PROJECT OBSESSED PART FIVE: AIR DENSITY

Project OBSessed is now in to it’s fifth part of the build-up with a few basic bolts on already completed and over 300hp on chassis dyno it’s really starting to take shape.

- JACOB WHITE

But since this truck was bought to be somewhat of a daily driver with plans of taking the family to the mountains camping in a fifth wheel camper and making horsepower isn’t the main goal. Making usable horsepower would be more a more sufficient way to describe our plans. Adding some custom tunes, a cold air intake, and a new 4” exhaust system really woke this big white school bus up, but after the first big towing trip it was apparent it was going to need more work to become what it needed to be. In order to keep up with the new trucks on the road, it’s still going to need some more horsepower, but the EGT’s towing with what we had proved that wasn’t possible unless we addressed some airflow issues.

As many of you Ford faithful’s already known, the 1994-1997 7.3L Power Stroke was never equipped with an intercooler, Ford just opted to go with a really large 1.15 a/r exhaust housing on the stock turbocharger to help combat high EGT’s, but even in a bone stock application that left something to be desired. That stock turbo is laggy with the 1.15 a/r and EGT’s are still tough to manage while towing long grades. A tighter exhaust housing could be installed to help with the lag, but that will just compound the EGT problems by increasing drive pressure and restricting exhaust flow. The only logical step would be cooling that intake charge and increasing the air density making its way into the cylinders. Que, Banks Power.