Performance Outcome
Before we started the project we made a few runs to determine exactly what kind of numbers we could get out of this tired 7.3L. With the factory 5-speed manual transmission, the best 0-60 mph run we could muster in stock form was at just over 16.2 seconds. We made several runs and depending on how good our start was, the times were anywhere from 16.2-16.6 seconds.
As we started adding parts we again went back to the same deserted stretch of country road to make the same 0-60 mph runs, now recording the times as well as our egts at 60 mph. First off, the Beans Stage 1 injectors, with no other changes but the injector install, our 0-60 mph time improved a very impressive 2.9 seconds. The injectors netted a best elapsed time of 13.3 seconds with egts just over 1200 degrees F.
Next was the chip install. With the 6-position chip from Beans set on the hottest tune, we made a few more runs, again improving the 0-60 mph times more than 2 more seconds. The new programming and added fuel from the chip brought our best run down to 11 seconds flat. Pretty impressive in our book, shaving more than five seconds off the stock setup. But with the added fuel from the chip and injectors our egts were really starting to get rather high.
Hoping to combat those exhaust temperatures some, our next product install was the ATS intercooler kit, which went in relatively easy. The fit was perfect and dropped our temps a little more than 100 degrees F at the 60 mph mark. Now that 100 degrees may not sound like much, but in drag runs, you're on the throttle pretty hard. Towing temperatures is where you'll really see the benefit of an intercooler. You'll really appreciate that cooling effect from the intercooler when you've got that camp trailer or 4-wheeler trailer behind you on a 7 percent grade.
The last product we installed on the truck was the Beans D66 replacement turbo. Swapping to this improved turbo netted yet another 100 degrees temperature drop. With the modified Beans turbo, egts are much slower to climb and the powerband seems to be stronger throughout the entire rpm range. After bolting on the D66 turbo, our 0-60 mph times also improved, near a full second. After a few consecutive runs and near-perfect takeoffs, the truck got down to a best run of 10.2 seconds. Now to some, that may not seem very quick, but considering it's a 6500-pound truck with a manual transmission, we think it's pretty impressive.
Overall, we are very pleased with the performance outcome, shaving more than six seconds off the 0-60 mph time is more than we ever could have expected. With all said and done, we're happy to say we've accomplished our goal.
We've turned a tired old truck into a new diesel burning hot rod with plenty of power on tap to tug a camp trailer anywhere we need with no egt worries.
Who said you'd need to spend $40k to keep up with the times?