Who’s still using a 7.3 diesel truck

[Jtime]

Who’s still using a 7.3 diesel for there TC? How long have you had it? What TC do you have? What’s are some of the must haves to keep it chugging along happily with TC on top?

Cheers

[jimh406]

Do consider changing to a stock air filter. K&Ns aren’t the best filter for a turbo due to potential dirt getting by the filter compared to stock (it gets higher flow by not filtering as much), and you probably for sure are getting air filter noise.

Do you have the hood liner and are you running synthetic already? Rotella synthetic is just a bit more than Dino at Walmart.

[F-350shortBed]

I knew very little about TC’s when I bought my truck I knew that TC’s were heavy and that often times suspension adds were required on lighter trucks. I found a great deal on my 2000 F350 and purchased it fast without further research on TC’s.

Once I had the truck I began to worry about safety because my rig is lifted and has larger tires. That’s why I joined RV net; I got a lot of pushback about my setup being dangerous. So far I’ve logged 4.5 hours of driving with a Lance 865, lightly loaded. I only have an oral description to compare the way my rig handles versus on a stock 3/4 ton GMC and it seems like my truck handles great based on the prior TC owner’s oral description.

My suspension mods to my F350 are:
4” lift leveling kit (prior owner advertised 6”) Air bags, 6 leaf 3600# rear springs, rear sway bar,

Drive train mods:
LSDifferential with 4:10 gears; shift kit and heat sink on automatic trans.

7.3 Engine mods are:
Banks chip; Banks waste gate; Banks 4” exhaust with a Banks muffler; K&N air filter; after market Red hat(?) steering gear

Gauges:
Boost gauge; trans temperature; exhaust gas temperature

I think all of these items are overkill for a 2000 lbs Lance 865, but the prior truck owner towed a large fifth wheel with this rig. It’s reassuring going over steep passes knowing my 3 extra gauge measurements, particularly, the exhaust gas temperatures. Hopefully, that gauge will prolong the life of the engine.

I have some bone growth in my ear canals as well as the tiny bones ion my inner ear from surfing cold water most of my life and the hearing damage from engine noise adds a lot of insult to this condition, I had not thought about this problem. I think in my engine it’s the turbocharger, at low boost it’s a tolerable noise level. Above 7psi it sounds like I’m working on the tarmac at an airport without ear muffs. I’ll experiment with putting some insulation over the air filter and along the firewall and post if there is any difference.

[Kayteg1]

Marcela wrote:
With fuel prices going up those older trucks might look a little more attractive.

Not sure about it.
Been to Yellowstone last fall, when fuel prices were low and observing what's on the road, I counted about 5 TC and 500 Sprinter conversions.
The 25 mpg Sprinters sure own the market.
I heard $7 prediction for fuel price, so that sure will put old fuel guzzlers into parking lots.

[Marcela]

With fuel prices going up those older trucks might look a little more attractive.

[adamis]

Grit dog wrote:

JRJR wrote:
1999 F-250 7.3 PSD.

Hit 74,000 miles last week.
I now have a new 2021 on order that should be here this month.

You have a valuable old truck on your hands sir!

Indeed, don't sell to anyone who doesn't know what they are getting...

[Grit_dog]

JRJR wrote:
1999 F-250 7.3 PSD.

Hit 74,000 miles last week.
I now have a new 2021 on order that should be here this month.

You have a valuable old truck on your hands sir!

[JRJR]

1999 F-250 7.3 PSD.
N. lite 9.6
Mods to made for hauling camper.
Air Bags
Helwig big wig sway bars front and rear.
Rancho 9000 shocks.
E rated tires.
She hauls the camper with ease.
Hit 74,000 miles last week.
I now have a new 2021 on order that should be here this month. Gonna miss the old girl when she is gone but I have had it since it was new and now want 1 more new truck before it is time to cash in.

[sonuvabug]

Bedlam wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
I don’t know where all of the noise is coming from for the 7.3 since I haven’t had one. When I had a 6.0, I added the factory hood insulation “liner” and starting running Rotella Synthethetic. The combination got rid of a lot of noise.

Btw, the Onan propane generator that many of us have also got quite a bit quieter when I changed the oil to synthetic.

YMMV.

My engine ran quieter running biodiesel rather than straight dino diesel with friction modifiers after the ULSD was released. So I would guess the pump and injectors did contribute to it.

My stock 7.3 truck is relatively quiet. No issues talking, listening to the stereo etc. I have the hood liner and run 5w-40 synth oil. I also have cloth seats vs. leather if that makes a difference. No other added insulation etc. that I am aware of.

[Bedlam]

jimh425 wrote:
I don’t know where all of the noise is coming from for the 7.3 since I haven’t had one. When I had a 6.0, I added the factory hood insulation “liner” and starting running Rotella Synthethetic. The combination got rid of a lot of noise.

Btw, the Onan propane generator that many of us have also got quite a bit quieter when I changed the oil to synthetic.

YMMV.

My engine ran quieter running biodiesel rather than straight dino diesel with friction modifiers after the ULSD was released. So I would guess the pump and injectors did contribute to it.

[Bedlam]

Jtime wrote:
Alright guys let’s keep it on topic!

Anyone done a TC on a 7.3 with a flat deck ?

I considered doing this on my F250 6.0, but I had little reserve weight capacity to carry more items on the truck even if I made more volume available.

[mellow]

Noise is from the HEUI system.

https://www.dieselhub.com/tech/heui.html

[Kayteg1]

jimh425 wrote:
I don’t know where all of the noise is coming from for the 7.3 since I haven’t had one. When I had a 6.0, I added the factory hood insulation “liner” and starting running Rotella Synthethetic. The combination got rid of a lot of noise.

Btw, the Onan propane generator that many of us have also got quite a bit quieter when I changed the oil to synthetic.

YMMV.

I think the main noise on diesel is due to injection and spontanic combustion as the result.
On newer diesel the computer makes up to 5 smaller injections per single combustion, what brings the noise level to what gasoline engines have.
Also turbos get better, quieter ducting.

[HandyRandy]

Still have 2 7.3s - both 1999. Bought the F250 in 2000. It has 249,000 and (except for the transmission) has needed little more than routine service. I bought it for a Hallmark pop-up. I added pillar gauges, 4" exhaust, ham radio, Ford AIS Intake. In 2011 I upgraded to a Lance 1030 and the F250 wasn't quite enough truck. I found a 1999 F350 DRW manual transmission and have put ~75,000 on it. It has required typical service - alternator, glow plugs, rear pinion seal, transfer case motor and vacuum motor on the auto trans ESOF F250 - but the engine has been bomb proof. Since I already knew the truck I did the same upgrades plus a DIY exhaust brake.

Do I "love" them? Not really, but they are paid for, run great, do what I need them to do and I know them inside and out. If someone wanted to give me a $70,000 truck, I wouldn't turn them down, but I don't covet a new truck enough to pay the $. I'll run the now 22 year old 7.3s until it doesn't make sense.

[jimh406]

I don’t know where all of the noise is coming from for the 7.3 since I haven’t had one. When I had a 6.0, I added the factory hood insulation “liner” and starting running Rotella Synthethetic. The combination got rid of a lot of noise.

Btw, the Onan propane generator that many of us have also got quite a bit quieter when I changed the oil to synthetic.

YMMV.

[StirCrazy]

adamis wrote:

F-350shortBed wrote:
I haven’t owned mine very long but I’m definitely going to recommend ear plugs. I went on a 4.5 hour trip two days in a row to buy a TC.

For about two days afterwards, I could still hear turbochargers ringing in my head. I don’t know if that’s due to aftermarket modifications but seriously, ear plugs are a necessity for my 7.3.

For reference, mine is 2000 super duty with banks chip, banks waste gate, 4”exhaust and air raid air filter box housing K&N air filter.

Vehicle has 190,600 miles so far no fuel in coolant doesn’t burn oil. I’ve only put about 1000 miles on this recently acquired vehicle.

The noise is definitely one of the few downfalls of the 7.3. It isn't even really the engine as a whole but rather the injectors that make most of the noise. I ended up going to single shot injectors which are notoriously louder than OEM so I went backwards in the sound department. Your 4" exhaust is probably the largest culprit along with the filter box.

My truck isn't my daily driver (stays indoors except to haul the camper) and the noise actually helps to put the twin babies to sleep so it actually kind of is a plus (though still annoying after a long drive). Long term if we were cross country RVing I would need to make changes. Either figure out a way to make it quieter or heaven forbid purchase a newer truck and keep the old girl stored as a classic.

I have looked into sound dampening and I think there are some things that could be done to make it quieter but it will never be as quiet as a modern diesel. There are hush panels from the Excursion (hard to find now) that can go on the inside and take a few db off. I've considered adding some thicker sound dampening material to the firewall in the engine bay but that would be very difficult without pulling the engine. Another person considered making under engine panels with sound deadening material on it based off their experience of driving in snow and noticing how much more quiet it was but figuring out how to mount it all correctly would be a pain.

I've seen a few Youtube videos of guys taking their interior apart and adding dampening all over it. It seems that most of these guys are not as happy as they thought they would be. I think insulating the cab helps with road noise but when the engine is making the most noise, it doesn't matter if you reduce road noise while the engine is still the loudest part of the equation.

I did that as I had to replace the floor anyways. I lined from under the dash as high as I could get to just under the back window and the inside of the doors with a dynomat like product, then I put a double layer of jute and carpet. made a significant difference. I still felt guilty starting it up in a campground at 7 am when it was time to get back on the road, but at least it was way more quiet than a dodge 12 or 24 valve haha. but like some have said the 6.7 is more quiet than the gas engines.

Steve