Upcoming Mods/Repairs Feedback (Long Read)

Buck Slayer

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Sup fellas, first post as a member here. Been coming to this site for a long time as a troglodyte just reading from the shadows.

Anyways, going to be doing some upgrades to my truck in the near future. Just wanted to run everything by you guys to make sure I won't be missing or forgetting anything. This truck (95 first was a 97) my 2nd OBS and I have tried to do all of the work myself on it because I plan on keeping this truck forever and once it is no longer a DD it will truly become a project and be restored to "showroom" quality. Due to lack of time and the amount of work I am going to be needing done I have decided to let my local shop handle these upcoming repairs/upgrades (I'm friends with the owner and have talked with him in detail of want I am wanting done). I am also very anal about the quality of work that is done on the truck since I am looking at it as a long term thing, another reason I have repaired everything myself up to this point. I'll also add that due to my analness and wanting things to be done the right way (like I would do them), I will be supplying the shop with all parts, all the way down to butt connectors.

The truck is bone stock with 276K (have owned the truck since 240K) up to this point aside from a 6.0 fan I swapped onto it, Bilstein shocks all the way around and an S&B intake.

Issues with the truck as it sits:

-Significant oil leak (roughly 1 gallon a week)
-Significant fuel leak (has to be coming from the underside of the bowl area, I have scoured everywhere that I can visibly see from the top and have come up with nothing)
-Power steering leak

These are the areas of main concern and my biggest focus on getting fixed. Any leftover money will be used after on things that I would save money on by doing now while they have the truck already torn apart fixing the "Big 3". Budget is around $4500 - $5000.

-Oil Leak
Valve cover gaskets, going to swap these over to Super Duties, new VC gaskets (Motorcraft), new UVCH (Motorcraft), new GP's (Motorcraft), GPR (White-Rodgers/Stancor).

EBPV delete, new pedestal. Not sure on where I'm getting this from yet, I figured the turbo will be removed from the efuel kit below so this would be worth it to do. Side note, I also don't know if this is particularly necessary as I have a BD exhaust brake that will be going on at some point and I believe with that install the EBPV is removed anyways. Food for thought?

Oil dipstick tube replacement (Strictly Diesel).

With these repairs I think there are only a few problematic oil leak areas that won't be addressed. From what I can tell the plugs on the rear of the heads are dry, rear main, oil pan and HPOP are the only others (unless I've missed something) that could be problematic but I don't think any of those are leaking.

-Fuel Leak
I will be addressing this by going to efuel and hopefully being done with fuel leaks for quite some time. Up to this point I am leaning towards Irate Diesels - Competition Kit running the fuel lab pump and a Beans sump on the front tank.

Along with the efuel I will be swapping in a F26e tank for the rear and a super duty tank in the front with a transfer pump (something from NAPA or O'Reilly that is easily accessible for replacement, not sure on exact specs of what is needed). Also not entirely sure on what all I need on the top end of the tanks (one being sumped, one being transferred out of), as well if the hutch/harpoon should be done to these before going in, straps, etc. I definitely want the fuel gauge to read correctly on this one, this swap is something I need to do some more research on to make sure I have everything that will be needed for both tanks. With both tanks installed I'll have the capability of having 76 gallons of fuel on-board at any time.

-Power steering leak
For this I will be doing a 6.0 PS pump swap, i have already located the PS pump bracket and pulley from a 99-03 e250 7.3. Not sure on which pump brand yet or what all fittings will be needed? Reservoir still needs to be acquired and hoses will be made to fit by the shop once the pump is installed.

I have a full Banks Powerpack that will be going on this truck, hopefully at the same time as everything listed above.

Banks Powerpack includes: Intercooler, "Quick Turbo" Housing), TransCommand, Ottomind module (not sure if this even needs to go in with plans of a Hydra eventually).

Honorable mentions if there is any money remaining are Mishimoto radiator (current radiator has very small leak at transmission cooler nipple, leaks coolant not tranny fluid), HPOP (Adrenline?), Tranny cooler (Mishimoto?), Gauges (I have the Banks pyrometer and boost gauge that came with the powerpack kit, and an ISSPRO tranny temp) but they don't all match and that really bugs me, would probably go with all ISSPRO EV2's, Hydra, Riffraff or DieselSite coolant filter, dual pulley belt tensioner, 3" DP to 5" straight (I have this on my donor vehicle but have tried removing it to no success, the 5" is a Diamond Eye that scoops down really low after the over axle hump and it just doesn't look too aesthetically appealing as well).

I know it's long, and thank you guys for your time. I will update if I think of anything I have left off. Give me all the feedback, comments, concerns or internet scowling you would like. Really trying to bulletproof this thing along with setting myself up to have a gem that's capable of having some skinny pedal fun when you want it.

-J
 

Tiha

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Welcome,

One of the more common oil leak areas beyond what you already mentioned is the oil cooler. Might want to take a peek at it.

I would imagine Efuel, and a bowl delete will eliminate your fuel leak problem.

Do you have hydro boost? Or just upgrading pumps? rockauto has a good selection of pumps at good prices.

I have hydro boost. I used a compression fitting to connect the 6.0 PS pressure line and the 97 hydro boost line. The return line is just 3/8" hose. Nothing special there.
But I wouldn't know what you need without hydroboost.

the ottomind is better than nothing. I am pretty unhappy with what the hydra programs have done to my shifting. I have tried a few now.
Years ago I had a tony wildman chip and had him omit the trans tuning all together because I had an upgraded valve body. that setup was far better than any trans tuning I have gotten with chips.
 

psduser1

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Just me, but a downpipe and gauges should be first on the list. Fix the oil/fuel leaks, of course. The fuel tank, eh, but if you need it...
As far as the banks stuff- intercooler is good. The transcommand and otto-whatever, find another sucker for that stuff. A hydra with a tuner that will help you will take care of shifting issues. If you want, call Bts, John wood, Sam wyse, or the trans builder of choice, and have them cut you a forward accumalator plate to stiffen up the shifts. Oh yeah, some sort of trans cooler will help. Not sure how it fits on the obs, but a 6.0 trans cooler bolts right in on the 7.3 superduties.
 

Buck Slayer

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Just me, but a downpipe and gauges should be first on the list. Fix the oil/fuel leaks, of course. The fuel tank, eh, but if you need it...
As far as the banks stuff- intercooler is good. The transcommand and otto-whatever, find another sucker for that stuff. A hydra with a tuner that will help you will take care of shifting issues. If you want, call Bts, John wood, Sam wyse, or the trans builder of choice, and have them cut you a forward accumalator plate to stiffen up the shifts. Oh yeah, some sort of trans cooler will help. Not sure how it fits on the obs, but a 6.0 trans cooler bolts right in on the 7.3 superduties.
100% agree, all valid points. I'd like to run the 6.0 trans cooler but I don't know if it will fit with my IC or not, may have to go with the smaller TruCool. On the gauges, I'm glad you brought that up. I really like the look of analog gauges, but the versatility of a CTS3 is hard to beat. I'm thinking about doing a quad pod with a CTS3 on bottom and then 3 guages. Are there certain parameters that would be better suited to run in the 3 analog gauges versus the CTS3, or maybe some things that the CTS3 won't be able to read? In my 97 I just had the classic, boost, pyro and trans.
 

psduser1

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If your not building a big hp engine, a scan gauge monitors most parameters. It's an old setup, but they work. I think there are two parameters available for separate 5v inputs, and you'd need one of thase for water temps.
I guess I don't know exactly what the obs will show, but that info should be readily available on the description page.
I've had one in my superduty for years, it's mostly set on engine oil temp and battery voltage status. I've warranties a bunch of cheap reman alternators, lol. Still getting 6-7 years out of the cheap parts store batteries!
Other than that, boost and pyro, and I don't look at them any more, except out of boredom.
 

KBMKVIII

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Welcome to the forum!
The 6.0 cooler is your best option and will definitely fit.
Readily found and not that hard to make brackets for.
 

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