I'm confused! I'm having a hard time finding reliable recommendations on how to upgrade my 2001 F250 for both fuel economy & performance. I use the truck mostly for support & company promotion on dirt/gravel roads & highway - no pulling, towing, or racing.
I've added a 4" turbo-back straight pipe exhaust, AirRaid intake, Fitch Fuel Cat, DP Tuner F5, 8" lift, traction bars, 38's, dual Yellow-top Optima batteries, 430 gears, performance transmission, John Wood VB, diff covers, Zmax, Royal Purple gear oil, tire balnce beads, ...
I'm not happy with my open AirRaid system and am looking to change.
My turbo seems to overload under heavy towing or spinning. Have looked at Banks Turbo Assembly pkg with Big Head Wastegate.
Am looking at replacing intercooler with Banks as well.
Shopping for dual ram air hood replacement but having no luck finding low enough price.
Thanks ahead of time for your help.

 

Stay away from Banks, his stuff is too expensive. What do you mean by "turbo seems to overload"?

 

not a mechanic but when towing heavy load uphill or spinning out in the mud the engine or turbo seems to overload and starts making a "woofing" noise like it's loosing power.

 

Would you describe it as a "chuffa chuffa chuffa" sound? If so, that is what is referred to as surge, and there are a couple of things you can do for it. One is to "upgrade" to the earlier turbo wheel, known as the Wicked Wheel which are around $100 bucks give or take. It is good for about a 90% reduction in the phenomena. There is another way which will cure it completely, and that is to get an ATS housing. It is about $300.

 

yes, that's the sound. I'll shop for the ATS. thanks

 

Yeah was thinking Surging when I first read through. I'm looking at an ATS housing for when I install the van turbo. I think that'd be a perfect set up.

 

I like it. But it will BEG for a little more fuel at the bottom end to get it spooling. The 1.15 A/R exhaust housing is a bit laggy...

In other news, I stomped a D-max today!! This turkey with all kinds of stickers in his back window goes by me and lets out a puff of smoke, so naturally GAME ON!! I came up behind him, got around him, waved, and gave him a windshield full of it. He never caught me!! I LOVED IT!!!!

 

I think I got the right tunes for it.

 

Kcrowe I have a question for you. How does the Fitch Fuel Cat work? Did it help with fuel economy? I have the wicked Wheel and it works good. As for the intake around here 6637 is the best choice.

 

Damn Joe I need to go to a 2WD then LMAO good job he must of had a banks chip safe power .

Ditch the fuel catalist thing I have read several times around the boards they are a crock of crap along with Zmax quit wasting your money these trucks don't need any oil adatives and it never did anything for mine. Now I have ran schaeffers diesel treat and that really helped out my fuel economy.

You can go with an AFE Stage 2 set up and that will help out greatly or a ford AIS system.

As far as the turbo an ATS housing or WW like mentioned would really help out the turbo or buying a GTP38R Ball Bearing turbo if you have the funds would be even better .

Your not going to get good fuel economy on 8ins of lift and 38s that pretty much ruins your chances of good fuel economy now you can lower it to a more usable size like 4ins and 35s but that would only help you out a little bit with the 4.30 gears. Now you might try a water meth system I have heard that will help out along with some hybrid injectors from full force diesel or swamps will really help you out believe it or not with live tuning from Jody since your down there. Just a few pointers man.

 

Right now, I'm DYING for injectors. I got beat by one of those Hemi-wagon things a couple days ago (Magnum or something?), but not by that much. If I had the extra 100 HP or so, I'd have had him...

I gave the D-max guy a couple chances, too. He kept racing up behind me, and I lit it. Never caught me.

 

I got beat by a tuned Dayton Hemi truck at the Drag strip last night I know how you feel Then a Smarty tune Cummins that had never ran before did better .

 

What's in the Daytona Hemi?? Is it supercharged or something? I've eaten several Hemi trucks for lunch...

 

Regular Reg cab hemi with some tuning done to it IE programming plus I am running a stock MAP no OBA so I was defueling.

 

Sorry for the hijack -- to the OP, you're on the right track now with the ATS. The big-head is a complete waste of money. All it does is hold the wastegate closed with a tighter spring, but the PCM tells it to open anyway. You can do the same thing by tightening the WG actuator rod. Or, once you get the ATS or WW, just unplug it and shove the tube on one of the IC boot clamps. The ATS/WW will keep the surge down up there. I ran that way for a long time.