I'm ready to upgrade my intercooler and haven't been able to compare the various options. Each manufacturer compares their unit to something different. BD lists some numbers, like testing pressure and temperature drop, Banks lists flow percentage increase, Spearco just claims to get the charge air close to ambient. Is there a clear winner? Is a 6.0 intercooler just as good as any of these?

I hereby agree to submit my wallet to the wisdom of the forum.

 

save the 1500 buks, and contact this guy....he guts these trucks..7.3,6.0..etc, all day long.

$@!! PARTING OUT A 2003 FORD F-250 REGULAR CAB 5.4L 2WD LONG BED @#@!

 

If you keep your eye open, 6.0 IC's can be had for $200 or less sometimes. They are a direct bolt in replacement and are the best bang for the buck by far.
Banks, spearco etc are not worth $1000-1300 for what you get in my opinion. If you are doing a built and you had the $$$ to throw around then by all means it would be something to look into. But for the average person, that money could be spent elsewhere.
I myself run a stock IC off a 07 6.7 cummins. It is not a direct bolt in by any means, but then again hardly anything on my truck is. The 6.7 IC is bigger than any spearco, banks or 6.0 cooler. It wont even fit in the stock location. It is the size of my radiator. And I got it for nothing, except for my time to modify and make it fit.

 

Larry if you have the money we can spend it lol. A lot of the guys who are crazy sled pullers go with Banks IC and if I had the money laying around and didnt have a list of other things I want for that much $$$$ i would go Banks my .02

 

There was a thread going around last week talking about this subject. Most of what I read said the people who installed the 6.0 didnt see any real measurable gains. One guy said he liked his spearco.

 

I certainly don't a lot of money.....but I sure like the quality & fit of my Spearco 7.3 intercooler. I was shooting for longevity & the best possible efficiency.

 

I like the idea of the cummins I/C, can you tell me about the mods you had to do to make it fit?

 

With my 6.0L IC and Van turbo with stock injectors, I was hard pressed to get my EGTs to 1300. I can now (and then some!), but that's because of the larger injectors...

 

I have a Spearco and it has been good. I tow a 10k TT through the mountains with my Excursion and it really helped. No, they are not cheap but they will do better than the 6.0 from all of my research. 6.0, yeah, better bang for the buck but the Spearco will drop EGTs more. I'm sure someone will know more, but when I did mine, I did a bunch of research and chose the Spearco. The thing is beautiful, too bad you can't see it! The Cummins IC sounds good if one is up to modifying to fit, much cheaper. I had to get the best EGT drop as I was really having to back off going over the passes, that's why I got the Spearco. I will probably get a van turbo one day when I'm up to it. Good luck making your decision!

Steve

 

Yea I would like to see that too, Got any pictures? we like pictures.

 

maybe work something out, mailing it...

ford 6L diesel intercooler. factory/stock.

Ford Powerstroke Diesel Parts, ARP, BLACK ONYX, SCT, 6.0 7.3

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/pts/2175778551.html

 

maybe work something out, mailing it...

ford 6L diesel intercooler. factory/stock.

Ford Powerstroke Diesel Parts, ARP, BLACK ONYX, SCT, 6.0 7.3

Dodge intercooler

 

5 years ago I installed a DI Intercooler (Diesel Innovations) after talking with Luke Cline and Tony Wildman. Glad I did it, dropped my EGT's 200-250 degrees while towing and romping in the higher HP tunes. Cost some $ but I would do it again in a heartbeat and will most likely add one to my Excursion. The 6.0 is a great option and more cost effective but will not drop the EGT's as much, IIRC about 100 degrees.

Diesel Innovations Intercooler




This is what I posted in 2006 on the DieselStop.com:

Well after taking everyones advice I installed the larger intercooler. I bought the Diesel Innovations Intercooler ( Diesel innovatioins ) & got two updated tow programs from Tony Wildman ( totaldieselperformance.com ). Just thought I would post the results after adding these mods & towing my camper. What a huge difference on power & EGT's! My camper is a 31" Outback 5th wheel (approx 9,500 after fully loaded) The OAT was 92 degrees. I have two of Tony's tow programs on my 4 position chip. One is @ +40hp and the other is @ +80 HP. I basically got one for towing on the flats and one for the hills. Both programs have the shift point to OD set at 55 MPH. This feature is great, no more lugging at 45 MPH if I forgot to hit the OD off button.

Towing at:

70 MPH = 800*
75 MPH = 850*
80 MPH = 900*

This was while driving on relatively flat terrain. Even while climbing uphill in the +40HP tow program I never went above 1150. When I used the higher HP tow program I would get 1250+ climbing hills, but I mostly used this on the flats, for the added passing power or to get up to speed entering the Interstate. Worked great. Overall I guess a saw a 200* drop in EGT's while towing because of the DIIC.

 

I have the Spearco 6.0 intercooler and it's size is twice of Fords. I also have both intercooler pipes insulated with thermo tec. Next time you drive your truck and it's up to temp go put your hand on the intercooler pipe on passenger side, bet ya can't hold it there long, that's why they should be insulated, why have a intercooler then let the engine heat the air back up? JMOP

 

check out the hypermax tapercore....its nasty huge!