Ford 7.3., tell me your stories good and sad

[Skyco]

Actually, if you have the gold coolant, you do not need to use the additive--only with the green.

Good point- I forgot about the later PSDs using coolant with the additive in it....the coolant I use is actually purple and also contains the additive, it is not an ELC (extended life coolant) which is not advised in pre-99 PSDs,

All in all I think the 7.3 PSDs are a great engine, I plan on keeping mine until literally it is worn out and may even rebuild then and keep going.....I'm just not turned on by anything on the market now and a comparable truck to mine is now about TWICE what I paid for mine

 

[Chuck_Lind]

I had a 2000 Ford F-350 diesel-dually and I got anywhere from 14-16 mpg; on an extended trip, I might get 18...but that was rare.

Good engine; no problems...probably one of the best diesel engines that went into a truck.

Had to get rid of it when diesel prices went through the roof.

 

[L4400]

I've got a 96 model that I bought new. Just turned over 323K. Pretty trouble free engine, did have a head gasket start to weep antifreeze out. Luckily, it leaked out and not in. I pulled the engine and did both head gaskets. This was at 261K. Sent the injectors out at this time to be rebuilt. The guy that did them, bumped up the performance a little. He also said that only 1 needed extra work. They were in real good shape. I would like a newer truck, but before I bought this one, I had a run of lemons and realize that that could happen again. I'll just keep this one until something major goes wrong, at least I know what I have.

 

[Bird]

One of my brothers has a 2000 F350 crewcab dually, 6-speed manual, 2WD. It had just over 100k miles on it when he bought it; looked and drove like new, and I guess still does. He's got a little over 150k miles on it now. I know he's replaced the water pump and the clutch and the batteries, and I think an alternator, but the engine itself has been trouble free.​

 

[riptides]

I have done some research on this engine and I have had good results. Tell me what you can about power, mileage and injectors etc.
I have read 15/21 for miles per gallon? sounds high to me
Thanks
Jim

101k on a F250 crew cab, with a diesel stroker in it.

The only time I would hope to get 21 is downwind/downhill with 10k behind me.

Towing a steel trailer and horses, I am lucky if I get 10-12. But I try not to think about the diesel. I need power and size.

-Mike Z.

 

[firefighter9208]

I have an early 99 model (3/98 build date) with the 7.3 and a 6 speed manual. Water pump at 125,000, alternator at 140,000, starter somewhere in between. 2 sets of batteries. One clutch/pressure plate/throw out bearing at 120,000. 2 emergency brake assemblies. One set of front brakes at 70,000. Rear brakes at 99,000 (towing a trailer w/o brakes). Clutch master cylinder at 154,000. 3rd set of tires since I bought it at 50,000.

It now has 156,000 miles on it and I got 18 mpg the last tank (hand calculated). It's a long wheel base 2 wd extended cab. Has a 38 gallon tank so the last fill up cost me $103.00. Good thing I live 8 miles from work.

IMOH you can't beat the 7.3 powerstroke. I do have a superchips set on 70 extra hp that I installed at 100,000 and have had no problems with. I pulled a 40' dual tandem gooseneck deck-over with 10 4'x5' round bales this summer with no problems. The trailer itself weighs in at 9800# and I estimated each bale at 1000#. That's 19,800# of cargo. Wouldn't want to do it everyday, but I pulled it about 15 miles. The trailer had very good brakes and would stop itself.

Chris

 

[rback33]

101k on a F250 crew cab, with a diesel stroker in it.

The only time I would hope to get 21 is downwind/downhill with 10k behind me.

Towing a steel trailer and horses, I am lucky if I get 10-12. But I try not to think about the diesel. I need power and size.

-Mike Z.

I will second all that. We had a 94.5 and it was great. Got 10-12 pulling a 3 hrs slant all steel with huge dressing room. Had to do the injector seals about 175,000 along with the clutch. Great engine, but the truck was starting to let us down at the worst times. If it were not for $25,000 horse that was having to be unloaded on the side of the road when it laid down on us I would still have it. Everything that went wrong was to be expected at that mileage. It was just happening at the worst times. I would buy it back in a minute if I needed it.

 

[Kahuna]

Ford should have stayed with the 7.3 instead of going to the 6 and also until they get the 6.4 figured out. I have been told by many that is the last good diesel Ford had.

 

[Skyco]

I agree with that...they would have been better off to keep improving the 7.3 rather than go all new and ruin their reputation.....

 

[Reg]

According to how you look at it, either the engine has too much torque for the transmission, or the transmission isn't enough trans for the truck.
As in "the trans_mission is missin' it's mission".
Even my SIL's truck that has had just about ZERO trailering use has been through two trannies - and what little trailering use it got was probably under a ton total.