I have been pondering the diesel Excursion since the prices have dropped lately. I have to be honest and say its because of reading the Diesel mags (while at work) seeing diesel operators easily add 100+ hp and 200 ft/lbs with bolt ons.

I asked the rv.net site about the Banks Powerpack mods since the ads look very convincing. I thought that having one complete tested package instead of several different manufactured parts added on was advantageous but the responses overwhelmingly said that it was overpriced and I could buy separate pieces to accomplish the same.

Most recommended a programmer, muffler or exhaust mods and some type of intake mods (filter or CAI). When I read the Diesel Truck magazines (at work ) I notice that their mods usually go beyond the tuner into larger injectors, injector pump, some sort of expensive fuel filters, larger turbo housings but the articles I have read so far are for the Chevy and Dodge diesels which show very high hp/tq gains. Is there just as much poteneial out of the FOrd diesel? I have read that tuners can bring high EGT's which are dangerous to engines and the larger turbos and intercoolers, freer flowing manifolds/cats/exhaust help tame the EGT's but I don't see too many with those mods in their signatures.

At what power level will trans work be recommended. I know the mileage is supposed to increase but at what performance level does it start to decrease? Which mods are safer for the engine sensors/emissions and drivetrain longevity?

I tow a 31' 9000# TT through the mountains and would like a set up where the engine isn't straining on the inclines.


Thanks
Joe

 

You will not see the same power gains as the newer trucks do as they all use a high pressure common rail fuel system which responds to electronic tuning better than the HEUI system found in the 7.3L. That being said there are some guys that have taken the 7.3 to the 700+HP range.

As for the banks system, they are ok but you can get more for your money if you piece the components together yourself. If you get a DP tuner chip, exhaust, intake, and gauges you will probably have enough power to do whatever you want. Thats basically what 75% of the guys on here have with great results.

Check out the search feature in this forum too, its in the upper right corner of the page. This topic has been covered alot so there's plenty of info on here.

Hope that helps.

 

You won't find many Banks fans here either.

However, there are several vendors and even sponsors of this site that are highly recommended. Many of them can offer you package deals on things like intakes, exhaust, gauges, transmission valve bodies, and even a chip.

With most 7.3L's, adding the basic mods (chip/intake/exhaust), you can see about a 100 hp increase at the rear wheels (about 140 hp flywheel increase, however, no one here really cares about flywheel power, so you can dis-regard that). A bone stock 7.3L will put down an average of 215 hp at the rear wheels. Add a well tuned chip, and you'll see about 315 hp at the dyno.

If you are wanting more power than that, then it gets tricky. Some 7.3L's come with stock forged rods (99-00 model years). Most 01's, and all 02-03 PSD's have powdered metal rods, also known as PMR's. PMR's are more brittle and break easier. Most people suggest that for the maximum amount of safety, to keep rwhp under 400 with PMR's, and under 500 with forged rods. Many have gone above that number, most do fine, some have put a rod through the block.

So modifying above the power levels that a regular chip will give you can get expensive, depending on how much power you want of course. Powerstroke injectors are much more expensive than injectors for the Cummins and Duramax. Also, it's harder to reach those higher power levels that the other guys can achieve much easier and cheaper. So although the PSD isn't the power king, it can put down some respectable numbers if your wallet is deep enough.

The transmission on the other hand is the weakest link. In stock form, it struggles to handle the power that can be put down with just a chip. Many people opt to install an upgraded valve body to firm up the shifts and keep the torque converter happy longer. Drive it easy, and even with extra power the trans can still last a long long time. Abuse it, and it goes bye bye in a heartbeat. If that does ever happen, the trans can be built to be bulletproof.

As for my recommendations, I love the DP-Tuner chip. It's switch on the fly and they offer a huge range of available tunes at your disposal. So you can set your truck up for anything and everything imaginable. Jody and Diane of DP-Tuner also offer some of the best customer service you'll find.

Another sponsor of this forum is ITP Diesel. Dennis is another good guy to do business with, and can answer any question that can come up. He offers package deals on parts and accessories.

If you are into magazines, check out Diesel Tech. They have less hype, and more real world trucks and upgrades that you see from most shadetree mechanics. Plus their tech articles are very detailed. One of the staff writers owns a Powerstroke, so you see plenty of Ford articles with plugs for the 7.3L. Most of the other magazines tend to focus on totally custom show and race trucks, rather than the day to day street and towing workhorses.