another 7.3l build question

[MUDKICKR]

ok im getting ready to pull my 7.3l 5-speed combo and transplant it into my real trk. so i want to rebuild it first(it needs it bad) so where is the best place to buy parts and the best price as well. its an 89 7.3l if that helps. also im going turbo, so i need stronger parts as well. now my plans are as follows, bore out engine to make cyls straight. turn crank and polish it. clean block and replace all bearings. balance all rotating parts. reground cam for turbo? or new cam? shave cyl heads as needed and port match cyl heads to intake,
so what im really asking is what is all the little tricks i can do to get the most out of my trk, its going to be my daily drive and have no less then 40" tires with 4.56 gears so i like all the power i can get but i want it relible as well. thanks for all the replys

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Its not advisable to bore out a 7.3, the walls are already thin. No reason to make them even thinner.

 

[Ironman03R]

Same with the heads, dont mill them unless needed. There are NO preformance parts out there for an IDI other than pumps an injectors.
If your goin into it this far, mill the pistons for lower comp, port the heads, head studs, Turbo, Turbo pump and be happy with it.

 

[MUDKICKR]

only boring to make cyls straight, only milling heads to make them straight

 

[MUDKICKR]

no tricks to helping power?

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

There's theories that having certain parts coated adds performance. About the only one I'll stand behind is coating pistons.

 

[icanfixall]

In Florida the place is called Falcon Global. I don't remember where they are put just search the web. Typ4 knows of them. Direct Diesel has really good prices on turbo rods and Mahle pistons for around $550.00. They also have the best price on rod & main bearings. Northern Auto parts has good prices on oil pumps and Felpro gasket sets. You can't really buy or find a cam for these motors other than the stock. Some have had special grinds done but I haven't heard much talk about them. Just have your cam polished up. The cam grinder usually takes off about 1/2 to 1 thousands off the lobe but thats all the way around. Nothing changes in the prefile but the lift and that wont be felt by you or me. Costa about $35.00 most anywhere. Diesel Direct turbo rods were $42.00 each & no core charge. They had 4 pallets full of them. Good to know. A 10 10 grind on the crank is fine. Just don't do any more than that.

 

[RLDSL]

For stock replacement engine parts, Lately, I've been having real good luck at Car Quest of all places. I don't know what they've been up to , used to be they couldn't find their way out of a paper sack, but on my latest rebuild, they've had everything for this engine when Napa and everyone else has left me high and dry.

 

[Diesel JD]

Well the parts Icanfixall talked about, the turbo rods and pistons, I'm not real sure how the turbo pistons are different except they were designed with a turbo in mind and bolt up to the turbo rods which have bigger piston pin bosses. If I was doing a build and I could get them I'd have turbo rods and shaved pistons. Gary and a couple others have also polished & ported and matched the heads. The most gain will be from a Ken's DPS or Mel Agne's Moose Pump along with any proper turbocharger, and intercooler's also not a bad idea. Also don't forget head studs if you plan to boost over 15psi.

 

[Agnem]

Same with the heads, dont mill them unless needed. There are NO preformance parts out there for an IDI other than pumps an injectors.
...

While the spirit of the statement is true, it's technically inacurate. We do have turbo's and headers on the market, and a few other odds and ends here and there, but for the serious engine builder, he's right. Not too much to pick from, although interest seems to be on the rise.

 

[MUDKICKR]

i want to do this engine right, i have built plenty of engines before so i will do it right. but my question is simple, best bang for the buck. i started working at a machine shop as a second job so i will be doing my machine work, but what is the best way to get relible power from a 7.3? i want my trk to be my daily driver and i will be driving it out of state, and im going with at least 40" tires and 4.56 gears. i have two turbos i want to use, tdo5h and there off of mitz. eclipses. i want to build headers and set each turbo beside the valve cover as a twin set-up and i do plan to use an intercooler.

 

[f350flatbed]

So I just took a head to a place and they said they were going to mill the heads. I asked if they thought this would increase the compression and he said no, the valve grind part would recess the valves and that would make up for the difference. Any thoughts?

Paul B

 

[MUDKICKR]

any time you mill the heads it will change the compression cause it makes the combustion chamber in the head smaller, now when they do this they also resurface the valves which in turn will put them higher in the head but not enough to compensate. also they resurface the top of the valve so when you tighten down the rocker arm the valve will be in the correct place. i think if you would shave a set of small block heads down .030" it will bumb your compression ratio .5 percent so i dont think you will have any real problems

 

[suv7734]

Many shops will surface heads 'just because' but be really careful surfacing these heads. There is not a lot to play with in terms of tolerance. The valve recession is another important spec to watch. Just ask Gary (Icanfixall) about his experiences having IDI heads machined...
Here is the spec sheet for the heads if it helps at all.

 

[Agnem]

If I recal the book strongly discourages milling the heads. I think shops that do it without measuring them first to see if they really need it are wrong to do so.