Mods That Didn't Live Up To Expectations
#1
07-09-2018, 01:42 PM
Mods That Didn't Live Up To Expectations
I'm stealing this idea since I saw this somewhere else and thought we could benefit from it here (similar to the morning coffee thread started by BBSlider001). I don't think we've had one of these (at least since I've been lurking around here).
We have all kinds of thread on the "best of" for tunes, injectors, headlights, gages...you name it.
We don't have one for those things/ideas we had that just didn't quite pan out the way we expected them to or found a better way to do it down the road. I thought this would be a good place to capture these things so others may learn from our efforts and experience.
While there are a lot of products that people have tried this is not meant to be a vendor-bashing escapade so no names please. For example:
- Good: I had some issues with my stainless steel high pressure oil crossover.
- Bad: I had some issues with my stainless steel high pressure crossover from XXX that I bought from YYY.
DISCLAIMER: Each 7.3L has its own personality. Everybody has different intentions with their trucks and approach things with a unique purpose and wallet. What works for one may not work for another, YMMV, etc.
I'll get things started:
1. High pressure oil crossover (HPX) - A good idea but it was a leaker from the get go. I had the stainless steel version and, while it did its job, I was always battling oil weeping out of the fitting(s). I eventually went to the "high flow" HPOP outlet fittings (non-check ball) which accomplish the same thing and got rid of the HPX. Some starts are a little longer than others but is something I'm willing to live with compared to the alternative.
2. Max A/C mod (aka Ranger mod) - Uses a vacuum operated valve to stop coolant circulating through the heater core to help make the air conditioning cooler. My truck came with a valve (single line) that would work in MAX A/C only (which was still not entirely effective). I used a valve intended for the Ranger (hence the name) which was dual line. It seemed to work but when the valve was activated it would leak coolant. I replaced it with another one and it promptly leaked also. I removed the vacuum operated valve, capped the vacuum line, installed a coupler in one line (to reconnect the break I made in the hose), and installed a manual ball valve in the other. The good part is it stops flow through the heater core and maintaines pressure in the system but it does require me to pop the hood and manually operate the valve.
3. Foil delete - Not a disappointment for me but has been for others (more noise). Removing the foil on the CAC (Charge Air Cooler) tube does not provide any performance gains
. It does make the turbo whistle more pronounced without the insulation and is more visually pleasing if you're into that kind of thing. Mine was starting to deteriorate and decided to just remove all of it. As many times as I have removed my CAC tubes it is much easier to do without the foil encasing the tube. It is easier to route for re-install and I don't run the risk of paper cuts from all the frayed portions I had 
. As I mentioned, some were not expecting the noise increase.
Hopefully others contribute.
We have all kinds of thread on the "best of" for tunes, injectors, headlights, gages...you name it.
We don't have one for those things/ideas we had that just didn't quite pan out the way we expected them to or found a better way to do it down the road. I thought this would be a good place to capture these things so others may learn from our efforts and experience.
While there are a lot of products that people have tried this is not meant to be a vendor-bashing escapade so no names please. For example:
- Good: I had some issues with my stainless steel high pressure oil crossover.
- Bad: I had some issues with my stainless steel high pressure crossover from XXX that I bought from YYY.
DISCLAIMER: Each 7.3L has its own personality. Everybody has different intentions with their trucks and approach things with a unique purpose and wallet. What works for one may not work for another, YMMV, etc.
I'll get things started:
1. High pressure oil crossover (HPX) - A good idea but it was a leaker from the get go. I had the stainless steel version and, while it did its job, I was always battling oil weeping out of the fitting(s). I eventually went to the "high flow" HPOP outlet fittings (non-check ball) which accomplish the same thing and got rid of the HPX. Some starts are a little longer than others but is something I'm willing to live with compared to the alternative.
2. Max A/C mod (aka Ranger mod) - Uses a vacuum operated valve to stop coolant circulating through the heater core to help make the air conditioning cooler. My truck came with a valve (single line) that would work in MAX A/C only (which was still not entirely effective). I used a valve intended for the Ranger (hence the name) which was dual line. It seemed to work but when the valve was activated it would leak coolant. I replaced it with another one and it promptly leaked also. I removed the vacuum operated valve, capped the vacuum line, installed a coupler in one line (to reconnect the break I made in the hose), and installed a manual ball valve in the other. The good part is it stops flow through the heater core and maintaines pressure in the system but it does require me to pop the hood and manually operate the valve.
3. Foil delete - Not a disappointment for me but has been for others (more noise). Removing the foil on the CAC (Charge Air Cooler) tube does not provide any performance gains
. It does make the turbo whistle more pronounced without the insulation and is more visually pleasing if you're into that kind of thing. Mine was starting to deteriorate and decided to just remove all of it. As many times as I have removed my CAC tubes it is much easier to do without the foil encasing the tube. It is easier to route for re-install and I don't run the risk of paper cuts from all the frayed portions I had . As I mentioned, some were not expecting the noise increase.Hopefully others contribute.
#2
07-09-2018, 01:58 PM
#6
07-09-2018, 07:25 PM
1. I'm still on the fence with the CCV mod and thinking about returning it to stock configuration. (Mine is a closed system with a catch can on the frame rail)
2. DB high torque starter...big disappointment and many months of aggravation due to poor quality.... 2 units in a row...both junk...back to OEM now for several years with zero issues or regrets.
2. DB high torque starter...big disappointment and many months of aggravation due to poor quality.... 2 units in a row...both junk...back to OEM now for several years with zero issues or regrets.
#7
07-09-2018, 08:47 PM
1: HPX line. I saw no difference and it also leaked
2: All of the money I wasted at Banks; especially the trans command and billet TC that was useless when my trans went out.
3: CCV mod. I couldn’t stand the smell
4: All of the money I spent on diagnostic tools because of a Tuner and an injector builders pointing fingers, first and each other, then at me. Although the knowledge I gained was almost worth it.
I could list more, but they were worthy mods, but they were just a half measure to get where I am now.
2: All of the money I wasted at Banks; especially the trans command and billet TC that was useless when my trans went out.
3: CCV mod. I couldn’t stand the smell
4: All of the money I spent on diagnostic tools because of a Tuner and an injector builders pointing fingers, first and each other, then at me. Although the knowledge I gained was almost worth it.
I could list more, but they were worthy mods, but they were just a half measure to get where I am now.
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#8
07-09-2018, 09:30 PM
Cool thread, and I'm already seeing a pattern.
- HPX line. Saw no benefit, always a pain to remove when I needed to work on something.
- CCV mod. Went back to stock.
- K&N drop-in filter. Yanked it out within the first few thousand miles after I discovered the inside of the intake tube completely coated in dust.
Here's one going old school.... extreme ICP. Some of us were experimenting and learning back in the day, and I had run an HPOP setup that was pushing 3800 psi of ICP. Sure it made power, but I'm convinced that's what shortened the life of the stock injectors. I would have saved money by keeping the stock HPOP and going with bigger injectors, which I eventually did.
- HPX line. Saw no benefit, always a pain to remove when I needed to work on something.
- CCV mod. Went back to stock.
- K&N drop-in filter. Yanked it out within the first few thousand miles after I discovered the inside of the intake tube completely coated in dust.
Here's one going old school.... extreme ICP. Some of us were experimenting and learning back in the day, and I had run an HPOP setup that was pushing 3800 psi of ICP. Sure it made power, but I'm convinced that's what shortened the life of the stock injectors. I would have saved money by keeping the stock HPOP and going with bigger injectors, which I eventually did.
EWS (Empty Wallet Syndrome)
#12
07-10-2018, 05:52 AM
1) HPX PITA to work around and unecessary when removing the anti-drain valves in the HPOP lines.
2) CCV mod - way to stinky, wife thought the truck was on fire
3) Spicer ball joints, under 30k miles and were shot
4) 38R turbo, noisy, loss of low to mid range boost, stick with upgraded stock or go to a T4
2) CCV mod - way to stinky, wife thought the truck was on fire
3) Spicer ball joints, under 30k miles and were shot
4) 38R turbo, noisy, loss of low to mid range boost, stick with upgraded stock or go to a T4
#13
07-10-2018, 06:16 AM
This is not criticism per se. These are theories as to why things didn't work as hoped, and maybe some options to consider.
Removing check valves from the HPOP outlets has the same function as an HPX. Any time I can do the same mod by removing parts instead of adding them, I lean that way.
While Banks has great engineering and marketing, the stuff is not all that and a bag of chips. There are cheaper ways to mod with real results.
I've preached from day one the CCV mod is OCD run amok. There is no harm in oil mist being in the turbo inlet, but so many people feel they have a better way. I salute the sentiment, but this is a lot of work to satiate OCD tendencies - that are further aggravated by the oil smell and mess to deal with.
#4 bit me pretty hard, but as you say... I'm glad I know what I now know.
I understood the HID craze - it's new and it's bright. I know they can be brighter, but it's a lot of expense and hardship when waiting for LEDs or just buying a brighter bulb would have sufficed. I look at HID like I look at CFLs - it's just an interim technology between incandescent and LED.
Banjo bolts. I never used them, but I know the fuel delivery system very well. Many are changing the orifice on an item that is not the choking point of fuel delivery - the check valves have a far smaller orifice.
AMSOIL oil bypass filter. It works, but the mounting bracket is too flimsy to spin the filter off at oil change, it's mounted on the transmission bell housing (which is aluminum), and the hoses are far too short to move the filter to a more sturdy location.
Frame-mounted inline fuel filters. Strainers work better before the pump, particularly those with separator function.
A-pillar gauge mounts. If you live in the urbs or the burbs, disregard. If you are rural or just plain in the middle of nowhere - night vision is killed by the gauges in your face.
Wrong rims. Offset and diameter can either have you rubbing on the brake housing, and/or spewing weather onto your side mirrors - rendering them useless.
Aaaand the nuclear bomb in the room - proprietary tuning hardware {mushroom cloud}.
1: HPX line. I saw no difference and it also leaked
2: All of the money I wasted at Banks; especially the trans command and billet TC that was useless when my trans went out.
3: CCV mod. I couldn’t stand the smell
4: All of the money I spent on diagnostic tools because of a Tuner and an injector builders pointing fingers, first and each other, then at me. Although the knowledge I gained was almost worth it.
2: All of the money I wasted at Banks; especially the trans command and billet TC that was useless when my trans went out.
3: CCV mod. I couldn’t stand the smell
4: All of the money I spent on diagnostic tools because of a Tuner and an injector builders pointing fingers, first and each other, then at me. Although the knowledge I gained was almost worth it.
Removing check valves from the HPOP outlets has the same function as an HPX. Any time I can do the same mod by removing parts instead of adding them, I lean that way.
While Banks has great engineering and marketing, the stuff is not all that and a bag of chips. There are cheaper ways to mod with real results.
I've preached from day one the CCV mod is OCD run amok. There is no harm in oil mist being in the turbo inlet, but so many people feel they have a better way. I salute the sentiment, but this is a lot of work to satiate OCD tendencies - that are further aggravated by the oil smell and mess to deal with.
#4 bit me pretty hard, but as you say... I'm glad I know what I now know.
I understood the HID craze - it's new and it's bright. I know they can be brighter, but it's a lot of expense and hardship when waiting for LEDs or just buying a brighter bulb would have sufficed. I look at HID like I look at CFLs - it's just an interim technology between incandescent and LED.
Banjo bolts. I never used them, but I know the fuel delivery system very well. Many are changing the orifice on an item that is not the choking point of fuel delivery - the check valves have a far smaller orifice.
AMSOIL oil bypass filter. It works, but the mounting bracket is too flimsy to spin the filter off at oil change, it's mounted on the transmission bell housing (which is aluminum), and the hoses are far too short to move the filter to a more sturdy location.
Frame-mounted inline fuel filters. Strainers work better before the pump, particularly those with separator function.
A-pillar gauge mounts. If you live in the urbs or the burbs, disregard. If you are rural or just plain in the middle of nowhere - night vision is killed by the gauges in your face.
Wrong rims. Offset and diameter can either have you rubbing on the brake housing, and/or spewing weather onto your side mirrors - rendering them useless.
Aaaand the nuclear bomb in the room - proprietary tuning hardware {mushroom cloud}.
#14
07-10-2018, 07:50 AM
Hotshot
This is not criticism per se. These are theories as to why things didn't work as hoped, and maybe some options to consider.
Removing check valves from the HPOP outlets has the same function as an HPX. Any time I can do the same mod by removing parts instead of adding them, I lean that way.
While Banks has great engineering and marketing, the stuff is not all that and a bag of chips. There are cheaper ways to mod with real results.
I've preached from day one the CCV mod is OCD run amok. There is no harm in oil mist being in the turbo inlet, but so many people feel they have a better way. I salute the sentiment, but this is a lot of work to satiate OCD tendencies - that are further aggravated by the oil smell and mess to deal with.
#4 bit me pretty hard, but as you say... I'm glad I know what I now know.
I understood the HID craze - it's new and it's bright. I know they can be brighter, but it's a lot of expense and hardship when waiting for LEDs or just buying a brighter bulb would have sufficed. I look at HID like I look at CFLs - it's just an interim technology between incandescent and LED.
Banjo bolts. I never used them, but I know the fuel delivery system very well. Many are changing the orifice on an item that is not the choking point of fuel delivery - the check valves have a far smaller orifice.
AMSOIL oil bypass filter. It works, but the mounting bracket is too flimsy to spin the filter off at oil change, it's mounted on the transmission bell housing (which is aluminum), and the hoses are far too short to move the filter to a more sturdy location.
Frame-mounted inline fuel filters. Strainers work better before the pump, particularly those with separator function.
A-pillar gauge mounts. If you live in the urbs or the burbs, disregard. If you are rural or just plain in the middle of nowhere - night vision is killed by the gauges in your face.
Wrong rims. Offset and diameter can either have you rubbing on the brake housing, and/or spewing weather onto your side mirrors - rendering them useless.
Aaaand the nuclear bomb in the room - proprietary tuning hardware {mushroom cloud}.
Removing check valves from the HPOP outlets has the same function as an HPX. Any time I can do the same mod by removing parts instead of adding them, I lean that way.
While Banks has great engineering and marketing, the stuff is not all that and a bag of chips. There are cheaper ways to mod with real results.
I've preached from day one the CCV mod is OCD run amok. There is no harm in oil mist being in the turbo inlet, but so many people feel they have a better way. I salute the sentiment, but this is a lot of work to satiate OCD tendencies - that are further aggravated by the oil smell and mess to deal with.
#4 bit me pretty hard, but as you say... I'm glad I know what I now know.
I understood the HID craze - it's new and it's bright. I know they can be brighter, but it's a lot of expense and hardship when waiting for LEDs or just buying a brighter bulb would have sufficed. I look at HID like I look at CFLs - it's just an interim technology between incandescent and LED.
Banjo bolts. I never used them, but I know the fuel delivery system very well. Many are changing the orifice on an item that is not the choking point of fuel delivery - the check valves have a far smaller orifice.
AMSOIL oil bypass filter. It works, but the mounting bracket is too flimsy to spin the filter off at oil change, it's mounted on the transmission bell housing (which is aluminum), and the hoses are far too short to move the filter to a more sturdy location.
Frame-mounted inline fuel filters. Strainers work better before the pump, particularly those with separator function.
A-pillar gauge mounts. If you live in the urbs or the burbs, disregard. If you are rural or just plain in the middle of nowhere - night vision is killed by the gauges in your face.
Wrong rims. Offset and diameter can either have you rubbing on the brake housing, and/or spewing weather onto your side mirrors - rendering them useless.
Aaaand the nuclear bomb in the room - proprietary tuning hardware {mushroom cloud}.
