It'll make more power and drink more fuel unless you slow down a lot.

 

Well, wut should I change? Nothings set in stone. Im aiming for the 13mpg mark.

 

Since you are in the market for a high-dollar rebuild, I have some suggestions that might save some $$$ and improved fuel mileage.

Unless you saw some very high EGTs before, I’d forget the big exhaust.

Since you are mega high mileage, I assume you run the Interstate a lot. If MPG interests you, I would heartily recommend converting to a ZF6 manual transmission. I have football knees and have over 280k on the OEM clutch, although most guys feel there are some outstanding aftermarket clutches out there. (I’ll investigate when my OEM clutch wears out). Diesels are tough on automatics and the solid lockup a stick gives you will add 2 MPG easy. The 7.3 engine has plenty of torque.

Unless your old rig slowed down a lot over the mountains in PA, I’d recommend leaving the 3.73 alone. You are too heavy for 3.55s and the 4.10 is a waste of money.

The big turbo won’t gain you anything.

Talk to Swamp Donkey about injectors. He is a PSN sponsor and I’ve found him quite sensible.

Unless you thought the old rig was a slug (apparently you didn’t) mods that enhance reliability and easy maintenance (I recommend waterless coolant if you are going to rebuild the engine and definitely a new radiator and have the intercooler pressure tested and the pinholes welded up) are more worthwhile than HP-enhancing mods.

 

Sound to me like you are asking for problems. As a toy all of that sounds good. Sounds to me like a three car set up. 4:10 or even 4:30 will make a huge difference (from experience) 4" exhaust wont bother you too much. 38r isnt too bad but you CAN hear it. I would leave the oil line at the store. 13 mpg loaded....not going to happen. What is your IFTA now? One of my trucks has stg 1's, built trans, 38r, RR, 6637, 4:30's ect and did just shy of 10 on 4th 1/4. this was with an ez loader though. 3 car on similar truck (no stage 1's) was a hair over 10. You need to find a tuner that has experience with car hauling. Live tuning will be your best and in my mind only tuning option. Good Luck - I have been down the road you are about to travel and regret every second of it.

 

Wow, those are points I didn't even consider! How do u feel about the big oil as a measure for bottom end torque? The condenser deffinately is gone. I'm thinking an aftermarket 6.0 version. The manual is a definate good idea, but wut is involved in a conversion? I'll check w the guy on the sticks. I was advised that staying w stock split shots would be wise to avoid over heating issues. How about the slowed down idm? Aprreciate your input.

 

I'm thinking an aftermarket 6.0 version.

I dont pull as heavy as you but here is my experience with a 6.0 cooler... I pull a 12-13k 5th wheel. I found a really good deal on a 6.0 cooler and I was planning on replacing my old boots anyway. I installed the 6.0 IC and saw maybe a 25-50 deg drop peak pulling my trailer. Hardly noticeable. If EGT is your issue, put on a water injection system (WATER ONLY!!!). I would only go with a 6.0 IC if you find one for dirt cheap, otherwise save your money.

Also a flow through muffler is all you really need (maybe $100 for a walker BTM). No need to spend hundreds and hundreds on 4 and 5 inch pipes. If you want to do it really cheap, cut off the factory muffler and put a straight pipe in there.

 

I dont run Ifta I can tell u most of the dot guys in ohio, missouri, and indiana from my big truck days. Illinois dots are a little lazy and Wisconsin truck cops don't really care(evidenced by the half open half closed inspection house north of Russell rd). Never got an over weight ticket. Ever.... Didn't say I ran like a hooker from a sting @ nite, did I? Lol... I just stay up on bettyz appearance know wut to leave for the stingers and plan my trips very carefully. Did I mention my log books. I mean book....?

 

And people wonder why hot shot rigs have a bad name.

 

"Big Oil" (high capacity HPOP) won't do a thing for your low end. It essentially shines at high load, high RPM - not the place you wanna be if you are thinking fuel economy.

No way a pickup derivative pulling over twelve tons is gonna get 13 MPG unless you keep it under 60 MPH. Particularly not over the mountains.

Maybe a super high-mileage guy like you is a candidate to do some pioneering of an aero trailer.

Do you have an exhaust brake?

Check out the conversion forums. Lots of guys have done the auto-to-stick conversion. Ain't cheap, but perfect for your kind of running. The money you save by not putting a bigger turbo, Big Oil, methanol injection, and big exhaust on your truck will easily cover a ZF6-650 conversion.

 

WHOA PARTNER. Ive been a owner operator for 5 years. Whats YOUR dot score? Like I said, I keep my trucks appearance together. You can always tell a guys operating condition by the shape & look of his rig. Electric & hydraulic brakes on my trailer and I keep a small arsenenal of repair parts with me to fix MY setup anywhere. Thats why I got the kind of miles out of my truck and trailer. Last out of service ticket was in 08 for a permit. Im always ready for a roadside. Ive drove em big and small and have about 700,000 miles btween the two. 285,000 in a dually. Midtown Manhattan to Michigan Avenue downtown Chicago in afternoon rush. DONE IT REGULARLY. Snow storms from hell, icy conditions with high winds; DONE IT REGULARLY. I made the money I did because Ill go where the PANZYS who sit out side a metropolitan area waiting at a truck stop for traffic to die down or nite, wont go! Id trust the way I run a truck versus your version and I dont even know you. This and the fact I love a 7.3 is why Im putting the kind of money in my trucking operation Im talkin about. Worst accident Ive had was clipping a side mirror in a parking lot. Thats alot of miles and alot of experience. I pay about $485 on my premium a month for full coverage 200000 in cargo, 11 mill in liability and full coverage on my entire operation. If you are in the car business then you know those are GOOD numbers. @ claims on damages out of close to 1000 cars ran. How about YOU. Whats on your resume?

 

On the mpg/economy topic.... I would be happy to get 13 when towing a 6000 lb travel trailer. Factory truck gets 11 even at 60 mph. You've got to feed a diesel to make it work.

 

What about water injection for mpg?

 

From all that I have read, water is for cooling only. Meth will help with the power but my truck and I are drug free

 

I don't see how water injection will improve MPG.

Max HP? Maybe.

MPG? No.

 

Well, I ended up upgrading my op to a 7 car and now Im back big riggin it. But that was good because now i got a "lil mo $" to work with. I decided to go back more towards stock and heres why. I put 6 pos chip fom php and a 120v IDM in that thing from beans and a set of stage 1s in as well. Garret gtp ball bearing turbo, fresh hpop, 4" intake, 4"exhaust down 5 out the fanny and had the most abismal luck period. I couldnt get over an over pass w 2 cars without seeing 1250 -1350. Uuuuuuuugh, wut have I done?!? Well, Blackbettyz's pimp's pimp (my always ready to collect mechanic), recommended I go with this for a rock solid setup: Keep the 4" intake, the exhaust can stay but it was overkill, pull the stage 1s and go back to the factory split shots and drop to a 100v IDM. Reason being is that the 120v was starting the sticks too early and ending to late. This really motivated the thing but accelerated the heat. I thought it would get her moving with little effort not fry it! The originial was a 110v, so he's telling me to kick it down to a 100v to help with heat. Next he's saying go to a TE or Adrenaline hpop to help add torque and make up for what I lost with the hpop downgrade. This also will help with the gearing which is now 3.73 from 4.10. Next, I did find a zf6 but dont have a clutch for it. My buddy owns a salvage yard and has the mechanism from a 2002 for my conversion. Ill be selling the built up 4r with my allison converter. Upgrade to a 4inch condenser core with some mods and replumb my transcooler to cool oil. He said If that dont float my boat then look into a gear vender OD kit and I should hit mid to high 12s versus the high 10s to maybe 11s igot stock YEARS ago. Feedback?

 

you would benefit the most by keeping all the mods and getting it live tuned!! there is no way you should hit high egts with that setup with live tuning. you might gain a hair of mpg's while towing but not much.. power yes.. with live tuning you can have a tow tune that will stay under 1200* no mater what your towing and have almost twice the power to the ground to help it move... then have a setting for when your unloaded and can turn the chip up and have fun and still not hinder your mpg's. all of what i have done to my truck gets me about a 5mpg increase over stock when not towing... towing is still 10-12 mpg's but i have never loaded my truck as much as you have...

 

Oh and get some live tuning...

 

For a guy who drives your kind of miles a GV makes good sense.

 

I was thinking that too. I've still got the three car trailer and thinking of turning my son lose in it. I want him to make $ and benefit from a mechanically sound setup. We've talked it over. He wants me to do a cummins. Personally, I think that he can buy another truck for wut a 12 valve will cost. He's borrowing the dough himself. I say drop another 7.3 in it freshen the trans and pig and keep goin. The GV sure sounds nice. Wonder how it'll pull and wut kinda mileage to expect. Maybe selling it...

 

Going to have to agree with alot of the guys heres posts. 7.3 is very capable of everything your looking for but yes if your towing every day some stage 1's with regulated fuel return an adrenaline pump and built trans and you should be good to go. The worse thing you can do in the 7.3l world is overdo your power. Once your at 400hp keep is consistant and reliable...and YES that is very accomplishable goal.

 

The Cummins' only edge is that it can easily burn more fuel to make more power.

High fuel costs will drive a commercial operator down.

 

I wonder how a gear vendor will act behind a stick in a 4.88 equipt f450? I've considered that 4.88 is quite tall. But that 3.73 in a 10k pound truck may not have the get up out the hole. What rear does a 99 450 have? I'd like a 3.73 in it for the obvious savings, but can it work?