Tonight's project, today's pictures

Some of you may remember my pictures a week or 2 ago of me doing the injector O-rings and glow plugs in my 96 F250 with a 7.3 Powerstroke in it. While I was doing that, I found that I had a hole in the intake boot into the turbo, on the bottom side where it couldn't be seen. It had obviously aspirated something and chewed up the compressor wheel badly. The bearings were still nice and tight in the turbo after 300,000 miles, and I didn't want to spend a whole lot on this after it's obviously been sucking dirt as well. I just decided to put an aftermarket compressor wheel on the turbo called a 'Wicked Wheel'. Bought a new intake boot, made of silicone instead of the factory rubber type intake boot. Cost of the boot was $10 off eBay, and the Wicked Wheel was $35 from Wal-Mart.com. I had time to change it out tonight so here it is. Easier to take the compressor housing off than removing the whole turbo, even though that bottom bolt on the compressor housing is a real bear to get out! Took me about 3 hours to change the compressor wheel, change the intake boot, clean up all the pieces, and install a new glow plug relay. The old farm truck really runs good again now, looks like she's gonna live to see another day. Makes me sick to know that it's life was shortened by some immeasurable time by that hole in the intake, but what's done is done. I was hoping to make 500,000 with it, but we'll see. Currently at 300,000 with all original parts.

Ross

I didn't know that Wal Mart had turbo parts!

Neither did I until I was looking for a wicked wheel supplier and their website came up!

Glad you caught it in time, last 1 I owned had the problem with hole. Ford people told me it was sucking too much cold air as a result #3 piston had a hole burnt in it. They wanted $10000.00 to fix it and they would not let me have the truck back until they installed all the ford recalls. Needless to say I didn't spend the $10000.00. This was at 120000 miles. Good luck with your repair.

Walmart is trying to be Amazon junior.

A 97 7.3 I bought had all the service records with it. 90% of everything was done by the same garage. The plastic piece that come's off to expose filter was cracked with a hole large enough to put two fingers through. That's on the side where air has already been through filter. The turbo was severly sand blasted. I was happy to find it ran well after replacing the housing and turbo but I don't know how after digesting that much dirt. I told you this because A. After hearing what so called professionals overlooked,I hope you aren't too hard on yourself for missing that hole in boot. B. The engine probably isn't damaged despite the leak that was much smaller than mine. I'm glad you found and fixed it,no tellings when and if you would have discovered it otherwise.

by the looks of the wheel you were awful lucky, just proves that even the blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then....

I think that those silicone boots and hoses are supposed to be best. The turbo plumbing on my '71 Ford 9000 has a couple that I am pretty sure are the silicone ones.

On the recalls, you can refuse to have them installed. We found out that some of the recalls detune engines, to make them last longer, til out of warranty. People would come back asking why their truck didn't run as good? Or that great one that has the horn honk when you are backing up with the door open, it is for safety, but scares cattle. They will pressure you, but just say no to some of them.

That looks a lot like the fan I replaced on my vacuum cleaner three months ago!

Yep, they are good stuff, must be they
either weren't out yet, or hard to come by
when they built these trucks.

I was darn lucky! lol, as to the blind squirrel comment, that's what my buddy always says when we ask how he got a wife that looks like his when he's so "plain" lol

I have never heard of cold air burning a piston, I think that's a BS story they told you. Colder air is denser air, which makes more power. Which is the object of a charge air cooler.

Thanks DaBees, I'm not being too hard on myself, but you know how it goes when you find something like that. It's a "Dangit!" moment when you find something like that though. I think that era pickup had problems with that factory air box, as I know just what you're talking about. Mine got a hole in the air box as well, same spot you're talking about. That's when I eliminated mine and put a truck air filter housing and filter under the hood.

which boot had the hole in it?

The one between the cast aluminum elbow and
the intake to the turbocharger. After the
air filter, before the turbo; suction side