Smoking the tires is easy...
Smoking the tires is easy when you just increased output of your 7.3-liter Power Stroke engine by 95 rwhp and 138 rwtq. Our Firestone tires were melted pretty good after having some fun around town. While we don't have dragstrip results, mild import cars could be in trouble if they line up with us.
Here is our unmolested, virgin...
Here is our unmolested, virgin 7.3-liter Power Stroke engine. It has remained stock for 54,000-or-so miles, far too long in our opinion.
Our F-250 will spend a lot...
Our F-250 will spend a lot of time in front of this--a 28-foot enclosed trailer from H&H Trailer Company. Its primary use is to usher around many of our in-house project vehicles. Our goal was to increase horsepower and torque to help our truck make it up hills with ease despite the trailer being stuffed with a car, spare parts, and luggage.
A set of Auto Meter gauges...
A set of Auto Meter gauges was installed in a pillar-mounted gauge pod. We chose to use a boost gauge and pyrometer. Boost increased from 14 psi stock to 19 psi while running the truck on the dyno. On the street we have seen it run as high as 22 psi.
When Ford Motor Company set out to turn the diesel truck world upside down with a new Power Stroke powerplant--designed by International Truck and Engine Company--it had planned to make the F-Series pickup truck the best work vehicle in the world. Staggering sales numbers would certainly back up Ford's touted success. But little did Ford engineers and business people realize that Power Stroke-equipped trucks would also grow into a successful performance platform.
You're probably wondering who would want to modify and beat on a 7,500-plus-pound (more or less, weight depending on size) truck? A true gearhead--that's who modifies an enormous truck that rules the road!
A Power Stroke engine may have an intended use as a workhorse, but the engine actually responds well to modifications thanks to its tough guts and turbocharged /intercooled setup. In this story we will outline a few modifications that are aimed at double-duty use in a 7.3-liter Power Stroke-equipped F-series pickup truck. These mods also work on E-series vans and Excursions since the diesel engine is an option on those models. They are also proven upgrades for the critically acclaimed 6.0-liter version of the Power Stroke.
We wanted to install a group of parts that would enable us to have fun with a daily driven truck, as well as increase fuel mileage and easily leap up hills with a fully loaded trailer hanging off the back bumper. Our focus was on computer tuning, exhaust, and increased airflow. We also threw a few gauges inside the cab to let us know what was going on under the hood. JPC Racing, located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, handled the installation. Justin Burcham and his crew are as much diesel truck enthusiasts as they are Mustang nuts. We used a Dynojet chassis dyno at Flowers Automotive Performance in Glen Burnie to log the gains from the performance parts.
Handling our computer upgrades...
Handling our computer upgrades was an SCT Xcalibrator. It accesses the computer through the OBD-II port under the dashboard and reflashes the computer program. SCT gave us three choices to run instead of our stock program--40 hp, 75 hp, and 100 hp. The Xcalibrator saves your stock program so everything can be put back to OEM specs with ease. Reflashing the program takes only a few minutes.
The stock turbocharger has...
The stock turbocharger has more air thanks to the K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kit (FIPK). K&N is mostly known for its air filters and now it has expanded into the cold-air kit market. This kit will not void your warranty from Ford. The company also backs the product with its own guaranty up to one million miles. We picked up 7 hp at the rear tires.
All sensors are kept operational...
All sensors are kept operational with the K&N kit. Here we see the Air Temp Sensor installed in the heat shield.