[unirok]

I almost bought a 2003 6.0 psd xlt this weekend because the powerful pull it had. It seems to have a low post issue in 1st so i walked away. Anyway my 1999 SD PSD 7.3 Lariat is quick enought but after feelling the rush of a 6.0 will a simple tune bring me to that power level?

The truck was a real looker but only 2wd and I like having 4wd just in case. truck was cheap too 125000 miles and only $7,000

thx

 

[SmokeyWren]

You need gauges, intake, exhaust, and a tune. To have the equivalent power of the 6.0L, your tune needs to add about 80 horses. I wouldn't add more than about 80 horses until you have a "built" transmission that can take it.

Gauges:
... pre-turbo pyrometer, red line is 1,250°
... turbo boost, red line is 25 PSI
... tranny temp with sender in the side of the tranny, red line is 225°

Intake: Ford Severe Duty Air Induction System plus the gizmo needed for early '99s to install it right. About $200 from Tousley Ford Parts.

Exhaust. As a minimum, replace the stock muffler with a straight-through performance muffler such as the Walker BTM. Slightly better than the Walker BTM is a 4" performance exhaust system.

After you have gauges - not before- you can replace your stock tune with a single performance tune by having your tuner flash the PCM with the new tune. Or you can ger three or four tunes with a tuner/programmer such as the SCT X3 Power Flash. Or you can get a bunch of tunes with a multi-position chip. All of these tuning options are available from several different folks. I'm a fan of Jody Tipton at DP-Tuner, so I got my tunes from him.
Tuning - Ford Powerstroke 7.3L

 

[unirok]

Okay what if i get a very mild tune of say 45-50 hp which is mild for a diesel tune? Do I still need the guages and exhaust? I know you gotta pay to play but I just want slightly better low end without having to nail the pedal. Would my money be better spent on a 2005 or newer 6.0 since the earlt 6.0s have issues?

My 99 7.3 is rock solid and is quicker than both of the 2001 7.3s I drove. We have a few older diesels at the lot like a 98 gmc with the turbo 6.5 and a 94 ford 7.3 turbo (Not powerstroke) that seem to have slightly better low end than mine but once the rpms raise my 7.3 PSD smoke em both.

Honestly stock performance aside am I going to be sorry moving from a 7.3 to a 6.0?

My 99 also has a 8foot box and I would prefer a 6.5 box as I rarely haul and use my truck mainly for pleasure.

thanks

 

[SmokeyWren]

Okay what if i get a very mild tune of say 45-50 hp which is mild for a diesel tune? Do I still need the guages and exhaust?

If you add even one more horse, you gotta have gauges. With some of the stock tunes you can get the EGT up to slightly over the redline. With any tune that adds more than stock horses you have to drive by the gauges and never allow more than 1,250° pre-turbo EGT.

You can get by without the intake and exhaust, but that will mean you'll run into the EGT redline sooner. Too soon for my druthers. But if spending coins are few and far between, then do the gauges first, then the tune, then the intake as money becomes available. Exhaust doesn't have as much improvement on performance as intake, so do the exhaust last.

The only tune DP-Tuner has with less than 60 horses is 40-tow and 20-tow. 40-tow and 20-tow are only for use when you are overloaded and grossing more than 20,000 pounds. No good for daily driving unloaded. The mildest tunes for unloaded cruising he has is 60-economy and 60-mountain. I had 60-tow, and normally ran it as my daily driver tune as well as my towing tune for grossing 16,000 pounds. I also had 80-economy, but it didn't give any better MPG than 60-tow, so I usually left it in 60-tow.

 

[unirok]

Thank you SmokeyWren, I also had no idea a aftermarket air intake made more power as well. I am not trying to get too crazy I guess i was looking for the cheap easy way. Thanks for the info. I might go for the air intake first than save for proper gages then tune afterward.

I was actually pretty happy with the stock performance of my 7.3 until I was in a 6.0 PSD. I can only imagine how the 6.4 and 6.7 must feel but i do know a customer with the 6.7 spun the tires like it was nothing in his truck.

 

[txgp17]

Consider a kit to bring everything up to 99.5 status.

Riff Raff offers a kit that includes everything you need. Based on everything they offer, including a GTP38R ball bearing turbo, it's a good price.

 

[SmokeyWren]

... I also had no idea a aftermarket air intake made more power as well.

I'm not sure it actually makes more power, but it allows to use more of the power the tune produces without bumping into the EGT red line as soon. On mine with a stock intake and 60-tow tune and downshifted to direct drive, I could drag the trailer up the mountain at 50 MPH at 1250° pre-turbo EGT. But with the Ford AIS I could push it up to 57 MPH before I bumped into the 1,250° redline. That extra MPH doesn't sound like much unless there is a Dodge in the next lane climbing the mountain at 55 MPH.

 

[tinkerr]

I have E99 DRW CC 4x4. I added a cold air intake and 4" exhaust w/3.5dp and saw minimal improvement in performance, but when i added DP tuners 80hp tow tune it was like driving a different truck. Throttle response is incredible and the truck is actually fun to drive now. I get about 13mpg mixed driving and 10.5 towing 4 atvs in the mountains of WV.

 

[caryt]

As far as the trans the weak link is the shifting and the Tq converter, add custom tunes, BTS or JW VB and a 6.0 Tq converter and if the trans is in good shape it will be fine for the HP a chip will give you. We have all if you need more info please PM.

 

[goldrush]

i ran an old superchips tuner in my early 99 that had a 60 hp and 80hp tune. i had a 3.5" downpipe to 4" exhaust and cat delete. really no intake mods(other than zoodad). i ran the 80 hp tune all the time with gauges. on flat road towing a 10k 5th wheel it was almost impossible to exceed 1250 pre turbo temps(unless you tried to start off at wot). on a good hill though i had to watch the gauges. with my setup i could run a good hill at 22-25 lbs boost and about 1150-1200 egt.