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If your truck has a 6.4 Powerstroke engine, odds are pretty good that at this point, your engine is not quite as hefty as it used to be in terms of power. But you can change all that with an investment in a tuner! Read on to learn more about these awesome devices and what they can do for your truck.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Tuners for 6.4 Powerstrokes
- OUR TOP PICK: SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer
- RUNNER-UP: SCT Livewire TS+
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Edge Evolution CTS3 Tuner
Comparison of the Best 6.4 Powerstrokes Tuners (2008 – 2010 Models)
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What Years Fall Under 6.4 Powerstroke?
6.4 Powerstroke engines are a pretty niche market, so you definitely want to make sure you are paying attention to the list of compatible engines and model years when you are looking into getting a tuner for your 6.4 Powerstroke engine. Ford produced Powerstrokes from 2008 to 2010, so keep an eye out for those model years in your tuner search. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on a tuner that will not actually be compatible with your truck’s engine.
What to Expect After Installing a Tuner in Your 6.4 Powerstroke
Will your tuner live up to the hype? Read on and see.
Increased Power
You may think you know your truck, but really, you do not know the full extent of your truck’s available power until you buy a tuner. Unleash your truck’s hidden potential and prepare to be overwhelmed!
Fuel Economy
What’s the one thing all truck drivers can agree on? The worst thing about driving a truck is by far the increased spending on gas. Tuners will be a game changer when it comes to increasing miles per gallon – saving a hit on both your wallet and the environment!
Efficiency
It is great to have a vehicle you can count on to reliably tow heavy loads, but wouldn’t a vehicle that could actually tow heavy loads efficiently fulfill your wildest dreams? Those dreams can come true with a tuner – you will be blown away at how much more bang for your buck your truck is able to produce, even when towing.
How to Choose a 6.4 Powerstroke Tuner
Tuners can be a pretty substantial investment, so you want to make sure you pick the right one. Here are some important qualities to keep in mind when tuner shopping:
Ease of Use
It can be overwhelming to engage in anything automotive, let alone something that combines automotive mechanics with modern day technology! Find yourself a tuner that is accessible and easy to use, even for someone with no tuning experience.
Customization
Most tuners come with preset tunes, such as one for fuel economy, or one for use while towing. But it can be helpful to have a tuner that can also be programmed into custom modes, so it is always great to select one with that option.
Screen Size
At this point, we all know the dangers of distracted driving, particularly distracted driving in regards to screen use. The last thing you want is for one of your truck’s vitals to be going crazy on your tuner screen, and you to be squinting to read it while moving and wind up in an accident. Find a tuner with a large screen that is easy to read so you never have to stress.
Review of the Best 6.4 Powerstroke Tuners
Keep in mind everything we just listed above, and check out some of the hottest tuners available:
Best Tuner Overall for 6.4L Powerstroke:
SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer
PROS
CONS
The SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer is an amazing tuner that is probably one of the best on the market when it comes to diagnosing exactly what is happening with your engine.
We all know the dread that accompanies the horrible sound of the “check engine” light turning on – and the increased stress that comes with worrying about whether or not your car will blow up underneath you before you are able to make time to bring it in to the mechanic. Say goodbye to all of that when you have this tuner! It can interpret any error code and tell you exactly what is going on with your car.
Plus, it also serves the traditional tuner functions of bumping up both the power and the fuel efficiency on your car, so you know you are getting the most bang for your buck. It is simple and easy to use and install. There isn’t much to not like about the SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer!
Bottom Line
The SCT X4 Power Flash Programmer is a great tuner that will save you plenty of time and money. Be advised – it does sometimes set off some odd warning lights.
Runner-up:
SCT Livewire TS+
PROS
PROS
What Other Powerstroke Owners Are Saying
There is a lack of first-hand feedback from 6.4L Powerstroke owners regarding the SCT Livewire TS+. However, customers are generally satisfied with the possibility of custom tuning next to the five preset tunes. The monitor looks excellent, and it's customizable to the driver's liking, but a few people have complained about the screen being too sensitive.
Why it Stands Out to Us
THE SCT Livewire TS+ comes with five preset tunes that will improve your truck's horsepower, torque, and throttle sensitivity. Next to straight-line power output, your truck will be able to tow almost anything! And if you ever grow tired of the preset tunes, Livewire TS+ has the capability of holding five more custom tunes. Shift-on-the-fly feature is available, but unfortunately, it doesn't work with custom tunes.
The highly-customizable monitor offers precise, real-time parameter readings of crucial data. Testing performance such as 0-60 speed, top speed, and breaking is also an option. The device does come with built-in Wi-Fi for easy updates.
Bottom Line
The SCT Livewire TS+ will turn your 6.4L Powerstroke into a berserker. If you ever desire more power, load, and flash custom tunes with Livewire TS+. Once you do, track exactly what your truck is capable of with the stylish monitor.
Best for the Money:
Edge Evolution CTS3 Tuner
PROS
CONS
The Edge Evolution CTS3 Tuner will make your truck’s efficiency and power a thousand times better, as well as giving you a totally customizable tuner and driving experience. There really is not much you will not be able to determine for yourself when using this tuner. You get to choose which of your truck’s vitals you will want to monitor on the home screen, and you even get to determine which color will represent each different vital measurement.
If you are interested in shaking things up, you can switch between different screen backgrounds and layout styles as well. Plus, if you happen to be from outside of the United States (or simply prefer more precise measurements) you can track everything on your truck using the metric system, as opposed to U.S. measuring units.
And we still have not told you the best part: this tuner features a “Mileage Coach” smart option to assist you with trip monitoring and miles per gallon calculation to ensure you are maximizing your fuel efficiency. What more could you need?
Bottom Line
The Edge Evolution CTS3 Tuner is the ideal tuner if you are looking for a truly personalized tuning experience. But, you should be aware that not all of its awesome settings are easy to access.
4. Bully Dog GT Platinum Diesel Tuner
PROS
CONS
The Bully Dog GT Platinum Diesel Tuner will connect to the unlock cable on your truck and be able to really unleash its full capacity for power. And more power means more of a lot of other awesome things, including a balancing of your truck’s torque and speed.
Also, how does boosted fuel efficiency sound? Word on the street is that this tuner can increase your truck engine’s miles per gallon by four whole miles. That will certainly make a noticeable difference in both time and money saved – no more needing to constantly swing by the gas station on the way out.
And as a bonus, the Bully Dog GT will fix one of the most quintessential truck issues: your vehicle constantly downshifting when it is going uphill. Say goodbye to frustrations and hello to easily maintaining your speed with this awesome little tuner!
Bottom Line
The Bully Dog GT Platinum Tuner is one of the best tuners for 6.4 Powerstrokes that you will be able to find. You will have to take the extra step of calling the Bully Dog company to get it up and running, though.
5. SCT 40460S GTX Performance Tuner
PROS
CONS
The SCT 40460S GTX Performance Tuner is a great engine tuner that is so simple to use, even those users unfamiliar with the concept of tuners will be able to quickly figure this guy out.
It has three different comprehensive tuning levels, which each provide different measures of power and performance enhancement – the Tow level, the Performance level, and the Street level. If none of those are to your taste, the GTX also has enough storage space for up to twenty tunes you can customize yourself.
It is capable of monitoring a pretty vast list of engine parameters, making it so that you do not have to worry about what exactly is going on with your engine. Plus, this tuner has one of the widest screens in the industry at five whole inches, so it is extremely accessible. It turns on quickly, in ten seconds or less. There is not much this awesome little tuner can’t do!
Bottom Line
The SCT 40460S GTX Performance Tuner is an excellent tuner that is probably one of the simplest and easiest tuners on the whole market. It will take a while to load when programming custom tunes, though.
Best 6.4L Powerstroke Custom Tuner:
EZLynk Tuner with GDP Custom Tunes
PROS
PROS
What Other Powerstroke Owners Are Saying
The EZLynk AutoAgent 2 is a user-focused tuner; Simple plug and play installation and ease of use. The custom tunes from GDP make your truck much more pleasant to drive, with plenty of power and noticeable fuel economy improvements. GDP technicians are often praised for their customer service.
Why it Stands Out to Us
EZLynk focused on user-experience with features such as true cloud-based tuning, the smartphone app, automatic updates, and many more. Tracking a tuned truck with a quality monitor is essential, and the AutoAgent 2 can do that in real-time with the customizable gauge screen! Contacting a technician, reading and clearing diagnostic codes, or vehicle management are all possible with the AutoAgent 2.
The custom tunes are the best way to tune a truck, and custom tunes from GDP are of the highest quality. Their technicians will create a tune that will allow you to push your 6.4L Powerstroke to its limits!
Bottom Line
Squeeze every drop of power from your 6.4 Powerstroke and experience something new with EZLynk AutoAgent 2. More power, better fuel mileage, or improved towing capability; all are possible with endless GDP custom tunes!
Conclusion
Tuners can be a great way to maximize pretty much everything awesome about your truck, from power to fuel efficiency. Keep in mind what specific features you would want to see from an engine tuner, and find a top notch, quality model from our list. Your driving game will be changed forever!
Related Powerstroke Buyer Guides
Looking for more part guides?
Be sure to check out our Powerstroke page and read through our hand-crafted reviews.