Thanks to Mdub707 and a few others I have a a solid plan to upgrade my 2005 F-350 and hopefully eliminate my repeated turbo failures.

I am going to go with the EGR cooler of course and was thinking of the Edge Insight monitor just because it's easy to install and does what I need and much more. Now I found a good price on a used Edge Juice Programmer with the monitor so I'm thinking why not? I am also thinking that since I'll have the turbo apart for cleaning I might as well spend the money I'll save on the monitor and install the Batmowheel. Both proucts say for off-road use only so I have a couple questions about emisions inspections here in Southern CA. I am required to smog my truck every two years. Earlier this year I paid $50 for a smog shop to poke around under the hood and then the inside of the cab a bit, run the truck for a time and then issue a smog cert. They never even got near the tailpipe which seemed odd but I just wanted the cert so I could renew my tags so I went on my merry way $50 lighter. All I find on the CA DMV website is that "Diesel powered manufactured prior to 1998 or with a Gross Vehicle Weight rating (GVWR) of more than 14,000 lbs need to be smogged." Not much help.

My Questions are:
1. If I install the Batmowheel in the stock turbo would a smog inspector be able to tell? If so, how?
2. If I remove the programmer every two years at smog time will they be able to detect it? I believe that using the programmer I can set the ECU back to factory specs before removing it. If not, I think disconnecting the batteries for 10 minutes does the same thing.

Any relevent information would be appreciated.

 

The batmowheel theoretically would only help a smog test, it's supposed to move more air, which means it's going to burn more of the fuel already being injected, and produce less soot, in theory. The only way to tell if you have one is pull the intake off and look at it. I don't see why they would, and even if they did, what are they going to say. Most of them aren't going to know what's even going on there. It wont hurt smog though.

I wouldn't use anything Edge related for programming. SCT with custom tunes only is my suggestion, and you'll find the same suggestion over and over with 6.0 owners.

You can flash back to stock without issue for your testing. They might scan it and see a P1000 code which is the SAME as a battery disconnect, so if you disconnect the batteries you'll get the same code, it only goes away with driving. So say a few days before you have your smog test, put it back to stock, drive it around and let it clear itself. Should be no issues.

 

I see what you mean. It's too bad.....the price on the juice with the monitor was right but a tranny would offset that savings in a hurry. Thanks, I owe you a brew or three.

 

I'll be in San Diego mid to late October

haha.

 

Could easily happen. I'm only about 100 miles north of SD and it's a Navy town so there's plenty of places that sell beer.

BTW: I bought an EGR cooler ($182 used on Ebay) and just ordered the CTS monitor with EGT probe. Once they're installed I think I'll do the exhaust next then the Batmowheel, then the SCT tuner. Funny how once you get this snowball rolling it tends to pick up speed. When I started I just wanted to clear some error codes on my truck.

Interestingly the once they were cleared the error codes haven't come back. I even pulled a 27' Toyhauler trailer about 50 miles the other day.

 

What cooler did you buy for $182? A used bulletproof cooler?

Honestly, for the price of the batmowheel... I'd spend a few hundred more and just get the stage 1 MTW turbo. Welcome to Mad Turbo Werks!! It's only $700ish vs. the $400 for the batmowheel that hasn't really proven anything... just saying. I think I'm going with a stage 1 or a hybrid in the next couple weeks here.

 

Yup, the EGR cooler is used but it’s not corroded and I’m thinking that a shell and tube heat exchanger doesn’t wear out. Just trying to stretch my budget…especially since the project scope is getting a little out of hand.

I see your point about the MTW Turbo and I think it would be much better if I had the new one ready to install when the old one comes off, if nothing else just so I don’t forget how it goes back together . That’s assuming the oil lines etc on the MTW are the same. I thought I read a post or two validating the Batmowheel’s claim that it gave “better spool up and increased flow rates for up to 100 more whp over the cast and standard billet wheels” with an improved tune…and the name is cool. Do you feel that the Stage 1 MTW is comparable in performance and efficiency to a stocker with the Batmowheel. I don’t find much on the forum about them. Do you have any experience with them? Their website doesn’t go into much detail except to say that it’s a bolt on stock upgrade and comparable in size to a PowerMax without the lag, faster spooling and no dead spots, but then I see that they offer a billet wheel for it too. Being a rookie I’m a little confused.

 

Good find on the bulletproof cooler! Not a bad deal either.

The MTW turbos are drop in. You can't mess it up. Karls03 and I were just talking about the differences and advantages/disadvantages between the batmowheel and the MTW turbos, here's my reply to his questions, should answer most of yours too!

Well the batmowheel is just that, a wheel. It replaces the factory impeller wheel (on the intake side). It doesn't change any of the physical measurements of the turbo, so it's still the same size as stock. What it does do is have a different "shape" to it. If you look at them you can see the way the impeller blades are they are wavy. The idea here is more surface area, pull in more air. Do they work? MPD seems to think so... but they're also trying to sell them. I'm not sure I'm completely convinced. I haven't really heard anything bad, but if you read around on PSA there are guys that swear by them and others that wont touch them. The batmowheel is about $400.

The MTW stage 1 is a frankenstein of sorts. It's the stock back half and center section off a 6.0 stock turbo. The difference is the front cover gets machined and a stock duramax LLY turbo put on the front. This changes the stock turbo from a 58mm inducers to a 63.5mm inducer. It's supposed to light like stock and still support above stock. It should certainly outflow a batmowheel. It's probably comparable to a powermax, without the price believe it or not. The stage 1 goes for $775 according to the website, plus $400 core charge. So basically you're sending in your stocker and getting a new turbo for $700+. They say they're a good match for anything from stock to 155cc injectors. The next step above that is the hybrid, which is also a good choice. That turbo is basically the same concept except an even larger impeller. It uses a 64.7mm wheel, and the best part is this turbo comes with a billet wheel standard (billet is lighter and stronger so it spools quicker). You pay a little more though, $1200 + $400 core. Really this is the turbo I would go with if I had the money, but I'll probably just get the stage 1 for now. They say the hybrid is good for stock injectors up to 190cc's. 190's can fuel really hard though so I'm not sure this turbo is capable of cleaning those, but I'm sure you could make it work through tuning. You should read around on PSA about the MTW turbos. They're breaking all sorts of fuel only records and track times to back it all up. Best part is the price, and they're all basically a bolt on turbo since the back half of the turbo is a stock 6.0...


If it was me... $775 for a full turbo with bigger wheel, or $400 for just a wheel.... I'd be going for the turbo.

As for will it pop your headgaskets? Who knows man... you know just as well as I you're one of the "lucky" one's that yours is still together even at this point. Adding ANY more power is going to increase that chance. I think you could get by though, you drive smart enough to not destroy things it seems.

You will definitely want new tunes with the turbo, but with the powermax I guess you could probably get by without.

 

Good info. I did a search fior both MTW and Mad Turbo Werks but somehow missed this. Thanks.