A good 450hp+ set up for a 97 7.3l

12huserr

12huserr

Cummins TSS
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Messages
25
I am looking to make 450 + horsepower out of my f350. I know I can't get too much. Its a four door long bed on a six inch lift on 37s. Its a monster of a truck. I am just tired of it being a turd. haha. I currently have a magnaflow exhaust and a ts 6 postion. Thats about all I have for mods. Anything helps. I have also heard that a d66 turbo and 175cc injectors with stock nozzles is a good fuel to air ratio. I am not sure why you would use stock nozzles. I just want to learn. Ha. Any ideas?
 
Auto or Manual?

Your gonna need a trans or a good clutch.

Electronic Fuel System. Most likely the pump in the valley wont keep up.

Mine as well go with a T4 style turbo kit. Skip the d66 unless money is an issue. You can always run the stock turbo with the injectors de-tuned until you get the money for a bigger turbo/kit.

238cc to 250cc Hybrid injectors. Nozzles of your choice. I run some 238cc/80% Hybrids from Unlimited Diesel. Very happy with them. My truck is 9k lbs. Hauls ass when unloaded, and can pull whatever I hook behind it.

Head Studs would be a good upgrade as well.

Gauges.
 
A good set of 190s single shot or a set of 238hybrids and some good tunning and u could pull low 400s of with the stock charger. But I wouldn't recommend driving around every were on ur highest tune gets way to hot
 
Its a manual trans. ZF5 with a LUK solid flywheel and clutch upgrade. I am looking for a south bend dual disk. Thanks for the tips.
 
-head studs
-910 valve springs
-push rods
-T500 hpop
-e-fuel w/regulated return
-Intercooler
-SD 3'' intakes
-T4 mount w/ turbo there are lots of good ones from a modded h2e or id go with an S series or garret.
-238s should get u to 450+ with good tuning
- valair clutch
Or u could just drop some 160s in on a stock setup and u will notice a big difference with tuning. depends how much u wanna spend.
 
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I have an early 99 F250. I am having Comp Turbo do my stock turbo. They are doing the Comp Turbo TP38 which is in Diesel Power magazine. That could be an option for you as well. They state that it could handle 450hp with no problems.

Cape Fear Diesel Performance
 
Skip the T500, buy a newish 17* pump and you're all set.

238(250)/100's, S366, full fuel system tank-to-heads-tank, valve springs and maybe studs... Plenty of 7.3's at 450 on stock head bolts.

I'd skip the pushrods too, better to bend a pushrod than break a rocker. 7.3's like to throw lifters when they break a rocker. Stock pushrod is a "mechanical fuse."

Good tunes and you're all set.

Put a modded IDM in the same column as studs. IDM makes a huge difference, truck will run a lot cleaner, but it's not "needed" to get to 450.
 
What about balanced connecting rods? If you want it to live for awhile at 450plus hp I would get some balanced rods for that ford. Got lots of friends that have destroyed there blocks due to rod failures in them 7.3's. Just my two cents.
 
On old school "more timing must be better" tuning, sure.

With the newest discoveries in PSD tuning, PMR's are living well over 400, and forged rods over 600.

The OP has a 97 - forged rods.

And the problem has never been ballance in a 7.3 bottom end. It has always been 40* +/- of timing bending the rods over until they split.

Put a quick nozzle in it, hold timing under 30*, and drive a 450 HP 7.3 until the cows come home.
 
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Cummins guys always say don't even think about nozzles if your over 80k miles, I guess that isn't the case with Powerstroke?I have a 95 PSD Im bout to start driving again after I sale my dodge. She has 238k miles out it. Should I just do nozzles since she runs good?
 
WILD_PHIL said:
Cummins guys always say don't even think about nozzles if your over 80k miles, I guess that isn't the case with Powerstroke?I have a 95 PSD Im bout to start driving again after I sale my dodge. She has 238k miles out it. Should I just do nozzles since she runs good?
Click to expand...

No, it is recomended that you get all of the injectors balenced/flowed regardless of the miles.
 
Yes sir I was planning on that. Shop that's going to do that will install the nozzles for free after the test.
 
WILD_PHIL said:
Yes sir I was planning on that. Shop that's going to do that will install the nozzles for free after the test.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't waste my time putting bigger nozzles on a set of stock 7.3 injectors. Wouldn't be much of a benefit for the money spent.

Do yourself a favor and switch to single shot injectors... Ditch the split shots.

What shop do you plan on using?
 
WILD_PHIL said:
Yes sir I was planning on that. Shop that's going to do that will install the nozzles for free after the test.
Click to expand...

You know you're starting with a 90ish cc injector right?

The reason for nozzles in other applications, P7100 for instance, and the reason for nozzles in an HEUI ford aren't 100% the same.

The Ppump, can outflow the nozzle. In that, the pump will push more fuel than the nozzle has time to inject, before all it's doing is chasing the piston down the stroke. So, a nozzle in a Ppumped truck, or CP3'd, is simply a valve regulating how much fuel goes by in how much time.

Now, in a HEUI truck, that part is the same. Nozzle simply allows more fuel per time.

However, HEUI injectors take the place of the Ppump in the dodge. Your injector regulates how much fuel there is to inject. The injector is fed by a fuel rail in the head, and each time it fires it retracts the Intensifier Piston+Plunger, and simply refills off the fuel "res" in the head.

To get more fuel out of them, you tear the injector down, machine away a portion of the IP, and balance them on reassembly. (leaving quite a bit out, you can swap from Acode 16/6mm IP/plunger/barrels to Bcode 17/7mm for instance, that's the jist of it though.)

So, if you have an injector with a stroked Intensifier Piston already, and have more fuel to inject that you have time to inject, inside that crank rotation window when injecting fuel equals power, you need a larger nozzle.

Now, in ford speak, a 200% (more flow than stock) nozzle is an excellent middle of the road nozzle, provided you have a decent amount of fuel in the injectors.

If, you're staying sub 200cc's though, a 100% works quite nicely. And you'll empty the entire injector in the sub 2.5ms range.

Which not only optimizes injection per time in crank rotation, but it leaves plenty of time for IP retraction and fuel refill before that injector is up to fire again.

All that said, if you're not opening the injectors up, or the shop isn't, and adding volume to the injection... Then a nozzle won't do much for you. As you can already empty in a good window.

Your truck might run a little crisper than it did, and allow a tuner to take a little better advantage out of adjusting timing, but your end power result won't be much different, if at all.

So, Swamps is a sponsor here I believe... I'll plug them, but there are several good injector builders...

I'd recommend something like this, if you're only looking for a modest power bump. 150/146/A Single-Shot Injectors, Tow (Mild Street) - Swamps Diesel Performance

If you'd like to get up to mid 4's... 200/30% Injectors (Hot Street) - Swamps Diesel Performance
 
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I have no idea. I killed a 6.0 in 50k miles and that's about the extent of my PSD experience. I bought this 95 cause it was a good deal. Then the transmission took a crap on me. Now I've got a tranny capable of holding, I'm selling the 3rd Gen and going back to my OBS. I'm gonna have some money to throw at this truck now.
 
Fwiw, the early 7.3ls have forged rods so no need to worry about pmrs.

Do a t4 mounted turbo and never look back!
I'd run 238-250cc hybrids and a stock 17* hpop, or have the 17* modded from Joey at terminator...
 
chvyrkr said:
You know you're starting with a 90ish cc injector right?

The reason for nozzles in other applications, P7100 for instance, and the reason for nozzles in an HEUI ford aren't 100% the same.

The Ppump, can outflow the nozzle. In that, the pump will push more fuel than the nozzle has time to inject, before all it's doing is chasing the piston down the stroke. So, a nozzle in a Ppumped truck, or CP3'd, is simply a valve regulating how much fuel goes by in how much time.

Now, in a HEUI truck, that part is the same. Nozzle simply allows more fuel per time.

However, HEUI injectors take the place of the Ppump in the dodge. Your injector regulates how much fuel there is to inject. The injector is fed by a fuel rail in the head, and each time it fires it retracts the Intensifier Piston+Plunger, and simply refills off the fuel "res" in the head.

To get more fuel out of them, you tear the injector down, machine away a portion of the IP, and balance them on reassembly. (leaving quite a bit out, you can swap from Acode 16/6mm IP/plunger/barrels to Bcode 17/7mm for instance, that's the jist of it though.)

So, if you have an injector with a stroked Intensifier Piston already, and have more fuel to inject that you have time to inject, inside that crank rotation window when injecting fuel equals power, you need a larger nozzle.

Now, in ford speak, a 200% (more flow than stock) nozzle is an excellent middle of the road nozzle, provided you have a decent amount of fuel in the injectors.

If, you're staying sub 200cc's though, a 100% works quite nicely. And you'll empty the entire injector in the sub 2.5ms range.

Which not only optimizes injection per time in crank rotation, but it leaves plenty of time for IP retraction and fuel refill before that injector is up to fire again.

All that said, if you're not opening the injectors up, or the shop isn't, and adding volume to the injection... Then a nozzle won't do much for you. As you can already empty in a good window.

Your truck might run a little crisper than it did, and allow a tuner to take a little better advantage out of adjusting timing, but your end power result won't be much different, if at all.

So, Swamps is a sponsor here I believe... I'll plug them, but there are several good injector builders...

I'd recommend something like this, if you're only looking for a modest power bump. 150/146/A Single-Shot Injectors, Tow (Mild Street) - Swamps Diesel Performance

If you'd like to get up to mid 4's... 200/30% Injectors (Hot Street) - Swamps Diesel Performance
Click to expand...

Well for now I want power. If I can achieve power and fuel economy that would be great. I have 4.10s and average around 17mpg in it. I just read an article on DPM Facebook that a guy ran 11s with a fresh trans, injectors, and a shot of nitrous. I won't achieve that in a CC LWB dually but its nice to have a goal. Lol. Calculator put him at 635hp on the juice.
 
100% rebuild with performance t/c clutch packs and inputs. Had a local shop do it.
 
TRUBBS said:
Fwiw, the early 7.3ls have forged rods so no need to worry about pmrs.

Do a t4 mounted turbo and never look back!
I'd run 238-250cc hybrids and a stock 17* hpop, or have the 17* modded from Joey at terminator...
Click to expand...

In all honesty, there still isn't a great answer for the "medium" HPOP requirement. A modded 17* won't do anything that a new 17* won't, except maybe aerate the oil.

The Adrenaline is alright, but then, I've seen stock new 17* pumps do everything they could.

A new 17* gets my vote up to 238/250 cc's.

WILD_PHIL said:
Well for now I want power. If I can achieve power and fuel economy that would be great. I have 4.10s and average around 17mpg in it. I just read an article on DPM Facebook that a guy ran 11s with a fresh trans, injectors, and a shot of nitrous. I won't achieve that in a CC LWB dually but its nice to have a goal. Lol. Calculator put him at 635hp on the juice.
Click to expand...

Well, 160/100's run damn good. With an IC, 17* HPOP, electric fuel system, modded IDM, and good tunes you'd have a mid 4's truck, that runs as well as a stock truck when you want it to.

Anything more than that, will require more trans. Because...

WILD_PHIL said:
100% rebuild with performance t/c clutch packs and inputs. Had a local shop do it.
Click to expand...

Not to rain on your parade, but locally built E4OD/4R100's generally don't like a 7.3 making much power.

It's hit and miss though, your local shop might be better than most.
 
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