For me this is a new truck, I just installed the gauges and wanted to see if I was in the right area for what I should be seeing.

 

I can make 27psi before I backed off in my 120 tune. If you want bigger boost numbers you need to lower drive pressure and !do not! install a WW, yes they do cure surge but they do it by reducing air flow! Put a bigger exhaust housing on, or do what I did and install a Van turbo

 

Clay has a great kit. I pieced it together because I had an inlaw with a freind I was able to get it all really cheap. Plenums and all. It just needs to cool down so I can install.
Chet

 

OP - 18psi is 'normal' for stock tuning. Clean that engine up and build yourself a boost leak detector to check for boost leaks anyway. Its easy and cheap.

Capt. Buzzkill, you are right - to a point. With stock injectors and good tuning the stock turbo works fine up to 25psi. I'm sure its not doing much for 'power' above that and is certainly making EGT's high as it heats the air up - but there is alot of room for extra (and 'safe') power when ya get away from stock tuning. To be specific, drive pressures are the issue. Due to the casting? of the housings in the turbo - some trucks have more issue than others, SURGE being a key indicator....

 

I can produce 26psi in 80e unloaded. All I have is 6637 and a 4" exhaust. When I do that I get turbo stall, which is different from surge.

 

i dont care if i can get 25psi i just dont wont a leak. at the 10psi i run most of the time pulling i can pull all i need to.

 

Get yourself self a boost leak detector and have at it

 

i have one in the shop and i have Clays Plenum Reinforcing Inserts to put in but have not had time.

 

Mine is all stock. So stock in fact I don't even have a boost gauge to tell you any numbers. :P

 

Sounds like you have a good handle on your PMS (Powerstroke Mod Syndrome). Take it from me, once you start....

Fwiw, the 'gateway drugs' for this affliction are the free and cheap mods like 6637 filters and muffler-delete. Pretty soon, ya get a chip and once you feel the that first REAL power improvement its all over! Then you move on to the 'hard stuff' like injectors and turbos - and trust me, there's no turning back!!

But, I can stop anytime I want to - really.

 

"I just killed my turbo because I wanted more boost. I averaged 25psi. for a couple of years.
I also have an ats ported intake housing,and 1.0 exhaust housing. The bearing is only gonna take so much,for so long. If you want more boost-buy the 38R. Then do head studs. Then do????

 

My stock turbo in F350 had over 300k miles on it and more than 100k making 25+ psi. I did replace it with a 38R at engine rebuild, but that turbo is still TIGHT and has never even been rebuilt. It has also never seen surge and was NEVER shut down above 400* EGT.

That said, the turbo in my X was 'dusted' badly when I bought it over 100k miles ago - then pushed to nearly 30psi regularly after that. It failed catastrophically a few months ago...

Like buzzkill said though boost psi is over-rated. We need VOLUME of air to make power and psi doesn't accurately represent that. Moreover, it is excessive DRIVE PRESSURE that kills turbos - specifically drive pressure vs boost pressure - this is what puts ridiculous sideloading on the shaft/journal bearings and if you combine deadly drive pressure ratios with even a little surge/stall, it won't take long to kill any turbo. The wastegate is there to reduce the amount of backpressure, so y'all with the little red line plugged have removed the lifeboat from your turbo AND yer not making any more power anyway...

Notice the van turbo has no WG?? Thats because it has a larger exhaust wheel and a larger exhaust housing, so drive pressure is not an issue (with stock injectors, etc anyway!!! All those ported housings, WW's and larger AR exhaust housings for stock turbos are not a good investment IMHO. Van turbos are cheaper and likely work better too!

As for headstuds, the stock bolts are generally considered OK up to about 40psi. Even then, you're just looking at popping headgaskets - not likely a catastrophic failure.

Want mo power? Stage 2 injectors (80-100% over nozzles) and a T4-type turbo/modded H2E. Should be 500ish HP, tow like a locomotive and be able to return better-than-stock MPG's!

 

I tell everyone that questions why I haven't done anything that "ignorance is bliss". lol

Not so ignorant though, I do have buddies with tuners and exhaust and stuff. Stock is enough for me.

I did however remove my heater and make a plug.

 

Is there ever a problem in the winter without the heater? I just removed mine with the gauges I installed. Just wondering if you need it.

 

The only thing that the AIH is there for is to cut down on the white smoke in winter while the engine is warming up, other than that no use for it. I deleted mine a long time ago, it pours out white smoke when its really cold out