1988 Ford F-250 with 7.3 litre diesel

[Diamondpilot]

I a 99, trouble free until it got totaled in about 06 or so.

Chris

 

[3930dave]

I have owned my '97 forever. Tough, dependable, strong, fuel expensive but 12-14.5gpm pulling an 18' bp trailer with a 6000# load. The truck is an F250. I maintain it every 7500 miles. I'm more than pleased. Oh, and about 4weeks ago a guy walked up while I was fueling and offered me $12,000.00. Nope, nada, no!

I suspect that was either a current or former 7.3 owner. As one guy on here put it "I had a 7.3, but sold it. Big mistake. Bought another one - they're gonna have to bury me in this one".

Not the power of the latest/"greatest" diesels perhaps, but I'll echo what was recently said on here (Soundguy, I think) "As I get older, that aspect means less than it used to". We're both talking about general purpose work trucks.... if your interest is in winning drag races, that's another story.....

I've driven the newer 6.7's: Fun to drive - Yes. Would I want to maintain one - No.

A good friend has an IDI diesel of that era in an Econoline. Southern truck he bought up here, fixed up a bit of body rot, and did basic maintenance. Everybody who has driven it loves it for trips, and the fuel mileage even pulling a 12' enclosed trailer is very good.

Rgds, D.

 

[Papasmirf]

The truck had spent approx . 147,000 miles on state and interstate highways pulling a 32' 5th wheel RV. The rest has been hauling my tractor to jobs in a 50 mile diameter and not pulling anything. Your right - just barely getting broke in good. No one else drive it, except my brother to take off the trash, 8 miles round trip once a month.

 

[newbury]

The only thing to check closely is the SCA level because of potential cavitation issues. My '88 E350 customized Maxivan has a couple of dead glow plugs but if I warm up the engine it fires up every year for inspection. Can't bear to part with it.

 

[crashz]

Rock solid trucks. We had a 86 f350 srw 4x4 pickup that could not be killed. We tried. Thats saying a lot from a GM family. Ours had the 6.9, but the 7.3 is better.

Don't expect it to be fast, but she'll run and run.

 

[RobertN]

Jogging memory here, but thinking of old discussions here. Wasn't there TWO 7.3's, which were very different motor's? The non-turbo was 7.3, but that was the only similarity(actual displacement) with the later 7.3's?

One of the original Kubota Source/TBN member(this was Kubota site for a few years before becoming what we know as TBN) had one. It ran and ran, but was a smoking slug going over Donner Summit.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Jogging memory here, but thinking of old discussions here. Wasn't there TWO 7.3's, which were very different motor's? The non-turbo was 7.3, but that was the only similarity(actual displacement) with the later 7.3's?

One of the original Kubota Source/TBN member(this was Kubota site for a few years before becoming what we know as TBN) had one. It ran and ran, but was a smoking slug going over Donner Summit.

Yes. Started life as a 6.9 then punched out to 7.3. Neither had a turbo except for aftermarket until Ford added one. The Power Stoke came out as a turbo motor and didn't really share anything but the 7.3 number.

Chris

 

[JESSE1]

I had a '94 7.3 idi factory turbo. It was an ATS turbo installed at the factory. The trucks that had this engine have a "Turbo Diesel" emblem on them. Really woke up the 7.3. Very good, simple engine. No electronics. They only offered it for '93 and '94 until the first Powerstroke came on the market. They actually used this engine with an automatic trans and only offered the first Powerstroke with a manual.

 

[Soundguy]

Been looking at buying a used truck, was leaning toward a newer Chevrolet HD gas motor, have been presented with an option to buy a 7.3 litre diesel 4x4 that has been taken good care of, I've never owned a diesel and was wondering have these been good ones? I would appreciate any information, good or bad. Thanks, Charlie.

an early will be the NA but it's still a pretty bulletproof engine.

on a machine that old. check front suspension.

i'd look for a 95+ 7.3psd maybee. can't be much more $$

 

[newbury]

Maybe a 2002, early 2003