The TFL guys bought a 7.3L

The problem is in “absolutism” of comment/thought...there is no ‘one size fits all’...not even tube socks....

Most everyone has their own attributes that they purchase/own anything. Automotive much more personal to some and others...just a thing to own/use/etc and then toss it for whatever suits them at that time

IMHO...love GM small block’s , but not for my full sized trucks; love small displacement ICE’s for my cars and especially my 2 seaters; love big blocks for my full sized trucks: been around diesels most of my life, but never wanted one...expect for a couple years with buddies constantly touting Cummins diesel...looked at Ford’s 7.3L diesel, but my big block 7.4L gasser suited me better than and continues to this day

Nor does resale come into my decision to own anything, as keep my stuff very, very long. Folks call me cheap, and am okay with that, and get my moneys worth out of most things. Buy well and keep it a long time so as to not have to purchase another....brother has owned about 3 times more vehicles than his older brother, me, over the years...but he is always talking about his monthly. Whereas I’ve not had a vehicle payment for decades

That is ‘me’ and don’t pressure or even try to dissuade others, as it is going to be ‘theirs’, not mine

Common everyday drivers have finally ‘got it’ in regards to close-ration gear boxes...these higher number of gearbox gears is just that. Old days of racing’s close-ratio gear boxes was just to keep their ICE’s in their sweet RPM range...am noodling the rebuild of my 4L80E into one rated for 1,500HP/3yr warranty with 8 gears...by an 0.5 or 0.7 GearVendors/gear splitter (rated for 1,200HP) and 5.38 diff ratio. Issue is that, that ratio isn’t available for the front diff...that I can find so far.

With the very flat torque curve, don’t need much more in numbers of gears. HIgh rev’ing and peaky ICEs does benefit from more gear ratios...though some of today’s small blocks does have flatter torque curves.

Nephew has a 2010 RAM 2500HD Turbo Cummins. Neighbor has the same, but a few years older. Another neighbor has a Ford 350HD SuperDuty V10. Driven all of them and there is NOTHING with them that I’d change my 7.4L for, but that is just me...

ShinerBock wrote:

goducks10 wrote:


You opinions only work for those that are doing what you think they should do.
I'm done buying truck so resale is meaningless.
And you know as well as I do that HP in a gasser is not the same as in a diesel. Gas engines don't have the same huge TQ numbers to go with the HP as diesels do.

I don't think people should do anything. There are many valid reasons for not buying a diesel just as there are many that aren't valid or factual when you put pen to paper.

I just find it ironic that HD gas truck owners have stated many times that they don't need anymore power as a reason for not paying for the diesel engine upgrade yet some of the very same people are willing to pay for a gas engine upgrade because it has more power without even considering or mentioning the additional cost versus the base engine. Why does cost and not needing the extra power only get brought up as a justification for not paying for the HD diesel upgrade, but not when that upgrade is another gas engine? I just find it little hypocritical is all.

How about I put it this way. I tow a 9500# TT. For my lifestyle I don't need a diesel anymore. My truck sits for weeks at a time. I would like about 50 more HP and 75 lbs more of TQ. That would be about perfect for my camping style. What I don't need to do is spend $10,495 for a diesel that's overkill for my situation.
I think you're missing the point of gas owners. Maybe I'm wrong but my guess is that most just want a decent amount of an HP/TQ increase and don't need the massive power output of a diesel at the cost of the option when it's not something thats being used enough to validate.

Who are these gas owners and why are you lumping them all together, other than to start an argument?

mooky stinks wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
Not sure why anyone cares about the 7.3L. According to the HD gas owners here, they don't need more power which is why they bought the gas engine instead of the diesel. So why would an engine with more power that you will have to pay more for matter now?

Same reason diesel owners have theirs programmed and put exhausts on them. Because they make it.

But HD diesel owners buy their engine for the added power and don't say that they don't need it as a justification.

goducks10 wrote:


You opinions only work for those that are doing what you think they should do.
I'm done buying truck so resale is meaningless.
And you know as well as I do that HP in a gasser is not the same as in a diesel. Gas engines don't have the same huge TQ numbers to go with the HP as diesels do.

I don't think people should do anything. There are many valid reasons for not buying a diesel just as there are many that aren't valid or factual when you put pen to paper.

I just find it ironic that HD gas truck owners have stated many times that they don't need anymore power as a reason for not paying for the diesel engine upgrade yet some of the very same people are willing to pay for a gas engine upgrade because it has more power without even considering or mentioning the additional cost versus the base engine. Why does cost and not needing the extra power only get brought up as a justification for not paying for the HD diesel upgrade, but not when that upgrade is another gas engine? I just find it little hypocritical is all.

ShinerBock wrote:
Not sure why anyone cares about the 7.3L. According to the HD gas owners here, they don't need more power which is why they bought the gas engine instead of the diesel. So why would an engine with more power that you will have to pay more for matter now?

Same reason diesel owners have theirs programmed and put exhausts on them. Because they make it.

After having towed with my 02 V-10 Excursion and 9300lb TT in the mountains I ca tell you I have never wished I had a diesel. Plenty of power to tow at speed up a decent grade that had other vehicles at 40-45 with the 4 ways on. I’ll take simplicity over complexity any day. I just feel that making it to my destination is much better than stranded on the side of the road because I ran out of Def or I picked up a droplet of water and trashed a $10k fuel system.

Gas is the only way to go for me......and yes I’m a certified diesel tech!

ShinerBock wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:

NRALIFR wrote:
The 7.3L gas option is $1705, and the 6.7L diesel option is $10,495.

That gets my attention.

:):)

Yes, but 100k miles and 5 years later, the trade in value plus the fuel mileage will pay for most(if not all) the $10,495 so you are essentially adding power for free. That will not be the case with the 7.3L over the 6.2L unless it has much better fuel economy. You only typically get around 70-80% of your money back from optional items such as engines, 4wd, and trim packages on trade in/resale. If the 7.3L uses more fuel, then that cost increases overtime.

There is also the case of maintenance if it is like the 5.7L and 6.4L in the Ram. Because of the special oil required due to the 6.4L having MDS, it makes maintenance cost a lot more than the 5.7L and more inline with what is cost with the Cummins for both fuel/oil filter changes.

However, my comment was based on the reasoning used by gaser owners who say they do not "need" more power. If this were true, then they would not "need" a 7.3L.

I'd like more power but I don't need 400HP and 1000TQ @ $10,495.

So you are saying that you don't need 400hp(even though it is 475 hp), but you like the 430 hp that the 7.3L makes? That does not make sense.

Also, I would bet you that uf you actually did the math with resale/trad in, the difference between the two is less than $2k over the course of 5 years and 100k miles. In fact, you are likely to spend more on the 6.2L to the 7.3L upgrade than you would with the 7.3L to 6.7L upgrade when all things are considered.

You opinions only work for those that are doing what you think they should do.
I'm done buying truck so resale is meaningless.
And you know as well as I do that HP in a gasser is not the same as in a diesel. Gas engines don't have the same huge TQ numbers to go with the HP as diesels do.

4x4ord wrote:
^^^ 475 hp and 1050 lbft.:)

Still not worth $10,495 to me. But geezus thats a ton of power. My truck now sits for weeks on end since the wife retired. We drive her car everywhere when not camping. Hard to justify it.

I have never seen anything close to 14.5 mpg on my truck, even when empty. I doubt even the current model year F450 pickups get that kind of mileage empty, at 65 mph.

:):)