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6.7L Power Stroke Ford Turbo, Trans and Fuel Upgrades

Upgrading the Turbo, Transmission, and Fuel System on a ’19 F-450

What do you do when you’ve already outfitted your ’19 F-450 with 22.5-inch ’Forces, a massive in-bed fuel tank, and a host of One Up Offroad suspension parts? You add more giddy-up to the equation, of course! When John Wellenkamp’s 1,400-mile Super Duty rolled into Flynn’s Shop in Alexander, Illinois, the bed was full of cutting-edge go-fast parts, all designed to get his hefty tow-rig up and moving a bit easier.

Among the components installed during the three-day project was a 66 mm MP Series turbo from Midwest Diesel and Auto, along with one of the company’s high-flow intake kits. For fuel, a 10.3 mm stroker CP4.2 from RCD Performance and FASS’s new 220-gph Titanium Series supply system made the cut. Then, to harness all the newfound power and ensure the truck never skips a beat with 650-rwhp and 1,300 lb-ft on tap, a Competition 6R140 transmission from Midwest Diesel and Auto was bolted in place of the stocker.

If you’re looking for the ultimate all-around 6.7L Power Stroke parts recipe, this is it. The factory power rating was essentially doubled without sacrificing any drivability or reliability. What’s more is that the upgrades shown here illustrate just how easy it is to squeeze big power out of a late-model 6.7L Ford without even removing a valve cover.

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Tearing into the near-new 6.7L Power Stroke, everything came apart easily for Jake Bosie, the lead technician at Flynn’s Shop in Alexander, Illinois. While Bosie removed the factory air intake, intercooler pipes, and upper and lower intake plenums, the antifreeze in the primary cooling system was allowed to drain.
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With the coolant and oil lines disconnected, the driver side up-pipe loosened, the passenger side up-pipe removed, and the pedestal bolts out, the factory Garrett GT37 was ready to be pulled. But before dislodging the turbo, Bosie also took care to tape off the cylinder head inlets on the valve covers.
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Midwest Diesel and Auto’s MP6668-10, the largest VGT the company makes for the 6.7L Power Stroke, was selected to replace the stock Garrett GT37. In this side-by-side comparison you can see just how extensively the factory-based compressor housing is modified. In addition to being machined to accept a larger, 66 mm wheel (the stock wheel measures 61 mm), a map-width enhancement groove is also added. Like all Midwest chargers, this one shipped pre-installed on a brand-new Ford pedestal.
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On the exhaust side of the MP6668-10, you’ll find one of Midwest’s Dominator X 68 mm turbine wheels in place of the factory 62 mm turbine. The 10-blade, 68 mm (exducer) wheel outflows the stock 13-blade unit throughout the rpm range, and is perfectly matched with the 66 mm compressor.
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Employing a proprietary 6-blade, billet 66 mm compressor wheel (inducer), the MP6668-10 moves enough air to support more than 650-rwhp and test the strength of the 6.7L’s connecting rods in the process. However, thanks to its retention of the factory variable geometry design, it can also be run on tune-only engines with great drivability results. The MP6668-10 is just as at home with stock injectors and max-effort tuning as it is with a stroker pump and 30-percent (or larger) injectors in the mix.
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With the factory turbo out of the valley, Bosie turned his attention toward removing the stock CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump. On all 6.7L Ford builds where a stroker pump and turbo swap take place, Bosie starts by pulling the turbo, then removes the CP4.2, installs the new CP4.2, and then sets the new charger in place last.
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Though these CP4.2 pumps bear no visual indication that one flows more fuel than the other, the one on the right is RCD Performance’s Thumper model. By adding a cam with a 10.3 mm stroke, RCD Performance increases the displacement of a ’15-‘19 pump by 33 percent (and 48 percent on earlier, lower-flowing ’11-’14 CP4.2’s). The company’s stroker pump has proven to support more than 800 rwhp in chassis dyno testing.
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Prior to installing the RCD Performance pump, Bosie treated the pump’s O-ring to a liberal amount of fresh engine oil. This O-ring seals the CP4.2’s cam bearing housing to the block.
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With the new CP4.2 fastened to the block and tied in with its respective fuel rails, Bosie thoroughly cleaned and dried the CP4.2 pump drive gear. Unlike the CP3 employed on older Duramax and Cummins engines, the CP4.2 is timed to both the crankshaft and camshaft. The drive gear is driven directly off of the cam gear.
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Once the stroker CP4.2 was in place on its three mounting studs, the mounting nuts were threaded on to secure it. Bosie torqued each nut to 89 in-lb—the factory specification from Ford.
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After the drive gear was installed on the CP4.2 pump’s shaft, Bosie used a mirror to make sure the timing marks were lined up correctly (the single mark present on the cam gear sits between the two marks on the CP4.2 drive gear). Following that, the pump’s drive gear nut was torqued to the recommended 59 ft-lb spec.
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Prior to reinstalling the vacuum pump, Bosie installed a new gasket and coated the threads of each mounting bolt with Loctite. On ’11-’16 6.7L Power Strokes, the vacuum pump’s mounting bolts are notorious for backing out (due to vibration) and causing an oil leak. Though the verdict is still out as to whether or not the same thing happens on the newer trucks, Bosie left nothing to chance on this ’19 and hit them with Loctite as a precautionary measure.
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Moving on to the turbo install, Bosie readied the valley for its new charger. With the valley doused in brake cleaner and then completely dried, the new turbo pedestal gasket supplied in Midwest’s turbo install kit was set in place.
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Installing the Midwest turbo and pedestal as a complete assembly, Bosie took care to make sure the charger was clear of the cowl before slowly lowering it into place so as not to damage the new gasket. From there, all four pedestal bolts were threaded in hand-tight, taken to the required 133 in-lb, and then followed by a final torque of 41 ft-lb.
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While the driver side up-pipe can remain attached to the exhaust manifold during a turbo swap on a 6.7L Ford, obviously it has to be loosened from the turbo’s exhaust housing. Here Bosie installs the new driver side up-pipe-to-turbo clamp and cinches it down with his cordless ratchet.
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With no known exhaust flow restrictions when used in moderate horsepower applications (650 rwhp), the factory two-piece downpipe was retained. Once the top portion (i.e. the Cobra head) was attached to the turbocharger’s exhaust outlet and re-secured to the rear engine cover, the lower section was fastened to the back of the passenger side cylinder head (shown). We’ll note that Bosie also pulled the passenger side inner fender well to better access the downpipe for both its removal and reinstallation.
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After installing a new up-pipe gasket over the passenger side exhaust manifold studs, Bosie reinstalled the passenger side up-pipe and tightened down a fresh clamp at the turbo’s exhaust housing. From there the exhaust back pressure sensor was reinstalled, along with the factory turbo heat shield and the turbo’s coolant supply line.
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By installing Midwest Diesel and Auto’s stainless steel intake piping kit, both the upper and lower intake manifolds were done away with and replaced with this one-piece Y-pipe. The passenger side of the Y-pipe accommodates the factory MAP sensor, which Bosie swapped over prior to its installation.
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A machined groove on the inside of the Y-pipe’s outlets incorporates an O-ring for a leak-free seal. The Y-pipe attaches to the valve covers via four Allen bolts per side. Bosie snugged up each bolt using a 5 mm Allen socket.
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Following a few test fits, Bosie installed the supplied stainless steel cold-side intercooler pipe. At the opposing end of the pipe, a 90-degree boot attaches to the factory air-to-water intercooler. All Midwest piping is secured by way of stainless steel T-bolt clamps and stainless steel hardware.
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Thanks to its ability to handle 40 psi or more of boost, the factory hot-side intercooler pipe was retained. After locking it in place on the compressor housing outlet, Bosie clamped the other end to the air-to-water intercooler.
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The finishing touch for the turbo install called for a new, 4-inch diameter cold air intake system. Once the stock MAF sensor was transferred over to the new intake pipe, everything was tightened up, the open element air filter was attached, and the engine’s coolant was topped back off.
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For optimum power transfer, a custom triple-disc Stallion model torque converter from Precision Industries (built to Midwest Diesel and Auto’s specifications) got the nod. The custom-spec converter features a forged-steel front cover and a 2,100 rpm stall speed. Accompanying the Precision converter is a billet flexplate from Sun Coast. Machined from 4340 round bar and to exact tolerances, the one-piece flexplate is also hardened to stand up to big torque (it meets SFI 29.3 certifications as well).
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With Midwest Diesel and Auto known for building some of the stoutest 6R140 transmissions in the industry, it only made sense to source one of the company’s Competition versions. The six-speed automatic boasts increased clutch counts in Forward, Direct, and Overdrive, a brand-new pump and fresh solenoid body, and all newbearings, seals, and sensors. This same TorqShift has proven capable of handling more than 1,000 rwhp and allowing for 10-second quarter-miles in racing applications.
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To make 100-percent certain the new stroker CP4.2 was being fed plenty of low-pressure fuel, FASS’s new 220-gph Titanium Series system for the ’17-’19 6.7L Power Stroke was installed. Unlike traditional aftermarket fuel supply systems, this one installs along the passenger side frame rail and, as is visible here, requires the fuel hose be covered using the supplied heat shield in areas where fuel lines have to be routed near the exhaust system.
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Installing the FASS system called for dropping the fuel tank, pulling the sending unit, and modifying the factory fuel tank module. The system came pre-set for 65-psi of fuel supply pressure, filters fuel down to 2 microns, and features one of the quietest lift pumps on the market. It’s worth noting that the 220-gph system supports 700 to 900 hp, while a second 6.7L Ford-specific FASS system, rated for 240-gph, supports as much as 1,200 hp.

SOURCE

FASS
fassride.com

Flynn’s Shop
217.478.3811

Midwest Diesel & Auto
217.718.6119
midwestdieselauto.com

Precision Industries
800.649.7866
converter.com

RCD Performance
309.822.0600
rcdperformance.com

Sun Coast
850.864.2361
suncoastdiesel.com

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