Ok. So.... swap hpop lines to cnc fabs, and drop the check springs when i do. That removes a couple exta lines, from needing to purchase, install. Im gonna take a picture of my fuel bowl, maybe you guys can tell me what is already disconnected.

 

Eventually, im considering either swapping my turbo, or attempting to "improve" my factory. Gonna go to 4 inch exhaust. May add an exhaust brake. Havent seen a door mod yet? Ill try and find it. Noise level down in the cab will make the kids happier, just to watch shows easier. Otherwise, sound, to me is just about minimizing stress, turbulance, etc in the engine. She has 256,000 and i want another 256,000 out of the old girl.

 

Skip the door seal mod, and just buy the door seals for a 2010 F250 truck. Same size seal, but the seal has been upgraded so that it fills the gap better...another layer of rubber edging was added. They do make a big difference.

 

First, let’s talk about the air filter. I think there is a common misconception about the stock filter. Let’s clear that up. The stock filter flows and filters very well and does not affect performance of a stock or slightly modified 7.3. However, the stock air box is often broken and/or not assembled properly - rendering it ineffective at preventing dirt from getting in the engine.

The AIS is by far the quietest and the best filtration of any other option, but really only flows enough for a stock power truck.

The 6637 style filter is easily the best bang for your buck both upfront and replacement filters. It also flows and filters adequately for almost any HP you can make with a 7.3.

S&B closed filter is a great option for a bit more $$. It will be significantly quieter than the 6637 style filter.




The square plugs are 5/16”. You’ll want a 1/4” drive socket and small swivel joint to get on them. Before I bought the socket, I used a quality small crescent wrench to take lots of these plugs out.

I am not not a fan of the Frx. It has no measurable benefit and increases potential failure points. In spite of the commonly quoted benefits people report.... For me, the history of the mod is just amusing. But, I don’t mind being the outsider - just don’t hate me for having an opinion.


Stock exhaust is SS and will last a lifetime in all but the rustiest locales. There is ZERO performance gain over a stock, straight piped (muffler delete) exhaust - especially with a stock-type turbo. Once you get up to a 400 series T4 system, a little more flow could make a difference. We’ve seen 500hp in stock exhaust (sans muffler) trucks.

For stock to 160/0-160/30 sticks a stock turbo with 360* thrust washer and upgraded compressor wheel is fine. If running 160/0 up to 238/80 I would consider KC turbo’s drop in S300 style turbine and billet compressor wheels. This setup moves more air than stock and spools like stock.

S300 wheels next to stock!




I did not know about this!! Sounds awesome, but ‘I’m not cheap, I’m broke’ so I might keep adding $20 worth of tubing to the stock door seals on my junk...

 

Jason, I get the seals at the junkyard off the wrecked newer trucks for pennies on the dollar. I've been paying $10 per seal.

 

Sweeeeet!! I could just skip a few meals and afford that... Lol.

I’ll have my friends who frequent the u-pull-it yards keep an eye out for me! Thank you!

 

So this KC wheel and shaft set up go right in a stock turbo? And you have seen EGT's go down? That would be good new when towing.

 

@Wesley Green has been running the KC turbine with a couple of different compressor wheels and some towing. I think he had a 4/4 and now a 7/7 and he has a thread out there somewhere about it and his thoughts.

 

Correct. Dropped my EGTs dramatically, much better towing performance with the KC turbine & 4+4 wheel by only changing the turbine.

I can say, don't go 7+7, unless you are geared 4.10 or higher number and like to drive in high RPM. It sounds wickedly cool, but is horrible towing. That was an unsuccessful pairing based off advice for the new at that time turbine and i didn't mind being a guinea pig for the community at that time. It raised EGTs back to stock turbine levels, unless i stayed in 4th gear or pulled RPM above 2500, but i don't see the need to tow that way when i knew i could tow fine around 2k RPM with the 4+4 to 7+7 wheel being the only change.

I tend to do my mods in steps, done between trips towing our 5th wheel so i can gauge the towing performance of each individual mod. Luckily based on much FTE research and advice of those who have gone before me i have noticed the small differences with each mod. Truck is no where near the same anemic embarrassment it was when we started this journey years ago.

We didn't get to cross the Rockies this summer, but we do have some decent shorter grades in the Ozarks. I'd estimate the turbine alone dropped my EGTs 250-300* It's hard to know for sure if it's actually 3-400*, because before i would normally let off the pedal, downshift, or select a colder tune. Now i can stay in the same tune, and hold the pedal wherever i need to maintain speed in 6th gear and not crest 1200* on most grades that would previously require action. Granted I'm blessed with the ZF6 and the .84 exhaust housing. Not sure what you auto guys and 1.0 or 1.15 housings would be like.


As to the door seal mod I've done it. Very small improvement, but my seals were in decent shape, not ratty collasped rubber. If you have the time and desire add sound deadner ( ) inside the door shells. That made a noticeable improvement. Not a miraculous silent Cadillac, but definately a noticeable improvement.

 

I put the KC 300 turbine wheel and 6+6 billet compressor wheel with extended tips pictured above next to stock parts in a truck with .84 exhaust housing and fresh 160/0 injectors.

Very impressed. The turbo spools like stock and cleans up the 160/0’s easily in the hottest tune. The owners pull a big 5ver full time around the country and LOVE the extra power. They went from stock, tired injectors and stock turbo with chip and gauges to this. EGT’s are lower across the board and nearly impossible to put in the red. The truck is a 4R100 with 4.10 gears.

 

Alright. While the knowledge is flowing. A pillar gauge cluster. Yes, no? 3 or 4 guages? What should they be? Boost. And egt seems needful...

 

Some do not like the pillar gauge pods, but that is what I preferred. There are many options out there to include in the instrument cluster, on the steering column, under the dash, in the dash, overhead by the mirror and on the dash. I like the pillar pods because they are out of the way most of the time except when I want to see them. I didn't want to take my eyes off the road to look down at the ashtray to keep an eye on the EGT gauge. Since installing the SXE, that concern is no longer a concern.

Back to the gauges...

EGT is a must for most trucks, including stock trucks. Fuel pressure is nice to have and can save your *** sometimes. Transmission temperature is nice to have too, but you can get that via a PID. If you are not planning to run any sort of PID monitoring while working the truck, those are the 3 I would suggest. Boost can be useful too, so if you are set on 4, those are the 4 I would recommend.

For me personally, 4 looked busy and I didn't want that. There is a guy on here though that has something like 30 gauges in his truck though. Dedicated gauges, not ones on a TP or Forscan screen. I believe it is @Gaugepro , but not sure...

If you are planning to run a CTS2 or whatever they are called in the future, keep in mind that the 4 pod pillar will more than likely interfere with the display of the CTS2.

So, you need to figure out WHY you are installing gauges and WHAT you want to see on them in a moments notice to keep things safe and/or if you are troubleshooting. I went with EGT, boost and fuel pressure from top to bottom in the gauge pods. I have a ZF6 truck though, so transmission temperature is not a concern to me as it might be to the 4R100 guys. Again though, you can get a lot of information from the PID list, just not EGT and fuel pressure...

 

30 gauges? That's how internet rumors get started! His name is Joe, his former handle here was @CSIPSD , and after that, @Gaugepro .

It is actually 16 gauges, which is the maximum number of gauges that the Isspro Performax multiplexing head unit allows. Joe is closely associated with Isspro.

 

Jason, so both wheels are from KC? I might have to give this a try before going to the T4. Only because I am in California and it would be easy to pass smog. How loud is that 6x6 wheel? I don't like loud turbo's. I did up grade to the S & B intake from Clay. Thought that would help but it didn't. My 5th wheel is about 12K unloaded and as much as 16K loaded according to the trailer paper work. I am planing a cross county this summer and it would be nice not to have to worry about EGT's all the time. I have no leaks in my intake. But the stock turbo with 1.0 exhaust side and a WW. I believe the other guy said RR 4x4 wheel.
Thanks for your response a head of time. Chet. Oh I still have the stock injectors also. The Brad asked me once to try this, I just wasn't sold on the idea yet. I would also like to go to 160/80 some day, down from what I really wanted of 200/80. I'm running DP's tuning. I use his 60 tow most of the time. I like the exhaust brake. It don't
seem to work as good as it did before my trans went out, the new one has a double dis set up. Not sure I like that.

 

I guess I am lucky that you have my back when I am spreading fairytales throughout the internet. Maybe I thought it was 30 because everytime I see a picture of the cab I think I am back on the flight deck of a C-130...

Thanks for filling in the holes in my story sir, I owe you another one.