The words fuel and oil go hand in hand for 7.3L Power Stroke owners. They know all too well that anytime you upgrade the fuel side of the HEUI injection system, you'd better be ready to step up the oil delivery as well.
| dieselSite Adrenaline High Pressure Oil Pump 1997 Ford F350
With a set of 160cc Stage 1 injectors from Bean's Diesel Performance, a custom-tuned TS Performance six-position chip from Total Diesel Performance, and a CPR fuel system from DieselSite, our '97 Ford F-350 Power Stroke's fuel equation was taken care of. Now we've moved on to the oil side of things.
We were thoroughly impressed with DieselSite's fuel system ("Complete Fuel System," Jan. '10) and decided to contact the company for an upgraded high-pressure oil pump as well. Called the Adrenaline, this aftermarket, high-volume, high-pressure oil pump has proven capable of keeping up with Stage 1, Stage 2, and even hybrid fuel injectors in '941/2 to '03 7.3L Power Strokes. And at $589, it's very affordable for the enthusiast on a budget. In fact, at the time we went to press, DieselSite claimed to have already sold more than 700 of them.
We made a trip back over to the guys at OC Diesel Shop for our high-pressure oil pump install. Once the pump was in, we quickly realized why it's such a hot item. The engine's smoke cleaned up, throttle response increased, power came on lightning fast (yet smooth), and start-ups were very crisp. Read on to see how the install went.
Post-Install And Benefit:
After the install, the engine cranked over for a while before coming to life. And because the driver-side oil rail was exposed to air during the install, air had to be bled from the system. Much like the procedure we followed after our injectors were installed, we took the truck for a hard, 15-mile drive with a lot of full-throttle, stop-and-go driving. After that, we noticed one thing-the truck ran the smoothest it ever had, start-ups were quicker, more low-end power was on tap, and less smoke was experienced in our Extreme performance tune. In addition, this was the first time we'd ever been able to spin the rear tires in a tow setting! Once we can keep our foot out of it, we'll get some fuel economy numbers, as DieselSite claims the Adrenaline pump can increase fuel economy on top of everything else.
The fact that the Adrenaline can maintain the oil volume requirements that larger injectors need makes it perfect, and it's actually underworked in our Stage 1 injector application. However, if we ever decide to step up to Stage 2 or hybrid injectors, we'll have peace of mind knowing that the Adrenaline will have no problem keeping up.
KEY HEUI COMPONENTS
PCM - The powertrain control module controls the high-pressure oil system by varying the duty cycle of the IPR. The PCM is also in charge of fuel delivery (a higher duty cycle coincides with higher fuel pressure at the injector nozzle). The PCM also monitors the high-pressure oil system via the ICP sensor's input.
IPR Valve - The injection pressure regulator valve is considered an actuator. The IPR converts electrical output signals from the PCM to hydraulic pressure to control engine performance. The IPR controls the high-pressure oil pump's outlet pressure, depending on demand, and in a range between 450 and 3,000 psi (in stock applications).
Duty Cycle - Duty cycle is the proportion of time during which a component is operated, or active. Duty cycle can be given in a ratio or a percentage, but it is most often explained in terms of percentage (as far as Power Strokes are concerned). To this end, duty cycle directly relates to the IPR valve. On a very basic level, 45 percent duty cycle means that the IPR valve is 45 percent closed.
ICP Sensor - The injection control pressure sensor monitors oil pressure in the oil rail of the driver-side cylinder head. Ideal injection control pressures are 2,800 to 3,200 psi during wide-open throttle conditions. However, ICP is directly related to how much your tuning calls for. This is why we had our six-position chip
re-burned with a higher commanded ICP pressure limit-to take full advantage of the Adrenaline's added oil volume (programming with the stock high-pressure oil pump was demanding a maximum of 2,800 psi).
