Back in 1999, the Turtle Expedition began building the Turtle V based on an F-550. One thing always bothered us though: When we were really demanding power from the 7.3L Power Stroke, there was this cackling or chuffing noise from the engine. At the time, Steve Benson at ATS told us it was air rattling around in the turbo.
Since the recent release of upgrade components for the 7.3L Power Stroke (model years '991/2 to '03), owners of these trucks have heard this noise and felt the lack of performance in one particular area: airflow. Due to the proprietary design complexity of the mounting hardware for the factory turbo, very little has been available until now to upgrade the system.
1. The Aurora 3000 kit includes...
1. The Aurora 3000 kit includes everything: turbo, pedestal, up-pipes, downpipe, intake manifold, intake tube, heavy-duty silicone boot, and all necessary hardware. The Aurora 3000 was designed as a quick-response, high-pressure-ratio turbo intended for everyday driving and heavy towing.
ATS Diesel Performance has recently introduced its line of complete bolt-on turbo kits for this engine with the Aurora 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 configurations. While we were hesitant to replace the factory turbo, after consulting with Ken Imler, owner of Imler Diesel Performance in Sacramento, California, moving up to the new ATS system seemed like a safe choice, at least in terms of reliability.
The Aurora 3000 was designed as a quick-response, high-pressure-ratio turbo intended for everyday driving and heavy towing. The Turtle V, with its custom Tortuga Expedition camper, tipped the scales at around 14,000 pounds. The Aurora 3000 would be a good match, providing increased airflow to the engine with quick power delivery while maintaining low EGT. The Aurora 3000 kit includes everything: turbo, pedestal, up-pipes, downpipe, intake manifold, intake tube, heavy-duty silicone boot, and all necessary hardware.
2. The new downpipe was larger...
2. The new downpipe was larger in diameter and a perfect match for our MagnaFlow Performance exhaust.
The pedestal was designed to employ clockwise-rotation turbochargers. Clockwise-rotation turbochargers are available in many different frame sizes. For the 7.3L, ATS can supply Aurora turbochargers that are rated for 65 lb-min all the way up to 105 lb-min.
A very complete installation manual comes with the Aurora turbo, but this is not a job for the do-it-yourself crowd. We felt safer watching the skilled hands of Steve Scott at the Ken Imler Diesel Performance center. Steve has done many turbo swaps and knew the process well.
His first step was to take the lower part of the exhaust off the manifold and cut the downpipe. Moving to the top, he removed the hump hoses, intake plenum, intake air tube, and lifted out the stock turbo. The sensors, which were disconnected, were reinstalled later. Steve pointed out that the warm-up butterfly valve, along with its leak-prone solenoid-actuated plunger and oil supply, would be eliminated on the new turbo.
3. Steve's first step was...
3. Steve's first step was to take the lower part of the exhaust off the manifold and cut the downpipe.
Looking at the crossover pipe, we could see there had been exhaust leaks on both sides. It's a common problem with the doughnut seals from the factory. After time, they dry out and crack. ATS remedies this by using a welded flange, leak-free metal gaskets, and a flexible connector on the downpipe.
The small freeze plug in the engine valley in front of (and just under) the turbo was a leftover from early models of the Power Stroke engines when a cam-actuated fuel pump was used. They later went to electric. This plug was pried out, as the hole would be used for the new oil return off the ATS turbo.
The solid fuel-return line coming off the fuel rail on the passenger-side head was replaced with a flexible line. The OEM solid line interferes with the ATS mounting plate. New O-rings were installed for the supply and return under the baseplate. Now the turbo stand could be mounted and the downpipes attached and loosely secured from underneath.