Hello, all - I'm new here.....I have a 1997 F350, 4 door, 8' bed 7.3L PSD with 5-speed manual ZF tranny. Ordered it new, spec'd everything exactly as I wanted, down to the rear gear ratio (3.73). I plan to get at least 400K miles out of it.

It has 111K on it and has been VERY trouble free. I currently average 18-20 MPG. I just replaced the clutch and upgraded to the heaviest single-mass one I could get (nice & expensive!), other than that, it is completely stock.

My questions regard upgrades for long-haul towing. I've bought a 32' travel trailer (9000lb. GVW) and would like to set this truck up for towing in addition to daily driving, with the right combination of fuel economy and extra power. It also has a camper shell on the bed, so there will be storage for bikes, bbq, etc. I plan 2-3 long haul trips / year (until I get rich, then more!) It's no slouch as it is, but I know it can be made better.

Aside from the obvious upgrades - air filter-intake, turbo down-pipe / exhaust, chip upgrades, etc. does an intercooler make sense for this truck?

What specific components for the other upgrades do y'all have experience with or would recommend?

Will the transmission require work to handle extra power & torque? What about the u-joints, rear end, motor mounts, etc?

Any advice on a load distributing hitch setup?

There is a highly-recommended local truck mechanic who is experienced with powerstroke upgrades and larger trucks who I'll have install the parts. Should I buy the parts and have him install or work with him on everything?

I know it's a lot of questions, but thanks for any advice!

Matt B

 

Hello, welcome to the forums.

Your fuel economy is already on the high end of the PSD spectrum, though the mods you listed might improve it somewhat, don't expect huge gains.

I think the "obvious" upgrades are just what you need for your application, and I do not think adding a charge air cooler will benefit you enough to offset the initial cost...if that is an issue.

Your drivetrain is plenty stout, and shouldn't require anything more than routine maintenance so long as you don't start abusing it...which is actually kind of hard to resist doing with the new power.

From experience I will tell you that 32' bumper pull TT is going to make you wish you had bought a dually. I recommend a Reese class V Titan as your reciever, with a load distributing system and a sway bar. You might also want to think about adding a set of air bags or helper springs to the rear end.

Highly recommend mechanics that are actually worth their salt are difficult to come by. If yours knows his stuff there is no reason not to use him. Personally I think doing the modifications myself are the lions share of the fun of PSD ownership.

 

Matt,

I agree with everything cookie has just told you. The only thing I would add to that is, If you do not know a whole lot about the PSD and the mechanic will let you work with him, do that. You will learn a ton of valuable knowledge in doing so and that just might save you in a crunch on the side of the road when you have the family out on one of those trips, Also stick close to this site and read tons, you will learn a lot here as well

Fire Rooster

 

Well, he already replaced the flywheel, I would say he has some direction under the hood. Do the mods you reffereed to and you will notice a lot more power. These are awesome trucks just maintain it and take care of it and will last a long time, it will proably last a long time after you get tired of it and get something newer. I am also about to start my 96 PSD mods which include: Tymar intake (on the way right now) 5 inch straght pipe exhaust with 4 inch downpipe(also on the way) as well as a chip in a few weeks. It sure does get expensive right quick!

 

Yeah I realize he probably has some direction under the hood, that is why I said "PSD" not basic mechanics and understanding the internal combustion engine. Also he asked about working with the mech. so I told him that was a good idea. But thanks for your response.

Fire Rooster

 

Thanks for the replies and useful information. I do know quite a bit about machines...I used to work on my cars when I was younger and was into classic muscle cars - BC (before children!!) and before before being self-employed (there goes all my free time). I've had several '69 Camaros and motorcycles.

I COULD do the work, if I currently had the time / tools / shop space, etc. but alas, I don't. At this point, I'm better off having a mechanic who knows what he's doing install everything so I can concentrate at what I do best (architecture & construction).

That doesn't stop me from doing intensive research on which parts and products to specify, so any experienced-based information is invaluable to me.

BTW, CLK emailed me, but I can't answer him back because I just koined this forum yeasterday and the system says I have to be a member for two weeks until I can email directly back to other members, so if any of you know him, could you inform him of this? Here's his message:

To email CLK, you can use this online form:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/sendmessage.php?do=mailmember&userid=151323

This is the message:

I can give you some free advice if you want it on products for your truck. I own a performance / service business and deal with all of the products that are talked about on this website. If you are interested in my opinion/help let me know.

Thanks again!

 

My e-mail is <!-- ckersey2 (at sign) *** (period) net -->

 

There is a note on the private message screen warning against what was done via private messaging:

VENDORS:
Use of our forums, including the private messaging and email systems, to promote your products or services, sell, test market or recruit people to test your products is prohibited and strictly enforced. Any violation will result in immediate account termination. We define a vendor as a person or company who promotes or exchanges goods or services for the purpose of profit, regardless of the volume or dollar amount.

Thank you for posting this. Not fun when long time users push themselves out the door.

 

If you click on my user name, then select "view user gallery", you can see most of my upgrades. I'll gladly discuss any of them. I would also be interested in hearing the direction your mechanic is pushing you as far as specific products. Not everything is created equally, and the members of this board are adept at sorting the good from the not so good.

 

Nice truck Cookie, and thanks for the answers to my questions. You've done many things I'm considering for my truck.

I'll start with the air intake and work my way down the list.....

I've seen a few air intake modification kits available for my truck. They all seem to do away with the stock air filter box and just have the air filter free in the engine compartment. I assume that cool air intake isn't an issue when travelling at speed. The kits for the newer trucks I've seen have a box with a duct drawing air in from behind the grill rather than the engine compartment.

Which intake kit is best, in your opinion or experience? Would it make sense to fabricate a box to draw air in similar (but better performing) to the stock box?

The intercooler setup is expensive, but not considering cost, it seems to me that it would really help in the breathing department considering that the newer trucks now incorporate them.

 

Thank you.

Your intake choice is a matter of personal preferance more than anything else. Every aftermarket intake is better than the stock junk. My filter set-up is a home made variant of the popular Tymar system. Less than $50 total to build it, not counting the various filters I've tried. I also have added 4" PVC ducting from in front of the radiator to feed it.

For off the shelf systems I like the Tymar best. It's flow and filter rates are on par with the best name brands (or even a little better) and it cost's half as much as the next.

The fact that the later models have intercoolers has more to do with the turbine housing than anything else IMO. Your 97 has a 1.15 a/r exhaust housing compared to the later truck's .84 a/r housing. Your larger housing creates a lot less backpressure, so it runs cooler. The tradeoff is that the pressure differential is what is driving the turbine, so the larger housing takes more pressure (and time) to spin up....a.k.a turbo lag, adding an intercooler will only compound the problem. It likely would be beneficial when you are grossing 18-19000 lbs., but the loss of low end performance might become aggravating. An upgraded intake and exhaust are much higher on the list than the intercooler.

Also....I've been remiss with my advice. What I should have suggested for your first upgrade is a set of gauges. A boost gauge and pyrometer mounted on the A-pillar works great. With the gauges in place, not only will you be able to tell how much is too much, but you will also be able to monitor the improvements made by the intake and exhaust, chip, intercooler, etc.

 

Yes, gauges make sense as a first upgrade. That way you can get a "baseline" analysis to start with.

The diesel mechanic I'm talking to told me he replaces A LOT of turbo's because people don't run them correctly. It makes sense - if you've been on the road at speed, then pull into a store for a quick stop or to park, don't shut the engine off right away. He says (and I've heard it elsewhere) to let the engine idle for a minuite or so to give the turbo time to spin down. Since the oil drains out right away after you turn it off, if it's spinning @ 20,000 rpm and you shut it off, it loses oil and will shorten its life. I run mine this way.

The gauges would also help in judging temp & pressure so you'd get a more accurate reading on how long "spin down" time should be according to specific conditions you are operating in.

Since I'm going to do these upgrades in phases, and not be pulling my RV trailer long distances until at least next summer, I think I'll put in the gauges and make it breathe better first (intake & exhaust). Then I'll upgrade the chip and do suspension upgrades for towing.

BTW, you mentioned about wishing I had a dually with a 32' TT. I talked with a guy once at the pump who had extra-wide tires on the back of his F350, and he said it was about as good as having a dually (he had both kinds of trucks). Maybe I'll get some wider wheels & tires and put them on for a long road trip with the TT, then switch them back to the regular tires for daily use. Best of both worlds, maybe?

 

I like your mechanic more all the time, and I like your plan of attack on the upgrades.

Never thought about wider tires.....I suppose it would help as long as you keep them aired up and don't go too tall. A taller tire will have more sidewall flex.

 

Gauges: anybody have a favorite manufacturer? I see needing only boost pressure and EGT gauges mounted on the pillar.....

Next issue: Exhaust system mods.....

Obviously, the turbo downpipe will be replaced with a full 3 incher, with the rest of the system being 4" exiting ahead of the right rear tire at a (maybe) 45 degree angle, 90 if that's all the mech. can get.

Questions here are: Is any particular downpipe manufacturer anybody's favorite? Stainless or aluminized? The diesel mech. I talked to says stainless may be a waste of $$ due to the oily nature of the exhaust. He's only seen rust-out on big rigs that idle a lot. He's also proposing to fabricate the rest (from downpipe back) himself to save money.

I've seen the debate on mufflers vs. straight pipe. I tend to not want it louder, but I would like to hear the turbo more and wouldn't mind a throatier growl.....opinions?

 

BTW, where can I get tech info / pricing / order the Tymar air intake / filter. This upgrade is definitely within the do-it-myself realm.....