The Dirtlab lives on... as Falkor!

[mountainbaked]

I am the lucky individual that purchased @AuntieM's F-550 based Dirtlab: Build Thread

I cannot thank @AuntieM enough for this dream rig. I live full-time in it and spend most nights on BLM in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, CO. Here's some of what I've been waking up to lately before work:





I am ready to make some upgrades to Falkor and would love anyone's input.

Existing Upgrades:

• BPD EGR
• BPD Oil Cooler
• Edge Insight CTS
• Monroe HD Shocks

Proposed upgrades:

• Exhaust: MBRP 4" Cab & Chassis Turbo Back Single Side Exit T409
• Exhaust Brake: Pacbrake InLineMount 4'' PRXB
• Head Bolt Conversion: ARP Head Studs
• Turbo: KC Stage 1.5 Drop-in
• Tuning: SCT X4 w/ Edge Insight CTS2 or just SCT LivewireTS?
• Suspension:
  • Front: King 2.5 Coilover Remote Reservoir, compression adjusters, custom valving w/2.5" lift (lift necessary for wheels to fit)
  • Rear: King 2.5 OEM shocks, compression adjusters, custom shock mounts to angle rear instead of front, Deaver leaf springs w/ 2.5-3" lift
  • King Steering Stabilizer
• DRW to SRW conversion: 1st Attack Engineering direct bolt-on conversion wheels (requires trimming both front and rear wheel wells)
• Tires: Continental MPT81 335/80R20
• Leveling: Quadra Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System

If anyone knows of a reputable shop in Colorado that could do all the work, it would be a lot easier than having to bring it to multiple locations.

 

[Ozrockrat]

Congratulations. That is a great rig.

 

[Marine]

You are a lucky person. Them are awsome views

 

[mountainbaked]

After more research and advice from the powerstroke.org forums, I've added the following to the upgrades list:

Kill Devil Diesel Heads
BPD Water Pump and Fan Clutch
BPD FICM w/ Atlas 40 tune from FICMRepair.com
S&B Cold Air Intake
ATS Coolant Recirculation Kit
Odawg S3R Ported Intake Manifold
Odawg Coolant reroute w/PSP Race Tank
Inner Double Beadlocks for tires

Any final suggestions before I start ordering parts?

Thanks!

 

[bknudtsen]

Good battery health is critical to keeping the FICM healthy. Don’t skimp on the charging system and battery bank. Low voltage kills FICM’s.

 

[mountainbaked]

Quick update:

I made some changes to parts again then took the mechanical plunge and decided to install the ones I thought I could do on my own. I finished the following and LOVE the results so far:

BPD Water Pump & Fan Clutch
No Limit Hot/Cold Intercooler Pipes
No Limit Cold Air Intake
DC Power 270XP Alternator w/ wiring kit from FICMrepair.com (Thank you @bknudtsen for the charging upgrade suggestion)
PSP Degas Tank
IPR High-Flow Coolant Filter


Air intake required a cover for the MAF port as the 2005 model did not use one. I have the IAT probe temporarily zip tied next to the aFE filter but will eventually bore a hole in the MAF cover for it (I didn't have the right size bit or grommet during installation).

MPG went from 9-10 to 11-13 as reported by CTS average, tested from 3000ft-10,000ft altitude over 1500 miles. Stock turbo spools faster at lower RPM. The rest of the parts are scheduled to be installed the week of 12/10 now that I finally found a shop that could fit the rig.

I am holding off on the suspension/SRW conversion for now as I decided to quit my job and spend that money going on a 6-month adventure through the Western USA and Canada. I may do just the coilover conversion and rear shocks without any lift or Deaver leaf springs; has anyone here done a Super Duty King coilover conversion already that can speak to the results?

I'm hoping the shop doing the work in a few weeks will let me document the progress in pictures/video so I can share with you - I'll keep you posted!