Emission Compatible Mods

I would put an intercooler on it and adjust your stock pump until you are happy with it, I doubt you will have any smoke with that setup and the intercooler will help tremendously with egts and will lower your boost pressure a bit to make it more safe for the head gasket. If you feel you need more you can spring for some injectors and a moose junior and a spl if you need it.

Put a block under the go pedal

Just get the smoke puff limiter and adjust it right. It's absolutely wonderful - you can run a big pump and not smoke badly at all. All the power, none of the overfueling/drivability issues!

Thanks everyone for the input. Are there any downsides to the SPL? I am seeing many recommendations for intercoolers. I remember when these trucks were being produced, the general consensus was that intercooling this turbo with its limited boost was of limited value. Has this thinking changed with, say, 10-12psi of boost? No one has yet addressed my question of maintenance/repairs while the engine is out for pan leaks. FYI the engine has about 60,000 miles on it since complete rebuild. Thanks!

Cooler air in means cooler air out. This means lower EGT's. Almost all of the engines I changed out that had a turbo had significant wear in the back four cylinders. Very few trucks back then had pyros. Even fewer had ones that actually worked. NOT ONE had an intercooler. I believe that the owners were just running too high of EGT's and burned their engines up. There would be a big advantage to an intercooler on even a "stock" turbo setup.

Zephyr said:

I am seeing many recommendations for intercoolers. I remember when these trucks were being produced, the general consensus was that intercooling this turbo with its limited boost was of limited value. Has this thinking changed with, say, 10-12psi of boost?

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I've seen firsthand the effects of an intercooler on a 7.3L IDI with an ATS 093 kit. The intercooler really makes a difference, and IMHO it's well worth the time Cooler EGT's, which means you can inject more fuel before she gets hot and also means you don't have to watch the pyro like a hawk when going up grade with a load.

Intercooling might help with power when towing and EGTs, but it won't fix your emissions problem. All of that's going to be done under relatively ideal conditions, when the engine is "cold"(180F, not 240F going up a grade maxing everything out).

So you *need* a SPL... or simply not have enough fuel to make smoke.

So, ongoing question from the original post. Leak down tests are less than 15% in all cylinders, compression is 360-375 in all cylinders. The engine has about 65,000 since rebuild but I pulled it primarily due to annoying leaks of the oil pan and rear main with a needed new clutch. Also valley pan has some oil, valve covers leaking severely. While it is out, I am rebuilding oil cooler, IP and injectors, new fuel pump and probably water pump. I don't want to be bothered by repairs for a while especially since these are so much easier while out of the truck. Thoughts on this leak? It really looks like the front cover which I assume means pulling the water pump, balancer and injection pump adapter housing. I see the horror threads associated with the adapter housing. Any tips?

Before you do all of that, Make sure that it's not the oil pan or the front engine seal leaking and being blown up here by the fan. If you do pull the front engine cover, Don't worry about the injector pump gear. You will have the front cover off and will be able to see the marks on the gears to line them back up. You can just sit the pump gear on the cam gear in the right spot and then put the front cover and the gear housing back on. If you're really worried about it though, put the pump gear housing on first so you can still see that the marks are lined up. Then slide the front cover up from the bottom. Since you'll have the oil pan off, it won't be in the way. You could even put the pump housing on and then turn the engine upside down on the stand to work on the front cover and oil pan. Don't worry about that either, the gear can't fall out of time once the housing is bolted back on. The gear will be loose, just not enough to matter to gear timing.

Thanks, I feel much more comfortable about tearing into the front now. Pulled the harmonic balancer and some of the oil seems to be coming from that seal. The shop that did my rebuild in the past used a cork oil pan gasket which is contributing to much of the oil leakage. Flipped it over and removed the front cover and oil pan today so I can visualize the gear markings much better than a picture or description. Cleaned up all the gasket surfaces and awaiting parts. Thoughts on regular gaskets versus RTV (for everything but the oil pan)?

I'd use a gasket on everything else. Just line up dot to dot and Y to Y. Easy!

I second that. Zephyr where are you in Colorado?


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Conifer/Bailey area. UP the hill from you.

Ah cool good to know have to meet you some time


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Ditto.