6.7 Powerstroke DPF Elimination: Which Delete Pipe Fits Your Model Year

You already know which part is the problem. Which pipe goes in its place is the part nobody explains well.

Some delete pipes swap one section and leave the rest of the factory exhaust where it sits. Others run the full length of the truck. On paper they do the same job. On the ground they are different amounts of pipe, different amounts of work, and different money.

So let's break it down. Two things decide this for you: the model year stamped on your door jamb, and how much of the factory exhaust you want off the truck. Get those straight and the rest is bolt-up.

Which Delete Pipe Fits Your 6.7L Powerstroke Model Year?

The model year on the truck is where this starts. The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe covers the 2011 to 2016 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke in one listing. A separate DPF & CAT Delete Pipe listing covers 2017, 2018, and 2019. The 4" Exhaust DPF Delete spans the full 2011 through 2019 range. The 5" Exhaust DPF Delete spans 2011 through 2019 as well.

Reading the model year off your own truck

Do not work from memory. Do not work from the year you drove it home, either — plenty of trucks built late in a calendar year wear the next one on the sticker. Open the driver's door and read the jamb.

Your year settles the section-swap pipe outright. The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe for Ford Powerstroke 2011-2016 fits the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 model years. The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe for Ford Powerstroke 2017-2019 fits the 2017, 2018, and 2019 model years. Same product name sits on both listings, which is exactly how people end up with the wrong one.

The full-length systems do not split that way. The 5" Exhaust DPF Delete fits the 2011 through 2019 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke. The 4" Exhaust DPF Delete fits the 2011 through 2019 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke. It does not fit Cab & Chassis trucks, which need custom routing, and it doesn't fit 6.0L or 6.4L engines.

Where the fitment list stops

A lot of guys figure a Powerstroke is a Powerstroke. The older ones are a different exhaust entirely, and body style matters just as much as the engine does. If there is a flatbed or a service body behind the cab, settle that first.

Land on one of the full-length systems and your year is handled. The decision moves to diameter instead.

Cab and box length is not a second decision

This one gets asked constantly, and it is a fair thing to ask. Sort the model year first. Then the body style. Once those two are settled your fitment work is finished, and everything after this is about how much exhaust you actually want off the truck.

Why Does a Diesel Particulate Filter Keep Regenerating?

The diesel particulate filter cleans itself as part of normal operation.^[1] The DPF system is not capable of self-cleaning at idle.^[1] That single restriction is what turns a background process into something you notice. The DPF will clean itself if the vehicle can be driven for about 30 minutes.^[1] Manual regeneration can only be used when the DPF has become at least 90% full.^[1]

What the filter is doing when the idle changes

You feel this one before you understand it. During self-cleaning there is a change in the exhaust sound and engine idle speed.^[1] A burning smell and reduction in fuel economy may be noticed.^[2]

None of that is a fault. It is soot being cooked out of a filter that has been collecting it since the last cycle, and there is no button that makes it finish faster.

Why short cycles never finish

Here's the thing — the cycle needs run time, and run time is the one thing a truck sitting between rounds never gets. Under certain conditions, such as idling or very short trips, the self-cleaning process has less efficiency and cannot be completed.^[2] So it starts over. And over.

It is like trying to dry a towel by hanging it out between rain showers. Every attempt is real work. None of them finish the job.

The manual cleaning path, and what it asks of you

When cycles stop completing on their own there is a fallback, and it is not free. A DIC message displays when manual regeneration is possible.^[3] Miss that window and the truck may take the decision out of your hands. If the vehicle cannot be stopped when the DIC message first indicates cleaning is available, automatic self-cleaning may have begun.^[3]

The cycle itself is loud and hot. When manual regeneration begins, the engine speed increases and the engine cooling fan sound increases.^[2] You are not going anywhere while that runs, which on a build day is the part that actually costs you.

Where the exhaust gas goes after the turbine

Step back one link in the chain. The shape of the problem gets clearer. In diesel engines, internal combustion results in expansion of high-temperature, high-pressure gases, which in turn move pistons, transforming chemical energy into mechanical energy.^[5] Raising the pressure and velocity of the exhaust gas boosts pressure and airflow to the engine as needed.^[4]

That is the argument for everything that comes next. Whatever is bolted behind the turbine either lets that gas move or gets in its way.

What Is the Pipe Made From, and How Does It Mount?

The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe covers the earlier trucks. It's built from high-quality T-409 stainless steel with OEM-style hangers and clamps, so it bolts up to factory locations for a clean install. The 4" Exhaust DPF Delete covers the whole 2011 through 2019 run. OEM-style hangers and clamps lock it in the same way the factory exhaust did, so there's no cutting, no fabrication, and no welding.

Why the hanger points matter more than the pipe

Anybody can bend tube. Making it hang exactly where the factory pipe hung is what decides whether this is a Saturday morning or a lost weekend.

The 5" Exhaust DPF Delete is listed across the same years. The OEM-style hangers and clamps bolt to factory locations, and the T-409 stainless steel handles real heat cycles.

Same idea across the range. Nothing on your truck gets drilled, moved or sacrificed to accept the part.

The 4" system, end to end

This is a 4" high-quality T409 stainless steel exhaust that connects from the downpipe and runs the full length of the truck, replacing the OEM DPF and CAT sections with a straight, free-flowing pipe. That is a driveway job, not a shop job. No torch. No chop saw. No favor owed to the guy who owns one.

Clamps, and the order to snug them

Hang everything loose first. Every hanger, every clamp, front to back, finger tight before you commit to anything. Then walk it from the down pipe back and tighten in that order. Send one clamp home early and you will fight the alignment on every joint behind it.

Ten minutes on the floor beats an hour on your back.

Does the Factory Muffler Stay On the Truck?

The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe also covers 2017 through 2019. It eliminates both the DPF and the CAT and replaces them with a T-409 stainless steel section, while your factory muffler stays in place. The 5" Exhaust DPF Delete covers 2011 through 2019. It runs from the down pipe connection straight back to the tailpipe, replacing the DPF, CAT, and all mid-pipe sections so your exhaust flows freely.

Section swap versus down-pipe-back

Most buyers do not know this fork exists until they are already standing on one side of it. One approach swaps the restricted section and leaves the rest of the factory exhaust alone. The other replaces the whole run.

Neither one is automatically the right answer. It comes down to what you are building, and how much of the truck you want sitting on stands tonight.

On the earlier listing, nothing behind the swap gets touched. Your factory muffler stays in place. Removing the DPF and CAT also opens up the exhaust note, so ask about muffler options if you want it quieter.

What comes off the truck in each case

Know what leaves the truck before you start, because that is what decides your afternoon. This pipe drops the two biggest restrictions in the factory exhaust: the DPF and the CAT.

Want the most restriction gone in one shot? That is the down-pipe-back answer. Bigger box, longer job, and a lot more of the old exhaust stacked against the wall when you are done.

Plan the space before you plan the wrench work. A full-length system shows up long, and it needs somewhere to live between the box and the truck. Clear a lane down one side of the bay. You will be glad of it when you are walking sections into place on your own.

What Should You Expect During Installation?

The first thing you should do is verify you have all the parts shown. Your parts may look slightly different depending on the version you got. Install bolts up at the factory down pipe and hanger points with no welding, and you'll need a compatible delete tune to clear DPF-related codes from your ECM.

The receiving check, before anything comes off

Open the box the day it lands, not the morning you planned to work. Lay every piece out on the floor and match it against the guide. A few minutes here saves a Saturday.

If you are missing any parts or have doubts, take a picture of everything you have received. A photo of the whole layout answers half of what support would otherwise have to ask you.

The tools the job actually needs

Nothing exotic. A ratchet and a decent set of sockets, a breaker bar for the down pipe bolts, penetrating oil the night before, and a pair of jack stands you actually trust.

Factory exhaust fasteners have been heat-cycling for years. Soak them, give them time, and back them out slowly rather than snapping one off and turning a straightforward afternoon into a drill-and-extract session.

Working the hanger points in order

Front to back, always. Get the down pipe connection started but loose, hang the rest on the factory rubber, then go back and tighten from the front.

The good news? Because everything lands on factory mounts, alignment is mostly self-solving. If a hanger will not reach, something ahead of it is pulled tight — do not force it.

When to stop and open a ticket

Two things end an install early: a missing part and a joint that will not line up. Neither one gets better with more leverage.

You are not on your own here. We send a step-by-step instruction guide and keep a full-time support staff on hand for install questions, and you can open a support ticket on our website if you hit a snag.

Do You Need a Tune to Run a Delete Pipe?

You'll also need a compatible delete tune to prevent check engine codes after install. You are NOT required to install the SOTF switch if you are not wanting to use the shifting on the fly feature. Regardless of the type of switch you received, the 2011-2019 models will only use two wires. These switches will connect to your fuel temperature sensor.

Why the codes appear at all

Pull the hardware and leave the software alone, and your truck notices before you have the jack stands put away. The controller is still hunting for a filter that is no longer bolted to the truck. You'll want a compatible delete tune to keep DPF codes away.

Hardware and software are one job here, not two. Doing the pipe and skipping the tune is fixing a leaky roof on one side of the house and ignoring the other.

Sort both before you start. Getting the tune squared away while the truck is still whole is a very different afternoon from sorting it out with the old pipe on the floor and the new one half-hung.

The switch you can skip

Buyers assume this one is mandatory. It is not. Leave it in the box and the exhaust work goes exactly the same way.

Wire it in later if you change your mind. Nothing under the truck depends on it.

Finding the two wires that matter

Before you open a harness, know where you are going. The connection point is a sensor, not a splice into the harness wherever it is convenient.

Read the instruction set that came with yours rather than guessing. Guessing here means chasing a fault you made yourself, and that is a bad Saturday.

Take a photo before you touch anything. Where the loom runs, which way the clips face, how the boot sits — none of that is memorable an hour later, and all of it matters going back together.

Which One Should You Buy for Your Build?

The DPF & CAT Delete Pipe for Ford Powerstroke 2011-2016 starts at $399.00. The 5" Exhaust DPF Delete starts at $749.00. The 4" Exhaust DPF Delete starts at $679.00. It fits 2011 through 2019 F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty pickups with the 6.7L Powerstroke, across all cab and box lengths.

Three pipes, three different jobs. Here is who each one is for.

DPF & CAT Delete Pipe | Ford Powerstroke 2011-2016

For a 2011 to 2016 6.7L Powerstroke that only needs the restriction gone, buy the DPF & CAT Delete Pipe for Ford Powerstroke 2011-2016. Least money, least of the truck touched, least of your Saturday spent. You keep the muffler and you keep the tailpipe.

Best bang for your buck on this list. It is not close.

4" Exhaust DPF Delete | Ford Powerstroke 6.7L 2011-2019

For a 2011 through 2019 truck where you want the whole factory exhaust gone, buy the 4" Exhaust DPF Delete. This is the middle of the range and the one most builds land on. It replaces everything from the downpipe back. That is the bulk of the difference in the box.

5" Exhaust DPF Delete | Ford 6.7L Powerstroke 2011-2019

On a sled-pull or dyno truck chasing the most flow, buy the 5" Exhaust DPF Delete for the 2011 through 2019 6.7L Powerstroke. Biggest pipe, biggest box, biggest job on the floor.

Everything about it is more. More pipe to carry, more clamps to line up, more of the old exhaust to get rid of afterwards. That is the trade, and on a truck built to be leaned on it is worth making.

Where the price difference actually goes

Is the full-length system worth it over the section swap? That depends entirely on what you are building.

You are not paying for a better pipe. You are paying for more of it — more material, more sections replaced, more of the factory exhaust coming off the truck. If the section swap already covers what you set out to do, the extra spend buys you nothing you asked for.

One more thing worth saying out loud. The section swap is not the compromise option, and plenty of guys put the difference into a tune instead and end up happier for it. Match the pipe to the build you actually have, not the build you describe to people at the shop.

What Does It Cost, and What Happens After You Order?

Shipping is included in the price. Orders process within one business day, with standard shipping (included) in 8-10 business days and express in 5-8. Those are two different clocks, and the second one is what you plan a build around. Nothing else changes at checkout.

What the price already covers

No freight line waiting at checkout, no surprise at the end of it. The number on the listing is the number you pay.

Worth knowing up front. A long pipe in a long box is exactly the sort of thing you brace yourself for at the last screen, and here there is nothing to brace for.

Processing time versus transit time

Processing is how long before the pipe leaves. Transit is how long it spends on a truck. Buyers routinely add them together wrong and end up planning around the smaller number.

Build the calendar backwards. Pick the weekend you want the truck on stands, count back the transit window, then count back the processing day on top of that. The date you land on is the date to act, not the weekend itself.

The one condition that reopens a final sale

What happens if the wrong pipe shows up? You are not stuck with it.

Exhaust systems and DPF/CAT delete pipes are final sale, but a faulty or wrong product gets replaced. Photograph what arrived, keep the packaging, and start the conversation the same day rather than the following week.

Do it the same day for a simple reason. Memory fades and packaging goes in the bin, and photos of the box, the label and the parts laid out settle in one message what would otherwise take a week of back and forth. Nobody enjoys this part of it. A few minutes of documentation on delivery day still saves more grief than anything else in the job.

Please reach out to our support team directly via our support form.