Long haul build
#1
12-02-2018, 05:33 PM
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Hartfield, VA
Posts: 4
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Long haul build
Hello,
My first post. Thought I would pick the brains of the veteran powerstroke community. Here is my build and what I’m looking to do. Keep in mind I’m fairly green horn with powerstrokes but I can perform most any work myself. There is just a lot of stuff out there I don’t know about yet, and don’t even know I need to replace or upgrade it.
What I have now:
2006 F-350 Crew cab, 4x4 dually XL 6.0 powerstroke, Auto transmission. Just over 100k miles, truck is in near perfect shape.
Truck is completely stock with the exception of the following mods:
-ARP Head studs, new gaskets
-EGR delete, with new up pipe, EGR still in place and connected
-Factory size exhaust with both deleted in line. 5” tip.
-Aftermarket hard intercooler pipes, and cold air intake.
-Coolant filter kit.
-SCT X4 with canned tunes, updated current.
-Bilstein 5100 shocks and stabilizer.
-All new front end bushings, ball joints, tie rods, drag etc.
-New glow plug controller, harness and plugs
-New OEM ford injectors, all of them.
-Blue spring kit
-Dedicated Max Tow EGT gauge.
currently running canned street tune for daily driving, stock front and rear axle ratio, stock 245/75r17 tires (pressure 70 front 45 rear not towing, and 75 front 65 rear towing), stock turbo that has been replaced under warranty some years ago, stock injectors, all new motor craft filters with the exception of the cold air intake which I may take back off after reading forum posts. The truck has no issues what so ever.
What I’m looking to do:
I am interested in heavy hauling longevity, with the lowest EGT’s possible, and best fuel mileage. Mods I’m currently considering
-4 Or 5 inch exhaust, brand? With or without muffler?
-turbo upgrade, looking at ATS Aurora 3000, or powermax, or 4000, I have no clue which one would be the best for my intentions.
-Sulastic shackles to take the harshness out of unloaded ride, hope I spelled that right.
-injector upgrades? Should I?
-FICM upgrades 48v-58v, tuned or stock flash?
-Inter cooler upgrades?
-Coolers and filtration upgrades?
-preventative transmission upgrades?
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
-Thoughts, ideas, etc.
Price really isn’t an issue, I’m looking for the best combos to increase power, mileage, longevity, lowest possible egts, basically I’m a glutton for overkill and want to set my truck up to tow any load (within limits), drive anywhere, and never worry about a thing.
Thanks in advance everyone.
My first post. Thought I would pick the brains of the veteran powerstroke community. Here is my build and what I’m looking to do. Keep in mind I’m fairly green horn with powerstrokes but I can perform most any work myself. There is just a lot of stuff out there I don’t know about yet, and don’t even know I need to replace or upgrade it.
What I have now:
2006 F-350 Crew cab, 4x4 dually XL 6.0 powerstroke, Auto transmission. Just over 100k miles, truck is in near perfect shape.
Truck is completely stock with the exception of the following mods:
-ARP Head studs, new gaskets
-EGR delete, with new up pipe, EGR still in place and connected
-Factory size exhaust with both deleted in line. 5” tip.
-Aftermarket hard intercooler pipes, and cold air intake.
-Coolant filter kit.
-SCT X4 with canned tunes, updated current.
-Bilstein 5100 shocks and stabilizer.
-All new front end bushings, ball joints, tie rods, drag etc.
-New glow plug controller, harness and plugs
-New OEM ford injectors, all of them.
-Blue spring kit
-Dedicated Max Tow EGT gauge.
currently running canned street tune for daily driving, stock front and rear axle ratio, stock 245/75r17 tires (pressure 70 front 45 rear not towing, and 75 front 65 rear towing), stock turbo that has been replaced under warranty some years ago, stock injectors, all new motor craft filters with the exception of the cold air intake which I may take back off after reading forum posts. The truck has no issues what so ever.
What I’m looking to do:
I am interested in heavy hauling longevity, with the lowest EGT’s possible, and best fuel mileage. Mods I’m currently considering
-4 Or 5 inch exhaust, brand? With or without muffler?
-turbo upgrade, looking at ATS Aurora 3000, or powermax, or 4000, I have no clue which one would be the best for my intentions.
-Sulastic shackles to take the harshness out of unloaded ride, hope I spelled that right.
-injector upgrades? Should I?
-FICM upgrades 48v-58v, tuned or stock flash?
-Inter cooler upgrades?
-Coolers and filtration upgrades?
-preventative transmission upgrades?
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
-Thoughts, ideas, etc.
Price really isn’t an issue, I’m looking for the best combos to increase power, mileage, longevity, lowest possible egts, basically I’m a glutton for overkill and want to set my truck up to tow any load (within limits), drive anywhere, and never worry about a thing.
Thanks in advance everyone.
#2
12-03-2018, 08:43 AM
Cargo Master
Fact: Diesels work like this. More fuel = more power & more heat.
The rest is one guy's opinion.
If you're really interested in longevity with tame EGTs and the best MPG towing you want to stick with the stock injectors and stock turbo using a "tow tune" that is basically just a transmission tune without trying to get more power out of the engine.
A 4" exhaust will be more than enough. Muffler or not is whatever your ear prefers. The 6.0 intercooler is really good. If you had a 7.3 I'd recommend getting the 6.0 cooler. There may be some that are "better" but you have to keep in mind that transferring heat from one thing to another requires a heat difference. The guys that need monster intercoolers are doing things on the turbo side to generate a lot more heat than the original design ever intended, with big non-vgt turbos running 40+ psi of boost. Because you're not doing that you can't really take advantage of a capacity difference. This is the same reason a 5" exhaust isn't getting you anything over a 4".
For durability of the FICM you can get a beefed up one, but you don't need any voltage difference. The increased voltage just cycles the injector spool faster, this has the effect of making the injection event timing a little earlier which increases power and heat, not what you're after. I would suggest an alternator that kicks *** which will go a long way to keep the FICM something you can forget about. There are big names online you can pay big bucks to and get great alternators in shiney cases if that's your thing. Alternatively hit up Lonny at Big Moe Starter & Alternators and tell him you want a Ford alternator for a newer ambulance/fire truck modified to work in a 6.0 with a pigtail and you get the same thing without the fancy case for less money.
I like sinister diesel's coolant filter + bypass oil filter setup. I would go completely through the high pressure oil system and replace all the seals, including the top injector seals, and the HHC nipple cups in the oil rails.
Flush the coolant and replace with Cat EC-1 spec ELC if it hasn't already been done.
Use the factory air cleaner. The aftermarket stuff really isn't flowing better however they're damn sure filtering worse. The turbo, the injectors, and the oil system are all very dirt sensitive.
2008 transmission pan and filter.
With this you aren't going to out-race a stock 6.4 or 6.7 pulling 15k pounds, but you'll outlast them.
The rest is one guy's opinion.
If you're really interested in longevity with tame EGTs and the best MPG towing you want to stick with the stock injectors and stock turbo using a "tow tune" that is basically just a transmission tune without trying to get more power out of the engine.
A 4" exhaust will be more than enough. Muffler or not is whatever your ear prefers. The 6.0 intercooler is really good. If you had a 7.3 I'd recommend getting the 6.0 cooler. There may be some that are "better" but you have to keep in mind that transferring heat from one thing to another requires a heat difference. The guys that need monster intercoolers are doing things on the turbo side to generate a lot more heat than the original design ever intended, with big non-vgt turbos running 40+ psi of boost. Because you're not doing that you can't really take advantage of a capacity difference. This is the same reason a 5" exhaust isn't getting you anything over a 4".
For durability of the FICM you can get a beefed up one, but you don't need any voltage difference. The increased voltage just cycles the injector spool faster, this has the effect of making the injection event timing a little earlier which increases power and heat, not what you're after. I would suggest an alternator that kicks *** which will go a long way to keep the FICM something you can forget about. There are big names online you can pay big bucks to and get great alternators in shiney cases if that's your thing. Alternatively hit up Lonny at Big Moe Starter & Alternators and tell him you want a Ford alternator for a newer ambulance/fire truck modified to work in a 6.0 with a pigtail and you get the same thing without the fancy case for less money.
I like sinister diesel's coolant filter + bypass oil filter setup. I would go completely through the high pressure oil system and replace all the seals, including the top injector seals, and the HHC nipple cups in the oil rails.
Flush the coolant and replace with Cat EC-1 spec ELC if it hasn't already been done.
Use the factory air cleaner. The aftermarket stuff really isn't flowing better however they're damn sure filtering worse. The turbo, the injectors, and the oil system are all very dirt sensitive.
2008 transmission pan and filter.
With this you aren't going to out-race a stock 6.4 or 6.7 pulling 15k pounds, but you'll outlast them.
#3
12-03-2018, 12:43 PM
FTE Chapter Leader
Leave the FICM voltage alone bumping it up puts more stress on the power board. If you want to
upgrade it for longevity have Ed and his people do it.
FICMRepair.com - FORD Powerstroke 6.0 FICM Repair, PHP Tuning and Truck Parts
Whyle your on the phone with Ed talk to them about alternators. You want to avoid the crap on
Ebay and Amazon do to a lot of imports that just don't cut it from China.
As far as the so called cold air intake goes. Sell it because the stock intake was much better and was already
pulling air from in front of the radiator.
Yes to doing the 2008 transmission pan and filter.
Sticking with stock factory parts makes it a lot less of a hassle if you happen to get stuck out on
the road somewhere. Then all you have to do is drop into a Ford or International dealership for parts.
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
This is a little deeper in but Tony offers some very nice headlight upgrades. Here is the link.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...eadlights.html
Also the newer rear view side mirrors are said to give a better view on what is going on around you.
Also as for things going on around you some sort of camera with recording would be a idea to think
about when dealing with some accidents that you did not cause and need proof.
upgrade it for longevity have Ed and his people do it.
FICMRepair.com - FORD Powerstroke 6.0 FICM Repair, PHP Tuning and Truck Parts
Whyle your on the phone with Ed talk to them about alternators. You want to avoid the crap on
Ebay and Amazon do to a lot of imports that just don't cut it from China.
As far as the so called cold air intake goes. Sell it because the stock intake was much better and was already
pulling air from in front of the radiator.
Yes to doing the 2008 transmission pan and filter.
Sticking with stock factory parts makes it a lot less of a hassle if you happen to get stuck out on
the road somewhere. Then all you have to do is drop into a Ford or International dealership for parts.
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
This is a little deeper in but Tony offers some very nice headlight upgrades. Here is the link.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...eadlights.html
Also the newer rear view side mirrors are said to give a better view on what is going on around you.
Also as for things going on around you some sort of camera with recording would be a idea to think
about when dealing with some accidents that you did not cause and need proof.
#4
12-06-2018, 09:00 PM
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Hartfield, VA
Posts: 4
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Received 0 Likes
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Great info guys, looked into the newer pan and filter for the transmission as you suggested, got one on order now. Chucking the cold air in the morning and putting the factory setup back on. As far as the coolant type I’m not sure what was put in by the prior owner at the time of the studs and delete, but I’m gonna drain it and replace with the fluid you suggested. Noted what you said about the FICM, won’t upgrade to 58v. 5 inch wouldn’t net me anymore than 4, and a turbo upgrade is not worth it for my intentions. I just switched to rotilla T6 5-40 as suggested from other posts, seems to run smoother, I’ll bet cause it’s cold outside, oil pressure is the same on the idiot gauge, the oil temp seems to recover faster than the 15-40. All in all it starts better and has the same viscosity when hot so I’m liking it. Also dropped in some of that diesel clean anti gel (white bottle). But thanks for the advise, keep it coming. Any thought on replacing this direct drive solenoid and plastic plugs in the valve body while I’ve got the tranny pan off. Saw that was supposed to be a good preventative upgrade in another post... is there any truth to that one?
#5
12-07-2018, 08:43 AM
I am interested in heavy hauling longevity, with the lowest EGT’s possible, and best fuel mileage. Mods I’m currently considering
-4 Or 5 inch exhaust, brand? With or without muffler?
-turbo upgrade, looking at ATS Aurora 3000, or powermax, or 4000, I have no clue which one would be the best for my intentions.
-Sulastic shackles to take the harshness out of unloaded ride, hope I spelled that right.
-injector upgrades? Should I?
-FICM upgrades 48v-58v, tuned or stock flash?
-Inter cooler upgrades?
-Coolers and filtration upgrades?
-preventative transmission upgrades?
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
-Thoughts, ideas, etc.
-4 Or 5 inch exhaust, brand? With or without muffler?
-turbo upgrade, looking at ATS Aurora 3000, or powermax, or 4000, I have no clue which one would be the best for my intentions.
-Sulastic shackles to take the harshness out of unloaded ride, hope I spelled that right.
-injector upgrades? Should I?
-FICM upgrades 48v-58v, tuned or stock flash?
-Inter cooler upgrades?
-Coolers and filtration upgrades?
-preventative transmission upgrades?
-Any other preventative upgrades that could be done from front to back?
-Thoughts, ideas, etc.
-Leave the exhaust alone, it's the best for spooling the turbo. If you go with a 4 inch down pipe, you will kill the bottom end and create turbo lag, ask me how I know....
-Leave the turbo alone as well, there is such thing as feeding this truck too much air. Too much air will kill fuel economy and power, again ask me how I know...The most I would do is KC Turbo's 61mm turbo kit. It comes with a billet wheel and should suit your heavy hauling needs nicely.
-Skip the injector upgrades, nothing sucks worse than an injector failing and you not having easy access to one to get back on the road. Aftermarket injectors are nice, but they raise EGTs and when one fails, you're down until the replacement arrives.
-The stock flash works well on the FICM, if it were me, I'd consider the an earlier calibration like AMZ2AL12 this produces way more power than ARZ2AL11 and cold starts aren't a problem unless you have sticky injectors. Even then, there are solutions for that.
-Intercooler upgrades are also good. An all metal intercooler goes a long way because of the plastic end tanks on the stock intercooler. They eventually crack or if you tighten down the clamps too much, you can crack it. They're cheap on ebay and worth the money.
-A good cooling system flush with restore and restore plus will eliminate the need for a coolant filter, but better safe than sorry. I always and only recommend the Dieselsite Coolant filter
-Transmission upgrades: 2008 pan and filter along with good maintenance. Replace the plugs in the transmission with the sonnax kit, I did that in mine as a preventative measure. That's all these transmissions need.
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