AKF250 Alaska Build - (650-700HP BUILD)

akf250 · May 30, 2019

Oil Pump Issues

My buddy had a lift open just a two nights. It was late nights, living off beer and chips, ridiculous stress, anticipation, excitement, and running around like a mad man is what my Memorial Day weekend consisted of. I loved every minute of it and the finish line is so close.

We finally got everything button buttoned up on the truck after cab drop, filled fluids, and went to start it up and got bad grinding sound in the motor. We pulled all the belts off and spun it again...still bad grinding sound. Check for oil pressure and nothing. We spun it one more time at around 1:30 AM and it locked up. We were dumbfounded. Could be valves hitting pistons, could be something with the valvetrain, could be the torque converter not set right. We were puzzled and tired and couldn't handle it anymore.

After my buddy stayed late and pulled the transmission to double check we moved back to the front of the motor. We narrowed it down to valvetrain or oil pump. The moment we pulled the oil pump bolts loose the motor was free again.

When you buy a front cover from Ford it comes with the oil pump already installed. Months ago, I slapped it all on, put a front seal on it and kept moving forward. That oil pump was dry as a bone.

The oil pump was shot and the front cover was salvageable. We cleaned everything up, installed a new well lubed oil pump, put the balancer and belts back on and got ready for fire up. After getting pass a weird block in the High Pressure Fuel System the truck built fuel pressure and fired right up (had to take a airline and blow into the main feed line to the high pressure pump and we finally got fuel to the fuel cooler...really weird)

So SHES ALIVE!!!! Now I just gotta bleed the brakes, continue to burb the air out of all the systems, notch some clearance for my front shocks, put the bumper and headlights on, resolve a weird CCV routing issue, and Ill be ready for a test drive. Hopfully tonight!

So this weird CCV issue, I need help.

I installed a Elite CCV dump with a downpipe CCV venturi dump and a external oil filter kit from Sinister plumbed into it.

I routed the return for the oil filter kit into the CCV but think I did it wrong.

I backed the truck out and when I parked there was oil pouring out of my twin tip exhaust. Thank god it was not a turbo seal.

So some how my oil return is backfeeding into my CCV dump. There are 5 ports on the CCV dump, two large top ports front and back, and two small ports front and back, and one side port to the passenger side.

I know the small front port is for the factory CCV dump.

What is eveything else for and where can I plumb my oil return line in?

akf250 · May 30, 2019

CCV

Jonnydime · May 30, 2019

You are going to get a ton of oil out of the small drain tubes on the ccv. Those lines need to be routed back to the oil pan.

sootie · May 30, 2019

That shop floor would drive me nuts

akf250 · May 31, 2019

Floor

sootie said:
That shop floor would drive me nuts

Its always dirty, but it makes finding that lost o-ring a lot easier

akf250 · Jun 26, 2019

Trucks Alive!

Welp after the oil pump incident I ran into another issue.

Trucks oil cooler became clogged after the build. Must of been junk in the radiator/block that ran through and finished her off.

The big diesel event Prowl 4 Power is next week and I did not have the place, the sanity, or the time to pull the cab again. So I did my research and through down on a beautiful but spendy external oil cooler kit from ********** Performance Research.

Install was going good until I broke off the bolt in the lower coolant port :doh:

After getting that resolved and fighting with the fender well a little I got it all back together and my oil temps are perfect!

Truck runs great, the ride is better with the suspension upgrades, and is way way more responsive now with the cam, intake, and exhaust upgrades BUT....of course there is always a BUT....I cannot get more boost out of the Tow Power Jrs than 20 PSI.

Does anyone know what boost level I should be hitting with stock fuel and a Tow Power Jr turbo?

The main supporting mods that factor in are:

KDD O-Ringed heads
Stage 2 Cam
O-Dawg Intake
RCD Up-Pipes & Wastegate Kit
RCD Manifolds
No Limit Intake Plenum
No Limit Filter
No Limit Hot and Cold Side Pipe
******* 275 Race Tune

I got my wastegate tightened all the way down, at least as far as I can tell.

Is it just so efficient that it only takes 20 LBS to flow the same as a stock turbo at 55 LBS of boost?

Bad wastegate? Wastegate controller?

I know these turbos are good for dual fuelers and bigger sticks up to 800+ horsepower, I imagined it would have a higher boost range and I suspect it is something to do with the wastegate controller or a failed wastegate.

Thoughts? Any diagrams of routing so I can ensure everything is hooked up correctly.

I am pulling boost reference from the O-Dawg intake

sootie · Jun 26, 2019

You have a problem for sure. First, double check with another gauge to make sure it is in fact only producing 20psi. It would be a slow, smokey dog. Those turbosake the most power and run most efficiently when they are gated to around 45 psi

Jonnydime · Jun 26, 2019

What springs are in the gate and did you remember to install the seat?

White_monster · Jun 26, 2019

Was just going to ask about the wastegate seat.

akf250 · Jun 27, 2019

Shes a beast!

Got it fixed! Just had the wastegate plumbing routed wrong, that whistle!

Going to the drag strip and dyno this weekend. Gonna be changing up tuning throughout the weekend, I will report back with videos and numbers

akf250 · Jul 10, 2019

Prowl 4 Power 2019

Welp took her on a first big roadtrip down to the dynos the other weekend. Strapped down the truck bed camper and headed south, around 300 miles.

Made it about halfway and a rock pierced my tire. Used the on board air compressor to limp it to service and a gas station to replace the tire.

Besides that the truck ran like a champ! Pulled hills like nothing was there, making great boost around 30-41 PSI, EGTS never got above 1100, and I was getting mileage around 18. I did multiple WOT passes up the hills for fun and always eased into them slowly.

Made it down to the event pretty late the next day, missed out on a early dyno run and the show n shine.

Next day I got in line for the dyno, we got it all strapped down and they went to make a pass. Got into torque converter lock and laid into it. Truck blew a cloud of white smoke out the tailpipe and the motor ran rough for a few seconds until he let off of it. The truck had a injector misfire at WOT and sent a overload of unburnt fuel through the motor.

Truck did like 488 HP and 895 Ft Lbs. It had a lot more to go.

So we pulled the truck off plugged it in and ran a injector contribution test both at idle and under revs. Everything was right in spec + or - 1

We ran a BG Diesel Injector Cleaner Service right to the High Pressure Fuel System, unhooked the truck and ran it down the drag strip.

Same issue, on the first pass under aggressive WOT I get a misfire.

Two passes after that, with a gradual WOT I get nothing.

Fastest run was a 14.21

Has anyone had this WOT misfire issue occur?

I am going to switch from Sp@rtin to EZ Lynk and try again to see if it may be a tuning issue.

But after that, how do I track down which injector may be causing the issue?

Injectors have 104,000 miles on it and I sent the injectors to Oregon Injection to get bench tested before rebuild. One failed and was replaced and the rest were fine. Don't just want to throw new injectors at it to do it.

Looking for advice, thanks

We also ran one of our semis down the track which was a crowd favorite, fun stuff!

sootie · Jul 10, 2019

I would get good tuning in it asap. Curious what rail pressure is doing when this occurs?

akf250 · Sep 13, 2019

Truck Update

Hey Guys,

So I got my EZLYNK tuning in and I love it! So easy to load tunes and work with PPEI. I actually have a bad Glow Plug and got tired of clearing the code non-stop. PPEI actually made me a series of tunes to shut it off until I can get it replaced which was nice of them. But ya truck is running like a champ on a 250 HP tune and I am enjoying the build. Especially hauling the camper with the helper bags front and rear and FOX shocks.

I have been running my truck with the truck bed camper on for quite sometime and have not been able to push a bunch of WOT passes to see if I still get the injector misfire issues I got at the dyno day. One day I would like to get a number.

Had a major oil leak due to the overtightening of a IPR external oil cooler kit that screws onto the top of the oil filter housing. I way over tightened it and cracked the oil filter housing. I was so excited to learn it was that and not a Turbo Drain Leak!

I did not put the turbo heat shield back on the truck when I did the build because I knew I wanted to do blankets. Just ordered some turbo blankets from Turbo Performance Products which should be here anyday. They were the only ones I could find for a 6.4L

https://turbo-performance-products.myshopify.com/collections/powerstroke-products

The highest EGTs I have seen with around 2100 lbs in the bed climbing hills at 65 has been short bursts of 1200 degrees.

My intercooler is stock and has seen some damage to the fins due to pressure washers, I am hoping a new one would bring the EGRTA to below 1100 on these climbs.

Do any manufacturers make one where they don't spray their logo on the front or that could be requested? Id like to do my own

Zeb · Sep 13, 2019

akf250 said:
Hey Guys,

So I got my EZLYNK tuning in and I love it! So easy to load tunes and work with PPEI. I actually have a bad Glow Plug and got tired of clearing the code non-stop. PPEI actually made me a series of tunes to shut it off until I can get it replaced which was nice of them. But ya truck is running like a champ on a 250 HP tune and I am enjoying the build. Especially hauling the camper with the helper bags front and rear and FOX shocks.

I have been running my truck with the truck bed camper on for quite sometime and have not been able to push a bunch of WOT passes to see if I still get the injector misfire issues I got at the dyno day. One day I would like to get a number.

Had a major oil leak due to the overtightening of a IPR external oil cooler kit that screws onto the top of the oil filter housing. I way over tightened it and cracked the oil filter housing. I was so excited to learn it was that and not a Turbo Drain Leak!

I did not put the turbo heat shield back on the truck when I did the build because I knew I wanted to do blankets. Just ordered some turbo blankets from Turbo Performance Products which should be here anyday. They were the only ones I could find for a 6.4L

https://turbo-performance-products.myshopify.com/collections/powerstroke-products

The highest EGTs I have seen with around 2100 lbs in the bed climbing hills at 65 has been short bursts of 1200 degrees.

My intercooler is stock and has seen some damage to the fins due to pressure washers, I am hoping a new one would bring the EGRTA to below 1100 on these climbs.

Do any manufacturers make one where they don't spray their logo on the front or that could be requested? Id like to do my own

Levi at Turbo Performance Products is good people. I really like his turbo blankets, and have used quite a few of them.

For an intercooler I would look at CSF. I have used quite a few of them, like them, and they don’t have a logo on the front. Rock Auto is where I get them.

White_monster · Sep 13, 2019

Get a spearco and have the logo removed. 1200 is not high for temps though and I wouldn't expect to lose much temp with a new intercooler, I know I didn't lose anythj g worth mentioning with mine.

sootie · Sep 13, 2019

You should get some good tuning instead of that PPEI chit

Connor M · Sep 14, 2019

Run the SOTF tune it’s awesome man

White_monster · Sep 15, 2019

Connor M said:
Run the SOTF tune it’s awesome man

The tuning you use is very very different from the tuning the OP needs. Not even the same level at all.

Connor M · Sep 15, 2019

White_monster said:
The tuning you use is very very different from the tuning the OP needs. Not even the same level at all.

Yeah I forgot what this truck was when I wrote that.

White_monster · Sep 15, 2019

Connor M said:
Yeah I forgot what this truck was when I wrote that.

I figured. I wouldn't use ppei tuning for anything. Custom tunes for the build is the only way to go. Also sotf is such a waste of time. Set tune and leave it. There's zero need to go to a lower tune since the lower tune isn't going to save the engine if a person still runs the big tunes. It's an illusion.