Greetings Fellow PowerStrokers,
It's been a few years since I've been active on the forums. I originally had the username "Calico5string" on this site, but was unable to get logged back in under that one, so I re-registered, and shortened up my user name!
I thought I would share a recent mod I've done to my truck:
For several years I've had higher than desired oil temp's, particularly when towing. On a trip last year from SoCal to Flagstaff (in early September... still hot in the Dez), my oil sump temps were running around 242°F-245°F, a bit higher than I'd like to see for a sustained period. I'm pretty sure it's due to the fact that I'm running the Stealth twin-pump setup, however, the issue seems to have been exacerbated when I went to the 207°F thermostat a few years back. The temp that the PCM sees (at the HPOP reservoir) was slightly lower, but only by a few degrees. I pulled and replaced the factory cooler, hoping it was clogged or something (plus, it was 18 yrs. old, and the o-rings had to be shot...). But, it looked excellent, other than the old o-rings. I went ahead and replaced it with a brand new one... But that made no difference in the sump/HPOP temps.
It's unfortunate that no one makes an "all-in-one" spin-on filter adapter plate for the 7.3, that has external connections for an external cooler/filter, etc. There are a ton of them out there for various other engines and filter combo's, but nothing for the 7.3 Powerstroke.
HOWEVER, after much online searching and research, I finally found a remote filter base that accepts the stock FL-1995 filter, AND, a spin-on remote adapter/base, to go on in place of the stock filter on the engine. Both parts are made by "Hamburger's Performance Products" (part of "Trans-Dapt", a company that's been around a long time...). By combining those two items (remoting the stock filter back a bit), some hose, an oil-bypass thermostat, and, of course, a cooler... Voila! External auxiliary oil cooler system. It all tucked in very nicely, up along the left side of the block/pan. I doesn't hang down particularly low, so ground clearance shouldn't be a problem when off-roading. Also, I thought it important to keep the stock, FL-1995 filter in the truck, as they are readily available, and it's what works with the engine. Since I'm rolling on the road/out of town alot, I wanted the oil filter to be easy to find (every parts store carries a Powerstroke filter, in some brand!).
I haven't towed with it yet, but just running around town/highway, I'm seeing a significant drop in running temps: 10-12°F at the HPOP (via scanner), 6-8°F in the sump (dash gauge). The cooler is a top-inlet/outlet, 25-row unit (made in Sweden) but I plan to up-size to a 60-row "Earl's" cooler (with side in/out) very shortly.
The oil thermostat bypasses most flow around the cooler until the oil temp reaches about 200°F , then it begins to close and direct the flow to the cooler (fully closed by 205°F).
All the hoses and fittings are -12 (3/4") size, so as not to restrict any flow. Originally, I had planned to use basic "1-wire" hydraulic hose & fittings for the plumbing, but the selection of hose-ends is much better with the S/S-braid "race" hose. Yeah, it's a little "blingy", but kinda cool at the same time. Plus, since the fittings are anodized aluminum, they won't rust/corrode over time, as traditional plated steel hydraulic fittings might.
The oil filter base is mounted on a fabricated S/S bracket, bolted to the PTO cover on the trans. The cooler is mounted to the lower core-support member (although that will change when the bigger Earl's cooler goes in).
Here are some pics of the final install:
~Al
It's been a few years since I've been active on the forums. I originally had the username "Calico5string" on this site, but was unable to get logged back in under that one, so I re-registered, and shortened up my user name!
I thought I would share a recent mod I've done to my truck:
For several years I've had higher than desired oil temp's, particularly when towing. On a trip last year from SoCal to Flagstaff (in early September... still hot in the Dez), my oil sump temps were running around 242°F-245°F, a bit higher than I'd like to see for a sustained period. I'm pretty sure it's due to the fact that I'm running the Stealth twin-pump setup, however, the issue seems to have been exacerbated when I went to the 207°F thermostat a few years back. The temp that the PCM sees (at the HPOP reservoir) was slightly lower, but only by a few degrees. I pulled and replaced the factory cooler, hoping it was clogged or something (plus, it was 18 yrs. old, and the o-rings had to be shot...). But, it looked excellent, other than the old o-rings. I went ahead and replaced it with a brand new one... But that made no difference in the sump/HPOP temps.
It's unfortunate that no one makes an "all-in-one" spin-on filter adapter plate for the 7.3, that has external connections for an external cooler/filter, etc. There are a ton of them out there for various other engines and filter combo's, but nothing for the 7.3 Powerstroke.
HOWEVER, after much online searching and research, I finally found a remote filter base that accepts the stock FL-1995 filter, AND, a spin-on remote adapter/base, to go on in place of the stock filter on the engine. Both parts are made by "Hamburger's Performance Products" (part of "Trans-Dapt", a company that's been around a long time...). By combining those two items (remoting the stock filter back a bit), some hose, an oil-bypass thermostat, and, of course, a cooler... Voila! External auxiliary oil cooler system. It all tucked in very nicely, up along the left side of the block/pan. I doesn't hang down particularly low, so ground clearance shouldn't be a problem when off-roading. Also, I thought it important to keep the stock, FL-1995 filter in the truck, as they are readily available, and it's what works with the engine. Since I'm rolling on the road/out of town alot, I wanted the oil filter to be easy to find (every parts store carries a Powerstroke filter, in some brand!).
I haven't towed with it yet, but just running around town/highway, I'm seeing a significant drop in running temps: 10-12°F at the HPOP (via scanner), 6-8°F in the sump (dash gauge). The cooler is a top-inlet/outlet, 25-row unit (made in Sweden) but I plan to up-size to a 60-row "Earl's" cooler (with side in/out) very shortly.
The oil thermostat bypasses most flow around the cooler until the oil temp reaches about 200°F , then it begins to close and direct the flow to the cooler (fully closed by 205°F).
All the hoses and fittings are -12 (3/4") size, so as not to restrict any flow. Originally, I had planned to use basic "1-wire" hydraulic hose & fittings for the plumbing, but the selection of hose-ends is much better with the S/S-braid "race" hose. Yeah, it's a little "blingy", but kinda cool at the same time. Plus, since the fittings are anodized aluminum, they won't rust/corrode over time, as traditional plated steel hydraulic fittings might.
The oil filter base is mounted on a fabricated S/S bracket, bolted to the PTO cover on the trans. The cooler is mounted to the lower core-support member (although that will change when the bigger Earl's cooler goes in).
Here are some pics of the final install:
~Al