Need more Power

[Powerquestboy]

I need some help here...I have an 02 Yukon XL with the 5.3. I just got a new boat (288 Sunsation) and it tows it ok to Havasu etc but towing anywhere with big hill climbs are punishing this thing. I want to look at doing a Programmer, Intake, cat back exhaust to get a little more power out of this thing. Which programmer should I buy? Are any of the Programmers set up for towing (ie more torque) or are they all set up to give you more speed?
Is all this worth the money? Will I get a reasonably good power gain or should I hang it up and buy a diesel. I really dont want to buy another truck but I feel like I am going to blow this Yukon up towing this hard with it. Last weekend we were doing 25mph up a hill. People swerving around me and passing me like I was going backwards.
Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Powerquestboy]

I will have to check what gears are in it. I think my whole boat and trailer only weigh about 7000 lbs. so its not a ton. Maybe thats my problem. If I get different gears will it still be a good around town/highway vehicle?

[sigepmock]

Re-gearing will definitely help towing but you will be running higher RPM's when on the freeway.
I've had a couple 5.3's and we have one now in the wife's Tahoe. Here's my thoughts on how and what to do.....First get the Diablo Sport Predator tuner and try it on the 87 tune and then the 91 tune. This will give you a much more drivable vehicle, more power and better shifting ( defeats a large portion of the "Torque Management"). It's a hand held tuner that can be removed completely if you ever need to go in for warranty work. It also allows you to change for gear and tire size changes if you go that route later. Next check your RPM's while cruising on the freeway plug those numbers into this:
http://www.4lo.com/calc/gearratio.htm
Plug in your current ratio, probably 3.73 and then try 4.10 and see what it does to your freeway RPM's. The intake and exhaust on the newer 5.3's isn't that bad and you won't see too much gain so after the tuner...the next step would be re-gearing it.
That being said the 5.3 is a high reving motor so don't be afraid if your turning 3500 to 4000 RPM's pulling the big hills....it really doesn't hurt that motor.
Good luck,
Chris

[dumbandyoung]

Well the truck is an 02, so that means its probably pushing at least 100k miles.
IMO, I would say dump it and buy the diesel. You will get much better gas mileage when towing and not put so much stress on it.
My buddy has an 04 1500 Suburban (pulls a Superlite Weekend Warrior and a Chaperall Deck) that he did almost everything to..
brake controllers, exhaust, chip, beefed up rear end, intake, air bags, etc.. He is still not happy with it, it still tows like shit and it still gets 8 mph when towing.:(
He is gonna dump it and buy an Excursion; room for the kids and tows like a champ stock.
..To bad Chevy doesn't make a diesel Burb,,, but then again Bow Ties are lame anyways!:D :D :D ..jk!

[Powerquestboy]

Thanks for all the info. This truck just turned 60K miles last sunday and it is all stock except for it has 20 inch wheels on it. I have owned it since new and taken VERY good care of it. There is literally not a scratch or door ding on it plus its almost paid off. Thats why I have this delema wether or not to get rid of it. I do have the original window sticker in the glove box so maybe that will tell what gears are in it. Other wise is there a website I can plug the vin in or something to give me the build specs on this thing?

[stefan]

cummins diesel turbo woot woot!!!

[sponger_2]

supercharge it!!!!

[Daytona100]

You can build more power but it still has to go through the weak link the tranny. If your near the max towing capacity of the truck it,s on borrowed time. Get rid of the half ton and get a three quarter or one ton you,ll be happier in the long run.

[ToMorrow44]

I agree with getting a diesel. I have an 02 F250 7.3L with the full Banks package and it gets 20+mpg not towing and 14+ while towing (about 7,000lbs). And the diesels will last forever if you treat them right. I'm not sure I would buy a Ford now with either the 6.oh-no or the 6.4 because they suck to work on and they seem to have their problems. Can't comment on the Duramax or Cummins but as far as I know they would be good choices.
-Tom

[Powerquestboy]

I checked the sticker and the gears are 3.73's

[sigepmock]

I checked the sticker and the gears are 3.73's
That's definitely hurting your towing performance. If youre' going to be towing back and forth to Havasu all the time, then maybe the diesel is the way to go....for peace of mind and ease of driving. I love my 05 2500HD with the Dmax. Even lifted on 35 inch tires I get an honest 18 mpg empty and 16 mpg towing with a lead foot. It tows amazing, whether it's our boat or the enclosed trailer it just goes and no more screaming the motor or worrying about blowing things up. Just set the cruise a relax. I guess I can best put it this way....I'll always own a diesel if I have anything to tow...
That being said a new diesel truck aint cheap but I think with your size boat I'd look at them and see if you think it's worth it. Do you have a friend with a diesel truck so you can compare to how well it tows your boat?
Chris

[Powerquestboy]

That's definitely hurting your towing performance. If youre' going to be towing back and forth to Havasu all the time, then maybe the diesel is the way to go....for peace of mind and ease of driving. I love my 05 2500HD with the Dmax. Even lifted on 35 inch tires I get an honest 18 mpg empty and 16 mpg towing with a lead foot. It tows amazing, whether it's our boat or the enclosed trailer it just goes and no more screaming the motor or worrying about blowing things up. Just set the cruise a relax. I guess I can best put it this way....I'll always own a diesel if I have anything to tow...
That being said a new diesel truck aint cheap but I think with your size boat I'd look at them and see if you think it's worth it. Do you have a friend with a diesel truck so you can compare to how well it tows your boat?
Chris
Honestly the tow to Havasu is pretty easy since its all so flat. I run into problems going to Powell and Roosevelt with the big hill climbs. If I were to change gears what you reccommend?
I have towed several times with both the duramax and the Fords and they are nothing short of amazing in my opinion I just dont want to spend the dough if I dont have to. Es[ecially since this one is almost paid off and its soo clean.

[OCMerrill]

It's quite something what we put a 327 cu in engine through now a days.
We have a 02 Yukon (non XL) with 3.73's. The Diablo Predator programmer mad a significant difference. We run the 87 tune and that works. Shutting off that stupid torque management make the thing drive very differently.
All the mods in the world will not equal cubic inches though. The only way these baby motors can pull a load is to pass more air/fuel through. This is where the higher RPM comes in.
Another issue to be concerned with is the 10 bolt rear end. They are not bullet proof either but your within your GCWR rating so it should hold up.

[sigepmock]

Honestly the tow to Havasu is pretty easy since its all so flat. I run into problems going to Powell and Roosevelt with the big hill climbs. If I were to change gears what you reccommend?
I have towed several times with both the duramax and the Fords and they are nothing short of amazing in my opinion I just dont want to spend the dough if I dont have to. Es[ecially since this one is almost paid off and its soo clean.
If your tire size is less than 33 inch then you should be ok with 4.10's. Regear should run about $700 for the rear and about $1300 to $1400 for a 4x4.
The Diablo Sport Predator is about $400 so even if you did both the gears and the programmer...you're not out a lot of cash.
The other to remember is the braking, transmission, and rear-end. In a 3/4 ton they are lot bigger and designed to handle the weight. 7000 lbs is no small amount. We tow our boat, which is about 8000 lbs on the trailer, from the storage unit to the ramp with our Tahoe and even with air bags on the back and trailer brakes....the boat really pushes the Tahoe around. So much so that I would never use it to tow the boat more than just around town. Whenever we go out it's always my wife and our 1 1/2 year old daughter in the car with me and they are way too important to me to even take a chance.
I think it's a good rule of thumb to have an oversized tow vehicle for those "worst case" moments we've all probably had on the road. I know the extra size, braking ability, and power of my truck has saved me a few times in close calls on the road, if I had been in a smaller tow vehicle I'm sure the outcomes would have been worse.
I went through a similar delima with my last truck, a 2003 Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0L gas motor....I eventually supercharged it with a Whipple trying to get it to tow like I wanted and although it was fun for awhile it ultimitely cost me more $$$$$$ in the long run when I should have just gone out an bought the diesel from the beginning.
Good luck,
Chris

[VDRIVERACING]

I have a 2004 Tahoe (5.3, 3.73's) and tow about 4,000 lbs. The stock brakes were insufficient and made for some awkward moments...
I installed a set of Stainless Steel Brakes mongo calipers on the front and now that baby hauls down right quick! (ie., stops like it should have in the first place!!!) The pads are the same as a C-5 Corvette, they have 3 or 4 extra large pistons, and fit with the stock 17" wheels. It was about $1,000, but worth every penny and made a huge difference. They make even larger ones if you have bigger diameter wheels, and also larger rear calipers and rotors.
BTW, I bought the Predator programmer and set the 87 octane mode and realized a noticable improvement in towing power and less gear hunting. I'm gonna try the 92 octane setting on the next trip. Again, worth the $300.