Wish list for 99 7.3L upgrades

[colotow]

Hi all, i'm Robert and new here, so if I step on any toes, i'm sorry

Old question, new twist

i'm building a wish list for my 99 F350, for under the hood.

what i'm interested in, is what HAS NOT worked for you guys, and what, if anything, would you have not done or done differently.

under the hood, mines all stock, just a turbo back 4" and a k&n filter.

it's a daily driver, used to pull a 20' flatbed (max 12,000lb gross, normally less), got 4.10's, 6 speed, 8" lift, dynatrac freespin kit up front and kelderman air ride in the back. next is a set of 22.5" adapters and wheels.

i'm looking for good and bad about turbo upgrades, full intake plumbing and chargeair upgrades, and water and/or propane injection.
right now, i'm just running the towsafe program from a handheld re-programmer.

also, is anyone usine the fs2500 filter, and how do you like it/does it work or help?

i'm not out for massive power, just more and at least not lose too much mpg's.

going to be a while yet, i'm in iraq, so i'll have the $$$, just got to wait to actually put the stuff on.

i figured the best way to not need to re-do it was advice from them that had already did it

thanks

 

[JRJ04]

do you have a drop in k&n filter or the entire intake kit? if you have the drop in filter that fits right into the factory box, GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY. the rubber seal that goes around the filter is too thick for the factory box and will actually stretch the box causing a poor seal, which can ultimalely suck dirt into the turbo. I started to notice this and pulled it out immediately. stay with the stock air intake until you upgrade to the entire kit.

 

[tonkadoctor]

1. ditch the K&N and put in a Tymar setup
2. Gauges
3. Stage 1 or 2 injectors from Swamp's or Beans
4. 4 - 6 position chip from Jody at DP tuner
5. Wicked wheel upgrade on the turbo as a minimum
6. HX mod
7. Regulated return on fuel system
8. Stay away from Propane......water/**** OK

 

[cnomad172]

tonka.. why stay away from propane? i heard its a good power adder that also cleans injectors, increases mpg's, blah blah. of course, that was from a guy trying to sell me a propane system.. sooo

 

[tonkadoctor]

tonka.. why stay away from propane? i heard its a good power adder that also cleans injectors, increases mpg's, blah blah. of course, that was from a guy trying to sell me a propane system.. sooo

Propane is to diesel what Nitrous is to gassers. Can cause severe damage improperly used by over fueling. I personally don't like "drugs" as I have seen blown engines and several runaway engines that were juiced on propane.

However, as you stated, there are benefits to proper use such as lower emissions and more power and of couse the claims of better fuel ecomomy. But I think the economy claims are overstated......Think about this. If you are using propane to substitute a portion of the diesel fuel sure you are getting better fuel economy on the diesel portion, most don't figure out how much propane they are using when making these claims so are you really gaining anything

He stated he isn't looking for huge gains in power so I really don't think he needs the propane to get where he wants to be.....Could be wrong too I just state my opinions on what I would do as he has to make his own decision and figure out how deep his pockets are.

 

[cnomad172]

cool.. it was just a thought, as i have never talked to anyone with a propane setup.. just heard all the hype! what you say about mpg gains is true.. maybe less diesel, but have to burn propane to get the gain.. i was considering propane, but i dont really need it. just wanted it for the clean engine benifits, which i dont think are as good as some people claim!

 

[apextrans]

1. ditch the K&N and put in a Tymar setup
2. Gauges
3. Stage 1 or 2 injectors from Swamp's or Beans
4. 4 - 6 position chip from Jody at DP tuner
5. Wicked wheel upgrade on the turbo as a minimum
6. HX mod
7. Regulated return on fuel system
8. Stay away from Propane......water/**** OK

What's the HX mod?

 

[tonkadoctor]

What's the HX mod?

Cross over line between the High pressure oil rails to equalize the oil pressure to the injectors in both oil rails. Can be done for under $20

 

[apextrans]

Cross over line between the High pressure oil rails to equalize the oil pressure to the injectors in both oil rails. Can be done for under $20

wish I'd known 'bout that a few days ago!!

 

[colotow]

Thanks, guys.

joining here seems to be one of the better things i've done, learned more about my truck in a week than i had since i bought it new, and i is/was a mechanic. i can see i'm going to be spending alot of productive time going thru your older posts to see how to do stuff like the hx mod and gutting the ebpv.

i have just the k&n filter in the stock housing, put it in 8 years ago at the first service, and i always run a clean rag around the clean side, had never seen any dirt there, nice to know about that problem. i did pick up a bit of hp and torque after, dyno shop i use for emissions will experiment with filters and settings on the programmer to see how it works.

i'm surprised no one likes propane, i knew it was a trade off, some of the fuel i save has to be replaced with propane, most of the ads claimed lower egt's and smoother power, and a slight emissions cleanup, that was what i was looking for more than a big power increase. i think water/methanol injection is going to be on the list.

i do want to upgrade, i'm planning to do everything from filter and housing to the intake, all the tubes and the charge air, and i'm leaning towards an upgraded turbo at the same time, i like the ball bearing type.

my turbo is my biggest worry right now, i've been having a problem with the exhaust backpressure valve, it has a mind of it's own, it will close at mid throttle when it's cold out, and sometimes won't open right away, ruins the fuel mileage, and i'm worried about overheat/damage to the turbo itself, figure if i do everything at once, less chance of needing to replace any parts again.

at least it's parked right now, i'll be able to play with it when i get home.

gives me something to look forward to besides a few cold beers

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

k/n filter lasted 2 days in my 00, egts went high, and turbo lag was bad, went to the open air filter and never looked back.

propane or any drug including water **** is ok in moderation, use it to enhance the fuel, not to try to make big hp #s thats where the problem comes in.

stock turbo is good for the most part, especially if its a early 99.
ball bearing is a good choice for a replacement.

as for the ebv acting up, very common on 99 6 speeds, unplug the damn thing.

 

[colotow]

where do i unplug it?

and, is there an old post somewhere about the hx mod and what i need for parts to do it?

as for age, mine was built in dec, 98, about a week after ford changed to the rectangular filter and moved the badge to the doors. the only work done on the eng was the long lead #8 injector back in 99.

is anyone going to be at the cummins rocky mountain truck fest at bandimere this july? i should be back home and i will DEFINITELY be there at least 1 day.

 

[CSIPSD]

where do i unplug it?

and, is there an old post somewhere about the hx mod and what i need for parts to do it?

as for age, mine was built in dec, 98, about a week after ford changed to the rectangular filter and moved the badge to the doors. the only work done on the eng was the long lead #8 injector back in 99.

is anyone going to be at the cummins rocky mountain truck fest at bandimere this july? i should be back home and i will DEFINITELY be there at least 1 day.

I'll be at Truck Fest... Look for one if not both of our trucks... See my sig, the only thing I am adding is the cardiac arrest HPOP system when its out.