How necessary is an intercooler if you're running stage 1s? Minimal heavy towing and RPMs around 2100 or less. Also is there any difference between the 7.3 or 6.0 ICs if they are from an ambulance?

 

As long as you don't tow that much you'd be ok, but you won't be able to use all the horsepower either because your temps will get up there quick. Just watch your temp gauge, it will tell you if you need an intercooler!

 

Kinda like Darin said...

Intercoolers are nice to have but tow in a tow setting or low setting and drive by the EGT gauge if you don't have one...

6.oh intercooler will be bigger and plastic ended.

 

I did a tow to central Oregon last month on my Stage 1's. No intercooler. I stared at the pyro most of the way. No problems at all really. The engine will keep making power, but you'll hafta remove your foot before you cook things.

I did find I could hold gears longer and farther, but still ended up in third for the larger/steeper grades. Switching to the "Heavy Tow" setting seemed to keep the temps down.

Got most of the parts, but still need a coupla things for my I/C install. Time mostly...

 

Jacob in the first pic you can see some differences: (spearco, 6.0 and 7.3) and not all olf the 7.3 are aluminum tanks, in the second pic you can see one 7.3 vs 6.0 (biger), both with plastic tanks

 

So which would be best to buy the 6.0 or the 7.3? I am assuming the 6.0 being larger would cool more efficiently. Would the install be easier on 6.0 or 7.3, also would the cost of pipes be less or more expensive to install be a factor?

 

Whichever one you can get your hands on for next to nothing...

For pipes, you can make up your own or mod some 7.3 Superdooty pipes...

 

Another option no one mentions is using a water injection like the snow performance kits. I don't have experience with them but read an article where it sounds like would have a tripple benefit of cooler intake charge, increased fuel mileage and less fabrication for installation, or need less room to install. Down side is it would be a larger upfront cost.

 

Got a link to any articles? Sounds intriguing...

 

Thats a good option but IMO, the IC is first, and always is working, and if you need to decrease more the EGTs for some reason then add a w/m injection kit.

 

Snow Performance Water Methanol Injection Kits

 

The issue here is finding a place to constantly be carrying water. It needs to always have some in it. And an intercooler does it's job all the time, slap it on and go...

Intercooler first, If for whatever reason you are still having heat issues, water/meth is a good choice...

 

Or buy the ones on Ebay for $200 bones.

 

I tried towing without an IC and it sucked. All kinds of new power and no way to use it. That said, everyone's idea of what is a heavy load, what's a steep or long hill, how fast you need to go, etc. are different. I'd say go try it and see how you do. Worst case you end up slowing down, shifting down, and turning down your chip till you're close to or at stock power again. You'll get there, you just won't do it nearly as fast.

 

I told you