Just as advertised. I'm a happy camper. I sent in my original Superchip which I've had for about a year to get the upgraded programming. This was done for free...I had to pay shipping, of course.

Anyway, the shifts ARE improved over the original Superchip program. I also asked M. Troyer to have them program the thing so it would downshift into 1st gear at speeds over 25mph (which the stock programming doesn't allow, and neither did the 1st Superchip program). Well, they got it right! Downshifts into 1st at speeds up to ~40mph. Very sweet.

I'll have to try the #2 program at the track someday. I flipped it over to #2 briefly to see if it did indeed unlock the converter and it does. Obviously, this wouldn't be the greatest thing for around town due to the extra temps that would be created in the trans fluid, but that's why its recommended as a "track only" program.

I'm a bit skeptical as to how unlocking the converter will help ETs on a 13-sec vehicle, but someday I'll find out. Seems like it might help with TQ multiplication out of the hole, but down the track in high gear (3rd) I believe you'd want full lock-up which would yield full power to the wheels. Oh well...just me theorizing a bit.

I have a PSP single program chip which works great except for tip-in detonation under light loads.

When I get a chance I'm going to get over to the dyno and try both chips, and I'll post the results when I get them.

Have a great weekend guys/gals!

------------------
Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--390rwhp/441rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--362rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4
http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html

 

What does unlocking the converter do?

 

Wes, Thanks so much for this post. Like you, I have the very early version of the program (I was Mike T's first Lightning customer when they became available last year). I talked to Mike a few weeks ago about sending mine back and update to the CUX1TRAC program and I just haven't made it a priority yet. One of my huge disappointments in my current chip is not having the 'wow' factor you would get by being able to downshift to first at greater than 25mph. Without your post I wouldn’t have known about the < 40mph kickdown to 1st option. Mine will be in the mail to Mike on Monday.

I’m not sure I understand the torque converter lock-up issue either. I can’t believe that it’s locked up off the line. Isn’t that’s the whole point of the converter? If it was locked up you wouldn’t have slippage and the engine would die, right? Under non-spirited driving I can feel the lock-up just before it goes into overdrive. How did you ‘test’ to see if it wouldn’t lock-up in program 2? Maybe this feature helps because at the top end you wouldn’t want to waste milliseconds having the engine pullback during activation of the lock-up. I’m just theorizing here. If someone has knowledge on this subject please enlighten us.


------------------
Joel.......
99.5 White Lightning,
SVT # 0056

 

Joel and others,

I know the converter doesn't lock up in 1st or 2nd...or like you said, you'd get no torque multiplication from the converter. But, I know our trucks have lock-up capability in 3rd and in OD.

Hound, a non-lockup converter is one that never actually allows full 100% direct drive from the crank to the input shaft of the trans. You always have some slippage. Think of a stick car if you slip the clutch...its easier to spin the tires. You get some extra torque multiplication due to the slippage. This is good off the line, or in lower gears when you're trying to accelerate the car...however, its wasted energy when you've already got the vehicle moving at a great rate of speed (e.g.: high gear) and you'd rather have it locked up at that point.

Most race transmissions do not have lockup converters, so even in high gear you have some slippage.

In high gear I believe, in theory, you'd always want 100% power to the input shaft...and you do not get this if the converter doesn't lock up. I'm far from an expert on auto trannies. Both my Mustangs are sticks, and that's all I've driven my life.

What locking up the converter does do is allow the rpms to drop (almost like OD does) and thus allows better gas mileage b/c there is a direct link or "lock-up" b/w the crank and input shaft of the trans.

I tested Pos 2 and found that it does keep the converter unlocked b/c the rpms stay higher in each gear at cruise. You get a little bit of that "loose", "rubberband" feeling...like you would feel with a high rpm converter...in the higher gears.

Joel, you will want to talk to Mike again about the downshifting into 1st feature. He feels that you need to have installed a shift kit to get it to do this. I have a TransGo shift kit installed on my truck, and he feels this is one reason the computer allowed downshifts back into 1st at higher speeds.


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Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--390rwhp/441rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--362rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4 http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html



[This message has been edited by WA 2 FST (edited 08-05-2000).]

 

Hi Guys,

While so far, all the 2000 Lightnings are now downshifting into 1st at speeds up to 40-42 mph with the lastest Superchip program, in the 1999's we're seeing some variance on this, just as Wes mentioned in his post. Sometimes the orifice size in the PCS (pressure control solenoid) is just too small to allow enough fluid volume to flow at higher line pressures, which is another reason you have to be careful when cranking up line pressure for hard shifts. Sometimes you can get a softer shift instead of harder due to this same orifice size problem. Luckily this is easily fixed by opening up that orifice size a little bit.

By the way, this issue of why we delete torque converter lockup in Position 2 of the CUX1TRAC (drag race only) program, it's quite siumple, to allow the vehicle to accelerate quicker down the 1/4 mile! This is something we ordinarily do not do, but has been made available in the Lightning just in response to a number of people who wanted all-out ET-slashing programs. This is knocking another couple of tenths off the 1/4 mile times of most of these vehicles.

We do not recommend using the drag race-only program on the street simple because it will cause more heat to be produced by the automatic transmission. That's fine for a 1/4 mile at a time, but not on the street all the time, so that is why it is labeled drag race *only*.

Enjoy,

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Info:https://www.f150online.com/rally2000/index.html

 

Hey Mike,
The race only program is interesting but not if ou only offer two program chips. Are you offering 3 or 4 program chips?
noelvm


[This message has been edited by noelvm (edited 08-05-2000).]

 

Noel,
Position 1 is performance street( what pos. 2 is on the first run) then pos 2 is race.( if you want stock yank it!)
Tom

 

Yank it out???? After, all the horror stories I've read on this board about chip installation and indeed even touching the chip once it has been installed and wrapped with 200 MPH tape to keep it in??? I think I would prefer a 3 or 4 program chip. If Sal can offer them surely Superchips can too.
noelvm


[This message has been edited by noelvm (edited 08-05-2000).]

 

Hey Mike and others,

I realize that unlocking the converter in lower gears has its advantage...I'm only theorizing about the whole thing.

I will maintain that in _theory_ a 13-sec vehicle would benefit from the ability to lockup the converter in high gear.

I guess I'll find out when I ever get a chance to race this thing at the track. My guess is that if the truck does ET slightly quicker with the converter unlocked all the time, that trap speeds will be lower (of course, ET is what counts in drag racing) due to the lack of direct-drive power in high gear.

I'd like to know if there's anyone on this board with the TRAC program that's got hard data from trying both programs at the same track on the same day.

------------------
Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--390rwhp/441rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--362rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4
http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html