I am a first time diesel owner, and have a 2003 F-250 7.3L crew cab. I have been reading the posts and trying to take all the information in, and have some questions. The truck is basically stock right now, and I will be using it for daily driving with 4-5 times annual RV trips pulling a 10,000 pound trailer. What modifications and upgrades do you suggest I take on first? Fuel mods? Exhaust upgrade? Temp gauges for EGT and transmission? And do I need an aftermarket tranny cooler?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I'm looking for some direction. Can't do it all at once, so wanted to know what you guys think should be my priority list.

Thanks

 

People have all stated their opinion, so i will state mine too. They all have the same logic, more air in, more air out, and less EGT (exhaust gas temperature).

If you gave me $2000 and said "Here, modify it" this is what i would do. Prices indicate that you install them. or, bring it to me and i would gladly do it for you

-Intake filter- Wix & Napa Filters & Accessories: FleetFilter Secure Online Store part 46637($20) or Napa part number 6637-($40)

-Exhaust- Mark Romriell (MKO Diesel performance) 5" exhaust, muffler-less or with a muffler, about $350 shipped, very reasonable in price. Look on ebay for this guy.

-Gauges- If you are good at wiring, you can get the kit and do it your own, all of the wiring and painting of the pod. Kits usually cost $300-350, or if you want to have them ready to slap on and hook up, you can get them pre-wired and all for about $400. Ill figure $400 into the price. I personally prefer the brand of gauges -Autometer, but there are others like DiProcol, Isspro and Spa digital gauges. The common three parameters are EGT temp (pre-turbo), transmission temp, and turbo boost. I bought my gauges from Garrett @ Diesel Performance Parts Power Chips Diesel Exhaust Intake Performance Products

-Now you have the ability to get air in and out and monitor the temperatures, it's time for a chip. The man to call for chips is Jody Tipton at DP-Tuner, he can set you up with a fully customized chip for YOUR truck and yours only. It is much better than a generic tuner or fueling box, such as Edge, Superchip, Bully Dog, and Diablosport. His chips range from one single file for $239, to a an amazing 16 position chip with every imaginable tune on it, for about $40 more per tune. I myself am going to get rid of the TS performance chip i have now, and get a DP tuner 8 or 9 position chip. so, lets say that a 6 position chip will cost around $450. You still have around $750 left after shipping. Want to keep going?

Read on.


-Now you will probably enounter some problems such as throwing a code when you really romp on the pedal. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) thinks that the truck is running a stock program still, so it sees an abnormally high boost level, and it will throw a code. The fix for this is to go to ITP Diesel, LLC, and buy a Overboost Regulator. It is about $45 or so, and it will get rid of this problem.

-Due to that chip adding more power to the engine, it has to force that power through the same transmission, that is not designed to handle the extra power. Call up Brian at BTS (brianstruckshop.com), and set up a custom-made transmission Valve Body. They run about $225, and if you tell Brian that you are running a Tipton chip, he can modify it custom for that chip. Also, tell Jody that you will be getting a BTS valve body (here we commonly call it a "BTS VB"), and he can tune the chip for the VB as well.

-A comfort mod is next, not one that produces power, but it makes the engine run smoother and quieter. there is a thing that is called a Stainless Steel High pressure Oil rail Crossover. It is a tube that adjoins the two oil rails (oil that is used to fire the injectors, 500psi-3000psi), and it acts as a shock absorber to make all 8 cylinders have relatively the same pressure. It is more expensive than a rubber version, but it's going to last forever, it's about $70. I believe you can get that at ITP when you buy that overboost regulator.

-Another comfort mod is to eliminate the quick-disconnect fittings on the suction-side of the fuel pump. The factory design has a crappy "mixing chamber" inside the tank, that lets air in the fuel, and the air in the fuel will cause the injectors to become louder, and it also shortens their life. Removing the Q/D's will also help prevent air from entering, as they work well under pressure, not so well under a suction. I believe this $40-70 mod can be purchased at ITP as well, a filter will be about $105 if added to the kit.

we have about $350 left.

-Your stock compressor wheel in the turbocharger will probably be hating life, as it tends to reach it's limit very quickly on the air it can push out of the turbo and into the engine, and it will shoot that air back out of the compressor, commonly called "surge". a cure for this is to install an aftermarket compressor wheel, designed to reduce or stop surge. it can be found cheapest at Xtreme Diesel Performance - XDP Diesel Power Performance Parts, for about $55.

While you are spending all of this money, i thought it would be nice to do some free or really cheap mods:

-rerouting the crankcase vent (CCV) to the atmosphere. the stock system reroutes this into the intake of the engine, and it's a dirty mess, as oil will seep out of the intercooler boots. You can do this mod for about $15, and the only thing i needed was a piece of 4" exhaust pipe, about 4" long, to replace the piece you remove. To get the gasses away from the engine, run a piece of 1/2" heater hose to whatever length you want it. I grew tired of the infamous cloud of mist coming out from under the truck, so i tied mine into my stacks. Look at the connector that is between your two rubber intake boots between the air filter and the turbo, you'll see what i mean.

Also, a FREE mod is to remove the foil on the driver's side intercooler pipe. It helps that whistle get a little louder, and it has no adverse affects. Disclaimer: it's a royal pain to get that stuff off. Let's spend some more money.

Some things that you want to keep track of, are transmission temps, and EGT temps. the transmission can get hot, so if you browse Ebay, you can get a 6.0L's transmission cooler (NEW) for about $100-125. installation is easy, several guys here have done it. The stock transmission cooler on these trucks sucks. I believe it is about the size of a keyboard. This new one is three times that size.

To reduce the EGT, a wise decision is to install another 6.0 part, this time an intercooler. It's a direct drop in, and some guys see a reduction in EGT of 100-150*, for about $100-150, again off ebay.

Well, i think this about depletes your fund. You will be out $2000, however the benefit in performance, and the massive grin on your face all the time is well worth the cost.

Riffraff Diesel

Just a little info for ya .

 

Wow! That was some good reading. And suggestions!

 

That's a pretty neat list JD!

Here's my take on it in order. Pretty much the same as JD said, just a different flavor.


John Woods valve body (JWVB)
Ford AIS or S&B air filter kit
CCV
4" exhaust - your choice
Gauges
Tru-Cool from Dieselsite or 6.0 transmission cooler
ATS ported inlet housing
OBA
DP-Tuner
6.0 intercooler (optional, still unsure as to if I see a benefit)
Pre-pump filter kit from ITP (and do in-tank mods)
Coolant filter kit from ITP
FRx & HPx

There's a ton of other stuff if you want to keep going,a nd some free stuff like tightening the wastegate rod, foil delete (which I don't want to do) etc.

 

Damn JD, can't beat that! I'm closer to John Woods out here in California, so I'd buy his VB, and if you can get the 5" for the same price as the 4", that'll be great too, but that extra 1" won't make a difference with under 500 hp.

BTW- welcome to FTE! Great place to spend your rent money on mods LOL. Hang out, learn alot, and save money (to spend on mods).

 

That was from Kris (powerstrokeJunkie) a few years ago its just a C&P from the Road side help network.

Just add a bit onto tuners their is DP, Beans Diesel Peformance, Tony Wildman, Gearhead Automotive, BTS and a few others.