7.3L diesel build

[6 cylinder puller]

Now I know this isn't really a diesel forum but I like how people think here and they usually give good advice that you wouldn't get anywhere else. It's still an engine and I was looking to take a slightly different approach than most. I wanted to get the most hp or tq out of the engine without adding programmer or charging the turbo but from making it breath a little easier. Now I am not looking for huge gains as I know gains at all will be hard to find but I basically looking to help air flow in and out, and have been looking at intakes, different intake ys and intake phenoms to get more air in, air out is done with a 4 inch exhaust , and there isn't much more I can get there. Here is a few of my questions how do you figure phenom sizes on boosted applications, I want to see if the stock one is too small, and maybe try to figure out some flow requirements for that size of engine, to see if opening up the intake y that splits the air to both heads would help any.Thanks for your time. Will post info of engine, cam and any other info later tonight.

[wyrmrider]

What year?
what vehicle, trans, usage etc
lots of powerstroke sites what do they have that you like, don't like

[6 cylinder puller]

The truck is a 2000 ford F250 powerstroke, 7.3L or 444 cubic inch, 4.11 bore,4.18 stroke, 17.5 to 1 compression, stock cam specs (best i could find) intake lobe lift .2535 duration at .050=178 exhaust lobe lift.2531 duration @.050 225 (106 lobe separation ), max factory boost setting is 22 pounds, auto transmission, 3.73 gears, truck is going to be used for towing pulling tractors , and weekend driving, looking for to to help fuel mileage and help the power some. Things I dont like about some of the powerstroke forums is theirs no proof stuff works or if it doesn't, usually it just because someone says so. Where on here someone usually comes along and tries to mathematically prove a theory or give a formula or direction (due to experience) to help figure out whats needed, I am trying to take a more serious approach to help this truck run a little better rather than go off of aftermarket guesses of hp increases . So what I am looking to do is figure out the intake plenum size to make sure that the factory ones is of correct size and to see what aftermarket sizes might be better, also I am looking to improve the flow of the intake manifold divider or intake Y by opening it up some by porting and want to make sure my cross sections would flow the need air. If someone could point me in the right direction I can do the math myself just needing some guidance.

[wyrmrider]

Start with durability
Oil cooler biggest that will fit with at least 1/2 in lines- same with the tranny cooler
If you've scrounged pick and pull you can see that ford has used various different coolers and trans lines can be restrictive
Install an easy to service fuel filter and there are some inexpensive fuel mods depending on your year
I understand that there may be some inexpensive intercooler upgrades from other larger models- free power
4" exhaust will hold down EGT's you don't need 5"
call Dave at Transgo in Elmonte CA and get the skinny on which shift kit to install- Dave is someoane you can trust
that's enough for now unless there is a deeper pan with extended pickup you can rob from a different model
I can get the customer tech line number if you get stuck in the front office DIY stuff
check your fan clutch and see if you have whatever the HD fan is
larger PS cooler seal the radiator "core support" spoiler under the core support get the air through the radiator with more pressure in front and more vacuum behind
BVVC about add on air filters- some name brands pass too much fine dust
check your U joints- if they need replacement use only factory of genuine dana spicer
off brands just have flame hardening or electro- induction thin surface hardening- not deep case hardening

not familiar with your year- CATS? do you have to pass smog like we do here in CA?
some years a turbo off a van can be an upgrade
I do not recommend spending thousands for what you want to do
Silicone hoses are a good move (and also for the intercooler) if you are in a hot weather area or mountains
what's the rear end lube look like-- suggestions guys?
DBL check the brakes and use DOT 4 fluid- flush it High temp WB grease
No use getting more power yet

[6 cylinder puller]

Thanks for the info I I already found a HD version of 6.0 trans cooler to drop in place after reading this, and I was going to do a pcv catch can, and put new boots on all the intake tubes, I was going to delete the intake heater due to it only activates in rare cases.I will follow up on the other info here soon and I plan on putting on a good set of gauges. Thanks again

[rq375]

Google "Hutch & Harpoon mod" to fix the pre pump fuel problems and to fill the tank completely. The stock air filter box is crap, I like the Ford AIS but there are cheaper options like a 4473. Gauges are a must, EGTs even on a stock truck can rise extremely fast when towing, I like the Edge Insight CTS II (gauges only, no tuning). A Hydra chip will give you a ton of flexibility with tuning to maximize your current setup and for future mods. 160/30-80 single shot injectors and a 66mm turbo makes a towing monster that still has great mpg. There is a pipe plug in the block behind the oil filter right above the pan rail that you can pull to check if you have forged or PM rods, on a 7.3 that determines how far you can go on mods. Start saving for a transmission now...

[wyrmrider]

If CS has worked with your vintage motor there would be no one better to work with
just work out goals and budgets as they can get out of hand
I did not mention the names of the fuel mods as as you know most of the PS forums come with those wanting to sell something- sometimes snake oil- Chris will be straight with you

[wyrmrider]

evidently when doing a bottom up $$ build the Torque converter becomes the weakest link
so after doing the big cooler, big lines and finding a cheap deep pan (and asking Dave at Transgo) Dave had a shop- customer in El Monte that did quality work then left the trans business to go into the Torque convert business ending up in Oregon?
I know they were doing multi plate clutches for MOPAR but IDK about Ford but they did know what they were doing
Dave would have the latest
I would contact Chris at Continental Converter on Florence in Inglewood CA
They oem converters for several of the "BIG NAMES" and you can eliminate the Name Brand Overhead
low stall, high converter ratio- Chris can fix you up
I run one of his converters in my AOD and 518 Dodge
BTW if you put a filter before the cooler you don't loose a cooler if and when your converter clutches go- learned this the hard way many years ago- no mater what they say plate and fin coolers can't be successfully cleaned
your truck fits the 99-2003 timeframe for mods

[6 cylinder puller]

I really like the idea of the cam shaft sounds like all I was looking for. But I wasnt really wanting to go that far internally but it mite have to be done. I like the idea of the filters to and yes I already started saving for a better trans we have own the truck from brand new, I bought it from my father and it only has 110,000 miles which I didn't think was bad for a 7.3. Chris how much is a 7.3 camshaft?

[needforspeed66gt]

I was building 7.3L motors for pulling applications in the early 2000's and we had the highest HP one in the country for a long time.

We designed main girdles, billet intake plenums, and the first high volume HPOP ever made was installed on my personal truck for R&D. Balancing the rotating assembly makes a huge difference, even on the stock builds, the customers always are amazed at how well they run. We have custom CNC piston bowl profiles for lowering compression and discouraging the common cracking issues. If you want to get into porting the heads, the outside runner has a pinch point (smaller CSA) than the other three ports on the head that should be addressed. There's also big improvements to be made in the valve job - we install hard seats immediately and that keeps the head from later cracking on the valve seats as always happens in high HP applications.

Too much injector timing and weak rods are the two biggest concerns, lots of aftermarket rods available now....but to deal with the fueling you need to use a high volume HPOP which won't drop your ICP. Get the fuel in quick with a well built injector so that the SOI occurs at the right time rather than using longer injector timing to band aid the low ICP issue, it'll lead to broken rods every time.

There's really too many things to type out, it all depends upon how much HP you want.

[wyrmrider]

Even if you got it from your dad only 10k miles means it has maybe not been driven hard enough
drain the fuel filter and change them and see how they look any trace of water pull the tank or do what people do in that case
check your coolant, ever been changed? might want to flush and change if not done in x number of years
do all the reliability things like call Transgo before even thinking of more power
(lots of snake oil in the hot rod trans business- lots of big spenders who get separated from their money
and do flush your brakes if not done in the last couple of years use DOT 4, suck the MC with a turkey baster

[6 cylinder puller]

Coolant has been changed recently due to thermostat being changed and the tin neck being changed ,new brake lines and fluid also within the last month fuel tank was out drained and new straps and fill neck was put on

[6 cylinder puller]

I seen they offered a stainless tubular header for this engine I would think that it would flow alot better than manifolds but then again is that different with a turbo ?

[wyrmrider]

flow vs losing heat check it out

[6 cylinder puller]

Wyrmrider is that the name of the subject and is it on speed talk