Ford 7.3 Diesel...only 185 HP

majorgator wrote:

ib516 wrote:

The only thing you can fairly compare it to is a 96 Ford or GM diesel which were even more gutless.

As an owner of a '96 F350 PSD, I greatly disagree with such a comment ;)
I think the sticker on the side of my 7.3 says 215 HP, but after only a few mods that joker will put you in the back of your seat just as good as many of the newer diesels. I'm at about 270K miles now, and have ZERO interest in upgrading any time soon. The most I've pulled was about 9K pounds without trouble. I've been considering moving to a 5th wheel in the 9k to 11k weight range, and the only thing I would add for pulling this is an intercooler (due to the aftermarket stage 1 injectors).

We purchased hundreds of new delivery trucks between 1995 and 1998, they were all IHC w T444E (7.3 PSD with mechanical fuel pump) or F/L with 12 valve B series (6BT). These are all the lowest HP versions available and we still operate many of these trucks.

As other have said, these are not powerhouses, probably the reason many have achieved 600 to 700K miles without engine replacement.

Both are rock solid platforms, however there are differences.

200k tune-up, set of injectors for 5.9L around $300, about 90 minutes to change.
200K tune-up, set of injectors for 7.3L around $2400, about 8 hours to change.

If you run either one too long with a bad injector tip you risk losing compression in a cylinder.

Lifetime MPG range for the 5.9L fleet +/- 12 mpg.
Lifetime MPG range for the 7.3L fleet +/- 10 mpg.

7.3L has a complex fuel management system which is increasingly problematic with age, the 6BT has no engine management system (Briggs and Stratton technology).

The big downside to the 6BT is it's more prone to oil leaks, some of which can be costly.

Nice examples of trucks equipped with either of these fine diesel engines will continue to be highly sought after.