GOIN’ FOR BROKE

A BUDGET-BUILT, 600HP 7.3L PULLER

Making the most of any situation is what life’s all about. For Zach Green, that meant converting his once daily-driven ’02 F-250 into a dedicated sled puller. After a wreck on black ice landed the truck on its roof back in 2012, his insurance company considered it a total loss. He didn’t feel the same way—as even though the truck had rolled, the damage was minimal. After a little time with a porta-power and a windshield replacement, evidence that it’d been upside down was virtually nonexistent. Still, the ’02 F-250 could no longer be registered in Green’s home state of South Carolina, forcing him to improvise. It was here that the “Goin’ for Broke” idea was born: a budget-built 7.3L that could mix things up on the local Carolina Truck and Tractor Pullers circuit.

Long Block Swap

With a powdered metal rod version of the 7.3L Power Stroke under the hood, Green knew it would never survive the kind of power he wanted to make. After hunting down a cheap ’97 long block—an engine equipped with forged-steel rods—he resealed the oil pan and lowered it into the truck. The few hard part upgrades the 7.3L did receive were a set of Stage 2 beehive valve springs from Swamp’s Diesel, Smith Brothers pushrods, and ARP head studs.

300/400 Hybrids, Gen3 HPOP

Jumping right in, Green opted for a set of 300/400 hybrid injectors from Performance Injection Systems, along with all the supporting mods required to keep them happy. Adequate high-pressure oil volume is on tap thanks to a Gen3 pump from Swamp’s Diesel (coupled with a factory 17-degree unit). Sufficient fuel supply makes it to the injectors courtesy of Irate Diesel Performance’s basic competition system, which works in conjunction with a regulated return setup from Diesel Innovations. The dual tasks of taming the 400% over nozzles and keeping the connecting rods straight