Having Surge Issues with your stock turbo? There are multiple options to address surging and improve air flow for the stock 7.3psd turbo. A simple compressor wheel upgrade can eliminate surging and help improve some performance on a stock turbo. The OEM Garrett GTP38 Turbo compressor wheel is a single plane cast wheel that is heavy and prone to turbo surging issues especially when towing. Aftermarket compressor wheels are often much lighter billet wheels.

There are a multitude of compressor wheel brands to choose from. Regardless of the brand there are a few different styles of wheel and all of the billet options operate fairly close in performance gains to each other with slight differences. A benefit of billet wheels is that they spool faster than OEM due to their lighter weight. No matter what brand or style you choose seek quality, check reviews, and do some research to ensure you are making the right choice. Some common styles available for the 7.3 include:

11 Blade Billet Wheel Style

This is the style of the AVP Stage 2 wheel. The 11 blade single plane compressor wheel is ideal for top end performance. This is a good option for high RPM’s, aftermarket injectors, and tuning and is capable of producing higher HP gains when combined with a tuner, exhaust, and intake on stock injectors. The downside of this is the lack of low end performance gains over stock.

6+6 Blade Billet Wheel Style

This is the style of the KC billet wheel and previously was the style of the Riff Raff wheel. The 6+6 dual plane compressor wheel quite popular and improves bottom end performance over the 11 blade wheel while still offering better performance at high RPM’s. This style wheel has been said to be a bit louder than the stock wheel but it eliminates surging.

5+5 Blade Billet Wheel Style

This is the style of the Wicked Wheel II Compressor Wheel which is a very common wheel and from the originators of 7.3PSD aftermarket turbo wheels. The original Wicked Wheel was designed to eliminate surging but the version 2 went through a complete redesign to improve performance as well.  It fits in between the 6+6 and the newer 4+4 wheel. This wheel allows for faster spooling and higher boost numbers without surging issues.

4+4 Blade Billet Wheel Style

This is the current style of the Riff Raff Compressor Wheel. The 4+4 blade dual plane wheel comes in at 24 Grams lighter than the OEM cast compressor wheel which allows it to significantly spool faster than stock. It flows more than the 6+6 but still retains most of the power capabilities of the 6+6 wheel, but does not produce as solid at the top end. Although louder than stock this wheel is a little bit quieter than other billet options. 

Other Configurations

Other configurations exist like a 7+7 billet wheel which is known to produce a nice turbo whistle however it has been reported by some to negatively effect exhaust gas temperatures (egt) on a stock setup. Another option beyond just the compressor wheel is KC Turbo’s S300 drop in kit for the stock 7.3PSD turbo which includes bearings, shaft, compressor wheel, and exhaust turbine. This setup is supposed to provide the internals of the KC S300 turbo in the stock 7.3PSD turbo which includes taller vanes to catch and move more air.

Of all the options to choose from none may be the perfect fit for you if you are looking for more than just reducing surging. Considering EGT’s and at what RPM and boost the wheel performs at while towing is best found by doing research and see what others like and dislike and what their setup is.

In the end cost may be a large influence on any modifications you perform. But many still say the most expensive and complex option is the best match for the 7.3psd for reduced EGT’s and solid boost at lower RPM’s  without going overboard which is the T4/SXE turbo swap.