The Power Stroke Plan
While neck-snapping power never accompanied first-generation Power Strokes from the factory, the potential for good power has always been there. One company that has become a household name in modifying '94-'97 Power Strokes, and still generates a lot of buzz for the old Fords is Bean's Diesel Performance of Woodbury, Tennessee. We contacted Bean's for a set of its budget-friendly remanufactured Stage 1 injectors, 4-inch MBRP exhaust, TS Performance six-position chip, boost, pyrometer, and transmission gauges, and a three-pod pillar. In an attempt to keep our E4OD automatic alive, we also contacted TransGo for its E4OD-HD2 shift kit.
 As our Power Stroke was equipped...  As our Power Stroke was equipped with a K&N air intake prior to the build, we didn't include that in our parts list. However, if we had needed one from Bean's, it would've supplied us with a Tymar intake for $159. |  While at Diesel Tech, we opted...  While at Diesel Tech, we opted for its 'quicker' injector removal and install method. While Ford recommends draining the fuel and oil rails in the cylinder heads completely before installing injectors, Gilbert Garcia of Diesel Tech showed us how to get the job done in a fraction of the time by doing one injector at a time. This method consists of inserting the new injector as quickly as possible after removing the stock one. Urgency is important, as it keeps the cylinder from filling with oil and fuel, which can lead to a hydro-locked engine if not done in a timely fashion. Garcia then turned over the engine using a remote starter after each new injector went in. It's important here to leave the ignition off and bump over the engine a few times without starting the truck. This pushes any oil and fuel out the exhaust valves, and doesn't allow oil to leak past piston rings and go into the crankcase. |  By installing one injector...  By installing one injector at a time, and doing one side of the engine at a time, Garcia had our new BDP injectors installed in less than two hours. If you decide to use this install method, and aren't sure if the cylinders may be full of oil, pull each glow plug to provide a path of least resistance and crank the engine over to force the oil out. |