03 LB7 Build

[LB7StillAlive]

Figured I’d try and chip in as I’ve used this forum over the past couple years. I have an 03 CCLB which has had failing injectors for 2+ yrs. I kept waffling back and forth on whether I was going to retire the LB7 and go new to me (this means 3-5yrs old truck) or keep her running and commit. Test drove a few new trucks 2023 3500, and sadly even a 2024 F-250 (I like their new body styles). Well, you can guess by me taking the time to post, that I decided to let the LB7 live on and go for a build. Instead of replacing the injectors and upgrading the existing motor (like a financially sensible individual) I decided to get an entirely new engine from DHD. Went with a Budget Hooker (misleading name ?), added a Fluidampr Balancer and a SoCal Flex Plate. Also purchased a 10mm Stroker CP3, Exergy 60% injectors, entire fuel rail setup to boot, and the following;

- WC Fab S467.7/.83 .90AR Turbo Kit
- WC Up Pipes, Down Pipes, Y-Bridge, Etc
- WC Exhaust Manifolds
- DP Customs PRV re-route kit
- DP Customs A/C re-route kit
- Fleece Cupless Cylinder Heads
- Moshimoto Intercooler
- Power Brake Booster & Lines
- PPE Engine Mounts
- Transmission upgrade with Goerend P2 Planetary Gear & clutch hub + Sun Gear machining. (Already had billet internals).

I already had 4” exhaust all the way back, 165gph Fass system, 750hp Transmission build, Kryponite tie-rods and end links, Cognito A-Arms, Kryptonite Ball-joints, upgraded pitman and idler arm…might be missing some smaller items as I’ve done many of these over the past 13yrs. I’ve owned the truck since 2013. Truck has Katskin Interior (Black Leather with Tan Stitching), Peragon tonneau cover (8ft bed, but not really a fan of the cover, other than looks). Originally DVD system still works too ?.

I’ve uploaded some pictures. Truck is slated to be done at the end of this month (Jan 2026). I’ll keep those interested posted. Pretty big upgrade for me as I dive head first into the club, lol. As of right now, just going to be a fun truck and light tow truck (dirt bikes, ATVs and light cargo trailer stuff) several times a year. Mostly gets driven for fun, so now that will take on another meaning.

 

[TheBac]

ooooo....thats going to be a fun truck. 11's can be in your future.

Who's going to tune it? That will make all the difference for you.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

Right now an outfit in Oregon is going to tune it, they’re called Pure Addiction Diesel. I need to check with how custom of a tune it will be. They’re starting with a PPEI 5-Tune setup. I’m not super knowledgeable on tuning, so perhaps because it’s a PPEI they can’t adjust it?

They’ve done most my other work and have been good to me over the years. Their work seems solid and have a good local reputation (I lived in that area for 15yrs). If I’m not happy with the tuning, then I’ll reach out for someone else. I current live in AZ.

Out of curiosity, when guys say a setup isn’t fun to “tow with” what do they mean by this? Is it because it surges hard in the power band?

 

[TheBac]

Large single turbo setups can suffer from that bc in order to take advantage of your build at higher-rpm, you sometimes can suffer low-rpm losses.
Thats why tuning and turbo selection is so important.

Make sure the shop you're using has a customer-friendly policy on quick tuning updates and are well versed in tuning for larger turbo/injector setups.
Not all tuners have that ability. @MarkBroviak is excellent at it. PPEI (Kory) is too.

 

[N2BRK]

No mention of converter. That’ll make or break this kinda build.

 

[TheBac]

Oh shoot...forgot about that. Thanks N2.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

No mention of converter. That’ll make or break this kinda build.

The original transmission build has a Goerend Triple Disc Torque Converter. It’s for street use, and not a drag setup, so rated for the 750hp range. Does that sound correct?

I’m mechanically inclined, but I am not an auto/diesel mechanic (I’m in the Piping/HVAC world), so I’m open to enlightenment.

appreciate the feedback. The build was targeting mid 700rwhp with a desire to drive mostly in a 600rwhp tune setting. They think it’s likely going to be pushing 800, which is why they asked if I’d like to upgrade the Planetary Gear, sun gear and Hub for “security”, which I did.

 

[N2BRK]

Goerend is a great choice and a premium product, but they make as many converters as Carter has Little Pills, and they all have different characteristics. You’ll need to dig a little deeper and find out which model Goerend converter.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

I looked up the original invoice from 2019. It is a near Stock Stall, which I believe would be a DK stall rating, Billet machined internals, or strengthened internals ( S STK Stall, Bil Str).

They evaluated the converter adjustment with Wehrli when sizing the turbo setup + manifolds and decided the current stall rating should be adequate. I’m not looking to drag the truck or get into competitive pulling…yet although I’ve been told it’s a likely itch I’ll want to scratch.

Right now, the goal is to produce some power giggles while still maintaining reliability as I’d like to keep it another 15yrs or more. I use the truck for basic truck tasks, don’t really need a diesel but that’s not happening. I don’t pull heavy loads much anymore (even when I did it was mostly hay, or hauling firewood…60ft x 40” round fir trees all rounded out can be heavy though). Now it’s mainly 2-5k lb setups 3-4 times a year or so. 85% of my driving will be using the truck because it needs to be driven, to get home depot stuff or because it’s fun to drive.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

Large single turbo setups can suffer from that bc in order to take advantage of your build at higher-rpm, you sometimes can suffer low-rpm losses.
Thats why tuning and turbo selection is so important.

Make sure the shop you're using has a customer-friendly policy on quick tuning updates and are well versed in tuning for larger turbo/injector setups.
Not all tuners have that ability. @MarkBroviak is excellent at it. PPEI (Kory) is too.

They are working with PPEI for the tuning under different driving conditions and work loads to fine tune the maps. They’re willing to make any adjustments as I get to using it and learn its behaviors. It’s a little tricky because I now live out of state from the shop performing the work. Once I get it, I’ll see how it behaves under use and will reach out for advice.

They also have the tools to bench flash the ECM, to avoid bricking it while going through different renditions.

 

[TheBac]

You did a nice job evaluating and picking parts setup. Sounds like your tuning is all sorted, too. You're going to have fun when she's done.

 

[PureHybrid]

I'd find out for sure what model converter it is, I doubt they decided on the DK stall for an S400 based single turbo. Probably an R or BX

 

[Bdsankey]

Right now an outfit in Oregon is going to tune it, they’re called Pure Addiction Diesel. I need to check with how custom of a tune it will be. They’re starting with a PPEI 5-Tune setup. I’m not super knowledgeable on tuning, so perhaps because it’s a PPEI they can’t adjust it?

They’ve done most my other work and have been good to me over the years. Their work seems solid and have a good local reputation (I lived in that area for 15yrs). If I’m not happy with the tuning, then I’ll reach out for someone else. I current live in AZ.

Out of curiosity, when guys say a setup isn’t fun to “tow with” what do they mean by this? Is it because it surges hard in the power band?

This usually means the driver has to manually kick it out of OD/use a tapshifter to control EGTs, EGTs can be hard to control under load, throttle response while loaded can be super slow/lazy.

A S467/83/0.90 tows "ok" but is significantly slower to respond than the newer Garrett style stuff from say a Pulsar, VS Racing, etc. I personally would not recommend this turbo for towing over 10k lbs often.

No mention of converter. That’ll make or break this kinda build.

^100% is a critical factor!

I looked up the original invoice from 2019. It is a near Stock Stall, which I believe would be a DK stall rating, Billet machined internals, or strengthened internals ( S STK Stall, Bil Str).

They evaluated the converter adjustment with Wehrli when sizing the turbo setup + manifolds and decided the current stall rating should be adequate. I’m not looking to drag the truck or get into competitive pulling…yet although I’ve been told it’s a likely itch I’ll want to scratch.

Right now, the goal is to produce some power giggles while still maintaining reliability as I’d like to keep it another 15yrs or more. I use the truck for basic truck tasks, don’t really need a diesel but that’s not happening. I don’t pull heavy loads much anymore (even when I did it was mostly hay, or hauling firewood…60ft x 40” round fir trees all rounded out can be heavy though). Now it’s mainly 2-5k lb setups 3-4 times a year or so. 85% of my driving will be using the truck because it needs to be driven, to get home depot stuff or because it’s fun to drive.

If you have a DK I would highly recommend restalling the converter. "S" is a stall that is/was offered and was nothing more than a billet stator stock stall converter, it had OEM converter characteristics other than being triple disk.

Personally I'd run a BX or BX5 on that setup, you'd be LIGHTYEARS happier than a DK. A DK is best suited for OEM/small VGT drop-in turbos that love load early on, that is absolutely not the case with a S467.7/83.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

This usually means the driver has to manually kick it out of OD/use a tapshifter to control EGTs, EGTs can be hard to control under load, throttle response while loaded can be super slow/lazy.

A S467/83/0.90 tows "ok" but is significantly slower to respond than the newer Garrett style stuff from say a Pulsar, VS Racing, etc. I personally would not recommend this turbo for towing over 10k lbs often.



^100% is a critical factor!



If you have a DK I would highly recommend restalling the converter. "S" is a stall that is/was offered and was nothing more than a billet stator stock stall converter, it had OEM converter characteristics other than being triple disk.

Personally I'd run a BX or BX5 on that setup, you'd be LIGHTYEARS happier than a DK. A DK is best suited for OEM/small VGT drop-in turbos that love load early on, that is absolutely not the case with a S467.7/83.

Appreciate the information, very informative for me. Makes sense on the EGT management causing the pain when towing. Luckily I won’t be towing 10k much if at all.

I’ll get with the outfit and start the conversation, appreciate the insight. I’m still wrapping my head around Stall Speeds and how they affect the functionality. Had no clue what that was until this discussion ?.

 

[Bdsankey]

Appreciate the information, very informative for me. Makes sense on the EGT management causing the pain when towing. Luckily I won’t be towing 10k much if at all.

I’ll get with the outfit and start the conversation, appreciate the insight. I’m still wrapping my head around Stall Speeds and how they affect the functionality. Had no clue what that was until this discussion ?.

Rated stall speed is only part of the equation on how a converter reacts. How it couples before stall also is very critical. A DK couples very hard not allowing the engine to gain much RPM before the load comes in, AKA terrible for fixed geometry setups.

Personally I think WCFab (if they recommended a DK for a S467/83) is smoking crack. Maybe on an L5P sure but not on an 01-16 truck. An R would be a better fit than a DK, even then I'd like a little more stall than the R has which drives us to the BX10, BX5, and BX converters.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

Rated stall speed is only part of the equation on how a converter reacts. How it couples before stall also is very critical. A DK couples very hard not allowing the engine to gain much RPM before the load comes in, AKA terrible for fixed geometry setups.

Personally I think WCFab (if they recommended a DK for a S467/83) is smoking crack. Maybe on an L5P sure but not on an 01-16 truck. An R would be a better fit than a DK, even then I'd like a little more stall than the R has which drives us to the BX10, BX5, and BX converters.

I’ll check in with the shop, I don’t see a stall rating on the invoice, only S STK Stall. Not sure how to find out the actual rating, assuming those have been the same since 2019. I’ve reached out to see if they can tell, it’s possible it’s not a DK. I believe both are competent, so I’m sure they’ll get me an answer.

They’re aiming for first fire this week, so I’ll have a decision to make on whether to make the change or save that for the future.

 

[N2BRK]

DK Terrible? Maybe for larger fixed vane My little lb7 fixed vane loves it, lol.

The BX does sound more like it though. I seem to recall 2400rpm being recommended stall for that turbo around here, and the B10 or BX seem in-line with that ?

As for checking the current converter, if it isn’t installed, you should see the letters written on it in marker. Hopefully they still do that

 

[Chevy1925]

Since your local, your welcome to take a ride with me in my 02 to see the difference in spool speed. Me having a stock ihi with a s483 over top and a Goerend G converter, is like how going to a BX converter would make that 467 come alive quick from a stop. If you like the way it drives though, no sense arguing.

My tow tune is 600hp and the big tune is 850-900.

 

[LB7StillAlive]

Since your local, your welcome to take a ride with me in my 02 to see the difference in spool speed. Me having a stock ihi with a s483 over top and a Goerend G converter, is like how going to a BX converter would make that 467 come alive quick from a stop. If you like the way it drives though, no sense arguing.

My tow tune is 600hp and the big tune is 850-900.

I’ll take you up on that offer ?. I don’t have it back yet, aiming for the end of this month, so I’m in the dark on how it’s going to drive.

I’m in Goodyear, but end up all over the city for work. Sounds like you’re up in North Valley…I do a lot of work at the semiconductor plant there. If you’re elsewhere nowadays just let me know. Like I said I’m all over…from San Tan, to Goodyear, to New River to Chandler.

 

[Chevy1925]

I’ll take you up on that offer . I don’t have it back yet, aiming for the end of this month, so I’m in the dark on how it’s going to drive.

I’m in Goodyear, but end up all over the city for work. Sounds like you’re up in North Valley…I do a lot of work at the semiconductor plant there. If you’re elsewhere nowadays just let me know. Like I said I’m all over…from San Tan, to Goodyear, to New River to Chandler.

I live up in new river and work off 91st and bell so im sure we will run into each other lol