Engine repair / upgrade after road trip
Somewhere between the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, approximately 1000 miles into our 3400 mile road trip with the camper, the Ford 7.3 decided to run on 7 cylinders. I had gambled a bad fuel injector...
Forum Discussion
I look at the 7.3 as similar to the muscle cars prior to smog requirements. I think long term it will be a truck people would collect for nostalgia. Granted, it won't be like collecting a mustang or Corvette but you always read of people that have fond memories of their 7.3 (as seen in this thread).
So far I've had it smogged twice since I've owned it. The first guy was confused and kept looking at his book and looking underneath. He was looking for the catalytic converter thinking it should be there. He finally flipped around some pages in his book and found that some versions of the truck didn't come with a cat and called it good enough.
The second shop didn't even ask the question. I actually took it back to them a year later even though it was a 45 mile drive only to find out I only needed it smogged every other year. Prior to that it was registered in Nevada which was yearly.
The newer trucks are definitely amazing. Obviously more power and of course the creater comforts. Even now I'm researching how to make my truck quiter because that's what the Mrs doesn't like. Newer trucks don't have that problem.
The thing about buying a new truck is that they are just so dang expensive these days. My goal was to retire by 40 and though I will miss that by a year or two, it won't be by much by current estimates. Part of that is living without all of the latest and greatest and the payments that go with it. Granted, the engine work will be the cost of a small car but then replacing the emissions on a newer diesel is even more expensive.
So far I've had it smogged twice since I've owned it. The first guy was confused and kept looking at his book and looking underneath. He was looking for the catalytic converter thinking it should be there. He finally flipped around some pages in his book and found that some versions of the truck didn't come with a cat and called it good enough.
The second shop didn't even ask the question. I actually took it back to them a year later even though it was a 45 mile drive only to find out I only needed it smogged every other year. Prior to that it was registered in Nevada which was yearly.
The newer trucks are definitely amazing. Obviously more power and of course the creater comforts. Even now I'm researching how to make my truck quiter because that's what the Mrs doesn't like. Newer trucks don't have that problem.
The thing about buying a new truck is that they are just so dang expensive these days. My goal was to retire by 40 and though I will miss that by a year or two, it won't be by much by current estimates. Part of that is living without all of the latest and greatest and the payments that go with it. Granted, the engine work will be the cost of a small car but then replacing the emissions on a newer diesel is even more expensive.
