Whipple Installed!

[avocadofarmer]

Being neutered by torque management is the bigger problem.

If the torque management was removed you'd be limited by traction control. Unless you're launching in 4wd, which I'm not.

And even when the torque management shuts off at ~35 it will still lay 50' of rubber.

I would be willing to bet that we'd be breaking driveline parts if we were allowed the full beans from a stop.

 

[Apparition]

I would be willing to bet that we'd be breaking driveline parts if we were allowed the full beans from a stop.

More than likely but that's how I know what to replace next.

 

[JTredway]

More than likely but that's how I know what to replace next.

When I considered trans tuning for my 6.7, I spoke with Tyler from NCDP he said he can turned it off if I truly wanted it but it would absolutely smoke the trans sooner than later. He said he runs it turned down and less invasive on his but still leaves it somewhat in place.

 

[VB!]

If the torque management was removed you'd be limited by traction control. Unless you're launching in 4wd, which I'm not.

And even when the torque management shuts off at ~35 it will still lay 50' of rubber.

I would be willing to bet that we'd be breaking driveline parts if we were allowed the full beans from a stop.

When I considered trans tuning for my 6.7, I spoke with Tyler from NCDP he said he can turned it off if I truly wanted it but it would absolutely smoke the trans sooner than later. He said he runs it turned down and less invasive on his but still leaves it somewhat in place.

Getting back to the 7.3 and Whipple... Is there torque management or just traction control? I don't know.

Whipple says they leave traction control alone which is a bummer if the goal is burn outs. Throttle response is instant with no noticeable spool up time like with a turbo. A 2WD launch is fast and controlled. A 4WD launch is down right violent with only minimal tire slippage based on pavement. They say for best results, put it in 4x4, hold down the traction control until the bar goes all the way across the screen, and then have fun. If cruising at any normal speed and then punch it, pay attention as you'll be going too fast in a couple of seconds. I think this is all traction control.

 

[xrocket21]

Keep in mind even if you hold traction control, it still kicks back on at 45, or at least it always used to. Doesn't take much to get wheelspeed over 45 when slipping.

 

[JTredway]

Getting back to the 7.3 and Whipple... Is there torque management or just traction control? I don't know.

Whipple says they leave traction control alone which is a bummer if the goal is burn outs. Throttle response is instant with no noticeable spool up time like with a turbo. A 2WD launch is fast and controlled. A 4WD launch is down right violent with only minimal tire slippage based on pavement. They say for best results, put it in 4x4, hold down the traction control until the bar goes all the way across the screen, and then have fun. If cruising at any normal speed and then punch it, pay attention as you'll be going too fast in a couple of seconds. I think this is all traction control.

There's def TQMgmt and Traction control on both, you can't override TQM manually other than it's modified strategy running in offroad/sand and 4wd modes. I dont know of anyone that modifies traction thresholds for our vehicles, i've heard of some of them doing it with the 10r80s in the F150s, Explorers, and Broncos with similar strategy modifications in drive modes as well.

The only way to get out of traction control 100% is to do the "full send" mod where you bypass the ABS fuse (either manually or with an upfitter switch). You can do the whole (press to turn off traction) and press and hold to turn off active trac / stability and that is about as close as full off as you can get. But (like previously stated) once rear wheel speed gets above 35 (the locker turns off if manual locker) and safety features close to fully reengage at 45 (even with the lights showing off). It will still allow you to whip and slip a little bit though. Even in deep snow/sand mode traction will intervene in 2wd mode just not as abrupt and violent. The reason it typically doesnt intervene in 4wd is all 4 wheels are eating at similar wheel speeds.

 

[GT-SD]

Yesterday I got a price from our local Ford dealer, right around $15,000 bucks. The charger alone is $10,000 from Whipple.

WOW....that is expensive. Believe it or not, my system is well below $10k all in. If you get a dyno run or custom tune, that can add to the cost, but I just installed, uploaded the calibration and drove it.

Question, are there other mods that NEED to be done before or after the install ?

The kit is plug and play. It's just a matter of disassembly and reassembly. Everything is fairly straight forward if you have most of the standard mechanics set and don't mind turning wrenches. I did mine in the driveway with tables set up in my garage to lay everything out. If you want to get more power than what the system is rated, then yea, might look at headers and cat back exhaust, but that will then require a custom calibration from a tuner. You have to be careful as you can start to sacrifice reliability without doing some engine internal upgrades.

 

[GT-SD]

It sounds like you have not driven a 7.3 with a Whipple. You're opinion would change.

You are correct. My friends 6.7's feel sluggish and slow compared to my 7.3. Even with 15k hooked up to it, acceleration doesn't feel much different than my '17 6.7 did with the same load.

 

[VB!]

2023-2026 Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty 7.3L Godzilla Gen 6 3.0L Whipple Supercharger Stage 2 Kit

Boost your 2023-2026 Ford F-250 or F-350 7.3L Godzilla with the Whipple Gen 6 3.0L kit. Up to 720 HP, 132mm throttle body, and 50-state legal.

whipplesuperchargers.com

 

[xrocket21]

Awesome! Hopefully I can pull off ordering one in the spring. Sucks the price went up $1k. Hopefully the install goes well, Ive read it takes about 8 hours.

 

[GT-SD]

Awesome! Hopefully I can pull off ordering one in the spring. Sucks the price went up $1k. Hopefully the install goes well, Ive read it takes about 8 hours.

If you are going to do it yourself I made a parts check off list and tooling checklist that I can send to you. Just send me a PM when the time gets closer. It will make the whole process MUCH easier if you check for any missing parts, lay out the kit and organize the tools and items prior to starting.

 

[xrocket21]

If you are going to do it yourself I made a parts check off list and tooling checklist that I can send to you. Just send me a PM when the time gets closer. It will make the whole process MUCH easier if you check for any missing parts, lay out the kit and organize the tools and items prior to starting.

Great thanks!!!! I will definitely be doing it myself. My broken collarbone needs to heal up though, that's a big job.

 

[GT-SD]

It’s been a while since I have had an opportunity to write up a comprehensive update. There has been a LOT of things going on, so I wrote up (3) posts to break it down.

The first one is related to cost of owning the 7.3L and maintenance with a Supercharger.

Having the Whipple installed for almost 2yrs and ~35,000 miles while using the truck for what it is intended to do including towing heavy, my cost of acquisition, even with the Whipple purchase, was likely less than if I had bought the diesel. I am however losing the diesel vs gas battle on fuel costs.

Below is a list of the Maintenance items and approximate cost:

• ~1,600 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & OEM Filter)
  • Whipple Installed
• ~5,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & Filter)
  • Tire Rotation - $20
• ~10,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & OEM Filter)
  • OEM Wipers - $35
  • Mile Tire Rotation - $20
• ~15,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & OEM Filter)
  • OEM Cabin Air Filter - $25
  • Mile Tire Rotation - $20
• ~20,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & OEM Filter)
  • OEM Wipers - $35
  • Mile Tire Rotation - $20
• ~25,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (M1 EP & OEM Filter)
  • Spark Plugs and Wires - $190 (to reorder the parts was close to $300)
  • New Tires (expensive)
• ~30,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (Valvoline R&P & OEM Filter)
  • Cabin Air Filter - $25
  • OEM Wipers - $35
  • Tire Rotation – Free (put new tires on at 25k)
• ~35,000 Miles
  • Oil Change - $120 (Valvoline R&P & OEM Filter)
  • Tire Rotation – Free (put new tires on at 25k)
  • OEM Wipers - $35
  • Drop Trans Pan, change filter, refill fluid - $650
  • New Horn & Passenger lock Actuator - Warranty

So total Engine Maintenance over 35k miles is ~$2070 or a little less as several of these values are rounded up. So ~$0.06/mile. That’s with Oil Changes more frequently than the book calls for and using the most expensive Synthetic Oil and MotorCraft Oil Filter from Autozone. The Engine Air Filter is washable and reusable, so that gets swapped out every 5k miles, so no replacement costs. The only thing done at the dealer was the transmission filter/fluid replacement at 35k. Shopping around and getting the best deal on oil and wipers would probably have saved a few hundred dollars over time.

Not included above is the extra money spent on oil analysis and a few other items spent just to satisfy my own curiosity and provide data for this science project.

The spark plug and wire change at 25,000 miles wasn’t really necessary, but precautionary as there is a history of problems here and it isn't clear how running a Supercharger could impact that. I will swap them out and replace the wires again at 50k. To date, there has been no labor on any of these costs, with the exception of the transmission service, as I have done everything myself.

The biggest issue with making a modification of this magnitude are the unknowns. Hopefully documenting it in this way will provide some insight as to the maintenance needs and costs.

 

[GT-SD]

After 35,000 miles, everything seems to be wearing in ok. The Iron is a little higher than average, but only Blackstone seems to mention it in accordance with averages. I did switch to Valvoline Restore and Protect at 30,000 miles and it is definitely doing some cleaning. More on that below.

As you can see below, the Oil Analysis are showing a little higher on Iron content, but based on what others have posted on various forums and sites, it appears some engines have a little higher iron wear than others. The low to mid 20's seem normal for some engines. The most important thing is that the range is consistent and it’s low, so that is indicative of just normal wear occurring, still at a slow enough rate that likely won’t have any long-term effects on longevity.

Now the interesting part. As you can see above, this truck has almost exclusively had Mobil 1 Extended Performance with OEM filters. Given the slightly higher Iron readings and the new rave about Valvoline, it seemed like something that would be worth trying. From an analysis perspective, really not a marked change. It seems that the Valvoline R&P does not have quite as robust additive package for longer term use given the TBN, but since the OCI is going to be 5k and there is still sufficient TBN, that should not be an issue.

What was interesting about this is what I found while changing the oil. Here are some of the observations after running Valvoline R&P for ~5k miles:

• The oil seemed to be darker than “normal” and there was visually soft silicon like debri at the bottom of my oil drain container. When cleaning up, I thought it was strange, but dismissed it as me accidently dropping or kicking something up in it between the time of draining the oil and putting it in the container. So just cleaned everything up and finished. Dumped the oil, but left the filter on the workbench.
• A few days later, seeing the filter on the workbench, decided to cut it open. Low and behold there is this same silicon debris like substance in the filter as well. Also there was non-metallic carbon/soot in the bottom of the filter. In the 20 or so oil filters I have cut open, this is something I haven’t seen before.

Although the analysis didn’t show any issues, it appears that the Valvoline R&P really does clean up the deposits including any excess (what appears to be) silicone from assembly. Wierd. With the regular use of Mobil 1 Extended Performance, you would think that the engine would be very clean and minimal build up, but there was definitely more cleaning than normal that took place..

In some of the literature and discussions online, it indicates it takes (3) OCI to clean everything up with the Valvoline R&P, so that is what went back in the truck at 35k. We’ll see what the analysis at 40k looks like.

 

[GT-SD]

In prior posts, I had indicated that there were a few issues with intermittent boost and shifting. I am happy to report that 99% of the shift issues have been resolved and it appears the intermittent boost issue as well. It took some time troubleshooting and discussions with Whipple, but it was determined the spring in the bypass valve was not sized optimally on my particular install, so it would not open up, especially if the truck was eased into a boost situation. Below are the corrective items:

• Whipple sent a revised calibration with remapped torque and engine management curves. Needless to say, the performance was good before, but this update really smoothed the shifting and power band. Much smoother power across all bands, less shifting from the transmission. I believe this is the same calibration shipping with all of the newer unit installs.
• I replaced the spring on the bypass valve with a new one that Whipple supplied. It took ~20 mins to swap it out.

All in all, the update fixed all transmission shifting issues. I still have a little flare occasionally with the 3 – 4 shift when the transmission is cold, but barely noticeable and sounds like a characteristic of the 10R140 with a 7.3. Adaptive learning tables are turned on and everything is functioning as it should. The only thing outstanding is the cruise control shift table when towing heavy, but given the new calibration, the truck rarely needs to come out of 8th gear towing my 42’ 15k lb 5th wheel. Just plenty of power. At this point, zero complaints or issues.

 

[ccradier]

Again GT-SD, your methodology around this is impressive. I am still waiting for my whipple to ship. I went with the ford blue option. Already did my trans service twice and installed the afe pan to get a drain plug. The second time was easy and clean.

 

[JTredway]

Damn this is awesome. I might have missed them but how’s the sound towing? Does she whine all the time or is it only in the upper rpm’s. My Audi wouldn’t make a lot of noise until above a certain rpm and light loads you could almost cancel out the whine totally

 

[Donnie C]

The Whipple is installed! It took a buddy and I a little over 20 hours total in my driveway. Neither of us are “Auto Mechanics”, but we have an engineering background and frequently work on boats, side by sides, auto’s (when necessary) so wrenching, troubleshooting and electrical modifications are nothing new. This project was no more difficult than some of the boat/sidexside modifications and repairs that have been performed. So if you don’t have a problem working on things, this is very doable. Was able to get it installed with no calls to Whipple Support! Took some videos along the way, so hopefully I’ll have time in the next few weeks to process and post it.

A few things that are helpful if you are going to install a Whipple.

- Send in your config file early. They try to get it done in 2 - 3 days, but with this particular setup they are currently taking a little longer. Don’t start the install until you get this. It took about 5 minutes to download and submit. Once you get the Whipple and their programmer, follow the instructions and download the file to submit. It took them 2 weeks to turn my calibration around.
- Inventory everything. I broke the parts list down by instruction number and then cross referenced it which will be posted later for others. There were a few parts missing, but I submitted a support ticket and they shipped the parts the next day.
- Most of the tools required are fairly standard. The only ”specialty tools” that I had to buy were the fan wrench, holder and plastic trim removal tools. There are quite a few items that require torqueing, so it is helpful if you have (2) setups.
- You could theoretically do it with 1 person, but it is extremely beneficial to have 2. You will need some step platforms and setting the Whipple on top of the engine could almost use 3 people. It is heavy.
- The Whipple instructions are good, but there are a few details that are missing from some of the steps. That led to a few items we had to back up on.
- Take your time, some of the areas are difficult to reach and properly torque and secure. We would spend and hour or so just working on 2 bolts in just a few areas. There are probably some tools or tricks that would speed that up, but we made sure it was 100%.
- Measure where your bumper is and use some blue tape to mark measurements. You have to drop the bumper down to get the headlights out (if you have LED) and that made us aligning the bumper and tightening it back up a 15 minute job. If we had not done that, it might have taken us a while to get it straight again.

A few things that I have noticed in the ~50 miles or so I’ve driven it since the install:

- My truck only has 1600 miles on it when the Whipple was installed, so the only data point on the base engine performance is to that point.
- I am a true believer in all things mechanical need to be broken in, so there have been no WOT pulls or anything past 2/3 throttle until I feel comfortable that there is no air in the cooling systems and the engine parts have had an opportuntity to “break in” and adjust to the different heat and pressure loads.
- The idle is signficantly improved. It used to have a little stumble at idle, that is gone. Don’t know if it’s that new lower gapped spark plugs or larger injectors or tune, but it now idles smooth as butter.
- The transmission does not “hunt” for a gear really at all. It does tend to shift later overall as the engine likes to hold a 1500 - 1700 range vs 1100 - 1400 stock. So instead of it being in 6th or 7th gear at 25mph, it stays in 4th or 5th.
- The ford performance exhaust sounds MUCH better now and the small drone that it had between 65-70mph is gone. It’s almost as if it was tuned for the Whipple.
- There is a “supercharger whine” at low speeds. Once you get above 25 MPH it goes away. It’s not very loud though.
- It behaves very similar if not better to my 2017 F250 6.7L now. It loves 3000-3800 RPM and just shifts through the gears and the speedometer just goes up. Before, you would need to get the engine to wrap out at 4500-5000 or so RPM’s to get the same or less accelleration.
- Unlike some of the other people, I loaded my calibration, started the engine up and have driven it. No Codes, performance or check engine light issues.

Hope this post helps some of the people on the fence. We’ll see how the engine and drivetrain hold up long term as this will be my daily driver and occasionally pulling 7k - 16k trailers. It will be a month or two before I hook anything up to it which is great as that gives me some time to make sure everything is working properly.

Awesome job. This is on my list as well.
Following

 

[GT-SD]

Damn this is awesome. I might have missed them but how’s the sound towing? Does she whine all the time or is it only in the upper rpm’s. My Audi wouldn’t make a lot of noise until above a certain rpm and light loads you could almost cancel out the whine totally

The whine does take some getting used to but is only present really during acceleration. I don't really notice it anymore on a day to day basis, but it is definitely there and anyone that rides with me for the first time comments on it.

This is the best way to describe the noise and when you would expect to hear it:
- Light to medium acceleration at low speeds loaded and unloaded - very noticeable
- Hard acceleration and high RPM all speeds loaded and unloaded - very noticeable (but you usually don't notice as you are taking off like a rocket ship)
- Driving at speeds (fairly constant) below 40mph - slightly noticeable
- Driving at speeds (fairly constant) above 40mph - no discernible noise
- Highway speeds unloaded 75-90 mph - no discernible noise and no downshifts. Holds 10th and cruises even on moderate elevation changes.
- Pulling a trailer at constant highway speeds (9&10th locked out) - no discernible noice

The only noise complaint I have with my setup is pulling ~10k at highway speeds above 80mph and that is due to the Ford Performance Exhaust. There is some magic combination of RPM, Load and volume in that range that starts to get irritating after a few hours. Fortunately, that particular sized load and speed is only towed once a year. All other loads and scenarios I really don't notice the exhaust.

On that note, I have a Lariat with the Ultimate Package. I'm not sure how much additional insulation is added to the higher trims (or less with lower trims) but that has been my experience so far. The Whipple setup is not silent, so it will add some noise as stated above.

 

[VB!]

The whine does take some getting used to but is only present really during acceleration. I don't really notice it anymore on a day to day basis, but it is definitely there and anyone that rides with me for the first time comments on it.

This is the best way to describe the noise and when you would expect to hear it:
- Light to medium acceleration at low speeds loaded and unloaded - very noticeable
- Hard acceleration and high RPM all speeds loaded and unloaded - very noticeable (but you usually don't notice as you are taking off like a rocket ship)
- Driving at speeds (fairly constant) below 40mph - slightly noticeable
- Driving at speeds (fairly constant) above 40mph - no discernible noise
- Highway speeds unloaded 75-90 mph - no discernible noise and no downshifts. Holds 10th and cruises even on moderate elevation changes.
- Pulling a trailer at constant highway speeds (9&10th locked out) - no discernible noice

The only noise complaint I have with my setup is pulling ~10k at highway speeds above 80mph and that is due to the Ford Performance Exhaust. There is some magic combination of RPM, Load and volume in that range that starts to get irritating after a few hours. Fortunately, that particular sized load and speed is only towed once a year. All other loads and scenarios I really don't notice the exhaust.

On that note, I have a Lariat with the Ultimate Package. I'm not sure how much additional insulation is added to the higher trims (or less with lower trims) but that has been my experience so far. The Whipple setup is not silent, so it will add some noise as stated above.

I'll disagree on one point. Try what you describe above with the windows down.

I pull a car hauler that's about 7,500 fully loaded at usually around 70 miles an hour. I can hear the Whipple whine. Its the low whine that is not annoying and not the angry cat scream that brings the smile. I was just cruising along one day and a rice burner with its windows down passed me, dropped back, and then wanted to race. Yes, trailer and all. I guess if you know you know. I put the windows down and it was loud.

I'll agree that new passengers hear it and it generates conversation.

My son knows what it is and hears me climbing the hill 500- 700 feet from the house if I'm just cruising. He says you don't hear the exhaust, just the Whipple whine. I can hear it in the cab in this instance if the radio is off or on low.

The sound is distinctive.