I dig this topic so I will share my experience. Full on agree with a lot of what is already said. And then not with a little here and there. Doesn't really matter tho. Hopefully this is interesting enough to make up for the length. Phones just make **** look long and over authored.
Probably is.
Yours and mine will obviously have some significant differences. Mostly my six speed to your eight. Advantage you. I'm regeared to 5.13 and running on 36" sneaks, MTs. So now we are a little closer.
I live at 7000ft and usually go uphill from here, all the way to 12,000ft often enough. The power loss for any combustion engine at 7000ft vs sea level is 20% power loss just for showing up here. I could run a supercharger at 6 psi which would return my 20% power loss due to elevation and not stress the truck anymore then a stocker at sea level. (I think my maxcare should still be valid if I'm not exceeding stock specs ya) ok maybe the extra new found torque would violate but I'm not sure exactly where a Whipple at 6psi would land the final numbers. I bet Tach_tech knows. He's sport'n a Whipple with all the proper support on his.
My wife gave me the go ahead on a Whipple (I don't have to ask, I'm just trying to make her feel in control. [emoji1787] ) I haven't cause im afraid to blow my BGE or for sure my RFE up, because of the that thin piston ring lip thingy that a member upstairs mentioned earlier. That and my driving style.
The 6.4l BGE engine (truck engine) has a forged bottom end and was is produced for all those things you already know. BUT that doesn't mean the BGE won't straight up scream if setup and tuned as such.
I did all the bolt ons (except tb) unlocked the PCM and have run both HF and Greene Racing tunes.
I wasn't intending to build a quarter mile pony with a three quarter ton truck, but with the engine mods and the 5.13 gear w 35s at 7000', I damn near have one. My 7600lb girlie will straight up scream even with my **** shifting six speed, I drive in an environment of Mercedes, Audi, Beamer, Subies, Raptors and other "I'm so much better than you" cars, lots of good sized hills too. Nothing I love more than ruining their day by smoking their butt from red light to red light, or from an 80mph roll and if it's up hill, I will bury most anything that looks sideways at me. Matched an Audi thru four gears to 90 on a flat road, he was pissed.
I'm just saying the BGE can and will get it done and I'm just starting, Green Racing custom cam, hell cat lifters, valves, springs ( full kit from Jay $2100 ish is next) the rest of my mods are in my sig. All the same gear your talking about. Might grab a ported tb on my way to the cam swap, just cause I'm bored and wanna see, but will need it for cam swap, my understanding is the stocker is not limiting me yet.
If I want to build it tho, I had to make sure restrictions were not present, so air in and air out. The single best was the headers, high flow cats (might cut em out) and yank that f y pipe POS out as soon as you can. Stocker is a joke probably get most of the gains of full exhaust, headers to muffler, just by ripn that stocker y-pipe out.
Just to note individually the mods are a little harder to detect one by one in a 2500 compared to what the 1500 guys feel on each install, and at 7000' i feel 20% less then an already 'does it make a difference' mod then others. But All of the boltons together WITH a tune, have made a screaming difference. And I was willing to burn off my 35s to show boat it too. And bury a ford at same time - icing bro.
I'm going to schedule a Dyno pull session soon, real soon, so I know how far I've come and how much the Greene cam swap is going to do (I've seen the results and I'm so jazzed it's going to double my current gains above stock for a very nice place to be with regards to torque and ponies.
Never hurts to rock a little head work as long as they are off, 3 angle valve job, port match everything in and out, but don't doubt BGE heads for air flow. They move air.
I think the biggest detuning of the BGE is the ****wad cam. It's gotta go and I think I'm going to have much of it's potential. I'll leave the compression alone, no head mill, but the valve job. And port match.
Hope thats not too long a write, but it seems to be similar to the information you've been seeking and sifting.
Oh last thing, I think, bought my 16 in 15 and it took Soo f long to finally have access to an unlocked and tunable PCM, hopefully the 20 doesn't have any new security or encryption because until you can tune just keep buying the parts and install when tune is available. And yes I ate a Mx Care liftime, but I want my truck a certain way, gotta walk on eggshells to get FCA to honor warranty anyway at least that's what I tell my self but so far absolutely no regrets. Other than I dont have the valve train swapped yet.
Edit: only once has a truck gapped me And it was silly, a deleted, tuned and whatever else diesel on 32"tires and me on 37s. It was very impressive through 5 gears. And dudes come after my wagon like she's a cheap ******. They only try once tho, seriously nobody asks for another try.
I am bragging up the 6.4L BGE truck engine. I. Just happen to be lucky as f have one. the Rest is props to the 6.4L BGE.
[emoji16]
'16 Wagon Greene tune feed'n & fire'n 6.4L with 6spd • 5.13 AAM, 37" KM3, -12mm Fuels • Thuren Overland, DOR, Purple Cranium • CAI, ARH, Solo Mach44 • z36, EBC • Custom vinyl AVS, 4% tint • Morimoto, Rigid, Diode Dynamics • AlfaOBD, Diablo, Nanny Kill, Locker bypass •................. 
