HYPERACTIVE

INSTALLING HYPERTECH’S MAX ENERGY 2.0 PROGRAMMER ON A 2013 FORD 6.7L POWER STROKE

With the Max Energy 2.0 Power Programmer from Hypertech you can reliably boost the power and performance of your 2013-2016 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke. Without even turning a single wrench you can get about 100 additional horsepower and nearly 200 lb-ft of torque in less than 30 minutes. Hypertech designed the Max Energy 2.0 programmers to work with the DPF and other emissions systems of modern diesel engines while safely improving power and performance. The tuning can be safely used while towing, even at the highest setting, up to the maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) without fear of damaging the engine with high EGTs or other problems.

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01 Hypertech’s Max Energy 2.0 programmer comes with everything needed to install tunes and read DTCs for your truck, including the OBD-II data interface cable, PC interface cable, programmer, installation CD and manual.

THE PATIENT

Roger Owens is a contractor who travels all over the Southeast building light pole bases for businesses throughout the region. He uses his 2013 F-250 to haul the Sonotube, rebar, tools and equipment from jobsite to jobsite wherever he and his team are needed. They also tow the skid steer, auger attachment, and bores with the truck, and it could have used some more oomph to handle the heavy load, especially with the many steep grades they find themselves climbing across the region on a regular basis. Of course, like any businessman, Owens would also love to improve the fuel mileage of the truck to help reduce operating expenses.

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02 To get an idea of how much power this 75,000+mile Ford was making before installing the Hypertech tuning, Ryan Bean and his team strapped Owens’ truck down to the Beans Diesel Performance Dynocom chassis dyno and made a few baseline pulls.
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03 The best baseline pull showed a peak of 390.5 horsepower and 768.5 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Notice that both horsepower (solid line) and torque begin to roll off pretty sharply at around 2,900 rpm.
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04 Before connecting the programmer to the truck, Bean connected it to one of the PCs in the office to download the latest files and updates from Hypertech. It’s a good idea to do this with your programmer before you begin tuning your truck to make sure you have the latest and greatest tunes available.

“WITHOUT EVEN TURNING A SINGLE WRENCH, YOU CAN GAIN ABOUT 100 ADDITIONAL HORSEPOWER”

THE PROOF IS ON THE DYNO

To improve his work truck’s performance, he opted to have the guys at Beans Diesel Performance in Woodbury, Tenn., run the truck on their Dynocom chassis dyno before and after the programmer installation to see the measured performance improvements firsthand. We followed along with our camera gear in tow to document the process and bring it to you here. While driving the truck up to Woodbury, we calculated 20.16 mpg as our unloaded baseline. Then, while dynoing the truck, we found that the 75,000+ mile machine still put down a healthy 390.5 horsepower and 768.5 lb-ft of torque, but we also burned a lot of fuel in the process, revealing only 10.55 mpg during our many full-throttle dyno runs.

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05 To begin the installation, locate the OBD-II port under the dash panel and plug in interface cable.
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06 Then plug the other end of the cable into the side of the Max Energy 2.0 programmer and it will begin to communicate with the truck, even pulling up the VIN number, which we have intentionally obscured in the photo.
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07 Adjustment options for the 2013-2016 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke trucks include Engine Tuning, Top Speed limiter adjustment, and Tire Size selection to allow owners to not only tune the engine for more power but to also set the truck up to compensate for larger diameter wheel and tire combinations and performance tires.
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08 When you enter the tuning mode there are four selections possible—Stock, Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3, and as you’d expect these increase power output as you go up. Stock mode allows you to return the truck to its factory programming for dealer visits.
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09 You can also use presets to allow you to change between tunes quickly and easily, while using alphanumeric names to identify your custom tunes to make it easier to change between tunes later.

When shop owner Ryan Bean was running the baseline numbers he was only able to dyno the truck in fifth gear, as the top speed limiter would not allow him to make a full pull in sixth. While he was loading the Hypertech tunes he raised the top speed limiter to allow him to make the Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 pulls in sixth gear like he normally does for trucks on the Dynocom chassis dyno. Owens is still running factory size tires but if he had changed to a different tire size, as many truck owners do, the Max Energy 2.0 allows the user to change the tire size to correct the speedometer and odometer readings so that the shift points operate properly.

INSTALL

Loading the tune into the truck for the first time takes additional time since the Hypertech unit reads and copies the original factory tune into the Max Energy 2.0 module rather than simply overwriting it with the new tune into the ECU. This prevents possible computer mismatch problems and allows the truck to be easily returned to stock for service visits to the dealer. The total process took about 30 minutes the first time but only about half that when we changed to the other tunes for testing. The Max Energy 2.0 can also be used to read Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) to help you troubleshoot problems that may ever arise with your truck.

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10 The first time tuning the truck will take the most time, so get comfortable. During the first tuning operation the Hypertech Max Energy 2.0 programmer reads and stores the factory tune rather than simply overwriting it to prevent possible computer mismatches that could render the truck inoperable.

“WITHOUT THE USE OF A SINGLE TOOL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ABOUT 25% MORE HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE OUT OF THE 6.7L POWER STROKE ENGINE IN ONLY 30 MINUTES’ TIME THANKS TO THE HYPERTECH MAX ENERGY 2.0 POWER PROGRAMMER.”

Bean first measured the truck with the Max Energy 2.0 Stage 1 tune, which showed peak increases of 63.1 hp and 125.8 lb-ft of torque along with a broader power range. The new peak totals for the 6.7L Power Stroke were 453.6 hp and 894.3 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. Next, with Stage 2 tuning loaded, he recorded peak horsepower of 468.9 with 962.5 lb-ft of torque, equaling 78.4 hp and 194 lb-ft of torque peak increases. Then he loaded the Stage 3 tune and spun the dyno rollers a few more times, measuring 488.5 hp and 960.3 lb-ft of torque with a very wide power band and overall peak improvements of 98 hp and 191.8 lb-ft.

RESULTS

Without the use of a single tool we were able to get about 25% more horsepower and torque out of the 6.7L Power Stroke engine in only 30 minutes’ time thanks to the Hypertech Max Energy 2.0 Power Programmer. When we got in and drove the truck, it felt much more powerful and responsive from the seat of our pants and we noticed that it was able to maintain speed climbing grades (unloaded) without downshifting from sixth gear, which it could not do before the tuning. We did only record 19.79 mpg on the way home, but we reason that the truck likely performed a regeneration of the DPF during the trip to burn off any trapped particulates from the many full-throttle dyno runs Bean made throughout the afternoon. The techs at Hypertech tell us that typically their customers see about a 10% improvement in fuel mileage after installing their tuning and we don’t see any reason to doubt that claim.

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11 After the Stage 1 tune was written to Owens’ truck, Bean made a few more dyno passes to measure the performance improvements. He also chose to up the top speed limit to allow him to dyno in sixth gear rather than fifth.
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12 The Max Energy 2.0 Stage 1 tuning gave the 6.7L Power Stroke a healthy bump in power, recording a peak of 453.6 hp and 894.3 lb-ft of torque, equaling peak increases of 63.1 hp and 125.8 lb-ft along a broader range.
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13 Stage 2 resulted in peak horsepower of 468.9 and 962.5 lb-ft of torque for 78.4 hp and 194 lb-ft peak increases.
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14 Our final dyno runs of the day showed that Stage 3 made 488.5 hp and 960.3 lb-ft of torque for overall peak improvement of 98 hp and 191.8 lb-ft, which is still safe to use while towing up to the truck’s maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) without hurting the DPF or other factory emissions equipment.
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15 Looking at all of the dyno graphs on a single chart you can see not only how much more power and torque the truck made with each performance level of the Max Energy 2.0 programmer, you can also clearly see how much broader and more usable the power band becomes with the new tuning.

 

If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to boost your truck’s performance by about 25% without turning any wrenches, the Hypertech Max Energy 2.0 Power Programmer should be highly considered. It’s something you can certainly do yourself, right there in your garage or driveway, and enjoy the benefits immediately. Our recommendation? Pick one up and prepare to wake the beast hiding beneath the hood of your 2013-2016 Super Duty Ford. DW

BEANS DIESEL PERFORMANCE
615.563.7800
BDPShop.com

HYPERTECH
901.382.8888
Hypertech.com

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