a caviat about smaller areas, just so people who are reading know they can be dealing with a very tight space. I added:

--Duke

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2000 F-150 Lariat, 4x2, 4.6L automatic Supercab, Styleside, Blue with gold two-tone, 3.55 slip axle, class III towing package, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, leather interior, in dash CD, Ford/Duraliner bedliner, Ford chrome nerf bars, Ford bug deflector, Steel Horse billet grille, Leer hard tonneau cover, Superchip, Airaid, Billet door sills & antennae, Gibson split rear exit. My How-To Articles

[This message has been edited by Duke (edited 02-08-2000).]

 

No...Heaven's No.... Mike, it was not my intent to act defensive. In fact it was in that spirit of openess I felt I should relate some of those differences and difficulties in my particular install I have not seen reported before. Until then I was not aware they were unique to my type of truck. However, looking back on how I wrote that last post I see the last few sentences could be miss read. In fact the last one: "I am forced to explain the whole thing so maybe it's a way of Superchips getting some free advertising!" was a reference to everyone *at work* and *my Wife* asking me what happened to my hand. Then the converstaion would turn to what a Superchip was and what it would do etc. etc. and so the last comment was an attempt to poke fun at you at the same time! Sorry if it came off as Bitchin. Not the intent. That's the trouble with this kind of communication sometimes. You can't read their eyes.

[This message has been edited by cphilip (edited 02-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by cphilip (edited 02-09-2000).]

 

Duke:

Your site is great! I did not even need the superchip instructions. In fact they did not ship with my superchip either!

I think you should get a discount from SuperChips on document their install :-)

Bob

 

Dear Chris Duke & Bob Moore,

Both of you were immediately overnighted your documentation via UPS Red Letter. And, thanks to your feedback, we have also changed where we place the documentation with every Superchip we ship, so I thank you for bringing this to my attention!

We had previously been doing it exactly as the manufacturer does, placing all those materials underneath the white inner liner that contains the Superchip. We now place that documentation right on top, so it's the very first thing you will see through the opening in the front of the retail box, so you can see it without even opening the retail box. With those materials visible in that location now, there should be no way anyone can miss this and put the retail box inside the white shipping sleeve without them. Which is exactly how it should be, and usually is.

In addition, those installation instructions have always been on the manufacturer's web site, at this URL: www.superchips.com/fordinst.htm

As always, all our customers have access to toll-free Technical Support during normal business hours directly from the manufacturer. Since we are open until 7 pm Eastern, most people can reach us directly even after normal business hours. Also, we have 24 hr. voicemail for emergencies, and we return all calls placed after hours for Tech Support.

Over the years our support has always been highly praised, and we will of course endeavor to continue to earn that praise!

Our bests to all,
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Online Superchip ordering system:https://www.f150online.com/scpp/index.html

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-09-2000).]

 

Hi Mike--glad to hear the process has improved to prevent that from happening again (albeit a minor problem). That's funny... I've never seen that page you linked to at Superchips.com. It's odd how the web page suggests scraping the lacquer, but the paper instructions suggests using the green sponge. Some inconsistency there, but I guess either works alright.

I've added that link to Related Links section on my page as well:
http://bloodog.com/superchip.asp

--Duke