A Better Ford 6.0 Powerstroke Turbo

2003 Ford F350 Turbo Engine Burning Dirt

The Ford 6.0 Powerstroke is one of those "as long as" engines. What's an "as long as" engine? It's one you have to make excuses for. There are at least four sentences that could begin with "the 6.0 Powerstroke is a great engine as long as (insert flaw and solution here)." We won't go through the full "as long as" list here. Instead, we'll address one item. Here goes: the 6.0 Powerstroke is a great engine as long as you replace the turbo with an ATS Aurora turbo.

Ford's 6.0 Powerstroke comes from the factory with a variable geometry turbo, or VGT turbo. The concept is a good one: the exhaust impeller's vanes can be turned to different angles on the fly to maximize turbo response and minimize turbo lag. This is a great concept, and it makes the 6.0 quicker off the line than the 7.3 Powerstroke it replaced. The bummer is that the VGT turbo is famous for its vanes sticking in one position. When the vanes stick, the turbo's performance evaporates. Enter ATS and its Aurora turbo for the 6.0.

2003 Ford F350 Turbo Engine Ats Aurora 3000 Turbo Kit

This is the ATS Aurora 3000 turbo kit for the '03-to-'07 Ford 6.0 Power Stroke. ATS recommends this system for engines producing 350 to 500 rear-wheel horsepower. Of course, the ATS Aurora 3000 turbo charger is the centerpiece, but the turbo mounting pedestal, replacement Y-pipe, installation hardware, gaskets, supporting electronics, and written instructions round out a very complete kit. When you add ATS Diesel Performance's tech support to the equation it adds up to an easy decision.

This is the ATS Aurora 3000 turbo kit for the '03-to-'07 Ford 6.0 Power Stroke. ATS recomm

ATS Diesel Performance offers a complete kit to replace the stock VGT turbo with a non-VGT model. This simplification means the turbo vanes will be fixed in one position and can never stick. It also means that the potential benefits of the VGT system aren't there, either. Those who still want a VGT turbo can still turn to ATS for their product needs, as ATS also offers its own VGT turbo.

We headed to Diesel Tech in San Jacinto, California, to watch an ATS turbo being installed on Diesel Tech owner Loren Taylor's '03 Super Duty, which is factory-saddled with the 6.0 Power Stroke. We had every confidence that the ATS turbo would be reliable, so our big question was whether or not the non-VGT ATS turbo would perform as well as a functional factory VGT turbo.

We're not going to give up the results just yet. You'll have to find them in the photo captions. We'll just say that as long as you've got ATS and Diesel Tech on your side, your 6.0 can live up to its potential.

2003 Ford F350 Turbo Engine Aurora 3000 Turbo Charger

The Aurora 3000 turbo charger produces up to 42 psi of boost, and features a bearing system that's much better than factory Ford. A high-temperature coating protects the unit from heat as well as moisture. The Aurora 3000 also reduces EGT (exhaust gas temperature) levels.

The Aurora 3000 turbo charger produces up to 42 psi of boost, and features a bearing syste

Here's a slice of reality:
The complete kit retails for about double the cost of a stock replacement turbocharger. We've replaced the turbocharger three times on our cursed '03 STD Super Duty. When you add up parts and labor to replace the stock turbo three times it doesn't take a genius to see that we'd be way ahead if we'd gone with an ATS 3000 kit in the first place. Reality has been known to bite.

Here's the Aurora 3000 side-by-side with the stock turbo. The ATS turbo is more compact, partially because there's no need to make room for the complex VGT system inside. Up close, the fit and finish of the ATS unit is noticeably better than stock.
Here's the Aurora 3000 side-by-side with the stock turbo. The ATS turbo is more compact, p
The 6.0 Power Stroke is pushed back pretty far under the firewall. How far? Far enough that many times, the cab is lifted off of the chassis for major engine work. That's not necessary for installing the ATS turbo kit, but installer Dave Briggs still had to put a pad over the core support and stretch himself out to reach the top of the engine where the turbo mounts. In this photo, Dave has already removed the stock turbo and is temporarily removing the stock ECU to buy himself a little more room to work.
The 6.0 Power Stroke is pushed back pretty far under the firewall. How far? Far enough tha
Removing and replacing the stock Y-pipe with the ATS Y-pipe isn't technically difficult, but it does require turning wrenches at awkward angles. "I've made up new words while doing this," Dave commented. The flex joint of the stock Y-pipe was worn through and leaking, so it was time for a replacement anyway.
Removing and replacing the stock Y-pipe with the ATS Y-pipe isn't technically difficult, b

The ATS turbo pedestal dwarfs the stock turbo pedestal. In this case, bigger is better because the ATS pedestal has a more secure hold on the turbo.
The ATS turbo pedestal dwarfs the stock turbo pedestal. In this case, bigger is better bec
The oil drain line exits out the bottom of the turbo and runs into the intake manifold.
There was some interference between the ATS pedestal and the oil drain line, so Dave made a quick trip to the grinder to create the needed clearance.
There was some interference between the ATS pedestal and the oil drain line, so Dave made

Four bolts fasten the turbo onto the pedestal through the integrated exhaust inlet port. It's a tricky job to hold the turbo in place and get the bolts lined up,....
Four bolts fasten the turbo onto the pedestal through the integrated exhaust inlet port. I
.....so Dave called on Gilbert Garcia to get the bolts started. With four hands instead of two, the process went well. No new words were invented this time.
.....so Dave called on Gilbert Garcia to get the bolts started. With four hands instead of
Dave primed the turbo with oil before attaching the oil supply line. This avoids damage caused by a dry start-up. Note that both tubes have been hooked up to the exhaust side of the turbo.
Dave primed the turbo with oil before attaching the oil supply line. This avoids damage ca

Here you can see both the oil supply line and the oil drain line below it. The boost tube will go on next, and for this, the boost housing needs to be "clocked" to an ideal angle using the flange bolts (arrow) to hold it in place.
Here you can see both the oil supply line and the oil drain line below it. The boost tube
The compressor side of the turbo has been "clocked" into place and cinched down. Next, the boost tube is attached to the turbo.
The compressor side of the turbo has been "clocked" into place and cinched down. Next, the
The air cleaner assembly installs onto the ATS turbo. The ATS turbo is compatible with stock or aftermarket air cleaners such as this AEM Brute Force system. You can also see the pad Dave used to make the work a little more comfortable. Like we said, the engine sits a long way back. You can't see it here, but the stock VGT solenoid was removed from the stock turbo and re-connected to the engine's wiring harness. The VGT solenoid is no longer functioning with the non-VGT turbo, but the solenoid needs to be connected to the wiring harness so that the Ford engine computer doesn't generate a trouble code. The re-connected solenoid is placed out of the way atop the intake manifold.
The air cleaner assembly installs onto the ATS turbo. The ATS turbo is compatible with sto

The supplied electronics are mounted out of the way behind the grille. It's now time to splice the ATS electronics into the stock wiring harness. The ATS instructions cover this step, too. Take take your time and thoroughly read the instructions before plunging in.
The supplied electronics are mounted out of the way behind the grille. It's now time to sp
This Matco wire stripping tool was amazingly fast and efficient.
ATS provides Scotch-Lock connectors that tap directly into the stock harness. Scotch-Locks are good, but soldering is even more secure. Loren plans to go back and have these connections soldered later on. After everything was buttoned back up, Loren took his Super Duty for a spin. I asked him what he thought. "Do you want me to say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread?" he asked. Loren's the understated type, and not one to jump and shout. "Nope," I replied. "Just your honest opinion." Loren's assessment? "There's no 7.3-style turbo lag. It's making more boost than stock, so that's good, too. I like it." We think ATS has done its homework, combining VGT-like performance with the simplicity and reliability of a non-VGT turbocharger. Whether you express it by yelling and screaming or just by cracking a smile, the ATS Aurora 3000 turbo kit is indeed something to get excited about.
ATS provides Scotch-Lock connectors that tap directly into the stock harness. Scotch-Locks

Sources
Pure Performance 15 Lower Hudson Avenue Green Island NY 12183 518-270-9822 http://www.pure-performance.biz/	Xtreme Unlimited 1210 Pike Lane #2 Oceano CA 93445 805-474-1312 http://www.xtremeunlimited.com/