Light build advice needed! 7.3 Powerstroke!
 

I'll be 16 in May, and i'm wanting to do a light build to my 7.3. I'm not looking to push 500hp, but i'm lookin for a little more performance. I have some ideas in mind, but i'm wanting more input from some more educated 7.3 owners. I'm thinking about a Ts 6 position chip and some gauges, and i was also looking into a wicked wheel. I'm also not looking to spend an excessive amount of money. The guy i bought it from was a logger and beat the bed to hell, so i bought a new one and have to pay to get it painted. Another issue i was wondering about is that its got 260,000 miles. I can't afford for anything to happen to the motor itself. But, from what i've read, these are bulletproof engines. All input is appreciated!

nothing is bullet proof. you start adding HP and your playing with fire. gauges, intake, exhaust and a chip helps alot but puts you about 280hp at the wheels

Yeah, i realize that i am. But it gets more risky the more you build. Thats why i'm starting slow. I'm just curious as where to start, or if theres anything in particular i should do before it all.

gauges first then intake, exhaust and a custom tuned chip

I have an airaid that was already on the truck when i bought it. And its straight piped 4in from the turbo back. And is it really that important to get it custom tuned instead of a regular 6 position chip

Its not much more and you will get more power, lower temps and cleaner burning. Custom tuning is 10x better then a canned tuned TS

I'll have to look into it. How bad is the price difference?

Every tuner is different but around 100ish

I would check out PHP, Tony Wildman or Gearhead Tunes


Luke

So I should expect to spend around 400$? And roughly 250$ on gauges?

No gauges will run u almost 400 for trans temp,boost,pyro for a good set. Chill 250-300

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What would be the difference between a good set and a middle of the road set?

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And would a tranny temp be necessary if I'm not gonna pull hard with it? It is a brand new tranny. I'm not sure how built it is, but i have the paper work, i'll take a look at it.

Yes. Automated or isspro gauges. I bought a insight CTS for my dodge.

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Alright. With a stock turbo what kind if boost should I be pulling? I'm trying to figure out how high up I should have it going. I figured 0-60

Yeah 0-60 will work. Their same price. I think mine hit 35 max when I was really on it.

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Well I'm smart enough to read it without the digital gauge. But I also found a 3 in 1 gauge with pyro, tranny temp, and boost. It's 175$ and a single mount should only be around 50$. Are they inaccurate?

I meant autometer. sorry. I personally wouldn't by that 3 in 1 analog gauge. Whose it made by?

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Its made by glowshift. heres the link to it 3in1 Black Face EGT and Digital Boost and Temperature Gauge

Glow shift gauges are shit! Isspro is my recommendation but you need egt, boost and tranny. Just because its new doesn't mean it won't over heat. Are you going to save 150 with the chance of toasting your tranny? Doesn't sound smart to me.

Ya Glowshits are Junk


Luke

Alright, like i said, i'm new to the game. I had just heard the name before. So i should expect to spend around 400$ on gauges? Including the pod? I'm curious as to why my father doesnt use gauges. He has an EFI live on his 04.5 duramax, and he has no gauges. And is there another chip y'all would reccomend besides a TS 6 position?

Nope, TS is the only way to go! He needs gauges, you can run without them but your taking the chance if burning something up

Yeah. I wouldnt run without gauges at all!heck I have gauges on my 04 dodge and I don't have any performance add ons. I bought the edge insight from Luke at dissel dawgs performance.that thing is freaking awesome.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/18/u7e7y8yb.jpg

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But the Allison tranny is a kick ass transmission. But what would cause it to over heat? Hes a general contractor, and hauls around a T250 bobcat and after that hes generally pulling around 18k pounds. (6,000lb trailer). And I've heard nothing but good about the TS, and i'm thinking that getting a fixed chip is kind of a gamble. Some get a good shift out of it, but some shift super hard to where its jerkin you around. Kinda like a dodge automatic!:tttt:

Doesn't matter if its an Allison or not. You put weight behind it with added power and your asking for disaster. I would tell him to definatley get gauges towing that heavy!

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Get a custom tuned ts chip. Way better for maximum performance.

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Well my problem is that i don't want to blow my motor, or turbo. So i don't want to run it that hard. I know for sure i won't turn it above the 80 hp setting. I've got a buddy in California with a 96 7.3 and he runs his on the 140. I'm just not as much of a risk taker as he is. I'll get the option, but i won't use it. And you guys all reccomend Isspro gauges? And on his duramax he's got a tranny temp gauge that came stock, and is on the dash. So he really just needs a boost, and egt gauge. I would think he would want a boost gauge being as how hes got a larger tubro mouthpiece. I was thinking of calling the shop that did all the work and asking why they didn't put them on in the first place. (We bought it from a guy who did all the work)

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And, what would be the significance of a boost gauge? Besides the fact that it would look bad ass.

OK. Your not gonna hurt the truck with custom tunes in fact most say their better. that's why you need gauges to monitor temps and pressures. Boost gauge will let you know if you have any leaks or not in the system

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You don't really need a boost gauge, but they are fun and can be helpful sometimes and there the cheapest of all the gauges

You can run it in any setting you want when you have gauges to monitor the temps

Well how I've been explained a chip works, is it makes my motor preform at a higher output than its supposed to? That's why i was saying I wouldn't run it at a high setting

It adds horsepower and torque. You may set it on a 140hp tune but it may only actually be 100 its not 140 raw HP more than likely. Like others have said and I adding a custom tuned chip isn't going to hurt anything as long as ya got gauges to monitor everything. Now if you set it to the highest setting and smash the pedal to the flor from a stop and stay in it and do it from a roll etc yeah you might break something,blow a trans. You need to be easy on it and carass it like a baby.

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Unlike most kids, i take care of my stuff. haha.

Then nothing to worry about.

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I understand where your coming from saying you want some performance, but what is it for? the 7.3l will outperform of your buddies trucks unless they have serious money in them. Please don't put performance parts on there just so you can "Roll Coal" you will regret it when you are spending 100-150 $ a week in diesel fuel. As far as a motor with 260k on it, the motor it self will be fine as long as it was maintained and serviced regularly. You're main problem with the added power is the bottom end of your motor going out. You said you don't have money for a rebuild so I wouldn't chance it. The TS 6 position is a great chip and wont do much damage if you know your limitations, a set of gauges never a bad option.

My buddies all drive rice burners. The baddest truck in our lot is an 02 1/2 ton chevy. Haha. And I'm not about the whole "Rollin Coal" thing. I'm more about makin it a bit faster. If you ask me, the 7.3's are all dogs. My dad bought a new 02 7.3 when they came out and they were just as doggy as mine is. And thats another problem. The guy before me i'm not thinking changed the oil too many times. And i know i'm probably one of the first to grease it. I know somebody tried because they broke the fitting. But I myself change it every 4-5,000 miles and grease it.

7.3L or atleast the one I own isn't a power hungry machine. But then again I didn't get it for that reason. Its got a 6' lift on it on 35's. I donno what rear end I have. But I know my dad had a 96' stroke and it wasn't doggy at all. I know a few other boys that had some 7.3L and love them more than the new 6.6's they bought. But for chips, I'd agree with most guys a custom tuned chip means they are more tuning toward your rig rather than just out of the box tuner. I don't run chips on either of my rigs, because I personally know people whom have had problems with their trucks after chipping them. Not saying that you would have an issue. But, being 16, even though you take care of your stuff your gonna wanna bark them tires and blow a little coal..lol..been there done that LOL. Guages are just all around good idea even if some are already in place. Then you can keep an eye and everything thats going on. Sometimes you can peek at those guages and see something off that you can't feel or have a big notice in just by looking over and seeing somethings not where it should be. I'm looking at getting a set of gauges for my rigs just to have me some. They look cool when someone walks by..LOL..but with that being said I know like all the guys say nothings bullet proof, and how it sounds that engine you might have..might have some serious issues one day if you truely believe that he didn't take care of it the way it should have been taken care of. Thats my fear with everything I buy. my 99' was a horse hollar and my 03 was a company truck. So I've known what they had done to them. Just be careful when gettin on it and pay attention. (I know I think I repeated everything that was pretty much said before but just thought I'd throw in my two cents :hellox:)

Thanks I appreciate it. And I went and started mine a minute ago, and i went down the road, i know this a really good thing, but as of now with whats done to it, if i mash on it, i can't get it to blow black smoke. But, i noticed that i really can't notice my turbo spooling until i get 3/4 the way down on the pedal. Could it not be getting enough air? my dads got an 04.5 and has an aftermarket turbo mouthpiece.

Alright, Im gonna clear some things up for ya. First of all, the tranny gauge in your dads truck isnt actually measuring your direct tranny temp, but instead it is being estimated by your PCM.
Secondly, once you start modding, you wont be able to stop, so prepare for that, and plan out exactly how you want to do your build before you start.
Third, the 7.3L are not "doggy" unless they are tired and are in need of maintenance. This being said, you need to figure out why it feels "doggy" before you begin doing modifications. The best way to understand your truck is to have gauges and a scanner. The best scanner out there is Auto Enginuity which I would recommend getting from this guy. Riffraff Diesel: AutoEnginuity Total Ford Enhanced Bundle
I also recommend getting the rest of your parts from him as well, great service and prices.
Once you know what your truck is doing under the hood, (you will probably have to clean a couple things, replace grow plugs, torque injectors and replace some orings) then you begin your modifications.
Always gauges first, like the other guys said, isspro or autometer. Autometer has more astetical options, but isspro are just as good of quality for cheaper.
On builds, you have to start with supporting mods before you can add HP mods. Supporting mods include, fuel, air, exhaust, and tranny upgrades. Without these, you are restricting your engine and causing it to not run as efficiently as possible and leading to failures down the road.
For air, I reccomend a 6637 filter (look it up) simple and cheap and performs very well.
For fuel, I recommend hutch and harpoon mod (look up these as well) a little more challenging.
For tranny, there are many different ways you can go, but definitely larger cooler and maybe a filter and upgraded valve body from john woods or BTS.
I think you said you already have a 4in exhaust so you are good there.
Next, comes power.
Chips. Custom tuning hands down wins. TS style chip is great, but get one from bts, tony wildman, php, or the like. The hydra by PHP is what i will be investing in soon this summer to replace my canned chip. Another option is DP Tuner, look them up. I hear they are good as well, just different design.
Your truck will now be at a solid level and be able to kick your ricer friends butt.
Enjoy

Thanks, Caedo. One thing i'm questioning is the injectors. I'm not sure if they're all firing. And another thing is the turbo. I think its being deprived of air. And yes, i have a 4inch exhaust. And one thing i noticed after i bought the truck, is that it had an airaid. I thought kick ass i just saved myself some money. WHen i took it out to clean it, it looked as if it had been sitting in a barn for 10 years. It was terrible. The guy before me didn't take care of it like he should have. And thanks for the fuel mod reccomendation, i looked at lift pumps, but was boggled by their prices. So i thought i would steer clear. Is it in a sense just opening up the lines a bit?

In a sense yes, the hutch mod gets rid of the stupid fuel mixer in the pick-up line as well as redirects the return fuel away from the pick up boot so that you don't get aerated fuel in your system which is bad for the injectors.
With that many miles, it is possible that you have a few weak or dead injectors. Which by the way will kill your power with even one being down. But, with That auto enginuity program that I was talking about, you can test your injectors from right inside your truck without even having to pull them.

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Is that airaid an oilable filter I presume? If so, then yeah, clean it and oil it, then your turbo should be getting enough air