Hi Guys..
Its been a while since Iv posted here and I almost forgot about the forum actually. I bought a E350 with a intercooled 1990 6bt installed. Tried to tow with it and took out the head gasket and main bearings.. A year and more grey hairs later its running like new again.
So this E350 a completed project, but I want to insure that next time I tow my 8k# toy-hauler, it has enough power to keep me cruising happily 65 mph.
I made the mistake of taking the PO's word about towing performance and didn't do a shake down run and hooked on and headed to Colorado loaded. I immediately noticed that shifting into 5th at 55 mph took allot of effort from the setup and I was down shifting on many longer grades even on the plains. My egt's sky rocketed and I had to feather the throttle constantly to keep my egt's in check, so plenty of fuel available. In hindsight, I feel my head gasket had already failed before I left, but it reared its ugly head after I made it over Monarch pass in 3rd and I started getting allot of white smoke.
I like the 28 mpg unloaded mpg the VE, 5 speed, 3.54, 32.5" tires gives me. But felt my gearing wasn't ideal for 11 mpg towing. Yes my H1C is laggy with the 18 cm housing, but I'm a little hesitant to fool with it even though I couldn't get it to light in 5th hardly while towing. Iv taken some advice over on another forum and got my hands on a 12 cm wg housing to spool quicker. My problem now is that I cannot mount that 12cm housing without using manifold studs, which forces me to install the manifold and turbo already bolted together due to van space constraints. I also have a 16cm non wg on the way which allows the use of bolts instead of studs. But not sure if a 16cm over my 18 will get me over "the hump".
Anyway.. I figured Id post over here just to see what some of you might suggest .. But my intiall thoughts were to improve my intercooler and piping to try and retain the mpg I was getting but I cant find any IC which will fit the van without building new endcaps.
Newly clocked compressor for new straight hot pipe requiring a spacer. Work in progress