I am thinking of buying a 2000 f650 w/ cat engine and allison tranny. I would like up the hp some. Anyone have any suggestions where to start or is it a lost cause? Thanks

 

Not at all a lost cause, but it surely wont last as long, the higher it goes. You can make plenty of power with it, start with a reflash from a Cat dealer. After that, you'll need injector and ECM work, which will be the same scenario if you're looking at the IH trucks with a DT466E or 530E(which can take the higher power). Are you looking for 350hp or so? Too much more than that, and stuff breaks really easily.

 

What do you mean "wont last as long"? I would like to up the hp to at least 280-300. This f650 is a really good deal. How do these trucks hold up? Also what about the torque? Will the reflash and ecm work help that? Thank you for your help.

 

I was meaning, it wouldnt last as long if it was already at 330hp, and you wanted a bunch more. Up to 300 is no biggie. The torque at 300 is roughly 800 pounds. The dealer will only set it up to its highest setting according to the engine's current setup. A setting for 300hp will have different pistons, injectors and turbo than one setup for 220hp. Basically, if it's at 230hp now, dont be surprised if they'll only be able to set it to 250hp. There's add on performance boxes, like Edge, Diablo, and TS, but they arent really cost effective and dont always deliver the power they say. The trucks hold up pretty well, and every truck maker has glitches. Those are actually made by IH for Ford anyway, so parts will be readily available.
Just like a powerstroke, keep the oil clean, and all the filters changed on time, and it'll be a great rig.

 

The trans wont last. Allison rates thier trans for engine hp.The 5spd you have is rated for under 240 hp. The petes we have have the bigger 6spd allison and even it is only rated for 330 hp.Price out a rebuild on one as they are not cheap.