I was at work today, about to take off in a F-650 work truck with a 7.3 'international' which is a powerstroke basically (right?) I noticed that it had an intercooler, how come I dont?

 

Ford added the intercooler in the 1999 engines. The 1997 and earlier PSDs don't have an intercooler.

 

Is there a way I can add one to mine?

 

Some people have retrofitted an intercooler, but don't worry if you don't have one. Quadzilla, for example, is putting out a ton of power with his early PSD and he doesn't have an intercooler. If you have other mods in place to keep the engine temps down such as an aftermarket air intake and a large exhaust you will be fine unless you're trying to set HP records. With an intercooler also comes more turbo lag.

 

I've managed to build a pretty potent truck without needing an intercooler, but if I'd gone to aftermarket injectors, I probably would have needed to. If you feel that you want to install an intercooler, the easiest/cheapest way to go about it, is to buy an intercooler off eBay, usually for around $150, and then get the kit that includes the necessary pipes to make everything fit.
Intercoolers don't add power, they merely keep intake temps down. But, in the process, they require your turbo to pressurize a bigger area before boost starts to build.

 

I always thought that intercoolers made it much easier on the engines. I mean forced induction does creat tons of heat so that air is so hot, i know if i were the engine i'd rather get cool air instead of the hot, thats how i think of it. I might be buying an intercooler for my 96 just to let the engine run cooler. You guys don't agree with this? I mean on the race car i'm building i'm using a centrifugal blower and I'm deffinitly going with an intercooler over a hot air set up. Just my thinking atleast.

 

A blower on a gasser race car is a totally different animal than a turbo on a diesel. Diesels are at their peak of efficiency when the intake air is 600*F. It's true that intercoolers cool the intake air, but to some, like me, the price of reduced boost outweighs the drop in temps. The temps don't drop that much.
If someone were building a 500hp diesel engine, they'd need to use some huge injectors to get there. The heat that would produce would make an intercooler a necessity. However, with stock injectors, propane, and a 1.0AR turbine housing, I can run at redline up a 12% hill, and not hit 1200*F on my pyro. An intercooler doesn't make sense in my application, or one similar. Big injectors? Go with an intercooler. Stock injectors? Give it some thought before assuming it's a positive step.

 

I'll listen to you, you know more about diesels, i'm new with them, always been a gasser guy

 

Wow. 600*!!!

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but..
The purpose of the intercooler is to cool the air to compensate for the "substantial" air temperature increase resulting from the compression from the TURBO. It's Physics, a thermodynamics law, when a gas is compressed it's temperature increases. The intercooler is after the turbo and before the intake manifold. Note that on the PSD turbos, the intercooler doesn't ever see "ambient" air temperature flowing through it's honeycomb . The outside air First goes through the A/C condencer which adds significantly to the air temp if the A/C is running and Second, through the radiator, again increasing the air temperature, then through the intercooler. If you are trying to cool down the intake on a non-turbo, an intercooler would need to be seeing ambient air to cool down ambient air destined for the intake manifold ... it doesn't make since to me.

 

the intercooler is mounted behind the ac condensor but in front of the radiator. the condensor will dump some heat into it but that air it still much cooler then the intake air charge. not only is it heated up upon compression, but the turbo charger it self is like a small blast furnance, rememeber just inches away from the intake impeller is the exhaust side of the turbo with temps from 450-1100 degrees

putting an intercooler on a non-turbo/forced induction engine would be a waste of time

 

I know you.. lol

 

So then why do the Banks "powerpacks" for the 97 and later PSD come with intercoolers?

Im sure Gale Banks himself knows just a bit about diesels, i mean he holds the fastest truck speed now. (dodge cummins engine)

And even most of the new cars with diesels all have intercoolers. Must be a reason.

 

Yes putting an intercooler on a non- forced induction engine would be a waste of time, as the air going into the engine is already at ambient temperature.

An intercooler, WILL increase power, the efficiency of an engine is relative to the difference between intake temperature, to the combustion temperature. If you lower the intake temperature (ie. with an intercooler) you will make your engine more efficient, and subsequently increase the power. An intercooler is also handy because it lowers the intake temperature, it also lowers the combustion temperature a little (but the difference between the two temps is still greater than stock), and increases engine longevity. Many mods, such as increasing turbo pressure, concentrate on increasing combustion temperature to increase power, installing an intercooler increases power, AND increases engine longevity. Yes it does increase turbo lag, but there are other things that can overcome turbo lag.
I am sure Quadzilla has quite a setup, but I find it very strange that someone who is increasing horsepower hasn't added an intercooler, as IMO it has very few drawbacks, and if I was planning on increasing the power on my vehicle, a larger more efficient intercooler, prehaps located in a posistion where it is less likely to encounter heat soak, would be the first thing on my to do list.

 

BigF350, an intercooler will not increase power. An intercooler will allow you to add more power through a chip or tuner because it will help keep EGT down. I have a lot of respect for Quadzilla's knowledge of this engine and I agree with what he posted. There are other ways to keep EGT down without having to add an intercooler.