PHOTOS BY MIKE MCGLOTHLIN, AMY GILBERT, AND GRAY’S DIESEL PERFORMANCE
Whether you’re familiar with the 7.3L Power Stroke or not, this one is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. However, it’s not because the front-mount turbo, custom headers, and trick intake make the engine look different. Rather, it’s because a lot of the 7.3L’s original design remains. Though its water jackets have been filled, the factory cast-iron block is still being employed. And even though the crankshaft has been zero balanced, it’s the original piece first installed in 1996. Notable short-block upgrades include a girdle that, in conjunction with ARP main studs, ties all the main caps together, off-the-shelf Hypermax Engineering forged-steel connecting rods, and billet pistons from Diamond Racing.