3x on the "letttin' er buck theory". These motors like to work and you can tickle 1100 egt's every now and then, heck hypermax even says in their manual you can sustain 1100 egt's for quite sometime. Make it snort and burn the carbon out of it!

 

OK fellas, will do. Thanks for all your advice.

I took it out for a drive today with the 5000# trailer only, ran good. Pretty much what I wrote earlier from memory - 800 +/- EGT, 5-10 boost once got up to 12 down an on-ramp, trans temp never over 250. 2000 rpm = 60 mph, took it as high as 2500 rpm = 73 mph or so. I've never run it up to 3000 rpm +, so I'll try that next time I'm busting up a big hill.

Those last 2500# of load make a big difference in maintaining speed up the long hills. In a month or so I need to take the car up to NH so that will be the next test.

Next up wastegate adjustment, new injectors and timing.

 

where is your sending unit located?
so you regularly see trans temps of 200 degree's plus?
do you have an external trans cooler?
how often do you change the fluid?

you've been missing out on some serious horse power (hp= momentum.)
don't be afraid of her.

 

You gotta let 'er SCREAM to make power out of these old pigs!

 

Did the trans type ever get mentioned......... auto or manual

 

yeah.post #12,PLC:

 

Put the Hamma Down!!!!

My bone stock 6.9 N/A/4 speed sees a lot of time resting on the governor...
I've rode 2nd gear on the governor at 35 MPH with 5k on the flatbed (+ the 5,700 pound truck = 11k pounds) uphill quite a few times. It sounds scary, like it's gonna blow up, but give that truck a royal beating and it'll run great!
3rd gear doesn't have enough oomph because i can't get a running start at that particular hill. But I can start in 1st, run it up to 20 MPH (on the governor), shift into 2nd and hold that on the governor at 35 MPH all the way up the hill easily.
As stated, you'll find higher RPM's are where the power comes in.

Get some new injectors and run it hard.
There's a lot of guys who run 'em hard, and there's a lot of guys who don't run 'em hard enough. These engines were built to last, they're tough!

Here's my favorite quote from member Towcat, it might shed some light on how much abuse the IDI can take.
"I went though 3 ZF5's in my F450 carrier from 1993 to 2003. put 980k logbook miles on the chassis. If I didn't put the truck into 5th gear on the freeway, I'd get run off the road. running an average gross of 15-17k lbs, the 5th gear did fine. if you ever owned a F450, you will testify the powertrain is extremely underrated by the factory..
I hydrolocked my first motor at 650k. I stopped giving it any love at 475k.it had low oil pressure, so I stopped changing the oil and stopped adding SCA's. it made it that far with pure neglect. the second motor is ready to be changed out, it's got a fair amount of blow-by now and the draconian smog laws got set back two years. therefore the truck is getting re-powered this spring..anyone who tells you these motors need to be babied is F.O.S.
With my '92 CC dually, I might drop into 4th going up the grapevine pulling 14k GCVW but the truck is doing the speed limit with some throttle left before hitting the floor. thanks to the IC, the EGT's are a non-issue. I'm pushing 900 deg at the end of the exh manifold on the driver's side. even unloaded, the F450 is down into 3rd pulling the grapevine and it tares at 9500lbs. turbo and IC makes a big difference with these trucks. If I was the only driver in my F450, it would get a turbo and a IC in a hot second." All from Oreo's thread here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/10...ith-5-38s.html"

 

Thanks all, this info really helped me decide how to proceed.

I mentioned earlier that my IP is fairly new, so my next steps are to replace injectors and get it timed and aligned at a pro shop. Then I'll finish my idea for a cold air / ram air this spring/summer.

My question is on the injectors - BB seems to be recommended - are those ok for turbo or should I stick with the G code which was stock?

Thanks!

 

get the bb the g ones are smog injectors and like everyone said dont be afraid to run her hard

 

Thanks Fordhorse, and all the others - really appreciate your help

 

BB injectors are the way to go - they pop at 1900psi fyi.

 

I want to tow a 25600lb trailer (10000lb fifth wheel hitch weight). Could my 88' f350 7.3l turbo 3speed auto handle it power wise?

 

i don't see why not. you will be measuring 0-60 times in light years but that's not a big deal as long as it gets the job done.

isn't that kind of weight on the edge of being legal and not legal?

 

If you have that kind of info also that would be nice. Its a trailer that would normally be towed by a bigrig but thats way beyond what i want to do.



FYI a lightyear is a unit of distance not time or speed(i did not know this).

 

i thought i read that once you get to a certain weight(and i think it was near what the weight of your trailer is) you need a special liscense. but i am not sure at all. would be best to talk to your local secretary of state office.