Project: intercooler to 7.3

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by renegadeoverland

Van feels better for sure from before but still not that "seat of the pants" feel I was hoping for having driven my brothers f-250's with the intercooled 7.3.

I would assume the van is a bit heavier than an F250, that might account for some of the butt dyno impression.

[TomsBeast]

A couple more pieces of the puzzle came together;


First, my test plugs arrived, $40 each all set up with schrader valves, plug-n-play. I picked up some needed hoses and t-bolts clamps.








The charge pipes, hoses, connections, and the intercooler all passed 40psi and Windex testing.



Well, it wasn't that simple, I had a few pinholes in two of the charge pipe welds to repair, but they are leak tight now. The biggest sigh of relief came when the $100 Craigslist intercooler held 40psi for 10minutes, phew.



The fresh air inlet side of the turbo needed to be replumbed, as the 1999 F series spider is in the way of the original E series inlet piping.



I was able to make up the needed plumbing using a couple new silicone 90's, a section of left over F series charge piping, and reusing the shortening the e series rubber snorkel after I shortened it. It mates to the 3" tubing perfectly. I was able to retain the factory air box, a big plus in my book. I don't care if it doesn't look 'factory', I just don't want it to look like an abortion.



Gone is the Bose-speaker-like factory 'inlet tract resonator', and the breather inlet re-circulation pipe. Popular opinion is you don't want to introduce crankcase vapors into the intake tract of an intercooled engine, as the liquid condenses out and collect at the low points in the intercooler as liquid oil, slowly filling it over time.



No free lunch with this project, I'll keep the factory breather on the driver's side valve cover, but I'll have to plumb it's outlet hose to put this 'swap meet find' Moroso breather/catch can, as an alternate to the hose leading to turbo fresh air inlet. It's got a bottom drain cock, maybe I'll mount it down on the frame rail, and drain it when I change the oil filter.

[TomsBeast]

I'm sitting here uploading some pics, enjoying a glass of wine (an inexpensive Argentinian Malbec from the Mendoza district) trying to find something interesting to show for my weekend's work.



I knew from the start that this would be a game of inches. "There's no room for the extra stuff". So I resolved to get the spider and charge pipes built, then figure the rest out. Namely both under hood batteries, some wiring, some heater hoses, the transmission and oil dip sticks, the breather, and the oil fill tube.



This weekend was detail stuff; transmission dipstick and oil fill tubes relocation.



The detail stuff is hard to appreciate, but what the heck, here goes.


The hot side charge pipe is in the way of the oil fill tube. I mean right smack in the middle.


After mocking it up, and seeing how bad the problem was, I thought about copper pipe and making a tube that went around the hot side charge pipe.


The final product:








Having connections come loose when the engine torques over, twists in it's mounts, can pull rigid connections loos. Following the lead of the factory, I figured out how to put beads on the ends as well, for a secure connection.



Thanks to YouTube for the idea, I sacrificed a third pair of electrical terminal crimpers, modifying them to bead the ends so the tubes don't ever pop off from the stress and strain of a 4x4 with old engine mounts.



In process pic, 1-1/4" copper pipe and fittings from the hardware store:

[TomsBeast]

double post

[marret]

Nice, well done.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

Having connections come loose when the engine torques over, twists in it's mounts, can pull rigid connections loos. Following the lead of the factory, I figured out how to put beads on the ends as well, for a secure connection.

That is an awesome idea, and something I didn't even know could be done. Thank you for posting this.


Herb

[bet on black]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

I'm stuck on leaving the International Harvester/factory Ford fuel bowl and regulator, replacement stock fuel lines and lift pump, 'just' adding an intercooler to bring the power level up to 1998 7.3 truck specs. I think a modest goal, for a little more power while retaining reliability, and ease of locating parts to keep this thing running for another 15yrs.

that's funny. i started looking at removing my fuel bowl to make room for the IC, and now i'm dead set on it, as my fuel bowl drain seems to leak when i am warming up the van in sub 20 degree temps...and i am getting tired of replacing it annually to stop the winter-time leaks. it IS a reliability issue itself.

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by bet on black

that's funny. i started looking at removing my fuel bowl to make room for the IC, and now i'm dead set on it, as my fuel bowl drain seems to leak when i am warming up the van in sub 20 degree temps...and i am getting tired of replacing it annually to stop the winter-time leaks. it IS a reliability issue itself.

It sounds like you're totally 'over it', but I read about an o-ring doubling up mod for the drain valve, have you looked at that? I think the NAS o-rings or Diesel O-rings website talks about that.



I attached a hose to the end of the steel drain line, so it would could at least 'aim the stream' closer the ground, rather than letting it dribble down the front of the block. That was before I set out to replace all the seals and fix all the leaks.

[TomsBeast]

Normally a guy would just remove the valve cover, cut the old tube out, patch the hole, and weld in the tube in a new location... but I chickened out, didn't want to disturb the valve cover gasket and injector harness if I didn't have to.

[Twoxentrix]

Keep revisiting this thread - certainly an ambitious endeavor, and patiently waiting to read the end result.
Your approach tends to throw an occasional curve ball, good to see your still swinging for the bleachers - i'm in the crowd rooting for a Win.