I'm looking at upgrading to a 11.5K loaded fifth wheel.I currently tow a 6K TT.Truck is Bone stock except for (DP infinity tuner and a 6.0L Trans Cooler)2000 F250 7.3L CCSB SRW auto 4x4 Lariat 3.73 with 90K miles.I live in the Pacific NW so passes and grades are part of life here.So question goes to you guys with turbo 7.3L towing around 11-12kwhats your speed, RPM, gear when ascending and most important what have you done, or has been done to your truck to accommodate the pull.Thanks in advance.

As an owner of a 2000 F350 LB SRW 4X4 7.3 I can say a lot about hauling my FW that weighs about 9300 pounds loaded.My truck is rated to tow 10,000. Max capacity is 9900. Truck weighs 7300. Your capacity is less. Feeling that weight behind me pushing me downhill can be a nerve wracking experience, and I have a lot of experience with this truck. Here is a post in another forum you should read before you consider your purchase.F250 towing.

I understand GVWR, GCWR, GWAR (rear and front) Truck is equipped with Ford camper pkg and setup as a F350 even thou fender badged as a F250. 20K GCWR and truck weighs in at 7300

Kamyo91 wrote:I'm looking at upgrading to a 11.5K loaded fifth wheel.I currently tow a 6K TT.Truck is Bone stock except for (DP infinity tuner and a 6.0L Trans Cooler)2000 F250 7.3L CCSB SRW auto 4x4 Lariat 3.73 with 90K miles.I live in the Pacific NW so passes and grades are part of life here.So question goes to you guys with turbo 7.3L towing around 11-12kwhats your speed, RPM, gear when ascending and most important what have you done, or has been done to your truck to accommodate the pull.Thanks in advance.I spent nearly 16 years towing with a 7.3. F350. I towed from 7k-13K. The truck did pretty good in the mountains until I went to my present fifth wheel at 13K, then it pretty much fell on its face. It was okay on the flat, pretty slow getting going on freeway on ramps , and struggled in the mountains . It did just okay under 10k, but as said not good over 10K.I did about all you could do to make it run better without doing injectors ,and turbo. DP tuner, 4" exhaust , 6.0 transmission cooler, and intercooler, plus AIS air intake. Of course gauges for EGT's, transmission, and turbo.First off you don't have the power with that 7.3, and you are overloaded with that F250 if trying to tow a 12K fifth wheel. You will not be happy unless you are towing in Kansas :) Then it still won't be pleasant.

Don't plan on getting anywhere very quick. The 7.3 was not a power monster by any means. My stepdad has a 01 I have used quite a lot. It is very dependable but just lacks power. His Sportsman trailer weighs about 5K. My old Sprinter weighed close to 9K He could not keep up with me on ANY real hills. It just doesn't have the power. He is chipped with an Edge J/A. It does get much better fuel milage than my 08 Ram though Chris

Install a PacBrake and you a are good to go!

Towing with a Powerstroke 7.3L (expectation/realistic)

Wes_Tausend
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:
SoCalDesertRider wrote:
I think the factory rating for the 7.3 Powerstroke in my truck was 235/425. I think it was very slightly less in the pickups of the same year, like 225/400 or so. I'm sure someone here can tell us. I don't have my old Ford spec info from that era at hand anymore and the valve cover sticker is long gone...

Also, I think the 7.3's in the Ford trucks revved a little higher than they did in the International trucks, but the International tune set the peak hp/tq to come in at a lower rpm than the Fords. Probably had different camshafts too.

I would love to have put a manual behind my 7.3. I think it would have been much better than with the auto. I drove an F-Superduty 7.3 truck with the 5 speed manual and 5.13 gears. That truck was a beast compared to mine!

http://www.powerstrokehub.com/7.3-power-stroke.html

Better break out of year and power, scroll down.

And matching Navistar/International powerstrokehub.com specs including Marty's...
http://www.powerstrokehub.com/t444e.html

Wes
...
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
Fire or not, I had to keep on working. Since the utility body and it's equipment were saved (thanks to the guys at circle city fire department!), I offloaded the utility body and put it back onto the trusty old 5.8 truck.

Took off the flatbed too, wasn't sure if I would need it for the next truck or not.

The truck had some heavy spring packs under it...
marcsbigfoot20b
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
SoCalDesertRider wrote:
I think the factory rating for the 7.3 Powerstroke in my truck was 235/425. I think it was very slightly less in the pickups of the same year, like 225/400 or so. I'm sure someone here can tell us. I don't have my old Ford spec info from that era at hand anymore and the valve cover sticker is long gone...

Also, I think the 7.3's in the Ford trucks revved a little higher than they did in the International trucks, but the International tune set the peak hp/tq to come in at a lower rpm than the Fords. Probably had different camshafts too.

I would love to have put a manual behind my 7.3. I think it would have been much better than with the auto. I drove an F-Superduty 7.3 truck with the 5 speed manual and 5.13 gears. That truck was a beast compared to mine!

http://www.powerstrokehub.com/7.3-power-stroke.html

Better break out of year and power, scroll down.
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
I think the factory rating for the 7.3 Powerstroke in my truck was 235/425. I think it was very slightly less in the pickups of the same year, like 225/400 or so. I'm sure someone here can tell us. I don't have my old Ford spec info from that era at hand anymore and the valve cover sticker is long gone...

Also, I think the 7.3's in the Ford trucks revved a little higher than they did in the International trucks, but the International tune set the peak hp/tq to come in at a lower rpm than the Fords. Probably had different camshafts too.

I would love to have put a manual behind my 7.3. I think it would have been much better than with the auto. I drove an F-Superduty 7.3 truck with the 5 speed manual and 5.13 gears. That truck was a beast compared to mine!
blt2ski
Moderator
Jun 24, 2016
The.hp torque spec mentioned for the t444e from international was the highest output available. Lowest uric was 180/480 or there abouts. The ere two other options in the 200-210 hp range, and 525-545 lb ft of torque. Limit being this was max torque for all but one of the granny options. You had to get a manual with the highest power rating. I've actually out pulled speed wise one of th.e.mid hp setups with.an auto, as the auto pulled some 50+ :-P from the motor vs 20-25 for my 7 sp Spicer. Not bad for a 175/335 non turbo set up. Still a slug over all.

Marty
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
The day the 7.3 truck burned down. :(

I was towing an aluminum bass boat that day to the shop for welding repair.

There stands the fire extinguisher that might have been able to put out the fire, IF it had been working! Grrrrr...
Fortunately, that big guy right there, and his crew, got to the fire before it could get to those tanks and go kaboom. :)

No more 7.3 diesel...

Good thing the truck didn't have electric locks and windows. Would be a bad day to not be able to get out of the truck...
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
The old 7.3 truck was a very hard worker. :)

Hauling a customer's John Deere that needed rebuilding of the aerator mechanism.

The 5.8 truck needed a tow. Rats chewed the injector wiring. :M

A little R&R. Taking the Samurai out 4-wheeling. :)

Bear, riding shotgun in the 7.3 truck. :D
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
Setting up the 7.3 truck for welding local jobs. Loading the utility body, up on jacks like a truck camper, from the other F350.

Transfer of utility body between F350's completed.
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
The 7.3 on the job.

Loaded up to go weld a 4 story apartment building. 18,000 lbs combined weight (scaled). 3500 lbs of 1" steel plate loaded on bed of truck, cut into connector plates for joining I-beams in framing of building. Tools for the crew in gang boxes on trailer.

My son helped on the job. Hanging out after work, in front of the Motel-6 hotel room that was our crew's 'home' for a few months.

Part way through the job. Sorry no good views of the I-beams in pic.

Building welded, loaded up to leave the job.
SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Jun 24, 2016
blt2ski wrote:
Glen,

Exact reasons I bought the 4600LP, even tho it had the same engine as the For SD or pre 450 15K gvwr, or the GM 3500HD ie a pre 4500 15K gvwr. The REST of the 4600 was much more truck. I did not need nor require the HP of a DT466 or 360. Altho I admit at times I wish I had the 235/620 T444E, but that would have been another $6-7K, $10K for a DT like you have which would be the cats meow for how I use my truck. Mostly local doing under 55 mph, a few forays on the interstate at 60, now where legal per say to drive over 60 for 100 miles N, S, E or West for that matter.....

At the end of the day, it is choosing the truck that fits ones needs and desires from a carrying standpoint, power/speed standpoint, and gearing such that one can go up a certain % grade with out stalling out! be it lack of gearing but power there, did that with many 454/TH400 1 tons, or lack of traction.

Marty
With all the talk about the proper tune and intake/turbo/exhaust parts for the 7.3, I think the right combination is right there, in bold print.

Whatever International did to the T444E (7.3 Powerstroke, in Ford terms) to make it produce 620 lb-ft, reliably, in a high duty cycle, commercial application, is what the 7.3 needs in our old pickups.

Find that information, and there will be the answer to the question of how do we upgrade the 7.3 to produce greater power, while still retaining the reliability and longevity it is known for.

235hp and 620 lb-ft is more than some DT466's produce. There are many ratings for all of International's engines.