On International's first go-round with the 7.3L Power Stroke ('94 to '97), its hydraulically actuated, electronically controlled unit injector (HEUI) fuel system was considered a modern marvel and was at the forefront of electronically controlled diesel engines in pickups.
| dieselSite CPR Fuel System power Stroke Engine
However, the job of getting adequate fuel to the rails and ultimately the injectors, was left up to a mechanical lift pump in the engine valley that ran off the camshaft. And while being mechanically controlled isn't always a bad thing, in the '94 1/2 to '97 7.3L Power Stroke's case, it led to sporadic fuel pressure levels, which yielded inconsistent fuel supply to the injectors, an inefficient injection event, and a notorious lope at start-up until the lift pump could pressurize the fuel system.
In order to solve this problem and see the true potential of the aftermarket injectors in our '97 F-350 Power Stroke, we contacted DieselSite for one of its complete, pre-filtered, regulated (CPR) fuel systems. The folks at DieselSite have put together a one-time solution to all of the 7.3L Power Stroke's fueling woes. The kit comes with a new fuel filter, water separator, fuel cooler assembly, an inline electric fuel pump, a post-pump fuel filter, a fuel pressure regulator, and all the fuel lines, fittings, and hardware required for the install. DieselSite's goal with this kit is to provide superior fuel delivery, fuel filtration, water separation, air removal, and even fuel cooling.
For the install, we took our official towing truck at Diesel Power to OC Diesel Shop in Mission Viejo, California. An up-and-coming facility specializing in Power Stroke and Duramax diesels, it's owned and operated by Bud Anderson, a man with more than 20 years of experience working on Fords. With a reputation of providing customers top-notch quality and customer service, we figured OC Diesel Shop would be the perfect place to install a quality fuel system on our 7.3L Power Stroke.
CPR System Benefits
* We now have consistent fuel pressure flowing in and out of the cylinder heads.
* What we really like is that the second you bump the starter, you've got 60 psi of fuel pressure. There's no more waiting around for the mechanical pump to begin pumping.
* Right off the bat our injectors have fuel, and thanks to a self-purging system, our fuel lines are free of air.
* The electric fuel pump improved the engine's idle tenfold.
* All fuel lines included with the kit are biodiesel compatible.
| To see how well the CPR fuel system complemented our existing modifications, we put the truck on Westech Performance's SuperFlow dyno in Mira Loma, California, for some new baseline numbers. Combined with our ATS intercooler, Stage 1 injectors, and custom six-position chip from Bean's Diesel Performance (and using SuperFlow's correction factor), we made 303 hp and 642 lb-ft.
Driving Impressions
* We experienced more mid-range and top-end power
* The throttle is more responsive, and acceleration is quicker
* Boost is maintained when the transmission shifts
* It's comparable to the difference we felt with aftermarket injectors. The upgrade is very noticeable!
* Exhaust gas temperature is cooler (no more air being sucked in by a failing lift pump)
* Overall, the truck is much more fun to drive and seems more eager to run
* The truck made 300 hp or more from 2,600 rpm to 3,150 rpm on the dyno
