need help on tuning 7.3 IDI

[blue rally]

I just recently bought this late 87 ( actually an 88 by the books , but 87 by the dmv, you know how that is) ford f-350 crew cab dually, actually it was given to me after all the parts I put in it and time. +
let me give you a bit of history I am the 3rd owner of this truck. the 1st owner took care of it religiously with all paperwork , the second owner did not so well and blew up the turbo due to dirty oil and then proceeded to drive it until it blew a head-gasket. this truck has only 152k. the 2nd owner had the engine totally rebuilt 1500 miles ago. he elected not to replace the turbo. so the shop left it off and took the system back to stock with all stock exhaust etc. he also let it sit for about 5 yrs. only driving it once every 6 months or so. when I made the deal to buy the truck once it was running the 2nd owner agreed to take off what parts I needed from the asking price. so after new batteries , cleaned out the fuel tanks and new lift pump and new injection pump, it was finally running and sounded good , that was until a head gasket blew (he did not change antifreeze so no electrolysis additive) so off with the heads and on with new gaskets. this engine was sooo clean inside you could almost eat off of it.

Now it is all up and running great , except it's a dog on the hills!!! I mean i can hit the bottom of the hill doing 75 and half way up i am doin 50 and loosing speed until the motor sits at 3,000 rpm and hold speed there. this is not a very long hill only about 1/2 mile. this truck has a gear vendor overdrive on it that I tried both off and on and same issue. the truck will kick down to 2nd gear on my c-6 tranny and hold it there.

Now the advice I need is would a turbo be actually a big help in this case or is there another way of " tuning" the motor 1st?

I do notice that some times it takes a little more cranking after it warms up and sits for about 1/2 Hr. if I go into the store for about 10-15 minutes come back out , it fires right up.
There is no smoke from the exhaust , except when I start it up from a cold start and then it's only light and disappears quickly.

So what am I missing here? Besides the turbo.

 

[79jasper]

So what am I missing here?

Turbo. Lol
Better gears, zf5, new IP and injectors.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[IDIoit]

whats the budget?

 

[blue rally]

Budget? What is a budget? Lol. no budget here as I was going to use this truck around here to move some 5th wheels around along with landscaping materials. There is a call for this type of work here on the coast especially during summer. cant make much money if this truck wont pull much at least
I don't think it will or will it just at a slower pace? Now I can get a good used sidewinder ( not ats) turbo set up from another 7.3 complete for about $150.00 and it has about 76k miles on it.
I just don't want to be missing something here and wasting my money on something that I could have fixed , reading through the forums some say adjusting the injection pump timing helps, but does not say how much.
Others say bigger exhaust while some are saying no as then you wont get the needed back pressure, and that brings another
question if I do get a turbo will I have to change the whole 2.5" stock exhaust or just the manifolds and " y" pipe that the turbo hooks into?

 

[Dieselcrawler]

Get the turbo. It bolts right to all factory parts.

Where did you get pump and injectors from? Did you time the pump after install?

 

[IDIoit]

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?70126-TIMING-SERVICE-REGISTRY

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. Look up typ4 aka Russ. He lives in Oregon and can do magic to most any turbo like yours. When the injection pump was replaced by you where did you purchase it. Did you time the engine after the pump install. May need to replace the injectors now because they only last about 125,000 miles. They fail so slowly you can't feel it till you install new.. Not rebuilt injectors. Please do not purchase fuel related parts until you ask who has the best deals on this forum. Way too many horrible deals on ebay that are failed parts from the sellers.e

 

[OLDBULL8]

Explain in detail how you exchanged the old for the "new" IP. From where did you get the IP? What is the DB2 **** model # on the IP?

There is NO such thing as "having exhaust back pressure on a diesel", the exhaust has to be FREE Flowing.

You can try one thing for the timing. On a cold start and with the Hi idle solenoid energized (idle at 950 to 1000 RPM) ADVANCE the IP timing until you get a light rattle (knock), after the Hi idle kicks off and your back to 650 RPM there should be NO rattle (knock).

A 1/32" IP movement is about equal to 3* degrees. Make a mark on the IP and mounting flange.

DO NOT ADVANCE THE IP WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Advance is to the pass side, Retard is to the drivers side.

 

[blue rally]

The IP pump came from another running rig that was recently put on its side from driving with top load on a dirt road. the IP was rebuilt by oregon injection. its still under warranty according to them and the correct one for this truck. when I installed it was installed with the marks lined up the same way as the old one, factory mark on pump to pump housing flange. no I did not time the pump as do not have proper equipment, however I will try to advance the timing as oldbull8 suggested. I did know there was no back pressure on diesel , just read about it in the forums, so I take it for exhaust the 2.5 " exhaust system is fine for now.

 

[riotwarrior]

Where are turbo parts on the engine previously...maybe it is serviceable for a rebuild.

 

[icanfixall]

Very sorry to tell you those marks on the housing and the injection pump mean nothing as far as timing go. They did once mean something but that was a factory setting. Now you need a timing meter. typ4 aka Russ has one and can work you into his schedule for timing.
Every rebuilt injection pump is timed differently internally. There is nothing we can do to change that. So every pump installed on any idi engine must be timed for best performance. Before you make any timing adjustments please make a center punch mark in the joining line of the housing and the pump. then as the pump moves you have actual proof it has moved and that will help much. Sometimes the hard lines have so much twisting force on the pump it snaps in one direction and its hard as hell to make it stay. Just loosen the injector lines at the back of the pump and on the injectors. No need to reach the bottom lines on the pump. DO NOT REMOVE THE LINES.. Just loose enough to free up the pump. you will get the feel doing this.

 

[typ4]

Gold beach is way far from me, I'm in Newberg. No road trips for me for a bit.

 

[blue rally]

I completely understand about road trips.
Now If I advance the timing a bit more like ifixall described by loosing the lines can I actually hurt the motor by going to far? I don't mean like going more than a 1\4" max.

 

[riotwarrior]

Gold beach is way far from me, I'm in Newberg. No road trips for me for a bit.

Better be one ....BC......

 

[riotwarrior]

I completely understand about road trips.
Now If I advance the timing a bit more like ifixall described by loosing the lines can I actually hurt the motor by going to far? I don't mean like going more than a 1\4" max.

Rent a meter and do it right....Gary @icanfixall will help you or others here....there is exp to draw on