Bad Tugly... bad! I plead pre-coffee and throw myself at the mercy of the forum.

Traction bars are very real. If you haven't installed them on the rig, you might think it's overkill. For those of you who have them - you already know it's not.

 

Tractions bars are nice to have and will greatly extend the life of the drive line. Two of the big names in town are One Up Offroad (OUO) and Precision Metal Fab (PMF).

I decided on OUO because I could get them from Clay at RiffRaff, they were cheaper, adjustable for my needs and when I spoke to the owner of OUO a couple of times he was very helpful and responsive.

A quick video I created about the install is below.

 

The setup in my signature with the addition of a KC38r turbo will get you a reliable 400-450 HP. I wouldn't hesitate to build a 7.3 that has 200K on it, that's nothing if it has been maintained. Your biggest concern since it is a 01 model, it probably has the powdered metal connecting rods, which break under high HP, 450 HP is considered the safe limit for those. For a clutch I have the highest rated single disc from South Bend and it has been great for 2 years but I would recommend spending the extra $200 to get the dual disc, my single disc doesn't grab as hard as I would like it do sometimes. I have done all the work myself, if you are capable of changing a clutch, then you can do the turbo and injectors, it's not that difficult. Also you don't need a $4,000 t4 kit for 450hp, a drop in KC38R is $1500 and can support HP from stock levels to 500+, and a healthy stock fuel pump and high pressure oil pump are capable of 450 HP. As said above traction bars are a good idea, I paid $700 for my kit from PMF.

 

With the amount of money it cost to make 500 out of a 7.3 you would be better off selling your truck, take the money you had planned to spend on the engine build and buy a newer truck. The newer trucks can make 500 with little modifications. You would have a better riding suspension too.
I was in a similar boat a few years ago and I jumped on the crazy wagon and bought a 6.7 Cummins and got a free dodge. A couple grand in hard parts and I was at a mostly stock fueled (just an airdog 165 for fuel) 580-600 hp. Talk about fun and usable! It was a blast and I giggled everytime I drove it. It pulled like a train too! It was everything I drempt my 7.3 to be and more for about the same price.
I did recently sell that truck because a srw is too small for my needs now and I'm looking at an F800.

 

I think your math is a bit off, a nice used 7.3 may bring 15K + 6-10K of mods to get 500 HP. A nice newer used truck is 40-50 K + the cost of mods, and parts are more expensive, and harder to work on.

 

Yeah if I was looking for big hp numbers I wouldn't sink that kind of money in a 7.3. They're great reliable legendary engines but the technology is dated and
​​considering you'll be dropping that much coin into an old truck (suspension, interior, transmission etc). Go with newer and you'll be happy. Ford has almost produced more 6.7s than 7.3s. The 6.7s are a solid platform.

 

Weren't the first generation of Ford 6.7's troublesome? I want to say 2011 to mid 2012?

I am on both sides of the fence for the OP. Why does he want the big numbers? He mentioned that he does a lot of heavy towing, well you don't need 500 HP to do that, so maybe we are steering him in the direction he thinks he wants vs. what he really needs. Most people that strive for 500+ HP trucks are dyno queens or drag strip lovers. If heavy towing truly is what is desired, then we should be talking about clean and efficiently building HP and torque for sustained periods not burst power.

 

Yeah I think the job 1 2011s had what turned out to be a valve metal problem. Originally it was thought to be a glow plug problem but it was exhaust valves breaking. Now I'm pretty much repeating what research has tought me. Some 11 - 14s had a ceramic bearing failure in the turbos.

 

That makes sense to me because I have in my mind I would get a 2015+ 6.7 if our 7.3 ever leaves us and I cannot get something comparable. 2015 I believe is when the 2nd gen turbo came on the 6.7, but I could be way off base.

 

Yeah the 15s brought several upgrades. Better hpfp, better turbo, exhaust brake and a few more significant changes.

 

A newer... not a new. For instance a 6.0 can be had for less in my area then he can sell the 7.3 for in your area. I don't see 80% of 7.3s selling for 15k+, not in my area anyways. Add a few thousand to a 6.0 and you have yourself one hell of a truck. I'm saying for bigger hp numbers then 350 sticking with the 7.3 makes no economical sense. If you love it and it's your baby I understand completely. 15-20k gets you a nice diesel in my area. Used, clearly but I figure I may as well emphasise again.


Look at the cylinder head design on a 7.3, there's a reason not many people put big cash into them unlike Tugly who camps in the desert and burns his money to stay warm at night! Hahahahaha

 

I said 15K at most 8-12K is the norm. It takes 4-6K to get a 6.0 to be reliable, then add the cost of tuning, injectors, and turbo witch are all more expensive than they are for a 7.3 and you can easily build a 450 HP 7.3 for less than that.

 

What kind of adjustments would I have to make in order to keep my stock turbo? Obviously I wouldn't be making 400 hp, but maybe somewhere in the ballpark of 370-380 hp?

Maybe Stage 1-1.5 instead of Stage 2's? Any chance of bypassing the fuel system, or is that a must? Possibly install a Wicked Wheel 2, or would that not make a difference as far as turbo performance goes?

If nothing -- What would be a good formula for 380 hp?

 

A set of 180/30 injectors, a billet compressor wheel in the turbo, an intake, 4" exhaust, hutch mod, riff Raff FRX or CNC 4 line feed kit, and a Hydra with good tuning will accomplish that.

 

Is an intercooler an absolute must have?