Is 550 hp enough or should i go all out?

[colinmitchell111]

I'm on the fence about what route I want to take with my truck. I currently have a powermax, studs, all the oem gaskets, an AD2 165, and my remote oil cooler waiting to go on along with a set of warren 190's and a rebuilt php tuned FICM when its all tore apart. The plan is in a month or 2 to pull the cab and do all this. I will also install a BPD water pump and I'm thinking it would be smart to put in a new hpop while I'm that deep. Now after reading all these mad threads I'm starting to thing about going bigger. I could sell the pmax and go with a mad stage 3 or 4 and go with 225 injectors. Also I only want to tear this thing down once if possible. I could do a set of steed headers and a gogo intake manifold along with an adrenaline hpop. As far a valve train it wouldn't be much extra work to do a bigger cam, push rods, and valve springs. Instead of just getting the heads checked and surfaced I would probably need a valve job and hardened seats for sure.

So what will all that extra stuff give me over my original plan? 750+ rwhp? If I go all out it will be probably an extra 7-8 grand over my original plan and I would have to wait untill spring. Not to mention I will for sure need a 5k tranny now opposed to someday with the powermax setup. My truck never tows. I just want it to be a weekend warrior and a damn good sled puller. Any thoughts? Do you think my original plan will be enough truck? I've never rode in any other 6.0 except for my stock one so maybe I don't know what to expect. Thanks.

Edit.... I will be purchasing a banks technicooler setup at some point also.

[colo_dually]

Its about what you want to do, and how much you want to worry about the reliability (pushing the power, not that those installed parts list have weakness). And now, you are looking at not needing a transmission, with the larger setup you will need one - and a good one.

I would say if you are going to run them 190's and may want a little more power, go with the MTW stage 3 and run upto that 600HP+ mark. Still may need to do some transmission work, but it will be better as a DD/weekend truck than the 750+ builds. Just an opinion, alot of those High HP builds don't DD as well (not to say it can't be done).

[levan4076]

well think of it this way do you want an 11 or so second tire fryer that is a b*tch to daily drive, which will cause you too not like driving your truck, or maybe cause you to purchase another vechile all together? or a 550-600hp truck that will have plenty of power and still be daily driveable but will still be a beast of a 6.0 on the street and track? but either way go with a MTW turbo. makes an awesome product, is an awesome guy! good luck!

[colinmitchell111]

Thanks guys I see what your saying. So basically a mtw stage 4 plus the headers, manifold, hpop, and cam/ valve train will make a lot more power but not practical power? If I ditched the pmax for the stage 3 how would that compare to the stage 4 with all that extra stuff I listed?

[colo_dually]

Originally Posted by colinmitchell111

Thanks guys I see what your saying. So basically a mtw stage 4 plus the headers, manifold, hpop, and cam/ valve train will make a lot more power but not practical power? If I ditched the pmax for the stage 3 how would that compare to the stage 4 with all that extra stuff I listed?

Hard to say how the Stage 3 or Stage 4 would match with the 190's. These turbos are just hitting the market, and the tunings isn't there to support yet. Numbers simply haven't been laid down.

I think the Stage 3 with 190's will level out around a 600-650RWHP build, the Stage 4 may still work with those injectors, but the numbers aren't out yet to make the argument.

With either the 190's or larger, you may be required to make improvements on the fuel system side of this as well.

[colinmitchell111]

Plus I can always go with bigger sticks. I dont have the 190's yet I'm going to send mine out when the heads come off.

[Tuscany]

You do realize your talking some SERIOUS MONEY in parts and that not including a built trans or labor if your having the work done for you. Hell 225cc injectors are upwards of $3000 a stage 3 or 4 is upwards of $2500. Steed speed headers are around $1000. Gogo stage one intake manifold is $1200. Cam before the cost in ripping the engine out and ripping the whole bottom end out is $500-$1000. Head work to do what you want is going to be around $500-$1000.

I don't know if that covers all of the parts you want or not but that's some serious dough to throw at an engine that's not going to be for competition where your getting paid for sponsorships and winning competitions. It would make a sick truck I agree but to fork over that kind of coin for a dd isn't really a wise decision in my opinion because drivability will be a major downfall and so will reliability of the engine and trans with that kind of power constantly running through it.

[colinmitchell111]

Thanks for your input Tuscany. The only difference to what you said is the warren 225 injectors are only $1600. Only $100 more than the 190's I was planning on anyways. I realize the money involved, without getting too far into my personal life, let's just say it can be done and I enjoy my truck and spending money on it. Like I said up top I will be ready for my original plan here soon. I just don't want to be disapointed when its done and wish I went bigger. I'm not pulling this cab again nor do I really want to do anything deeper than a turbo down the road. I'm doing all the labor myself with the help of a ford tech for the cab. I guess my dilemma is, should I wait 5-6 more months to save up another 10k for parts and would those 10k worth of parts make that huge of a difference.

[colinmitchell111]

And to be more specific about what I want out of this truck, I want something stupid crazy fast on the street that can be drove to work on occasion or cruised in. And I want it to be able to win at truck pulls. It will never tow down the interstate or anything.

[Tuscany]

Personally I wouldn't pull the cab to do the work as all the work can be done cab on engine in minus the cam work which really doesn't add much gain to the cost of the work. There is more power potential from headers, up pipes, ported intake, ported and polished heads. There is only so much the cam can do for this engine and seeing the cost and labor involved in doing the job it's not really worth it for the small gains.

If I was doing this build and wanted to go all out this is what I would do.

1: arp's with OEM gaskets
2: head work (port and polish if the price is feasible) this includes hardened valve seats and a full valve job.
3: mtw stage 3 or 4 depending on if you were going with 190's or 225's
4: 190's or 225's
5: Depending on the results of what I'm going to try with mine as I'm going to swap my stock intercooler for a 6.4 stock intercooler. If your tring to go all out then possibly try a 6.4 banks technicolor with custom intercooler piping. Stock 6.4 intercooler brand new is less than $500 a good used one can possibly be picked up for around $200 that what I'm paying for mine.
6: as far as the gogo stage 1 intake manifold can be accomplished for way less money than $1200 they charge to do it if you do it yourself.
7: steed speed headers
8: aftermarket up pipes
9: water/meth injection system
10: one hell of a built tranny/6.4 torque converter/built front and rear diffs
11: traction bars.