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Technical > Installation Guide

March 2005 Issue

Power Package Install

Power Package for Power Strokes

story and photos by Jim Allen

With the diesel-pickup performance market as hot as it is right now, we thought we’d delve into a typical build-up scenario. Some diesel owners make just a single mod, but many hit the three high spots: exhaust, intake, and chip — call it a power package.

We started with a 1999 Ford F-350 7.3L Power Stroke that belongs to the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNO, see sidebar). This truck, with just over 81,000 miles on it, is one of the hardest-worked rigs on the campus. UNO also supplied a trailer, a Dynojet chassis dynamometer, and a willing crew of students to tackle installations.

UNO Alternative Fuels Technology Instructor Scott Martin and the Alternative Fuels 2, August 2004 Session Class also helped install the products and run the dyno tests. Associate Dean Billy “Sarge” Sergent played a big part in the nuts and bolts of the project, and Deans Tom Grothous and Andy O’Neal were responsible for opening the doors of the college to the project.

We chose products from several performance-industry movers and shakers to make up our power package: the four-inch mandrill-bent exhaust came from MagnaFlow; the Evolution Programmer from Edge gave us three performance fuel-system programs to play with; and Airaid stepped up with its Quick Fit intake system and a Poweraid Helix Bore intake spacer.

Buy MagnaFlow Products from www.4wheelparts.com.

Buy Edge Performance Products from www.4wheelparts.com.

Buy Airaid Ford Intake Systems from www.4wheelparts.com.

Airaid Quick Fit Intake System and Poweraid Spacer

It took UNO student Andrew Metzger 15 minutes to install the intake kit, which included the optional polyester pre-filter sock that extends the filter-cleaning interval. The Quick Fit kit is designed to offer a reduction in intake restriction and a cooler intake charge. The basis of the kit is Airaid’s low-restriction SynthaFlow filter. This is an evolution of the traditional oiled-cotton-gauze filter and adds a sheet of synthetic fibers to increase filtering ability without increasing restriction. One nice feature is that the kit allows reinstallation of the factory air-filter restriction monitor.

The Airaid spacer is designed to reduce random air turbulence and induce a swirling motion. The concept is sound but has proven more beneficial in some applications than others. For diesels, Airaid claims the space enhances midrange performance and fuel economy.

Tools Required: Ordinary hand tools (and darn few of those) Wrench Rating: Ratings Explanation		1. Disconnect intake hose from the OE air-cleaner lid and remove it along with the air filter. Unscrew the two bolts inside base but leave base in place. Also remove filter monitor and its grommet.
2. Assemble all metal pieces and, using OE grommet, install air-filter monitor onto its tube.		3. Install assembly, using the original screws to mount pieces inside original lower half of the airbox.
4. Attach intake hose, install filter and weather seal on upper edge of box.		5. There you have it. Black-polyester pre-filter is optional.
6. To install Poweraid spacer, remove blue hose on intake near turbo housing. Also remove compression ring in center of hose. Install spacer inside hose, with radius facing incoming air. Grease might be needed to squeeze spacer into hose. Reinstall hose onto intake.

Edge Evolution Programmer

With electronically controlled diesels, the biggest power gains come from reprogramming the injection system to deliver more fuel, more boost, and optimal injection timing. Other important performance parameters also can be enhanced, such as changing transmission shift points and firmness.

The Evolution, which has been enhanced and upgraded over several years of production, is one of Edge Product’s cornerstones. The Evolution offers three level settings above stock. The first level is called the Tow program. It offers improved performance, but at a level that’s safe for towing at the truck’s maximum rated level. It’s also C.A.R.B. approved. The Race program, level two, is designed for spirited acceleration and light towing (exhaust improvements and an EGT gauge are recommended). Level three, the Extreme program, pulls out all stops and offers maximum power. The exhaust mods recommend for level two apply doubly. This level should be considered a no-tow-zone-if you like your transmission in one piece.

The Evolution offers other options. The speed limiter is deactivated in levels two and three. It has a diagnostic feature that’ll display trouble codes and/or clear them. The unit also will allow performance testing for 0-to-60 or quarter-miles times.

Tools Required: None Wrench Rating: (and that’s stretching it) Ratings Explanation		1. A no-brainer hookup. One end of Evolution cable plugs into diagnostic plug under the dash, just to the right of steering column. The other end of cable connects to programmer itself.
2. When programmer is plugged in, this screen appears in a few moments. When the ENT key is hit, prompts appear for various screens, menus, and operations, such as turning ignition on and off.		3. When programming menu is used, the first action is storing the original EFI program. This takes a few minutes, while interesting Ford factoids keep users occupied. Once stored, the original program can be reinstalled at any time.
4. Once the original program is stored, three choices become available: Tow, Race, and Extreme. Use Tow for hauling or towing situations near the truck’s capacity. Race is for light towing or spirited driving. Extreme is just that — dumping max amounts of fuel and working the engine near its limits. Use this power wisely and not for towing.

MagnaFlow Turbo-Back Tuner Exhaust

We picked MagnaFlow’s four-inch Turbo-Back aluminized system for our extended-cab dualie — the pipes are aluminized steel but the muffler is stainless. Many of MagnaFlow’s systems are full stainless (to meet your budget). We also got the five-inch stainless tip. MagnaFlow also offers a fully stainless system. The Turbo-Back option eliminates the often-restrictive turbo downpipe. The MagnaFlow muffler is a straight-through unit. The system sounds healthy but not obtrusive.

Freeing up exhaust flow is a vital element in the diesel-performance formula. When a free-flow system is installed onto a stock truck, with stock fuel-settings, the results are mild to moderate depending on how well or badly the OE system flowed. Commonly, less smoke is observed, meaning more fuel is being used to good effect. The turbo spools up faster as well, so acceleration is enhanced.

When the fuel rate is increased, a free-flow system becomes vital, with results magnified greatly. Pushing the increased exhaust flow from a high fuel rate through the original exhaust (perhaps restrictive even at stock power levels) will result in high EGTs and possible engine damage long-term. Bottom line, if increasing fuel rate above a fairly minor amount is preferable, a free-flow exhaust system is most often job two.

Tools Required: Ordinary hand tools Exhaust pipe cutter or cutting torch Wrench Rating: Ratings Explanation		1. MagnaFlow exhaust systems come in several varieties. Ours was the complete Turbo-Back system, for which we opted the aluminized rather than stainless (the stainless system for this application exited before the rear wheels), and the outlet needed to be in the original spot. The kit fit like a glove, with only one minor adjustment necessary.
2. Step one is to remove old system starting at turbo outlet. Be prepared to replace turbo-outlet clamp. Old hands at the Ford game say that 50 percent of the time, the original clamp is rendered unusable once removed. This happened in our case.		3. It’s possible to remove old exhaust intact, but it’ll take extra labor if it’s been on for a while. No time to waste on pleasantries — we used a torch.
4. Start installation of new system at front and work backwards. It’s helpful to lay the system on the floor before assembly to make sure all the pieces are there and become familiar with how the pieces fit together. Leave clamps loose until entire system is on and adjusted for clearance and fit, and then fully tighten clamps.		5. Optional tip needs to be slipped over pipe and welded. We left that for the welding class next door. After the system has been run for a while, retighten all mounting clamps.

UNO, Where You’re Going?

The University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio, is a tech college of some repute. It offers degrees in various business and technology fields — especially for the automotive field. The extensive automotive/agricultural technology program covers all the stuff expected, but the trick parts concern the High Performance Motorsports courses and the Alternative Fuels Program. Degrees are available in all areas, and if you think a degree from the High Performance program will get you hired for a race team, you’re right. It’ll also get you a leg up on starting your own shop or working in a shop that specializes in such things. On top of this, a degree in business management also is attainable. The school’s shops are as close to gearhead heaven as one is likely to see on this earth. My only regret is that I’m too old to start over at a place like UNO.

Test Results

The new goodies turned our Ford into a different truck. Weighing in at about 7,500 pounds empty, it felt sprightly even stock. With the empty 43-foot race-car trailer behind, however, it got a major case of the slows — an extra 11,500 pounds will do that.

Because installation and testing had to be done during school hours, test parameters were cut to the bare minimum. We started with 0-to-60 towing tests, first in stock mode and then in each of the three Edge Evolution modes. Stock to level one (Tow) was the most dramatic change in terms of the butt-dyno and 0-to-60 time (see chart). The mere push of a button knocked eight seconds off the time and added 85.3 horses on the dyno. This is interesting because Edge’s specs only called for a 60-horse increase. Level two gained another 1.5 seconds off 0-to-60, but this truck wasn’t dyno-tested. Level three knocked 2.5 seconds off the level-one times and gave 297 horsepower-three ponies short of what Edge advertises for level three, but only six more than level one. This might be an anomaly, as a 2.5-second bump on six horsepower isn’t feasible. In level three, the engine couldn’t breathe, which resulted in hiccups. The truck further had erratic shifts and odd surges in the upper-rpm ranges, and it smoked like a coal-fired locomotive. That’s where the other goodies came in.

The effects of the Airaid intake and Magna Flow exhaust were dramatic to the butt-dyno. Our loaded 0-to-60 times dropped to 18.5 seconds loaded in level one and 17.4 seconds in level three. Those odd surges and strange shifts disappeared, too. Dyno power jumped another seven ponies in level one and a whopping 24.5 horses in level three. Smoke was still significant but decreased by about 50 percent.

Empty 0-to-60 times were run as well. Our stock average was 12.2 seconds. In level three, with the stock exhaust and intake, speed dropped down to a hair over eight seconds. With the exhaust and intake installed, typical times dropped to 7.48 seconds. Hey, that’s scootin’ in a dualie.

We wish there were hills in this part of Ohio to test the effects on EGT from the various modifications. Sustained loads are hard to develop on flat ground or on an eddy current dyno. Based on our previous experience, the Edge alone in any mode will probably increase EGT under a towing load with an otherwise stock truck. Intake and exhaust improvements will reduce EGT significantly. It’s easy to surmise that, in level one on the Edge Evolution with the Airaid intake and MagnaFlow exhaust, EGTs would be no higher than stock and probably lower. In levels two and three, EGTs would still be higher than stock, but not that quickly terminal kind of high.

For grins and giggles, the Poweraid intake spacer was given a try. We asked the Airaid rep if it would result in dyno bumps. “No, it won’t,” he said. Before the inevitable question was asked, he explained that the intake spacer’s effects are more pronounced in fuel-economy (we’ll find that out when the college drives the rig). The unit didn’t cost any power, as might be expected when installing a device into the intake.

In the end, for a bit over a thousand bucks, the F-350 gained 115 horsepower and acceleration times were cut nearly in half, loaded and empty. The dyno read only horsepower, but increases like that are equivalent to a torque increase of about 275 pound-feet. That’s close to Sam’s Club bulk pricing on horsepower.

1999 Ford F-350 4x4, 7.3L Power stroke
Dyno HP 0-60 Tow 0-60 Solo Note
Stock 206.130.5 sec.12.2 sec. - 1
Evolution Level 1291.422.5NT - 2
Evolution Level 2NT21.05NT - 3
Evolution Level 3297.020.058.08 sec. - 4
Evo Lev. 1 +Mag, AA298.4NTNT - 5
Evo Lev. 3 +Mag, AA321.5NTNT - 6
Evo Lev. 1 +Mag, AA, PA297.118.5NT - 7
Evo Lev. 3 +Mag, AA, PANT17.457.48 sec. - 8

Notes

1. 7.3L Power Stroke turbodiesel, 4.10:1 axle ratios, 4R100 automatic.

2. Dramatic increase in performance. Shift points extended somewhat and much firmer shifts. Low to moderate smoke increase.

3. Big increase in smoke level, but it doesn’t feel much faster (though it was).

4. Gigantic increase in smoke level but — yeehaw! This puppy goes. Shift points somewhat erratic, and surging occurs just before it shifts, worse when towing. Empty 0-to-60 is musclecar thrilling.

5. The difference is felt on the dyno. The truck spools the dyno up much faster.

6. Our best dyno run.

7. Truck feels faster and smoke much reduced. Shifts more consistent.

8. Still lots of smoke but 40-to-50 percent reduced from before. Towing and empty 0-to-60 times are lightning fast.

 

 

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