2020-2022 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Intercoolers & Piping

Intercooler and piping on the 2020-2022 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke

The 6.7L Powerstroke does not use a big air-to-air intercooler. Ford fitted an air-to-water charge air cooler instead, and a secondary heat exchanger cools the water. That let Ford shrink the cooler by roughly 75 percent compared with an air-to-air unit. The coolant comes from the engine's separate low-temperature loop, the same loop that serves the fuel cooler and the transmission fluid cooler. Compressed air leaves the turbo through the hot-side charge pipe, passes through the cooler and returns through the cold-side pipe to the intake. Ford made those pipes from plastic and composite and joined them with rubber couplers, and that is where most of the trouble on this system starts.

What fails and why

• Coupler leaks. Boost leaks at the charge-pipe couplers happen on every 6.7L year, 2020-2022 included, at any mileage, and more often on trucks that tow. Expect a hiss under boost and oily residue at the coupler, along with low power, high EGTs and a P0299 underboost code.
• Cracked or ruptured pipes. The stock plastic charge pipe can crack or rupture under high boost on 2015-2022 trucks. That one is not subtle: a loud whoosh, a sudden loss of boost and limp mode.
• Oil in the cooler and pipes. The crankcase ventilation carries oil mist into the charge air. Over miles and idle hours it leaves an oil film in the cold-side pipe and intercooler and oil weeping at the couplers.

A smoke test of the charge-air system is the fastest way to find a leak. Do it before you buy parts.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

A factory-style plastic pipe gets you back on the road, but it is the same design that failed. The usual fix for a cracked pipe is a metal one. The Banks Boost Tube System is built to replace the factory charge pipes and prevent factory pipe failure, and S&B sells hot-side and cold-side pipes for the same job. Pipe kits from SPE Motorsport, PPE, Mishimoto, WCFab, XDP and AFE's Bladerunner line cover the same ground with their own designs and boot packages. If the pipes are sound and only a coupler is leaking, a new boot or boot kit is the smaller repair.

Pipes and couplers are the common complaints here, not the cooler. If you still want more from the cooler, Mishimoto's air-to-water intercooler is a direct fit for 2017-and-later trucks. It uses cast aluminum end tanks TIG-welded to a bar-and-plate core and ships with a mandrel-bent cold-side aluminum pipe and DuraCore silicone boots. Mishimoto claims 22 percent more airflow than stock and a dyno-proven 40 lb-ft gain with no other mods. PPE sells air-to-water intercooler kits too, and SPE Motorsport offers its Booklung billet intercooler. If CARB rules apply where you live, note that Mishimoto's EO for its intercooler covers only 2017-2018 trucks, not 2020-2022.

What we carry

• Hot-side pipes: S&B 83-2004, SPE Motorsport S100117 SO, the PPE SO hot side charge pipe kit, the WCFab WCF100316 kit and the AFE 46-20318-B Bladerunner.
• Cold-side pipes: S&B 83-1001, the SPE Motorsport cold side and S100328 XD cold side pipes, the PPE cold side kit, the WCFab WCF100295 3.5-inch kit, the Mishimoto MMICP-F2D-17CBK pipe and boot kit, the XDP XD364 HD pipe with billet adapter and the AFE 46-20319-B Bladerunner.
• Full pipe systems: the Banks Power 26008 SO Boost Tube System, the Mishimoto MMICP-F2D-17KBK pipe and boot kit, the WCFab WCF100297 standard output high flow kit, the AFE 46-20314-B hot and cold side kit, and the SPE Motorsport intake piping kit and Emperor turbo and intake piping bundle.
• Intercoolers: PPE air-to-water kits with brushed or polished pipes, the Mishimoto MMINT-F2D-17 air-to-water kit and the SPE Booklung billet intercooler.
• Boots and small parts: No Limit Fabrication 67THB discharge-side boot and 67THBK hot side boot kit, the SPE S100158 cold side replacement hose and S100220 hot side retainer clip, the PPE 3-inch silicone hump coupler and the XDP XD459 adapter O-ring.

Fitment notes

Every 2020-2022 Super Duty pickup has the standard-output (SO) engine. Ford added the High-Output 6.7L for 2023, and HO-specific parts do not carry back. Skip the S&B 83-2005 and SPE S100222, which are HO hot-side pipes, and skip the S&B 83-1012, which is built for 2023-and-later cab and chassis trucks. Most pipes here are listed for 2017-2026 or similar spans that include your years. A few stop sooner: the AFE Bladerunner pipes are listed for 2017-2022 and the Mishimoto intercooler for 2017-2023, which still cover 2020-2022. The Banks boost tubes fit 2017-2026 non-HO pickups but not 2023-and-later cab and chassis trucks. If you have a chassis-cab F-350 through F-600, check the listing, because those trucks are separate products. Verify by VIN or call us before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my 6.7L lose boost all at once with a loud whoosh?

That is the classic sign of a stock plastic charge pipe that cracked or ruptured under boost, which happens on 2015-2022 trucks. You may also see limp mode. Check the hot-side and cold-side pipes, then replace the broken one, ideally with a metal pipe.

Is oil in my intercooler and charge pipes a problem?

Some oil is common on this engine. The crankcase ventilation sends oil mist into the charge air, and it builds up in the intercooler and cold-side pipe with miles and idle hours. Clean it out when the pipes are off and replace any coupler that is weeping.

Should I upgrade the intercooler or just the pipes?

Start with the pipes and couplers, since those are the common failures on this engine. The factory cooler is an air-to-water unit fed by the secondary cooling loop. If you want more from it, Mishimoto claims 22 percent more airflow and a 40 lb-ft gain from its air-to-water intercooler with no other mods, but its CARB EO does not cover 2020-2022 trucks.

What do SO and HO mean on these pipes?

SO is standard output and HO is high output. Every 2020-2022 Super Duty pickup has the standard-output 6.7L, and the High-Output engine arrived for 2023. Order SO or non-HO parts for your truck.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.