1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade

   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #1  

JJZ 109

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Feb 7, 2009
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2,175
Location
Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River
Tractor
Kubota BX2380/LA344 loader/60" MMM, Bobcat S185 skid steer, JD X394 4 wheel steer mower
I own a 1997 F Super Duty with 7.3 Powerstroke diesel. Pretty low mileage, just over 65k. In a previous life I believe it was a Bell Atlantic truck. It's equipped with an Altec AT 200 A boom/bucket.
It probably came equipped with a utility toolbox but that's been replace by a custom made flat bed. I tow a 7x14 dual axle enclosed trailer with it for my seamless gutter business. Gross weight is probably somewhere between 9-10k pounds.
It seems a little sluggish pulling that load and the transmission many times slams into the next gear when the tach is up there.
I see a lot of chips/programmers out there for $3-500 claiming to be plug and play that will bump up the HP/torque and "firm up" the shift points to make shifts smoother.
This is the first diesel rig that I've ever owned. Does anyone have experience with these chips and tuners? Are they worth the dineros or just a load of advertising hooey?
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #2  
I own a 1997 F Super Duty with 7.3 Powerstroke diesel. Pretty low mileage, just over 65k. In a previous life I believe it was a Bell Atlantic truck. It's equipped with an Altec AT 200 A boom/bucket.
It probably came equipped with a utility toolbox but that's been replace by a custom made flat bed. I tow a 7x14 dual axle enclosed trailer with it for my seamless gutter business. Gross weight is probably somewhere between 9-10k pounds.
It seems a little sluggish pulling that load and the transmission many times slams into the next gear when the tach is up there.
I see a lot of chips/programmers out there for $3-500 claiming to be plug and play that will bump up the HP/torque and "firm up" the shift points to make shifts smoother.
This is the first diesel rig that I've ever owned. Does anyone have experience with these chips and tuners? Are they worth the dineros or just a load of advertising hooey?

It depends on how much you like your transmission. You can really make the truck come alive for around $300 or so but, based on your description, you would probably take out the transmission almost immediately with more power. Tuners like SCT allow you to adjust the shift points and throttle body pressures, but that likely wouldn't help if you have more power.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #3  
I'm kicking around the idea of a tuner for my 2006 Ford F-150 (5.4L Triton). So far, it'll probably be the Edge Evolution, but that's not settled yet.
There are a number of tuners available and a number of forums focused on pickups and diesels specifically. I use Ford F150 Forum and F150 OnLine. So, try an Internet search or start with the forums I've listed and get some real world experiences, advantages and pitfalls.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #5  
I put the chip in my 99 psd in 2000 and it has worked great since. Shifts better and is responsive to the petal. Before it seemed to lag when you needed to go until the turbo kicked in post chip it gets on it.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Most of the tuner makers claim to get rid of the transmission slam while under load. Wondered if maybe that was too good to be true.
Just looking for a little more power and smoother shifts while towing without huge expense. Thought maybe some of the guys here would have have some real world experiences to possibly steer me in the right direction.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #7  
Most of the tuner makers claim to get rid of the transmission slam while under load. Wondered if maybe that was too good to be true.
Just looking for a little more power and smoother shifts while towing without huge expense. Thought maybe some of the guys here would have have some real world experiences to possibly steer me in the right direction.

And you might get some good answers on TBN...but you might get good "real world" experiences on other forums too!
In my search, I've read more good experiences then bad...but when they were bad, it was frequently blowing a transmission ($$$$$$$).
Of course, we don't know how these guys tweaked their tuners and we don't know how they drove...

That 7.3 engine is a good one...good luck in finding a tuner!
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #8  
What do you want to know? I have had or do have 95', 96', 2 x 97's, 01', and a 02' Powerstrokes. I have learned to build my own tranny's. So far the first on I built has over 120k mi on it and still perfect. I have done, chips, programers, switch chips, exhaust, turbos, injectors, intakes, water/methanol injection, propane injection, fire rings...

That said, you say that it shifts firm? If so, that is not stock and is a good thing.

On the 97' Powerstrokes, one of the most restrictive pieces is the stock down tube coming off the turbo. It is smashed flat to ease installation on the assembly line. As far as the rest of the exhaust, if the resonator is removed, (looks like an all steel cat, but it's not) according to Gale Banks, the factory exhaust needs no improvement. Banks could not get any better flow than stock after the resonator was removed and the down tube replaced with a 3". It is still 50 state legal. That is the first step.

Next, I would check into the tranny. By building it correctly, and eliminating slipping and lost power through the slush box, it is the equivalent of a 60hp chip at the rear wheels. Next you can go on to a chip or tuner. This choice will come down to preference and tranny ability. Again, properly built tranny and take A LOT OF POWER. One of my strongest, has $1800 in parts in it and will take over 1000 hp and 1500 lb/ft. The most expensive part is a triple disc torque converter. I believe their around $1200.00. There is a company in Canada call DTT or Diesel Transmission Technologies. Call them and they will ask you a whole lot of questions and then send you the appropriate parts to build your tranny for what you intend to use it for.

Finally, you need air then fuel. A lot of guys "over fuel" a diesel. Causing a lot of black smoke. That's all cool, but a waste of unburned fuel and power. That means they don't have enough air to match the fuel that they are putting to the engine. A puff of black smoke and then clearing out is fine, but constant is a waste. Especially in street application. Racing, pulling, a different story, but your not going there.

I could go on an on, but you probably need/want a good reliable truck to pull down the highway with. I would start with exhaust, then tranny. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #9  
Great advice HighCompression. Most guys who hot rod diesel trucks never learn that. If you do some searching on diesel forums most of them say install 8" exhaust, throw in a programmer, cold air intake and go blow black smoke everywhere. Everyone I know who runs programmers in their diesels has torn up the transmission. Most of them because they tow with the programmer at the highest setting. Which by the way is never recommended by the manufacturer of the programmer.

You can make a huge amount of power with that old 7.3 and never have a problem with the engine. The transmission will never survive without some work done to it.
 
   / 1997 7.3 Powerstroke upgrade #10  
High Compression covered it well. I would only add one thing to his list: gauges!

If you intend to modify your truck, you need to add at least two gauges. Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and transmission temp. Most folks add a turbo boost gauge as well.

When you add fuel to a diesel, the exhaust gas temperatures can increase. Different setups can affect them, intake and exhaust restrictions, how heavily you tow, etc. Factory trucks are engineered to never exceed a safe level to avoid damaging the engine. Once you alter the factory programming with a chip or tuner, you can blow right past that safe limit and do some damage, including melting pistons.

Transmission temp is a good idea to have on a stock truck with an automatic, but definitely a modified one. A lot of transmission failures are due to being overheated.

If you want to modify, High Compression is on the right track. Replacing the downpipe on your truck will lower your EGTs, and give it a bit more 'seat of the pants' power. Be prepared to cut the factory one out, I used a Sawzall. You will also have to bend a pinch weld on the front bottom of the truck cab, or the new round downpipe won't clear. It bends easily, you can use a 2x4 and a hammer to do it. I used a PortaPower. :) Just be careful, there's a fuel fitting on the back of the passenger's side head and you don't want to break it. You could also benefit from an intake upgrade, the airboxes on those trucks are known to seal poorly. The best bang for your buck there would be a 'Tymar' type of intake, which is basically a 4", 45* piece of metal tubing and a big, round paper filter. Filter part number is 6637, I think. You can make one yourself. I would avoid 'upgrade' filters that use the factory airbox. The open element intake will be a bit louder inside the truck, though.

If you do go with a chip/ tuner, I prefer the multi- position chips that plug into the PCM. You have more opportunities to work with the person doing the programming and loading it onto the chip, and can get a much more custom tailored product that way.
 

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