Hey guys, I've been away from the forum for several years, but I'm back!
This is the place I learned everything about the 7.3 back in the day, so I'm back to learn a little more. My truck is a '94 F250, dually and dana 60 front conversion. Currently I'm running rosewood stage 2's, D66 from beans, edge evo, south bend clutch, strait piped, 3367 intake, shimmed fuel pressure, IPR out of a stait 6 IH motor (don't ask me how that works) and probably a few things I'm forgetting. The truck runs great with decent power, but I'm ready to make the swap into a more dedicated pulling truck. I'm in Afghanistan at the moment, but when I get back my plans are to buy a stock 7.3 and build it from the ground up, shooting for a reliable 5-600HP. (no idea what kind of power I'm making at the moment)
So, if you guys had to build one, what parts would you use? from cams and rods to turbos and HPOPs? I just want to get an idea of what I need to get around to make this happen. Then I've got a 73' highboy that would love the motor I have now, but thats for the future.
Thanks for any input guys!

And if anybody would like to see/talk about some awesome 4x4 6x6 or 8x8 military vehicles, its a subject I love (drive them every day)

 

I don't really have any input on high power engine builds, but:

1. thank you for your service to our country - seriously
2. i for one would love to see some military vehicle pics. i get to work with some for my job, but have never been able to drive one or see it in action. i do monitor the government auction sites and would love to buy an old one - or at least an engine...

 

I wont take credit were its not due, I'm only a contractor supporting the soldiers. We do the mantinace on the vehicles, MRAPs and support vehicles. Nothing like the old HMMWVs or 5 tons, the MRAP base price starts at around $500,000... I could post some pictures here, if nobody would mind getting OT..

 

well then, thanks for serving the guys who serve our country! and yep, i've been on a few MRAPs - amazing vehicles, but still can't see how they cost that much. well, i guess i do - because the Army needed them ASAP and was willing to pay pay pay.

 

It is crazy.. And the upgrades they keep coming up with put the upgrades on my truck to shame! Gotta love the MATVs and Maxxpros! OshKosh and IH at their best!

 

yep - i've been on both. i keep dropping hints with the folks at Navistar about how i'd love to get one of their new MaxxForce military engines for my truck - our OBS trucks are pre-diesel emissions laws, so i'm pretty sure the military engines would be legit.

anyway - surprisingly, no one has offered me a free, brand new engine!

and my apologies for de-railing your motor build thread in favor of military vehicle discussions...

 

The stock bottom end can handle 550-600hp

What size stageII's do you have 160/80 or 180/80

With you setup you have now if you get rid of the edge and get custom tuning you could make 400hp.

If it was me I'd keep that setup with changing to custom tunes, a s468 turbo, e fuel, push rods, and valve spring. That will put you around 500+ hp depending on which injectors you have.

 

So, my definition of a "pulling truck" is different than most peoples being around sled pulling and all. What are the goals of this engine? Towing or sled pulling? What kind of budget do you have?

If your budget is fairly high and your looking for a reliable 600hp engine, start off w/ billet connecting rods (Crower, Cunningham, Carillo, R&R), 4 bolt girdle w/ main studs and partial filled block or Swamps bedplate, Mahle pistons, Gearhead cam, ported heads, H11 head studs, whichever valve springs Matt recommends with his cam, chromoly pushrods (smith brothers or DI), 250cc/200% or 300cc/200% hybrids, turbo setup will depend on what your doing with it, dual SD pump fuel system, Terminator dual HPOPs. Of course your also going to need a dual disc clutch to hold the power and which clutch depends on if your towing or sled pulling.

 

There just went 10k. Lol

 

Travis you forgot gauges.

 

If he already has stage 2's and tuning, he better already have some gauges and if he's wanting to build a 600hp 7.3L, he better have enough common sense to have gauges and keep an eye on them. LOL

 

I have guages, and honestly I don't remember what size my injectors are, I'll have to look at the build sheet from rosewood when I get home. Is 500HP the breaking point for the girdle and rods? And by pulling I mean sled pulling, but I want to keep it reliable enough to drive on the street from time to time. Where are you guys picking up the s468 turbo? Last time I was on this forum it was all about the D66 or H2E if you had a better budget. and my budget will be 10K or less. However the ZF if due for a rebuild as well, so some of the money will have to go into the truck instead of the motor.. Thanks for the input guys

 

You can get the turbo at Irate Diesel.

 

Ok, if your going to be doing sled pulling, what class are you looking to pull in? Work stock? 2.6??? How competitive do you actually look to be? You need to pay special attention to the rules in the organization your looking to pull in. Especially how the rules read for what you can do with the turbo, suspension, weights, etc.

With a $10k budget, your not going to be able to afford an engine w/ billet rods and a girdle. Run the factory engine. You do need to go ahead and do head studs, valve springs, pushrods, and a good dual disc for pulling. I would do a sintered iron dual disc. That is already going to chew up a good $2000 of your budget. The fuel and air situation will depend on what class your looking to run in and what kind of money you have left after you get the truck set up for pulling. Your going to need to do suspension stops, a hitch (move it forward as much as you can within the rules), traction bars, a weight rack (if allowed), and other safety items if necessary such as driveshaft loops, air and fuel shut offs, cross bolts in the downpipe, a stack (if necessary)....

 

I plan on just running in the work stock/street stock classes. the suspension stops, ladder bars, stacks and hitch I already have, and half the weight bracket is done (ran out of time before I deployed in '11) The clutch will def be a must. I may be coming home in june to pull in the thunder in muncie, I'll see how it does then If I make it home. But I haven't pulled in close to 5 years now..