| 2005 Ford F350 4X4 Crew Cab Front View Burnout
The Edge Products Company in Ogden, Utah, has established a reputation for producing one of the most advanced diesel fuel-management computer chip upgrades available. And with the introduction of Edge's Attitude II, or A2, fuel management is taken to an entirely new level. Similar to the Attitude, the A2 will monitor turbo boost, rpm, exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and show the percentage of fuel backdown to maintain a safe EGT. The driver can set the Max EGT, and when the temperature approaches that maximum level, the Juice automatically adjusts fuel and timing to avoid any possible damage to the engine.
The driver can also set a Low Boost Fuel level for more power off the line and, through the Edge Evolution module (sold separately), modify fuel levels during wide-open throttle shifting for less wear on the transmission and overall improved driveability. A level of Max Boost can be set, with an alarm to warn you when it has been exceeded. That's about where the similarities to the Attitude end. The larger memory bank in the A2 will memorize engine parameter values that your vehicle produces, such as rpm and backdown percent, and it will also capture 0-60 and quarter-mile times.
The new larger color LCD monitor will display actual speed (corrected for non-stock tire diameters), percentage of auto transmission slippage, engine temp, trans temp, throttle percentage, engine load, and barometric pressure. For those of us who still like to look at little needles, the A2 will display virtual full-sweep gauges for boost and EGT, with a choice of background colors. Feeling lost? Push a button on the A2 LCD monitor and a full-feature GPS with turn-by-turn voice prompting pops up. The voice prompt also names the upcoming street to turn on. The GPS will show routes, ETA, and include thousands of points of interest, such as restaurants, rest stops, fuel stations, and emergency facilities. Push another button to display the screen for the weatherproof wireless rearview camera. It can be mounted anywhere, to assist in hooking up a trailer, backing into your favorite campsite, watching the kids playing in the camper, or keeping an eye on the dog or your mother-in-law you left in the fifth-wheel.
During a recent visit to the Edge facilities, we had the opportunity to drive an '05 Power Stroke with a pre-production version of the A2. The new external temperature gauge on our F-350 4x4 Crew Cab showed a chilly 37 degrees F, so we didn't feel out of place with four snowmobiles in tow as we headed into the Wasatch Mountains behind Ogden. The loaded trailer weighed in at 6,860 pounds, and our combined GVW was 14,780 pounds. As recommended by Edge, we set the Juice to power level No. 2 for towing.
Finding a deserted backroad outside of town, we made several 0-60-mph and 40-60-mph runs. For consistency, we kept the transmission in the Tow/Haul mode, the Max EGT at a safe 1,350 degrees F, and the Low Boost mode at its No. 5 setting. Going from zero to 60 mph while pulling the trailer, we had an average of 14.7 seconds. Accelerating from 40 to 60, to simulate pulling out to pass a semitruck, took an even 7 seconds, which is impressive, considering we were at more than 4,000 feet in elevation. We could imagine even faster results at sea level. Switching back to a factory stock power level, those times jumped correspondingly to 18.05 seconds and 9.4 seconds.
Dropping the trailer off, we made the same timed runs over the same course empty, but now we could turn up the power setting to its No. 5 level. The Low Boost mode was left at its No. 5 setting. Our 0-60-mph average was 8.3 seconds, and going from 40 to 60 mph took just a shade more than 4 seconds. These times may be relative, since there was usually some wheelspin at the start. In the factory stock setting, our 0-60-mph time increased to 10.3 seconds, and our 40-60-mph time came in at 5.2 seconds. Cruising into the mountains with the heavy trailer in tow, the No. 2 level power setting allowed us to pull some grades in midrange rpm without a downshift. The Juice for the '05 Power Stroke interfaces seamlessly with the TorqShift's Tow/Haul setting, and in the Tow mode, we seldom saw the EGT reach its preset maximum limit of 1,350 degrees F, though it was comforting to know that it was virtually impossible to exceed that setting.
Back at the Edge R&D facilities, we had the tech guys run some dyno tests for us. Our stock baseline for this particular '05 6.0L engine was 266 hp at 3,290 rpm and 467 ft-lb of torque at 2,090 rpm. Punching in the No. 5 setting, the Juice fuel-management computer took our horsepower to 372 at 3,100 rpm, more than 100 extra ponies. The torque climbed to 692 lb-ft at 2,575 rpm, an increase of more than 225 lb-ft of torque. Even higher levels of horsepower might be seen at sea level, but the amount of increase over stock should be about the same.
In case you're wondering, the installation of the Juice and either the original Attitude or the A2 is very straightforward. The cookbook instructions are easy to follow and can be reviewed on the internet at www.edgeproducts.com/instructions.html. OEM-style plugs on Edge "Y" connectors interface with the factory electronics. About the only special tool needed is a 1/8-inch NPT tap to make the threads in the exhaust manifold for the EGT probe. The installation of the Edge Juice With Attitude typically takes about an hour. The A2 will take a bit longer, depending on where you place the wireless rearview camera.
The Juice With Attitude II kit will install on all Chevy Duramax, '00-and-later Dodge Cummins, and both the 7.3L and 6.0L Power Stroke engines. Suggested retail price of the kit is estimated at $1,900. If your Power Stroke already has the Juice installed, the A2 alone with the camera should sell for around $1,500. That's not too bad when you consider the individual prices of a wireless rearview camera and a full-function GPS. We can hardly wait to get our hands on a production model.
