7.3L Ford Diesel

[Lgreen]

I friend of mine has a 2003 F-250 with the 7.3L Diesel for sale that I am going to look at tomorrow. It has 75,000 miles on it, and I know it has had meticulous care (he is a retired heavy diesel mechanic).

As a reader of this forum, I am familiar with the reported issues with the Ford 6.0 and later engines (and do not want to restart that discussion in this thread). I am wondering what the known issues with this engine are, and what the expected longevity of this truck would be.

If I buy this truck, I will also be buying his 10,000 lb (empty) fifth wheel. I know that this engine does not have the power of the current generation of diesels. However, the complexity of the current diesels scares me, along with the cost.

I appreciate all the input that you all can provide.

[majorgator]

up2nogood wrote:

No they don't do just fine ,they do okay. 10K empty maybe, but doubtful.

I thought maybe after owning a truck for nearly 16 years ( Early 99 Superduty 7.3 ) I would get a new one.

Somehow you guys ,and your nostalgic view of the 7.3 overshadow the facts . One of the worst transmissions ever built ( 4R100 ) CPS issues, wire harness problems, crappy OEM ball joints, and I could continue ,but its obvious its falling on deaf ears. Oh ! ya the 7.3 is a solid motor, thats been proven, but beyond that ,please don't try to tell me how great they are. They were great in their time, and it has passed. Get over it its a fact :S

Your opinion is apparently based upon your limited experience with your vehicle. That's OK, but there are countless others on this thread that have countered your opinion with their own/our own experiences. That's OK too. Nearly all the common problems that plagued the 7.3's are easy fixes that a driveway wannabe mechanic can fix inespensivley and fairly quickly. Nobody is debating that it has the same power as the newer diesels, but since most of us aren't looking to haul 18k lbs across steep grades, the 7.3 does JUST FINE. And as already mentioned, the 7.3 takes just a little bit of tweaking to get drastically more power out of it. That's a fact...

[Kevin_O_]

Like I said, not everyone has the option of going out and purchasing a new $50-$70K tow vehicle. So if your having to buy used then the 7.3L is a damn good choice! Yes the 4r100 is the weakest link. But a one time purchase from BTS or John Wood along with a 6.0 trans cooler and you wouldn't have to worry about it again. Also if you think these trucks are well past their prime then why are they in such high demand and still fetching top dollar?? Now that's a fact...

[cummins2014]

Kevin O. wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

nevadanick wrote:
I have towed with a 7.3 where i was over 30k gross and yes it was slow getting up to speed and slow on hills but it still does it.

Kinda my point.

I guess it takes towing with a truck that can handle a heavy fifth wheel to realize the difference, then just saying " but it does it " A lot of the older diesels would do it, doesn't mean they do it well.

Why is speed the only factor required for "doing it well?"

I'm much more concerned about how the chassis handles the load than how fast it can pull the hill. Silly nonsense this infatuation about speed. Towing is towing..racing is racing...right hand lanes were designed for slower moving vehicles. Plus were only talking about heavy grades where the truck slows down. That's what 5% or less of a Vacation.. Even going over the Rockies, your only talking a small part of the trip.

Towing 7,000 lbs with my old 97 F150 with 235hp Was a pleasure. Thst rig handled well and had pleanty of power. Met one serious grade that I crested in the slow lane at 40 mph...zero problems.

Currently an EcoDiesel thread going and people are complaining that the poor little ED has to work to maintain 50 mph on the Ike Gauntlett...I swear some people have never towed before, or at least with anything less than a modern HD monster.

OP...enjoy the 7.3..it's a great TRUCK motor inside a great TRUCK.

If you want a Hot Rod, take some of the money you saved and pick up a sweet Mustang GT! Lol

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I can't argue with what you are saying , if that is what what you want out of towing heavy.

I got tired of getting on freeways, and hoping traffic would yield , and thats just one example of the lack of towing power,there are others. I especially don't miss the noise, soot all over my back bumper, and in the front ,and down one side of my fifth wheel.

I tow 62-65 depending on the conditions, and 30-40 in the mountains with that 7.3 , thank goodness for passing lanes on some of the mountain grades .


Totally surprised the weight police on this forum has not shot down this thread long ago. Over 13K with a 1999-2003 7.3 ?????? I can't remember how many times I was shot down for towing that heavy with my 7.3. Remember the OP is asking about a F250, its not rated for a 13K fifth wheel.

Where are you getting a 13K fifth wheel from?? The OP said it is 10K empty, Most people add around 1K +/- when loaded for a trip... That truck would do just fine with a 11K trailer.. I think it's rated at 13K for a fifth wheel from the factory? If you have the cash to go out and purchase a new truck for 60-$70,000 so you can climb steep grades at 65mph than more power to ya.. I ended up selling my newer truck over a year ago and purchased a 2001 F350 7.3. I have all the power and dependability I need. And the best part is no more high property taxes, High truck payments, actually no truck payments at all anymore! :B
To the OP, Don't hesitate and buy that truck! You won't regret it..

No they don't do just fine ,they do okay. 10K empty maybe, but doubtful.

I thought maybe after owning a truck for nearly 16 years ( Early 99 Superduty 7.3 ) I would get a new one.

Somehow you guys ,and your nostalgic view of the 7.3 overshadow the facts . One of the worst transmissions ever built ( 4R100 ) CPS issues, wire harness problems, crappy OEM ball joints, and I could continue ,but its obvious its falling on deaf ears. Oh ! ya the 7.3 is a solid motor, thats been proven, but beyond that ,please don't try to tell me how great they are. They were great in their time, and it has passed. Get over it its a fact :S

[BigToe]

Lessmore wrote:

BigToe wrote:


...." my first truck prior to that was a 1963 F-100 with a strong 289 and three on the tree."

Sounds like a nice truck. Think back then, didn't Ford have the 'unibody' truck bed ? Maybe that was a couple years earlier.

Your '63 probably.... originally..... had either the 292 Y block V8....or the six. The 289 might of been a replacement engine. But however it was originally equipped, it would be a nice vehicle.

Yes, my 1963 Ford truck was definitely a unibody. That was one of my issues with it... the rust between the bed and the cab. Unlike subsequent Ford pickup bed designs, the unibody bed didn't have enough provision for drainage when parked head down.

Still, there was more metal on just the dashboard on that truck than the entire body of my current crew cab Super Duty that has a plastic dashboard. I think that 1963 could have rusted for a long time and still held together, although the bed to cab junction had perforated through.

The floorboard to my 79 also perforated through with rust. The 79 had the last of the metal dashboards in a Ford pickup, and it was several times thinner metal than the 63 dashboard. But at least the 79 had a dash pad. Obviously newer trucks are much more human friendly when in a collision.

My 63 could very well have had the 292 instead of the 289. Now that you mention it, the 292 also rings a bell of familiarity. Perhaps I was thinking of the 66 Mustang with the 289.

I do know that I did not have a six cylinder. I may not remember an engine displacement than differs by 3 cubic inches, but I can still remember the difference between a straight 6 and a V8. The engine in the 63 was original. I remember there was something unique about the crossover exhaust though. It's been 30 years since I've seen that truck.

[Bamaman11]

I've got a 7.3, and I've averaged 10K miles per year since buying it 12 years ago. Other than a tuner, mine is completely stock.

They're very durable and very reliable.

And if you put a 80 hp econo tune on it, it'll be a very quick vehicle. Mine would chirp a tire when new. Now, it'll do burnouts from a dead stoop. I can stomp the throttle at 20 mph, and see two long black streaks in the rear view mirror.

And I went from 18 mpg to a current 20 mpg on the open road. Only problem is keeping rear tires from wearing.

[brooks379]

The 7.3 is one of the best diesel motors ever built. It has been 12 since they stopped putting them in pickups and the new diesel motors have passed them by as far as mpg and power. I would buy that truck in a heart beat if not wanting to buy new....I had 3 of them.... one thing you need to take a close look at is the oil pan on it. The oil pans would rust out and the engine needs to be pulled out to replace it $$$$$. There is some quick fix methods I have seen but I wouldn't want it done to any truck I owned. I own the 6.7 now but a friend of mine has....last time we talked about it anyway....405,000 on his 2002 7.3

[Grit_dog]

midnightsadie wrote:
I had one ,best they ever made. your gonna love it.and it,ll out mpg than a new one. 75k not even broke in.

Best Ford diesel anyway. All things equal, I'd take the same year in either of the other 2 brands first, but that truck is basically the holy grail of Fords. Get it!
If it's too much of a dog, put a programmer on it and let er rip!

[Kevin_O_]

up2nogood wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

nevadanick wrote:
I have towed with a 7.3 where i was over 30k gross and yes it was slow getting up to speed and slow on hills but it still does it.

Kinda my point.

I guess it takes towing with a truck that can handle a heavy fifth wheel to realize the difference, then just saying " but it does it " A lot of the older diesels would do it, doesn't mean they do it well.

Why is speed the only factor required for "doing it well?"

I'm much more concerned about how the chassis handles the load than how fast it can pull the hill. Silly nonsense this infatuation about speed. Towing is towing..racing is racing...right hand lanes were designed for slower moving vehicles. Plus were only talking about heavy grades where the truck slows down. That's what 5% or less of a Vacation.. Even going over the Rockies, your only talking a small part of the trip.

Towing 7,000 lbs with my old 97 F150 with 235hp Was a pleasure. Thst rig handled well and had pleanty of power. Met one serious grade that I crested in the slow lane at 40 mph...zero problems.

Currently an EcoDiesel thread going and people are complaining that the poor little ED has to work to maintain 50 mph on the Ike Gauntlett...I swear some people have never towed before, or at least with anything less than a modern HD monster.

OP...enjoy the 7.3..it's a great TRUCK motor inside a great TRUCK.

If you want a Hot Rod, take some of the money you saved and pick up a sweet Mustang GT! Lol

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I can't argue with what you are saying , if that is what what you want out of towing heavy.

I got tired of getting on freeways, and hoping traffic would yield , and thats just one example of the lack of towing power,there are others. I especially don't miss the noise, soot all over my back bumper, and in the front ,and down one side of my fifth wheel.

I tow 62-65 depending on the conditions, and 30-40 in the mountains with that 7.3 , thank goodness for passing lanes on some of the mountain grades .


Totally surprised the weight police on this forum has not shot down this thread long ago. Over 13K with a 1999-2003 7.3 ?????? I can't remember how many times I was shot down for towing that heavy with my 7.3. Remember the OP is asking about a F250, its not rated for a 13K fifth wheel.

Where are you getting a 13K fifth wheel from?? The OP said it is 10K empty, Most people add around 1K +/- when loaded for a trip... That truck would do just fine with a 11K trailer.. I think it's rated at 13K for a fifth wheel from the factory? If you have the cash to go out and purchase a new truck for 60-$70,000 so you can climb steep grades at 65mph than more power to ya.. I ended up selling my newer truck over a year ago and purchased a 2001 F350 7.3. I have all the power and dependability I need. And the best part is no more high property taxes, High truck payments, actually no truck payments at all anymore! :B
To the OP, Don't hesitate and buy that truck! You won't regret it..

[IdaD]

My dad has a 2000 F250 super cab short box 4wd with the 7.3 and 4 spd auto that he bought new many years ago. He's got around 125k on it now, and it's never given him any trouble. It's loud and not overly powerful by today's standards, but it's been a great truck for him. He's in his late 70s now and I'm pretty sure it'll be the last truck he ever owns.

I wish I had a little more confidence in the newer Ford diesels, because otherwise they do know how to produce a solid and reliable truck.

[majorgator]

jerem0621 wrote:


Why is speed the only factor required for "doing it well?"

I'm much more concerned about how the chassis handles the load than how fast it can pull the hill. Silly nonsense this infatuation about speed. Towing is towing..racing is racing...right hand lanes were designed for slower moving vehicles.

Couldn't have said it better myself!
No point in getting in a hurry. I set the cruise on 65 while towing my TT and only go higher for those pesky situations when you need to. I'm a young fellow, so yes, I like speed. My '96 7.3 can pull a TT at whatever speed I desire. However, I'm happy cruising at 65, knowing that my fuel usage is reasonable, and I stand a less chance of trailer tire or bearing problems. The campground isn't going anywhere. If you want to get there earlier, leave earlier.

[Lessmore]

BigToe wrote:


...." my first truck prior to that was a 1963 F-100 with a strong 289 and three on the tree."

Sounds like a nice truck. Think back then, didn't Ford have the 'unibody' truck bed ? Maybe that was a couple years earlier.

Your '63 probably.... originally..... had either the 292 Y block V8....or the six. The 289 might of been a replacement engine. But however it was originally equipped, it would be a nice vehicle.

[Lessmore]

A friend of one drove a one ton Ford (dually) utility truck with the 7.3 engine and standard transmission. Think he put well over 300,000 miles on it, before he retired.

No problems that I recall. He was very high on it. The Ford 7.3 liter diesel V8 was an engine made by International Trucks (Navistar)....for Ford.

The only problem I can see is that all of the 7.3's are fairly old now, haven't been made for a long time. But if it's ...as you indicated...low mileage, well maintained, owned by someone you know and the price is right...I would say seriously consider it.

[BigToe]

When I bought my 7.3L in 2000, I had the feeling that it would be my last truck, so I wanted it to last. The "race" for me isn't uphill, it is "time in service" with the fewest dollars spent over the longest period of time possible.

At minimum, a truck has to hold up for 15 years. For example, my previous truck was a 1979 F-250 with an anemic 400, and my first truck prior to that was a 1963 F-100 with a strong 289 and three on the tree.

Now that 15 years has passed on my current 7.3L, and now that the past 15 years has shown how expensive and complex the problems are with the newer motors that have superseded it, I think another 15 years of service from 7.3L is not only easily doable, but is the most rock solid reliable choice.

Finding a well cared for 7.3L with only 75,000 miles that hasn't been mucked with in terms of modifications like tunes, chips, injectors, etc is a good find that I wouldn't pass up if I didn't have one already.

[cummins2014]

jerem0621 wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

nevadanick wrote:
I have towed with a 7.3 where i was over 30k gross and yes it was slow getting up to speed and slow on hills but it still does it.

Kinda my point.

I guess it takes towing with a truck that can handle a heavy fifth wheel to realize the difference, then just saying " but it does it " A lot of the older diesels would do it, doesn't mean they do it well.

Why is speed the only factor required for "doing it well?"

I'm much more concerned about how the chassis handles the load than how fast it can pull the hill. Silly nonsense this infatuation about speed. Towing is towing..racing is racing...right hand lanes were designed for slower moving vehicles. Plus were only talking about heavy grades where the truck slows down. That's what 5% or less of a Vacation.. Even going over the Rockies, your only talking a small part of the trip.

Towing 7,000 lbs with my old 97 F150 with 235hp Was a pleasure. Thst rig handled well and had pleanty of power. Met one serious grade that I crested in the slow lane at 40 mph...zero problems.

Currently an EcoDiesel thread going and people are complaining that the poor little ED has to work to maintain 50 mph on the Ike Gauntlett...I swear some people have never towed before, or at least with anything less than a modern HD monster.

OP...enjoy the 7.3..it's a great TRUCK motor inside a great TRUCK.

If you want a Hot Rod, take some of the money you saved and pick up a sweet Mustang GT! Lol

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I can't argue with what you are saying , if that is what what you want out of towing heavy.

I got tired of getting on freeways, and hoping traffic would yield , and thats just one example of the lack of towing power,there are others. I especially don't miss the noise, soot all over my back bumper, and in the front ,and down one side of my fifth wheel.

I tow 62-65 depending on the conditions, and 30-40 in the mountains with that 7.3 , thank goodness for passing lanes on some of the mountain grades .


Totally surprised the weight police on this forum has not shot down this thread long ago. Over 13K with a 1999-2003 7.3 ?????? I can't remember how many times I was shot down for towing that heavy with my 7.3. Remember the OP is asking about a F250, its not rated for a 13K fifth wheel.

[jerem0621]

up2nogood wrote:

nevadanick wrote:
I have towed with a 7.3 where i was over 30k gross and yes it was slow getting up to speed and slow on hills but it still does it.

Kinda my point.

I guess it takes towing with a truck that can handle a heavy fifth wheel to realize the difference, then just saying " but it does it " A lot of the older diesels would do it, doesn't mean they do it well.

Why is speed the only factor required for "doing it well?"

I'm much more concerned about how the chassis handles the load than how fast it can pull the hill. Silly nonsense this infatuation about speed. Towing is towing..racing is racing...right hand lanes were designed for slower moving vehicles. Plus were only talking about heavy grades where the truck slows down. That's what 5% or less of a Vacation.. Even going over the Rockies, your only talking a small part of the trip.

Towing 7,000 lbs with my old 97 F150 with 235hp Was a pleasure. Thst rig handled well and had pleanty of power. Met one serious grade that I crested in the slow lane at 40 mph...zero problems.

Currently an EcoDiesel thread going and people are complaining that the poor little ED has to work to maintain 50 mph on the Ike Gauntlett...I swear some people have never towed before, or at least with anything less than a modern HD monster.

OP...enjoy the 7.3..it's a great TRUCK motor inside a great TRUCK.

If you want a Hot Rod, take some of the money you saved and pick up a sweet Mustang GT! Lol

Thanks!

Jeremiah