Installing a Turbo? Read This!

[USNENFTS]

So who makes the best cylinder liners for the 7.3L?

 

[snicklas]

Sorry to hear about the head gasket issues.... we've had numerous members add a turbo to an "old" engine and get many, many more miles from them.....

HIJACK ON:

...oh so now it's injectors? Well you'll spend on one injector what a whole set for your IDI would cost......

Might want to check on that...... I for one am getting REALLY tired of the PSD bashing, and the misquote on prices.

A bit of info..... I just looked this up for another reason, but will share it here.....

6.9/7.3 IDI - (You know the one that is so "cheap")

Baby Moose or MINI Moose - This is what I looked up for info about a truck I was looking at - $670.00
8 Pop matched BB Injectors - $421.20
Return/Install Kit - $ 49.00

Expected life span ~ 125,000 Miles, all should be replaced at the same time

6.0 Setup (For my truck)

Stock Spec Injector - $198.30 Each

Expected life span - Several hundred thousand miles.... not unheard of to get 300,000+ from a set of injectors on a properly maintained truck - If one goes bad, replace the one bad one. (Personally I would replace all 8 at once anyway)

So totals:

IDI - $1140.20 - Every ~125,000

6.0 - $1586.40 - Maybe every 300,000+ thousand miles.

Lets say a HPOP does go... which they do..... I have seen them in the ~$500 area......
A PSD is much easier on glow plugs than the IDI's are.....

The longevity I am stating is not speculation.... I have OWNED an 03 6.0 (yes the HORRIBLE year for them) for over 7 YEARS!!!!! In that 7 years, how many times has it stranded me - 0. How many injectors have I replaced - 0. How many glow plugs have I replaced - 0. In that 7 years, I have replaced 1 set of brakes, one set of tires, a water pump, a couple sets of batteries, done an EGR Delete because the supply hose went bad, not the cooler, and changed the oil every 5,000 miles and fuel filters every 10,000 miles. I still have the same amount of power I did when I bought it, and it still starts just as easily. Additional statistics: I am still running the factory head gaskets, factory head bolts, and factory turbo. I would get in this truck right now and drive it anywhere. I trust it to the point, it is the one that I put my FAMILY in, and I drive the old VW IDI...... Unless you have actually OWNED a PSD, and know how they are... then you don't know what they actually are, and capable of...... not just something on the internet..... none of the diesels are 100% perfect....... not even the IDI.....

Sorry USNENFTS

HIJACK OFF

 

[USNENFTS]

I guess it's just after adding the turbo I feel like the engine can't handle it... Ain't even pulled anything yet either. Guess I am sorta having doubts about the IDI and a turbo.... The block is what I don't like the most.... That is why I am still kinda half tempted to ditch the IDI and go with a PSD.... Yeah, they cost more, but..... Don't gotta worry about the blocks really... I am gonna take this engine apart and see what I find, with some good luck it will just be the head gaskets but we will see soon enough.

 

[typ4]

The engine can handle it, I would almost bet that IF it is your head gaskets, they have been cooked by some overheating in the past, you just accelerated the inevitable with a little more cylinder pressure.
Get your block sonic checked, mine is 20 over , regularly 13 -17 lbs of boost and it has been at 240* longer than it should. Studded.
With bolts it saw 12 -14 for 10k miles, I cut a corner and had a piston shrink .006 and it rattled when cold, so went 20 over. I work it hard. the engine is a solid foundation.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

I have OWNED an 03 6.0 (yes the HORRIBLE year for them) for over 7 YEARS!!!!!

my condolences.

 

[icanfixall]

My original 89 7.3 had more than 300,000 on it when I pulled it for th built engine in it now. I had Banks install a turbo when it just past 100,000 miles. I bought the rig with 34,000 miles on it. Am I certain thats what it had. Most would agree with the condition but who really knows. The last 200,000 miles was towing heavy and hard boosting to 13 lbs many times. I lost one cylinder to cavitation and the shop had the engine out but would not replace the passenger side haead gasket. Said it was a waste of time and money. Gees guys.. I'm paying the bill I want it done.. Nope. Never gor done. Stock head bolts were reused on the side that failed and the other side NEVER came off. Thats a testament to what the stock head gaskets and bolts can handle. Adding a turbo without studding the heads is not really asking for trouble. I tested a couple of new head bolts from Ford. They broke at 154,000 lbs. Thats a new bolt. So I bought a set of studs from a shop that is no longer in business that made some head studs that were 270,000 psi breaking strength. They were H13 material. I got the first set from Ken because we worked together designing them. They worked great till I roasted my engine when a freeze plug let go from poor installation and they were brass. Not stainless. I learned. So can our engines take it. Yes they can. Does a turbo put more stress on the engine. Sure it does. Will it cause a failure sooner. Yes but only if you have an eminent problem ready to let go. Why your engine let go this early after a turbo is open for discussion. You wont know till you get into it. How deep you go depends on what you find.
About the timing you just did. Do not remove the gear cover and the timing will not change even if you remove the injection pump. We talked about making center punch marks in the joint line so just line the pump back to those when you done and all will be fine for timing. Very sorry the engine let you down. BTW the timing meter came in the mail today. Thanks for the return.

 

[IDIoit]

S
IDI - $1140.20 - Every ~125,000

6.0 - $1586.40 - Maybe every 300,000+ thousand miles.

7.3 injectors are 245 an injector with a 280 dollar core.
i went the cheap route and paid 1300 for all 8, on my 01.
12 months later, i need new ones.
THANK YOU DIESEL CARE!
now the PSD sits until i can get the RIGHT ones.

 

[snicklas]

7.3 injectors are 245 an injector with a 280 dollar core.
i went the cheap route and paid 1300 for all 8, on my 01.
12 months later, i need new ones.
THANK YOU DIESEL CARE!
now the PSD sits until i can get the RIGHT ones.

Right from Mel's page....

7.3L Powerstroke HEUI injector - 7.3Ls in AB, AD, or AE styles - $161.25 each.

Same place I got the numbers for the 6.0 injectors......

 

[IDIoit]

Yea I wish I woulda known that a year ago

 

[79jasper]

Nope sure won't.......But a Camshaft position sensor goes out and you're beside the road....oh so now it's injectors? Well you'll spend on one injector what a whole set for your IDI would cost......

Hey as long as it's a Ford that's all I care

What happened to your enthused "400/800 IDI" build?

That's actually blown way out of proportion. Between my 94, a 00 F550, and my brothers truck, not a single one of us has had a CPS failure. Not to mention, it's only about $20 bucks, real easy to throw a spare into the glove box.
Fuel system upgrade for a psd = 8 bigger injectors for abouts $1500. $400 or so for custom tunes. The engine will take that on the factory turbo and head gaskets no problem. Talking over 400 HP at the wheels.
Now what's the equivalent cost for an idi at that same power level? Well gonna need cam, injectors, studs, custom turbo, biggest injector pump available. $$$$$$$$ then you still have an engine that you're playing Russian roulette with cavitation.
Would I own another? Yep. Just tired of people making stuff up.
And I'm not singling you out. It's people all over.

Yeah it sucks.... I dunno what to do right now.... I feel like if I want a F***ing turbo I need to rebuild the entire engine to handle it.... I dont even know for sure if it's the head gaskets or the block being cracked with how retarded thin the walls are..... I am almost wanting to sell this POS and get a 7.3L Powerstroke (99 to 03).... Atleast then I would know that 10 PSI of boost won't destroy the engine....

You're not alone. I had the exact same experience.

Sent from my SM-T537R4 using Tapatalk

 

[icanfixall]

7.3 injectors are 245 an injector with a 280 dollar core.
i went the cheap route and paid 1300 for all 8, on my 01.
12 months later, i need new ones.
THANK YOU DIESEL CARE!
now the PSD sits until i can get the RIGHT ones.

Diesel careless is still ****** the customer base. I wonder how they stay in business. But if one reads the Hall of Shame forum you will see why they can stay in business. People shopping see the low prices and call for information but.. Whats told on the phone is not what you get in the end. They have really done some clients horribly. Mel lives by a different cred. He is honest. Thats why he is in business.

 

[Greg5OH]

that sucks, and is frustrating no doubt.

iin all honesty, id just yank the fenders/front end, tear the heads off, throw new gaskets on (use the 6.9 ones), stud it, and call it a day. i got my studs for 400 off ebay. Im sure your block is fine, i learnd that-if it works-just run it. However, its usally the "while im in there" mentality, and it takes up wayy mor emoney and time that you thought, but in reality you would probaly be pretty happy if it just RAN. These engines are cheap enough that once u get your beast running again, pick up a spare engine that u can sleeve to a 6.9.

JMO

 

[USNENFTS]

That is a good idea to yank the fenders/front end... What if I do all that work and it doesn't fix it because the block is cracked? I need to know lol.

 

[cpdenton]

Ok, you have had a night to think about it now.

Let's go back to your first post and clear up some things. What exactly are the symptoms to make you think head gasket failure? Losing coolant out the tailpipe? Etc...

Your block and heads can handle a turbo, unless they had some previous damage from overheating or something else.

Don't be afraid of the engine. Justin was pushing way more power out of a stock 200k bottom end, not rebuilt.

Cavitation might be your only concern, but if hat has happened, when you open it up, it will be pretty obvious.
In fact, I have heard it is more rare than people believe. It does happen though. If that has happened, just finish taking out the block and make a decision where to go from there.

Trust me on this, the turbo just accelerated an already lingering time bomb. Many people have installed turbos on these engines and ran many many miles problem free. I have about 20k after my turbo install, many miles towing at over 1000 EGTs without a failure. Will it happen? Probably, but I have an engine block ready to go to the machine shop.

 

[sjwelds]

I have been quoted several times in the above posts.

@79jasper
@snicklas

Sirs, I did not intend to cause offense or poke fun at Powerstroke engines. I have been an unfortunate victim of mis-information, it appears. I truly did not realize some of the numbers you posted.

I sincerely apologize.