A true sleeper, Project Seven Three may not be a buffed-out custom yet, but with 0-60 mph times in the fives, it’s one potent package.
Our 2000 7.3-liter Power Stroke Super Duty project is now on the street and the results of the multi-part build are greater than expected. We first rolled onto the pavement after leaving Unlimited Diesel Performance a little more than a week ago. With a freshly installed Skyjacker suspension system the first stop was to be the alignment shop to make certain the Super Duty’s newfound power would stay pointed in the right direction.
PERFORMANCE
Unfortunately, the alignment shop was swamped and it would be several days before the Super Duty would see their rack. No problem, we’ll just be extra careful. With the freshly hot-rodded 7.3 growling under foot, temptation was strong however, and I rolled into the throttle on the trip home and I’m still grinning. Cruising along at 30 mph, I stood on the accelerator for a taste of the performance potential. Holy *%#@ – the rear tires went up in smoke and kept spinning until I let off at the third gear shift. The tuning wasn’t even set on one of the hotter tuners yet!
With the alignment still a day away, we hooked up a VBOX to get a quick 0-60 time. Hubs locked in four-wheel-drive this time, I launched without spoiling up the turbo or loading the torque converter. At the one-two shift, the Super Duty pulled hard left and I knew with the correction the time wouldn’t be a best effort. Still, the Unlimited Diesel Performance power clocked a six-second flat 0-60 mph! After the alignment, launches are straight and true, 0-60 mph consistently comes in the high five-second range with a best effort of 5.7 seconds. That’s from an 8,000+ pound Crew Cab long-bed 4×4 pickup truck on BFGoodrich All-Terrain TAs. Once this four tons of fun is rolling, it pulls like a freight train thanks to the serious torque, and we expect quarter-mile times will be equally impressive.
We were not able to run dyno numbers on Project 7.3 before this issue of Diesel World went to press, so we asked Nate Bailor at Unlimited Diesel Performance for his best guess. He said, “probably 475 to 500 horsepower and more than 1,000 lb/ft of torque at the rear wheels.” Judging from the way the Super Duty runs, that estimate is likely conservative.
FUEL ECONOMY
From the start, Project 7.3 was intended to be a high-performance street truck that could serve as a daily driver and, when necessary, haul hay, and haul ass. One of our most pleasant surprises this past week of driving the Super Duty came when the truck was called into action to move my daughter back to college after summer break. In highway economy mode, both loaded and unloaded, Project 7.3 delivered an 18.1 mpg average on a 180-mile round trip. Speeds ranged from 60 to 70 mph on the highway with roughly 25 miles of city driving mixed in.
GETTING THE EDGE
Project 7.3 original had three A-pillar mounted analog gauges that worked, but were not very accurate. With the performance potential of the powertrain, Unlimited Diesel Performance recommended upgrading to an Edge Products CTS (color touchscreen) display that can monitor and display a wide variety of performance parameters directly from the 7.3’s computer. It features a 4.3-inch LCD that’s easy to read in bright daylight conditions and provides the simplicity of touchscreen controls. We like the fact that it’s highly customizable, offering the ability to change everything from the background display to the number, style and type of gauges with alerts when certain limits are exceeded. The Edge CTS also functions as a scan tool with the ability to read and clear codes.
The Edge CTS is equipped with a video port that allows you to add the Edge backup camera module. The camera is integrated into a custom license plate frame and tilts up and down to optimize the view. Since it’s mounted low on the bumper on our Super Duty, the backup cam makes trailer hitch-up a snap. It comes on automatically when the truck is shifted to reverse and can be activated at other times through the touchscreen.
TUNING
The Edge CTS offers multiple levels of performance tuning for towing, mileage and of course performance. Due to the unique and extensive build of our 7.3, Nate Bailor decided to go with a custom tune specifically tailored to the Unlimited Diesel Performance Stage-3 Hybrid injectors and other goodies added to Project Seven Three. The chip is a six-position 7.3L Power Stroke unit from TS Performance. The TS chip was then treated to a custom program from Matt Robinson at Gearhead Automotive Performance in Bryan, Texas. Matt tweaked the settings from one-to-six as follows: heavy tow, high idle, stealth (quiet idle), tour-economy, street muscle and all-out. To change settings, you simply twist a knob located just to the right of the steering column to the desired tune.
We like the flexibility of the tunes a lot and the fact that even in the hotter tunes the truck doesn’t smoke out the entire block. In all-out, it will blow black at first, but the exhaust cleans up within a few seconds if you stay in the throttle.
TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS
Project 7.3 has been an extended process, but well worth the wait. Thanks to the expertise of Nate Bailor, Ben Burnworth and Chaz Roth at Unlimited Diesel Performance, the Super Duty is stout and trouble-free. We now have more than 500 miles on the truck without a single squawk. Considering how deep we dove into this build, that says a lot about the quality of work Unlimited Diesel Performance does. There’s not even a drop of oil in the driveway.
Much of the credit goes to the careful planning and quality of the parts selected. Right off the bat, Bailor insisted on a transmission rebuild by Ryan May at Service First in Lancaster, Ohio. With a Precision International overhaul kit, Sonnax Sure Cure Shift Kit, and Precision Industries Stallion billet torque converter and billet flexplate, the Super Duty can handle tons of power. When you’re into it hard, shifts are more than firm… they’re abrupt. On performance tunes, Project Seven Three will chirp the rear tires going into third.
It’s a winning combination of good economy and streetable power in a big truck that will walk away from most Mustangs and Camaros. Project 7.3 may not be the best-looking truck on the street, but we like the fact it’s a true “sleeper” that will leave the unsuspecting wide-eyed.
Among the existing modifications, the A-pillar mounted analog gauges were pulled in favor of a modern LCD touchscreen display from Edge.
We were fortunate to find the factory A-pillar trim panel still mounted behind the aftermarket gauge cluster. After removing the wiring, it was clipped back in place.
An Edge Products Color Touch Display was selected to monitor powertrain functions along with a module that allows the addition of a backup camera.
After removing the aftermarket gauges, Chaz Roth found a mess under the dash when pulling the gauge wires and leads.
Connections to the Edge display need to go through the firewall. Here Ben Burnworth routes the exhaust gas pyrometer into the engine bay and down to the exhaust manifold.
After drilling and tapping the exhaust manifold, the pyrometer is installed for precise temperature measurements. This unit is very precise and updates the Edge display instantaneously.
Next, the connections to the Edge display were routed behind the dash to the base of the A-pillar. From here it’s plug and play.
An adjustable suction mount allows the Edge display to be located just about anywhere. We like the lower left windshield mount. It’s easy to ready with a normal gauge scan without taking your eyes off the road.
The Edge display then plugs into the OBDII port below the dash to access a wealth of information and act as a code scanner.
The Edge backup camera is also an easy installation since it’s mounted in a replacement license plate frame.
The camera has a tilt adjustment up and down so you can change the view. The unit should make trailer hitch-up a breeze.
Naturally, the video connections need to be routed from the rear bumper to the display. The connections include simple RCA-style plugs.
The Edge CTS is then powered through an easy plug-in hot connection at the fuse block.
Once powered up, the Edge screen can be configured to show a wide variety of performance information and is customizable through the touchscreen interface.
The backup camera offers a fairly wide angle of view. This is a good angle for general backing, but it can also be angled down for a better view of a trailer tongue.
Unlimited Diesel Performance decided to go with a TS Performance six-position chip with a custom program from Gearhead Automotive to fine tune Project Seven Three’s high-performance components.
The main electronic control module, or computer, is mounted under the dash on the left side of the firewall. After disconnecting inside the engine compartment, the mount is unbolted inside the cab.
Next, the cover is removed to access the main circuit board so the connections can be cleaned before installing the chip.
The factory coats the connections with a clear sealer to protect the board. Lightly sand the connections with fine paper or a Scotch-brite pad to remove the coating.
Reinstall the housing and then carefully slide the aftermarket performance chip onto the connection.
The mounting bracket is then slipped back on the computer. Nate recommends running the wiring out of the large opening so it locks the chip securely in place.
After the computer is bolted back in, it’s time to mount the control knob. We decided to locate just to the right on the steering column just below the shift lever where it’s easy to adjust.
Nate then installed the adjustment knob so the number one tune is at the 12-o’clock position. Hotter tunes are clockwise; milder and towing tunes are counter-clockwise.
Before hitting the street, the crew at Unlimited Diesel Performance replaced the old suspension with a new 4-inch kit from Skyjacker.
Finally, Project Seven Three was treated to new ball joints and a four-wheel alignment at Lines Auto Service in Bremen, Ohio.
Advance Auto Parts
1-877-ADVANCE
www.advanceautoparts.com
AFE
951-493-7100
www.afepower.com
AMSOIL
800-956-5695
www.amsoil.com
ARP
800-826-3045
www.arp-bolts.com
Bob Boyd Ford
740-654-1122
www.bobboydford.com
Columbus Diesel Supply
855-455-8391
www.columbusdieselsupply.com
Comp Cams
901-795-2400
www.compcams.com
Edge Products
888-360-3343
www.edgeproducts.com
Gearhead Automotive Performance
979-703-7338
www.gearheadautomotiveperformance.com
Irate Diesel Performance
503-804-8900
www.iratediesel.com
Precision Industries
800-649-7866
www.converter.com
Service First
740-689-0707
Smith Bros. Pushrods
800-367-1533
www.pushrods.net
Stealth Pumps
314-766-7867
www.stealthpumps.com
Unlimited Diesel Performance
740-569-1319
www.unlimiteddiesel.com
Whitaker Tools
270-465-0212
www.whitakertools.com
Text and Photos by Todd Kaho
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