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[Crankin]

Hey Guys My name is Dan, and I am a new member, as well as a new Diesel owner.
I have a couple of questions for you guys and I know the first thing someones going to say is "search the forums." Well I already did and I'm a little confused.

1. So first of all, my 99 F250 7.3 turbo diesel is down on power and fuel mileage all of a sudden. feels like not enough boost? and I'm down from 17mpg to 14mpg (no codes or check engine lights) I have tried the following to fix the problem. K&N Air filter, new fuel filter, diesel additive, Oil change, checked tire pressures . So any suggestions there would be greatly appreciated!

2. I need more power! I'd like to do some low cost backyard stuff first. Any suggestions? (plz include where to find stuff)

3. after the low buck stuff give me some suggestions on the more pricey stuff.

Well Thanks Guys, I can't wait to dig into this diesel stuff!
Dan

 

[DaveBen]

Welcome to SDD Dan. Sorry to hear about your loss of power. Others here will address this issue. I want to implore you to get rid of the K&N filter and get something else. K&N does not do a good job of filtering out dust and other small particles. If you look at the inside of the filter housing you will see fine dust. I got rid of mine on my 7.3 after I saw this. Our sponsors will have what you need.

Dave

 

[Crankin]

Thanks! I'll check that out!
The other thing I noticed was the throttle response hasn't been as good lately. I'm thinking the cat might be plugged up a little???? I mean it does have 150k on the clock.

 

[DaveBen]

You have a Cat???

Dave

 

[Crankin]

Yup

 

[Strokin_Early_99]

Early 99 had a CAT, mine ran away from home years ago, I miss her!!LOL

Check to see if your intercooler boots(blue boots) are tight and not torn.

The big part of the K&N is it does not seal in the housing. Take a look at the seal and see if there are "seal marks" on all of the surfaces. Then keep an eye on the dust level in the bottom of the intake box and the intake pipes. It will eventualy ware the turbo compressor fins smooth and rounded.

 

[CSIPSD]

Look at the Tymar type intake, about $50 worth of parts. Also there is the 10k mod, very easy. Get rid of the cat and muffler and get some gauges.

As far as the low MPG and such, check the boots from the turbo to the IC and back, also look at the up pipes from the exhust manifolds to the turbo, they like to leak at the turbo connection. You will see black marks (soot) there if they are leaking. Lots of little mods... CCV mod, AIH delete (If your a early 99 you done have one), Tighten up the wastegate.

 

[Crankin]

WOW! thanks!

but some of it sounds like greek to me right now:
Tymar type intake? CCV mod, AIH delete??? Tighten up the wastegate??? Where do I find info on this stuff?

Is there ways to raise the boost a bit without having to buy electronic do dads or high priced stuff? And ways to make the trans live longer and shift better? Back in the day of the mid 80's and early to mid 90's I used to work on a lot of turbo sports cars (300ZX TT, Porsches, etc.) and there were all kinds of ways to manually adjust the boost and trick the computer before all the crazy laptops and tuners came out. Is the F250 like that or are we stuck to elctronics and laptops now-a-days?

Thanks, Dan

 

[Crankin]

I went to the local speed shop looking for this stuff (Tymar type intake? CCV mod, AIH delete??? Tighten up the wastegate_ or info on diesels with no luck. All they could tell me is buy a bully dog! I'm becoming a junky for diesel knowledge, and I want to make some noise in a bad way! So PLZ! Help me! send me emails, pics, instructions, links what ever it takes, spam me with useful stuff!!!! I want to learn it all!!!

 

[Big Stu]

I went to the local speed shop looking for this stuff (Tymar type intake? CCV mod, AIH delete??? Tighten up the wastegate_ or info on diesels with no luck. All they could tell me is buy a bully dog! I'm becoming a junky for diesel knowledge, and I want to make some noise in a bad way! So PLZ! Help me! send me emails, pics, instructions, links what ever it takes, spam me with useful stuff!!!! I want to learn it all!!!

Most local speed shops are worthless when it comes to diesel. When I got into powerstrokes and diesels in general i read and read and then read some more. Do a search on here for whatever strikes your fancy and become familiar with the terminology about these trucks. That will help you out a lot. Then when it comes time to start buying stuff, you don't get conned into the flash in the pants latest and greatest product out there. You'll have done your homework and made your descisions based on what you think will give you the best bang for your buck. Just my $.02