Replacing your own 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes isn't exactly an enjoyable Saturday afternoon task, but if you're smelling diesel exhaust system in the cab or hearing a weird hiss under insert, you truly don't have got a great deal of choice. These pipes are the critical link between your exhaust manifolds and the turbocharger. If they fail, your own truck's performance will go right out the particular window. It's one of those issues that every Ford owner eventually has to deal with, especially if you're pressing higher boost or even towing heavy a lot for the regular.
Why do these pipes even fail?
The main culprit is generally the bellows—those accordion-looking bend joints that are expected to handle the movement of the engine and the extreme heat of the exhaust. For the factory 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes , these bellows really are a bit of a weak point. Think about what they go through: they're constantly being hit with 1, 000-degree (or hotter) exhaust gases and then cooling down every time you park. Over hundreds of miles, that will metal gets frail.
Eventually, a person get a hairline crack. At first, you might not really even notice this. Maybe the vehicle feels a small bit sluggish, or even you hear the faint whistle that will sounds like the tea kettle whenever you're merging on to the highway. Yet once that split opens up, you're losing the really drive pressure that will spins your turbocharged. If the air flow escapes before it hits the turbine wheel, your turbo can't do the job efficiently.
Spotting the indications of an outflow
If you believe your 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes are on their particular way out, there are some dead giveaways. The most obvious one is soot. Take a flashlight and look in the back of the particular engine close to the firewall. If you notice black, velvety soot coating the pipes, the heat shielding, or the firewall alone, you've got a leak. Exhaust shouldn't be outside the particular pipes, period.
Another big indication is your Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGTs). If you've got a monitor inside your truck and you observe that your temps are climbing higher than usual whilst your boost levels are struggling to stay up, that's a classic sign of the pre-turbo exhaust leak. You're essentially wasting energy. Instead of that temperature and pressure switching the turbo, it's just venting in to the engine bay and making everything else run hotter.
Then there's the sound. A leaking up pipe usually makes a high-pitched "shriek" or "hiss" under acceleration. It's different from the normal turbo whistle; it sounds a lot more like air being pressured via a tiny difference. If it's poor enough, you may even smell natural diesel exhaust coming through your grills while you're sitting down at a stoplight. That's not simply annoying; it's really pretty dangerous in order to breathe in for long periods.
Stock replacements compared to. aftermarket upgrades
In regards time in order to swap them away, you've got a decision to make. You can go back again with OEM Ford producer parts, that will suit perfectly and most likely last another hundred, 000 miles. But if you've fine-tined your truck or even you're running the larger turbo, the stock 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes might just fail again for the same factors.
Many guys in the diesel community opt for heavy-duty aftermarket versions. These generally feature beefier bellows or even a "bellows-less" style in some instances, though flex joints are usually preferred to prevent the manifolds from cracking. Quality aftermarket pipes are often created from 304 stainless metal, which handles the heat cycles very much better than the cheaper grade stuff.
Another benefit of aftermarket pipes is the movement. Some designs are slightly larger in diameter or possess smoother bends. While you aren't going to gain fifty horsepower just through up pipes, you will notice a quicker turbo spool-up. It makes the truck feel "crisper" off the particular line because you aren't waiting as long for the pressure to develop.
The actuality of the installation
I'm not going to sugarcoat it: changing 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes is a hassle. They are nestled way back against the particular firewall, and space is limited. In case you're doing this within your driveway, get ready to reduce some epidermis on the knuckles and probably learn some new curse phrases.
Most professional shops will tell you that will it's much easier in case you pull the particular transmission or actually lift the cab, but it can be achieved with everything in position if you're patient. You'll need a good place of deep electrical sockets, plenty of extensions, and lots of penetrating essential oil. Those bolts have got been heat-cycled hundreds of times, so that they love to catch up. The final thing you desire would be to snap a bolt off within the exhaust a lot more, because then the tough job turns into a problem job.
Professional tip for the DIY crowd
When you're tackling this yourself, start placing the bolts in WD-40 Specialist or PB Blaster a few days before you plan to begin. Seriously, do it every night after you go back home from work. It makes a massive difference. Also, create sure you buy new gaskets. Don't even think regarding reusing the old ones, no matter just how good they look. It's not worth the risk of having to do the whole job over once again due to a $10 gasket.
Performance benefits of a solid close off
As soon as you obtain those new 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes installed and everything will be sealed tight, the particular difference is generally immediate. The very first thing you'll see is the sound—the engine will tone "tighter" and that will annoying hiss may be gone. However the real win is within the drivability.
With all that will exhaust energy really reaching the turbo, your boost can climb faster and stay more constant. This means reduced EGTs when you're towing, which will be huge for the particular longevity of your engine. When your turbocharged doesn't have in order to work as hard to hit its focus on boost, everything remains cooler and the truck just runs more efficiently. You might even see the slight bump in fuel economy, simply because the motor isn't struggling against itself anymore.
Is it worthy of the headache?
It's easy in order to ignore a small wear out leak, but it's a "pay now or pay later" situation. A small outflow in your 6. 7 powerstroke up pipes will eventually get larger, plus it can prospect to bigger difficulties like melted wiring harnesses or broken sensors from the particular concentrated heat forced out from the crack. Plus, the soot accumulation could possibly get into everything.
If you're planning on keeping your own truck for the long haul, upgrading the up pipes is one of these "bulletproofing" steps that will just makes feeling. It's not the glamorous mod like a new bumper or a raise kit, but it's the type of maintenance that keeps a Powerstroke on the highway past the particular 300, 000-mile tag.
Ultimately, whether you go using a heavy-duty stainless package or stick with the normal replacements, obtaining that exhaust program sealed back up is one associated with the best things you can do for your six. 7. Your turbo will thank you, your EGTs will drop, and you also won't have to worry about that annoying whistling sound each time you strike the gas. Just make sure you've got plenty of patience (and maybe a buddy to help) before you begin tearing into it.