7.3 Powerstroke Chip Questions

[Lndeatr]

I have a 2003 F350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. Besides airbags and a 2004 rear-end, it is stock. I am thinking about chipping it to give me a little more umph when I am pulling the 5th wheel. Looking online it seems like there are about a thousand different brands and a thousand reputable sources recommending each. I am not looking to do any in-depth work to the engine at this time as this thing has proven itself to be bullet proof. When it is time for an overhaul, I’ll think about it then.

Anybody have any input? Also any input on gauges? What gauges and what brand?

Thanks,

Martin

 

[wino2]

Banks

 

[For20hunter]

X2 on the banks but to add to that u would suggest the banks power pack which includes the 4 Inch exhaust better air intake and air filter and a much better inner cooler. Its a bit expensive but your fuel mileage will increase and your hp and torque will be great!

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[bighorn3370]

I would call Ford performance specialist. there in Georgia their phone number 770-949-7191 if you can talk to Doug he knows those trucks inside and out. I bought my gauges from them. They will point you in the right direction, and answer any questions you have Ernie

 

[mattpopp]

Isspro make fantastic gauges and their EV2 are my personal favorite. Honestly for such a mild increase in mods I would only add the EGT and Trans Oil Temp. Once you learn your engines habits while monitoring the EGT gauge it can tell you alot about what is happening if something is failing. EGT gauge can also coach you to drive your pickup for better MPG's. More fuel burnt equals higher EGT's. Pretty simple.

The trans in that pickup can only handle a mild amount of increase power from that engine without addressing it. Really its not easy to get gains out of a 7.3 like you can from a modern common rail. With that in mind I would not waste money on a 4" TB exhaust. You aren't suffering from the current exhaust and I don't think you will be putting a larger turbo or twins or even adding bigger injectors to your pickup. So no real increase in exhaust volumes.

A place that you will probably see a huge increase in acceleration/torque is replacing your Torque Converter with one from somebody like Sun Coast. Stock converters are extremely inefficient on these pickups while they are unlocked. All of your acceleration from a dig and most passing situations will be with the converter unlocked.

As for the air filter. Again your engine is not asking for huge demands of air and certainly not with a "chip" added to it. More then likely you will not see any gains other then a louder engine if you install a full CIA.

Spartan and SCT have been the two largest turners for the Fords. I would talk to those two companies as they are the leaders in Ford performance. (H&S is also good but I don't think they offer anything for the 7.3)


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[mzcummins]

IMO I would not put anything Banks on my truck, way overpriced for what you get.

If you want a good all in one (power, mpg, gauges) look into edge products, either the evolution or the Juice with Attitude they also have the new ct and cts monitors.

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[jnbhobe]

If your 03 has the Torque Shift 5 speed you should be able to do almost anything within reason to your 7.3. The tranny was the weak spot with the 7.3's.

 

[MCTalley]

After a lot of research, we are running the following combination on our '02 7.3:

1. We had Brian's Truck Shop professionally rebuild our transmission and install the much larger transmission cooler that they use on the 6.0 trucks. It is warrantied for unlimited miles and two years.
2. DP Tuner - 20HP tow tune (recommended for towing 15k or more - we are at 15.5k). It is specially matched to our transmission rebuild and has generally better shift strategies than the stock Ford PCM (for example, downshifting to 3rd under load at about 50 MPH in stock form releases the torque converter lockup - lots of heat. The tuner immediately re-locks the TC). The tuner also has a decel tune, which uses the exhaust back pressure valve that is normally used to restrict exhaust flow in cold weather as an engine brake as well as making sure the torque converter remains locked to maximize effectiveness.
(Note that both of these are linked in my signature, below.)

Other than that, I'm running an open air filter solution using the NAPA 6637 filter element (on truck forums, it is referred to as the "6637 mod"). The stock Ford airbox clips tend to break. This solution was cheaper than replacing the airbox, though it is admittedly fairly noisy.

I wouldn't bother with a 4" exhaust unless you also upgrade the turbo to a larger outlet (I've had this explained to me, but am not good at re-explaining it).

General rule of thumb on tuners - if it plugs into your OBDII port, it is less desirable and more "canned" than a more customized solution that attaches to the auxiliary data connector directly on the PCM.

With this combination, I'm getting around 9.5 to 10.5 mpg pulling our 15.5k Big Country (unless it is windy, then it drops) generally around 62-65 mph. Throwing tuners, exhausts, intakes and other parts at it are generally not going to gain you much in the way of fuel economy.

If you do add any tuning, definitely install at the very least an Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) gauge and have the pyrometer mounted in one of the exhaust manifolds. You'll want to keep those temps in check. Tuners are basically just adding more fuel, which in turn generates more heat.

 

[Speedy]

The Banks system does plug into the OBDII port but it also adds a control module as well. I'm very happy with mine but it is on a Duramax. For the money you spend on these things you will never recover the money in fuel savings only some more HP. Regarding the 7.3 transmission; it is the weakest link in that power train and will give you the most headaches. Take Malcolm's advise and have it rebuilt prior to it failing. I blew up two on stock 7.3s in 140K and decided that Ford are not build Ford tough.

 

[MCTalley]

Also, I notice the original poster hails from California. John Woods Automotive in Holtville, CA is a highly regarded Ford transmission rebuilder on this end of the country.