Hey People... An aftermarket intercooler is high on my mod list, since the headgaskets and studs are done. I have narrowed it down to the Banks at about $1050.00 or the Turbonetics at $1200.00.... decisions, decisions, decisions. Ikp, did you install yours at home... and was it a PITA to remove the section of core-support?

Tim

 

I recently put the Banks Big Hoss kit on my 06' powerstroke. Kit included the intercooler, Banks calls it the "Charge-Air-Cooler" and High ram intake with the unsquashed boost tube. Getting the intercooler installed was pretty easy. I just went step by step and everything went right in place. Removing the core support was easy, just need a little prying to get it out. I had two of the High Ram bolts pull the threads in the stock intake manifold. The threads on the manifold were SUPER loose and required a Heli coil which now takes the recommended 9 lbs of torque. Make damn sure you torque the boost tube clamps down to the recommended torque in the install instructions. Truck runs like I monster in all the settings. I got the PDA which adds a 7th speed setting to the Six-Gun settings. I added all this stuff after only 500 miles on truck. I used to have a 2002 7.3 with a handful of mods and couldn't stand that my old truck spanked the new truck. That is most definitlely NOT the case anymore. The new 6.0 runs smooth and COOL all the time. AND so far documented 3 mpg difference bringing it from 13 freeway to 16 freeway at various speeds of 60 to 80 freeway. Banks kit ROCKS.

 

ok everything said what do you guys think is the intercooler (banks) really worth the investment?

 

I will be pulling our 24 foot Cobalt boat up the Altamont Pass this weekend which a good stretch of hard pulling. Later in the month I will be pulling a 40 foot Toy Hauler over the grapevine outside of LA. I will post EGT's and any important info when I return from both. This will be the real decider whether the intercooler is worth the $$$.

 

It sure would be neat to see dyno results for each portion of the big hoss install, i.e.
1. baseline
2. 6-gun run
3. exhaust only
4. exhaust, cac and high ram
5. exhaust, cac, high ram, 6 gun
6. exhaust, cac, high ram, 6 gun, PDA, speed loader etc...