dieselmanic,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.

The ATS turbo outlet and downpipe are the correct way to lower exhaust restriction considerably, but I understand ATS wants a fair amount for the outlet and downpipe.
The stock Ford unit it way to small and bent up to work good.

The actual turbo is the same, just the outlet flange is bigger.

If you use more power, it takes more fuel to make more power.

 

Agreed. Had a buddy add a k&n to his 1989 F250 460. Needless to say the engine has never ran since. IMHO If you want the K&N results and problems without paying for the fancy filter, just cut off your whole intake and see what happens...HAHA

 

i've used k&n filters in the past with good results and i've noticed the a difference with the air filter replacement gauge on the side of the housing. before, even with a new filter, the gauge would be close to the "replace" line after a trip while towing. can
good results be had by installing a 3" downpipe on the stock turbine housing?? i can see the stock pipe appears very restrictive

 

I am usually very skeptical when it comes to claims made by aftermarket companies but the K&N fiter products is one of those that has worked out for me.

I put K&N filters on both my 93 turbo and my 91 NA and have seen almost a 10% rise in fuel milage on both trucks. Note, I used to reset the air restrictor indicator on my 93' weekly even with a new paper filter installed. I have never had to reset it since I got the K&N in the truck, there is nothing to reset as the turbo never has any suction vacuum any more.

Of course do not use the K&N if you are in a dusty climate, in those climates you should be running a oil bath filter set-up anyways.

With fuel prices the way they are these days, a 10% increase in fuel milage is like saving 40 cents per gallon here in Canada)

Lastly, that extra 10% of fuel used to go out the tailpipe un-burned or partially combusted for the most part. So it is also a good thing for the environment.

 

not to get off subject, i agree that the fuel mileage boost is nice and the engine seems to run better but another reason i went with the k&n filter is not having to change out the filter as often back on subject, the muffler shop wants to cut and weld a new 3" above the bend but below the flange. whataya think?? will it work?? at least i would get rid of the smash pipe.

 

If you don't recommend a K&N then what do you recommend? If you do recommend a K&N how often do you clean it?

 

i clean my k&n air filter at every 30k service. previously i was changing the pleated paper filters every 10-12k. i have my oil changed every 5k, but sometimes this means i'm out of state when this happens. and the lube jockeys are always wanting to pull out my old air filter to inspect (and get more $$). on my '94 this is a pain in the a$$.

 

It would help, but the stock turbo outlet is way smaller on the stock unit.

I just had the two outlets setting side by side last Saturday. I wish I would have taken a picture of them.

 

then is there a downpipe for sale that will work with the stock turbo, or am i going to have dream and save for ats parts?? i feel i need more flow through the exhaust system as the engine seems to have a hard time reving beyond 2500 rpm when i'm fully loaded.

 

Here is a pic of the housings side by side

 

car601, thank YOU for that post! talk about a picture being worth a thousand words! i definitely can appreciate the difference between the two housings. i can see this upgrade in my future soon.

 

diesel--if you do all the ats upgrades to the turbo--and turn up the ip--and the boost--you wont know its the same truck--no joke--butttttttttttt--get a pyro and boost gauge in there--no more than 1200 deg--and no more than 12 boost under load--

 

That ATS upgrade turbo outlet is almost twice the size of the Ford stock outlet.
That extra size lets a lot of heat out of the engine which drops EGT's and definitly lets it breathe much easier.

Car601, I saved your picture if you do not mind, that is the picture I wish I had taken time to take while mine was out.

 

thanks everyone for advice it makes a lot of sense to take care of the exhaust flow BEFORE doing the ip and boost pressure adjustments. i do have to say that as i crest most of the passes as i travel, the temp gauge is moving to the right and the fan is fully locked up. it doesn't overheat per se, but it's definetly on the warm side of things. increased performance = increased fuel burn. getting the heat out will be of major concern but i need, gotta have, some more grunt. btw, would you recommend any cooling system mods?? thanks again for everyone's input

 

Beastlover- can you tell me what kind of mods were required to install your 4" Magnaflow on your IDI? I assume you ordered the Magnaflow for a 1994.5-1997 Powerstroke.

I will be installing the ATS turbo upgrade - but was concerned about difference between the PDS and the IDI (turbo location, downpipe, etc)

I don't want to order a system and have to send it back because it won't fit w/o major cutting, welding, etc.

What are your truck details? I have a 1994 F250 7.3L IDI TD, Xcab.

Thanks