Head studs in and heads stayed on

[f-two-fiddy]

The problem with boosting over 15 PSI is that these turbos were not designed to do it efficiently.

So Your basically just making more HOT air. Not really gaining anything. It's 'Bad Boost'

The IC will help. As long as Your running an efficient core. If You've got to bump the waste gate just to get over any pressure lost, Your fighting the heat again.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Well lets see how long "things" last... I'm sure you know these motors run high compression numbers. My motor runs at 530 lbs of compression. I think you are the first at trying this direction but... It sounds to me like you didn't read the ARP installation directions. It makes it very clear to torque down the studs 5 times to set the stud. This allows the frictin to be settled between the nut, stud and the washer.... I do wish you the best of luck and hope it works out for you. I can learn too but gees... I'm not that brave...

I'll agree with that.

Especially with the KNOWN HG problems the 6.9 has. With the way Your pushing this engine (She must get pretty hot?), I'm sure You'll see some coolant seepage at the rear of the HG, eventually.

 

[jactoy4x4]

I may install my intercooler soon, and see if it feels like it makes anymore power beyond 15psi after that. Right now it just doesn't feel like it pulls any harder above 15psi though, I just worry I am putting extra stress on the engine for no reason.

why not setup washer fluid to cool your britches down? wouldnt that boost your boost?

its a shame to see your 6.0 is gone....wish i had the cash for one.

 

[91f2504x4]

The problem with boosting over 15 PSI is that these turbos were not designed to do it efficiently.

So Your basically just making more HOT air. Not really gaining anything. It's 'Bad Boost'

The IC will help. As long as Your running an efficient core. If You've got to bump the waste gate just to get over any pressure lost, Your fighting the heat again.

I am not running a turbo that was meant for this engine. The turbo that is on my truck had a wastegate that was set for over 25 psi. I think it's efficiency range goes well into 30-35 psi range. I am not currently running a wastegate at all.

 

[91f2504x4]

why not setup washer fluid to cool your britches down? wouldnt that boost your boost?

its a shame to see your 6.0 is gone....wish i had the cash for one.

I am considering doing water injection, I have everything but a decent pump to do it, I already made a controller setup and got my nozzles a while back but I really don't want to spend another $100 on a decent pump right now. I am trying to get some other things in order first. I will probably be picking up a new steering box this weekend and I just put new ball joints in it a couple days ago, I am just trying to get all this maintnence done before winter gets here and I have to lay out in the snow and work on it. For the last 8 years this truck has just been a toy that I drove occasionally, but now that it is my Daily Driver once again, I am trying to catch up on lots of small maintnence items. My wife will probably be driving the "New To Us" Jetta as soon as I can teach her how to drive a manual trans.

I miss my 6.0L too, but we were spending too much money on fuel with my wife driving an envoy an hour and a half round trip to work, and my truck was the only thing that we still owed on and really couldn't afford another payment right now, so we traded it in on something that got the best mileage possible. We will eventually sell that Envoy, it's a very nice vehicle, but 17.4 mpg average is it's best with 75% interstate driving, that doesn't really cut it with unpredictable fuel prices. My old blue truck average better than that.

 

[hesutton]

The problem with boosting over 15 PSI is that these turbos were not designed to do it efficiently.

So Your basically just making more HOT air. Not really gaining anything. It's 'Bad Boost'

The IC will help. As long as Your running an efficient core. If You've got to bump the waste gate just to get over any pressure lost, Your fighting the heat again.

Yup, I lost power (6hp) on the dyno after my boost incresed from 12 to 15+ (don't how much more was there...the gauge only goes to 15). Heat is cuprit. Now with an innercooler........who knows what the power level would have been.

Heath

 

[Agnem]

This is a great thread. I'm faced with the need to go to studs myself, and dread the down time associated with a major gasket job. So just to recap, can you clarify the EXACT way in which you replaced the headbolts. More specifically, did you completely remove, replace and torque ONE at a time, or did you loosen ALL of them in sequence, replace one at a time, and retorque in sequence. The great thing about studs that I perceive is that you CAN actually retorque them accurately and that you may not need to clean the threads in the block as precisely as you would with headbolts since all the torque is applied to the end of the stud, rather than twisting it's entire length like a bolt. Frankly, I truely believe these engines should have come with studs from the get-go. The bolts are way too long and thin to be able to torque without twisting some.

 

[david85]

Yup, I lost power (6hp) on the dyno after my boost incresed from 12 to 15+ (don't how much more was there...the gauge only goes to 15). Heat is cuprit. Now with an innercooler........who knows what the power level would have been.

Heath

Definately food for thought..........

Perhaps my 12-13 psi limit isn't so bad after all right now.

 

[dyoung14]

Definately food for thought..........

Perhaps my 12-13 psi limit isn't so bad after all right now.

your engin could probly handle 20psi your compression is lowered and your compltely studded, and then crash86 engin is stock compression and just head studs with propane and 19psi

 

[sassyrel]

with head studs i would feel safe pushing 18-20 into a 7.3, but i guess thats just me

pressure--maybe. but id be watching the pyro close!!!!!!!!!

 

[dyoung14]

pressure--maybe. but id be watching the pyro close!!!!!!!!!

if you notice he has a turbo off a dt466 he can boost 18 with egts less than 1000 i beilive cause the turbo is desinged to run 30-35 psi effeiciently

 

[xantusak]

Yeah, like someone else asked, how exactly did you do this? Losened up and replaced one at the time, never really releasing the pressure off the gasket? In this case I do not understand how would you(and even why) torque the studs in stages. Just torqued to a certain point, took a sip of beer and gave it another crank to the next stage, and so on until the final tq was reached? Or did you loosen them all up, pulled all bolts up, dropped the studs in and proceeded with correctly staged tightening sequence? This procedure would be risky as there would be a good likelyhood of oil or coolant seeping between the metal surface and the gasket.
One at a time seems more probable to pull off, except the staging seems useless at that point. It is intended for even aplication of the pressure onto the gasket and avoiding warping the head as it would if the gasket was compressed fully at the first bolt location and next to none away from the bolt being tightened. If the gasket is already fully compressed by the surrounding bolts, i do not see the need for the staging.
Definitelly seems like a worthwhile project to consider if someone wants to push a lot of boost, and is worried about the gasket life. Since it would not take very long it would not be really that much of a loss of time if it didn't workout. I hope it works out for you though, you would have definitelly cheated an unpleasant and lengthy process..

 

[65sixbanger]

Yeah i can say hitting 19 psi is fun, but i couldve sworn we hit 20 one time
Now i understand that getting to much boost in the intake is a waste, but does the propane not cool it down any??? This truck can hit 15+ anytime!!!!!!

 

[dyoung14]

Yeah i can say hitting 19 psi is fun, but i couldve sworn we hit 20 one time
Now i understand that getting to much boost in the intake is a waste, but does the propane not cool it down any??? This truck can hit 15+ anytime!!!!!!

what are the egts like at that high of boost??

 

[crash86]

i think the propane in my opinion is cooling the intake like water/**** but not as much so i think it helps the efficiency of the turbo and the egts at that boost are around 800 degrees