In the early days of light-duty diesel pickups, intercooling wasn’t a thing yet. GM’s 6.5L, the 7.3L found in OBS trucks, and even early 5.9L Cummins were all turbocharged, but none came with an intercooler. Turbocharging adds more air to the mix, allowing for more fuel to be burned (which means more power), but turbocharging also adds massive amounts of heat to the intake air charge. Very simply put, due to its density, hot air doesn’t allow fuel to burn as efficiently as cool air does. While these engines ran eons better than their non-turbocharged predecessors, getting rid of that heat would add massive benefits. 

Around the time the Super Duty trucks were introduced, the OEMs would start adding intercoolers to remove heat from the air charge. Increased power, reduced EGT, improved MPG, better throttle response, and more were all benefits the intercooler brought to the party.

But if you’re the owner of an OBS pickup, how do you take advantage of intercooling, too? Banks was the first to mass produce the answer, with their Techni-Cooler Intercooler System. While many companies have since come up with their own intercooling options for the OBS, the Banks system is still the most popular intercooler add-on system on the market today, for 1994-1997 7.3L equipped trucks.  

Once intercooled, OBS 7.3 owners can expect to see: A 150°F-300°F degree drop in Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT); Upwards of 100 horsepower for tuned trucks, and up to 40 for non-tuned; A potential increase of 1-2 MPG (entirely depending on your right foot); Plus, reduced wear and tear on the engine, which comes from the reduced temperatures and more efficient burning of the fuel.

So we know it’s more than worth it to intercooler the OBS 7.3, but what does installation entail? With so much to do, it can be a daunting task, but it's really pretty simple.

The most time-consuming part is removing the front clip. The bumper, grille assembly, header panel, A/C condenser, and power steering cooler all need to be removed. However, the condenser and power steering cooler can be simply moved to the side (no recharging of the A/C or draining of the power steering system is necessary).

The scariest part, cutting holes in the core support for the intercooler tubes. It’s scary because you’re making a permanent modification to your truck, but trust in Banks' template here. It’s easy to use and it’s accurate.

Fitting everything can be fun. You will have to pry, wiggle, and use some muscle to get all the pipes to line up correctly. Not every truck is built the same, so not everything will fit perfectly for every truck. Expect to do a little “massaging”. But trust the process, it’ll all end up fitting in the end. The kit is built with this “massaging” in mind.

Last thing, tuning: This is not necessary, although it does add significant benefits, as the engine, once tuned, can take advantage of some extra fuel to go along with the cooler, denser air charge.

In the end, the benefits of intercooling the OBS 7.3L Powerstroke are massive. Reduced EGT, increased power and efficiency, plus improved reliability. The installation can be daunting, but all in all, it’s a fairly simple upgrade any shade tree mechanic can pull off in a day.  

Check out the Banks Techin-Cooler here: https://www.riffraffdiesel.com/banks-techni-cooler-intercooler-system/

***Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. We share our knowledge and experience, but we are not liable for any damages, injuries, or losses that may occur as a result of using this information. Situations are rarely cut and dry in the automotive world. Your situation will likely be somewhat different than what we describe here.  Use your best judgment and always consult a qualified professional for automotive repairs and modifications. Your safety is your responsibility.