Altitude??? - Diesel Forum

jcfb · 09-30-2005, 08:43 PM

Just out of pure curiosity, anyone ever take a stock 7.3L IDI up in altitude? How did a NA do in the thin air? Like say, if I were to take my truck up pikes peak, would it do fine?

thefermanator · 09-30-2005, 09:00 PM

My uncle took his truck to Wyoming before he put the BANKS turbo on, I believe it was the main reason for the turbo. As he put it you just went as fast as you could and judge the throttl with the black cloud out the tailpipe.

jcfb · 09-30-2005, 09:08 PM

So would taking my truck, and running it at high altitudes make it perform hotter, or would I just flat out grenade the engine?

Dave Haven · 09-30-2005, 09:26 PM

Performance would be down and EGT would be hotter due to less air available to support combustion.
Just watch your exhaust in the mirror and back out of it when you see black smoke. Black smoke = wasted fuel and high EGT.

dbennett48 · 10-01-2005, 01:30 PM

It runs like the pump has been turned up a lot. Black Smoke everywhere. I have had my '93 up to Tahoe and that is 7000 feet. No power and lotsa smoke.

Dave

snowdiver · 10-01-2005, 01:34 PM

I live at 6300' and there is much less power and more black smoke when you put your foot into it. A high-altitude IP and new injectors did NOT help. It's not my daily driver so I just take it easy.

jcfb · 10-01-2005, 01:42 PM

Then I will definitely be selling my truck. I considered keeping it, but the main reason I have to sell it is because I will be moving to a high altitude soon, and I would need it as an every day driver, so I will need something like a PowerStroke. I've had my grandpa's PowerStroke on top of Pikes Peak, with no change in power, no black smoke, and no raised engine temperatures. Good stuff.

BuilderBob · 10-01-2005, 03:14 PM

Where are you moving that has that high of altitude?

In general, for every 1000' of elevation, engines MAY lose about 3%.

jcfb · 10-01-2005, 03:18 PM

Well, currently I live in Oklahoma, and will be moving in a year, and a half, but next summer is my biggest concern because I plan on driving on top of Pikes Peak again. Also, I am at vo-tech this year, and we can pull our cars in, and out of the shop to work on them. The lifts will just barely squeeze by lifting my truck, and I know I wouldn't feel very comftorable working under there, so if I do get another truck, it will be an f250, so that the truck doesn't max out the lifts. Those reasons + the fact that setting my truck up to run at a higher altitude would almost cost the same amount as another truck, so I just want to sell this one, and go for an f250 PowerStroke.

BuilderBob · 10-01-2005, 03:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Those reasons + the fact that setting my truck up to run at a higher altitude would almost cost the same amount as another truck, so I just want to sell this one, and go for an f250 PowerStroke.

[/ QUOTE ]

A wonderful decision based solely on emotions, --enjoy

jcfb · 10-01-2005, 03:58 PM

I priced it out. The cost of a turbo, the cost of the guages to make sure I don't grenade my engine, and the cost of a new pump to deliver the extra fuel for the air would cost me $3000, now I only paid $4000 for the truck.

Dave Haven · 10-01-2005, 03:59 PM

Have you considered turbocharging your IDI?

jcfb · 10-01-2005, 04:01 PM

Yeah, everytime I look at the price, I cringe.

Here's how I see it.
Cost of my truck: $4000
Cost of a turbo: $2000
Cost of guages: $200
Fuel pump: $415
Total: $6615

If I just took $5000 and put it into a PowerStroke that I know works very well at altitude (used a PowerStroke for years in Colorado) I would have a nice truck, and save $1015. Now I'm not sure about definitely getting a PowerStroke, I just know that I don't want to put that kind of money into my current truck. Also, the vo-tech that I am at would absolutely max out the lifts to lift my truck, so I would like something smaller that I can work on. I have to perform a lot of maintenance to vehicles at vo-tech, why not perform it on mine?

huskyhauler · 10-01-2005, 04:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, everytime I look at the price, I cringe.

Here's how I see it.
Cost of my truck: $4000
Cost of a turbo: $2000
Cost of guages: $200
Fuel pump: $415
Total: $6615

If I just took $5000 and put it into a PowerStroke that I know works very well at altitude (used a PowerStroke for years in Colorado) I would have a nice truck, and save $1015. Now I'm not sure about definitely getting a PowerStroke, I just know that I don't want to put that kind of money into my current truck. Also, the vo-tech that I am at would absolutely max out the lifts to lift my truck, so I would like something smaller that I can work on. I have to perform a lot of maintenance to vehicles at vo-tech, why not perform it on mine?

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, but wait till you burn up a injector driver, or a pair of injectors. i have IDI pumps rebuilt, injectors rebuilt, and installed for less than the labor and parts to repair 2 injectors, or the time and labor to install a new driver. with a powerstroke, you no longer carry a tool box, but rather a $1500 scanner. its a losing battle with a used 7.3l PS with over 150k miles. stay away from the early units (94.5-98) really bad issues with them from the strainer in the tank to the o-rings sealing the injectors. i work on alot of t444e international truck motors, and would personally never own one. i would rather put my money in an idi, and keep my old set of tools... t444e has made me ALOT of money over the years, so i shouldnt complain.. love the sound of a dual mass flywheel clattering from a bad injector. it sounds like money, if money made noise...

jcfb · 10-01-2005, 05:56 PM

Alright, that sounds reasonable enough. Since you sound like you know what you're talking about, maybe you could help me out here on a question I still have yet to get a straight answer on...

What are the advantages of the IDI?
What are the disadvantages of the IDI?

What are the advantages of a PowerStroke?
What are the disadvantages of a PowerStroke?