First produced in 2003, the 6.0 Powerstroke diesel engine was created by Ford and incorporated new technology, such as EGR systems. While the 6.0 Powerstroke had a rocky start, it’s a perfectly reliable and competent engine if you take the time to invest in 6.0 Powerstroke performance parts. But how do you know which upgrades to get for your truck? Here are some of the top 6.0 Powerstroke performance upgrades to consider.

6.0 Powerstroke Air Intake Upgrades

Air intakes are among the most universally recommended upgrades. Even if you’re not looking to push your diesel engine to its limits, the increased airflow to the engine will hugely improve your engine’s health and performance. This increased airflow also helps increase the pressure of the air in your engine, improving turbocharger efficiency. This greater efficiency frees up power and helps take a lot of stress off the turbocharger itself.

This upgrade becomes much more important if you intend to add a tune to your 6.0 Powerstroke engine. By adding a tune, you increase the turbocharger’s boost levels, which then needs to suck in more air to compensate. Without the intake, your turbocharger will have to work much harder and be much more unreliable as it struggles to compress enough air to reach the intended boost levels.

Some other benefits of upgrading the air intake includes faster turbo spool, better throttle response, 5–12 horsepower gains, and 15–25 torque gains. It’ll also make your engine sound fiercer if you desire that extra roar when giving your truck a boost.

6.0 Powerstroke Flash Tune

Speaking of tunes, a 6.0 Powerstroke flash tuner will give the most bang for your buck. As mentioned, a tuner will increase the boost levels of your turbocharger, which requires it to be added in conjunction with improved air intake and exhaust upgrades to ensure your truck runs smoothly and amplifies the benefits of each upgrade.

That said, flash tuners can be installed on their own if you so desire. To safely use a tuner on its own, you will need to use pre-set flashes for tunes that are created simply for improved gas mileage. This is great for getting more miles per gallon but doesn’t take full advantage of what the tuner has to offer.

As far as installation goes, tuners are easy plug-and-play mods that plug into your OBDII port to alter the ECM/PCM parameters. With multiple built-in maps, you can change the PCM parameters as you see fit without much hassle. Some of these maps include improving your truck’s performance for attributes like towing, fuel efficiency, or greater power. Maps designed for greater power will specifically accomplish this by increasing the amount of turbo boost or psi.

It’s possible to get a custom tune, but if you’re unfamiliar with them, it’s best to stick to the pre-sets. Pre-set tuners will also net you a vast range of power gains, depending on which you use. With a tuner, air intake, and exhaust system all upgraded, you can typically reach upwards of 400–450 whp and 700– 800 lb-ft of torque.

Contact Blessed Performance to talk about custom tuning and all the advantages that come with it. We will ensure you get a proper custom tune to support your goals, needs, usage of the truck, and modifications. Call us to speak with one of our experts today!

6.0 Upgraded Turbocharger

It is strongly recommended that you upgrade other aspects of your 6.0 Powerstroke, such as a tuner, air intake, exhaust system, fuel injectors, or head gaskets, to ensure your engine can keep up with an upgraded turbo. Modern turbochargers can be very demanding, and it may be a requirement to have your fueling system upgraded to ensure it can handle the boost.

An upgraded turbocharger is typically for people looking to get 500rwhp or more from their truck, and there is a wide range of turbochargers available to augment your engine depending on how much extra power you want. For reference, a stock turbocharger can handle approximately 475rwhp.

Upgraded turbochargers can reach between 500rwhp–800rwhp, with variants that cap out at different increments in that spectrum. When looking for a turbocharger, it’s a good idea to get one that is more powerful than your intended wheel horsepower. For example, if your goal is to reach 600rwhp, you should at least get a turbo that can handle up to 700rwhp. This way, you won’t overstress your turbo by constantly running it at 100 percent capacity just to reach the bare minimum of your target goals.

To keep your turbo reliable, you may want to look into some supporting modifications, such as an oil cooler upgrade, intercoolers, gauges, or transmissions. This is not a hard requirement, of course, but if you’re looking to get the best out of your truck, these items are well worth considering. Talk to an expert if you need help deciding whether such investments are right for your truck’s needs.

6.0 Powerstroke Fuel Injectors

Adding power to your truck will require it to burn more fuel. For that reason, one of the top 6.0 Powerstroke performance upgrades is fuel injectors. Stock injectors are 135cc and only capable of handling up to 425rwhp before capping out. Consistently pushing them to reach this maximum, however, will quickly degrade and diminish the effectiveness of your fuel injectors, as is the case with all components of your engine. As you upgrade other parts of your 6.0 Powerstroke, you’ll quickly and aggressively max out your fuel injectors, so this is always a good upgrade to start with before increasing the power of your truck. For wheel horsepower between 400rwhp and 450rwhp, it’s recommended that you acquire 155cc injectors. 500wrhp will require 175cc injectors, and 550+rwhp will require 190cc injectors in order to keep up.

Turbo-Back Exhaust Systems

The last major upgrade we want to discuss is turbo-back exhaust system upgrades. While there are plenty of other major upgrades you can make, this is the last “required” upgrade to help your engine compensate and adjust for the other upgrades in this list.

With more air going into an engine, you need to ensure enough air can also exit. A stock exhaust system will be much more restrictive, which hinders how much power you can obtain, as it creates turbo back pressure. With an upgraded exhaust system, that back pressure will become reduced, and your engine will be less restricted, increasing power, turbocharger efficiency, and turbocharger spool time.

When getting a turbo-back exhaust system, you’ll be able to choose between catless and high-flow catted. Unless you’re trying to get massive amounts of power out of your truck, the high-flow catted turbo-back system will be preferable.