intercoolers the options 99-2003

[ddestruel]

So a friend ran into some knuckle head who ran a red light the other day and is in the the process of rebuilding his front end etc on his 7.3L excursion. obviously some mods and he tows a lot at higher altitudes. I’m going to copy his email because i know very little about intercoolers on 7.3’s.

My first response is go grab a dodge intercooler and make it fit, next is stay under a grand anythings better than th dented up unit you are dealing with right now .lol but in all reality i don’t have any good advice so i thought id throw it out there. he’s looking at the Chinese express CX racing stuff heck i don't know


See below for his email to me
--------------------------------------------



Hey Dusty

Im looking at these
various options since i already have a larger turbo 50 hp injectors and a good DP tune, 4” exhaust and good exhaust brake along with my 6 speed swap this thing is pretty dialed but on long grades towing it would benefit from being able to keep the EGT’s down another 150-200 degrees. Im looking at an intercooler previously i had the factory 6.0L intercooler swapped in which helped quite a bit over the plastic tanked cooler it previous had that was leaking but now since I’m into it I’m really wondering about best option with more cooling than that 6.0L intercooler that i was running before the wreck.


Out the gate I’ve read about guys using the stock dodge intercooler because its larger and more efficient you have to mount infront of the AC condenser but that doesn’t seem to affect performance:
2003-2007 dodge diesel all aluminum intercooler factory is 27 inches H x 28 inches 2.25 inches
I could pickup a factory used one for $200
an AFE for $1400
A banks tecnicooler for $1200
a BD for about the same price $1200
Mishimoto $900
CXracing $700 27x28x3”
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CXRacing-Hi...ler-/390416502064?hash=item5ae6a30d30&vxp=mtr


Then with Ford replacement units I’m not going factory
Compare to Stock Size Intercooler: 30”x18”x2”
half these guys don’t giver their core dimensions up easily or I’m looking in wrong spots anyways
banks $1200
BD $1200
AFE $1600
Mishimoto 25.5” x 21” x 2.5” $900
Spearco $1400

CTXracing
Then i saw another entry into the market they have two one is a straight factory bolt in then they have the oversized unit
with a core of
CXracing oversized unit $750 core size: 28”x25”x3.5”
CXracing bolt in unit is $600 Core Size: 28”x17”x3.5"
See link to oversized unit
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390598627428?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


What are you thoughts I’m going to buy the biggest and best that’ll yield the most cooling because though I’m not a 600hp monster race rig, when I’m towing i could really benefit from a little lower intake air charge temp and if i can spend $300 or $400 to replace the factory unit an extra $600-800 for 150* degrees less egt’s would be worth it to me. Water **** is cool but id like a setup that doesn’t require filling up an extra tank and monitoring it every time i do a 1500 mile trip with the toy hauler

I want to know your thoughts i know you are always the guy that says look at factory **** see what is close and make it fit but now i want you to imaging you were spending my money because I’m stumped that CX racing unit really looks like what i might want. or maybe if you think its worth it get the dodge CXracing unit for $700 and make it fit infont of the AC condenser I want some advice though. is banks or AFE really that much better than CXracing or mishimoto?

Let me know by the end of the week will ya. thanks
Chris

 

[lindstromjd]

Go with a 6.0 intercooler.

 

[trackspeeder]

I would use a 6.0 cooler.

 

[94f450sd]

The gods honest truth is the stock 7.3 or 6.0 intercooler is better than any of the aftermarket ones.there really arent many differences between the 2,not enough to make one cool better than the other.

 

[dsrace]

not sure how much a diff it makes but i have noticed that the late 99 thru 03 have plastic side tanks on the innercooler and my e99 has a solid aluminum one. not sure if they cool better or not but def helps to keep them clean and free of bugs. i pull my fan once a year and lean the radiator in to blow the inner cooler an radiator as clean as i can get them and it's amazing how much crap and dust come out.

 

[trackspeeder]

Late 02 Plastic tanks replaced the aluminum tank charge coolers..

 

[ddestruel]

The gods honest truth is the stock 7.3 or 6.0 intercooler is better than any of the aftermarket ones.there really arent many differences between the 2,not enough to make one cool better than the other.

i relayed that to him thank you

what about the dodge diesel intercooler retro fit.?

 

[dsrace]

Late 02 Plastic tanks replaced the aluminum tank charge coolers..

good info and i have a close friend with a 99 psd june of 99 is the build date and he is the third owner so who knows for sure but it has an innercooler with the plastic side tanks and another friend with an 01 has the same. his just got a new motor at 350k after a piston let go. now he hauls a large stock trailer that he hauls hogs with for a living and he bought the truck second hand. he put a chip (100 hp ) and larger inj's years ago when he got it and a k&n air filter , it didn't have a cat when he got it but stock exh. he adjusted the wastegate so it wouldn't work, no gauges just foot to the floor to get past the turbo surge! i don't know how it lasted that long but a real testament to the 7.3 imo!

 

[trackspeeder]

i relayed that to him thank you

what about the dodge diesel intercooler retro fit.?

Why do all the retrofit work when you can just bolt up a 6.0 unit and be done. Or you can go aftermarket if you need more cooling help.

 

[ddestruel]

Hey Dusty

Im looking at these
various options................... but on long grades towing it would benefit from being able to keep the EGT’s down another 150 degrees. Im looking at an intercooler previously i had the factory 6.0L intercooler swapped in which helped quite a bit over the plastic tanked cooler it previous had that was leaking but now since I’m into it I’m really wondering about best option with more cooling than that 6.0L intercooler that i was running before the wreck.

...... thanks
Chris

I think he may have sprang for a 6.0L version of the mishimoto or banks this morning.

i gave him a copy of this thread i think most missed where he said he had a 6.0L intercooler prior to his wreck and that he was wondering if there was something that would offer a little more over that.

 

[trackspeeder]

You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[ddestruel]

To add some facts to this thread.

read his stats above in first post.

Towing 12k lbs he previously had a factory 6.0L intercooler swapped into his rig. the ONLY change was upgrading to the mishimoto.

he got his replacement he went with the mishimoto 6.0L version. 25.75” x 21.54” x 3.35.

Towing the exact same load up donner pass i80 in 80+ degree weather exact same conditions that he’s been towing for years up the exact same grade with exact same loaded toy hauler and there are two spots he said with the stock innercooler and the 6.0L where EGT’s would spike to 1300+ with year after year. the 6.0L factory CAC dropped his EGT’s from the 7.3L and helps maintain a steadier slower climb in EGT’s from 1250-1350 on long hard pulls but still required gauge monitoring and watching egt’s closely as it would still spike easily under full load past 1350. obviously he said foot control was still involved. with the mishimoto and no other changes EGTS are down 50-100 degrees at WOT pulling the same grades and he said no foot control was required towards the top. he was skeptical but surprised under full load he said there is some additional usable power and a steady slowing of the EGT’s from 1200-1350. speed is the same 60 mph. no real power increase but he says EGT’s are off and the power is more usable in full load situations especially at highways speeds. around town no real benefit. but he said on that climb cresting 1300-1350 took really keeping foot flat on floor and lugging motor with the trailer in tow. also he said the 1200-1300 range is much slower to spike up. it’ll climb to 1200 fast but then the move from 1200/1250 to the 1300 mark is very slow and very stable.



Anyways he said the 6.0L CAC was a PITA to make fit said that he wished he would have tried the CTXracing oversized unit. 28”x25”x3.5” he’s really interested in it and wanted to offer some feedback on it but the mishimoto was a known product over the ctx.

 

[IDIoit]

donner pass is a *****!

i "raced" a 2010 6.7 i think up that pass,
speeds were 70-80.
we were leap frogging up as i would pass him, i had to ease off the throttle due to 1250 on the pyro.
then he would pass me doing the same,
we both laughed when he passed me with a thumbs up and me pointing at my pyro lol

stock 01 7.3 IC

 

[79jasper]

Mishimoto would get my vote.

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