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Ford 7.3L Diesel Question

ShtrRdy

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Sep 17, 2011
    2,922
    794
    High Plains
    I have a 2000 F-250 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. As the miles add up I'm going to need to address problems as they come up. Do you have a favorite online forum that you belong to for help?

    Thanks -- Todd
     
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    Reactions: timesublime
    Powerstroke.org will be your best friend. And honestly as long as you replace the oil and fuel filters that girl will run forever.
     
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    Reactions: GONE BAD
    Wow, there's quite an assortment of forums.

    I've been good about changing oil & filter and fuel filter but things are starting to act up. It has 104k on it and I believe it's good for many more miles.

    Last year there was a day that it would crank over but not start. Turns out the heater in the fuel filter shorted out, which blew a fuse. That particular fuse also powered the glow plugs and (something else important)
     
    Wow, there's quite an assortment of forums.

    I've been good about changing oil & filter and fuel filter but things are starting to act up. It has 104k on it and I believe it's good for many more miles.

    Last year there was a day that it would crank over but not start. Turns out the heater in the fuel filter shorted out, which blew a fuse. That particular fuse also powered the glow plugs and (something else important)
    That fuse is the same fuse that powers the PCM (engine computer), IPR, Glow plug relay. The heaters since mid 2001 are ceramic coated so they can not short out like that again. You will never have that issue again with the truck.
     
    [QUOTE="Sniperwannabee, post:
    Just get a Cummins

    Actually, I know a couple guys who own Dodge Cummins pickups and they've been stranded before. So I don't think simply switching to a Cummins will solve any problem.
     
    Wow, there's quite an assortment of forums.

    I've been good about changing oil & filter and fuel filter but things are starting to act up. It has 104k on it and I believe it's good for many more miles.

    Last year there was a day that it would crank over but not start. Turns out the heater in the fuel filter shorted out, which blew a fuse. That particular fuse also powered the glow plugs and (something else important)
    300,000 miles is so easy to get out of 7.3 it is not even a challenge (unless you are running a K&N type air filter #1 killer of diesel engines). have one in my shop with 440,000 right now. most I have ever personally seen is 806,000. The million mile club is full of them, don't forget the leader of that club by a long shot is a Volvo (engine was rebuilt on the Volvo a couple times in over 3,000,000 miles, I am talking original miles on original engine vs on the frame/body).
     
    300,000 miles is so easy to get out of 7.3 it is not even a challenge (unless you are running a K&N type air filter #1 killer of diesel engines). have one in my shop with 440,000 right now. most I have ever personally seen is 806,000. The million mile club is full of them, don't forget the leader of that club by a long shot is a Volvo (engine was rebuilt on the Volvo a couple times in over 3,000,000 miles, I am talking original miles on original engine vs on the frame/body).

    Uh-oh, I've got one of those killer K&N air filters. How does that damage the engine?
     
    Screw the forums. PM me. Mechanic for 30 years. Head diesel tech/mechanic at ford dealer for almost 25. Own a 2002 7.3 6 speed with only 97k. Original owner bought with 2 miles.
    I had the pleasure of owning, and rebuilding, a 6.0.
     
    I cringe every time I see a k&n filter/sticker on a vehicle. Look up k&n filter dusted engines.
    ding ding ding we have a winner!!!! can NOT like your post enough. 9 out of 10 engines I have seen die early in the last 30 years had a K&N type filter. which is a false statement because they don't filter shit. I run the AIS kit on mine for that exact reason. I go in some very dusty conditions and dirt is a killer.
     
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    Reactions: 47chevycoe
    I’d recommend going back to stock, or going the ford ais severe duty route. I’d lean towards the latter.
     
    Uh-oh, I've got one of those killer K&N air filters. How does that damage the engine?

    I had a k&n oiled filter once. Every time I took it off to wash and clean it I had enough dust in the intake tube to plant corn. I wouldn’t run anything but factory in my engine. I know in the 6.0 the factory filter could hold some where close to 4.0lbs of dirt and still do the job. And in my 6.7 powerstroke with over 500hp the factory filter is providing enough air.
     
    Unless a roller lifter seizes and grinds a cam lobe at just over 100k.
    Well that would leave a bad taste, haven't heard of that being common. I can't understand why Ford didn't put a dt466 in the super duty from the get go, maybe they thought it would eat drivetrain parts. A mechanical dt466 instead of all that HPOP crap in the early 90s would have been a home run for Ford in the f series
     
    Well that would leave a bad taste, haven't heard of that being common. I can't understand why Ford didn't put a dt466 in the super duty from the get go, maybe they thought it would eat drivetrain parts. A mechanical dt466 instead of all that HPOP crap in the early 90s would have been a home run for Ford in the f series

    There is a local guy that put a 466 in a 87 f250 here locally. He sled pulls it at brush pulls. It is a bad sob! I saw him pull against a professional pull truck and the 466 smoked him by 20 feet at least. How embarrassing!
     
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    Reactions: Sniperwannabee
    The 7.3 is a beast. Not making the power that we've got these days, but that's technology for you. Nothing like that sound of the 7.3 - I miss it.

    I've been extremely happy with the two 6.7's that I've had. Emissions bullshit aside, I'm a fan (exception, the 6.4). Delete it? Hell yeah, after the warranty expiration.
     
    what is a dt466?
    It's a 466 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder turbo diesel made by international. It basically has legendary status among diesel enthusiast in the know. Damn good motor. A dt466 with 200hp and around 550tq in a f350 with a 5spd and 4:10 gears in the early 90s or late 80s would have seriously set the bar for a heavy duty pickup. Durable as hell and good fuel mileage. Those motors are in alot of school buses , dump trucks, tractors, damn near everything but a pickup.
     
    A 6.0 really is a pretty good motor if it's factory problems are fixed before they show up.
    Yep, now that time has passed and new trucks are $60,000 6.0PSD ain't to bad. I could own one before I could own a 6.4 PSD, oh my gawd they are horrible.
    Unless a roller lifter seizes and grinds a cam lobe at just over 100k.
    Yep, Yep, Yep, seen that a few times. I am pretty sure that is the reason the 6.7 uses 32 lifters and 32 push rods. NO valve bridges.
     
    The 7.3 is a beast. Not making the power that we've got these days, but that's technology for you. Nothing like that sound of the 7.3 - I miss it.

    I totally agree on the 7.3 sounding like a proper beast.
    I just sold my 2000 F350 with the 7.3 (had about 130K on it), to replace it with something a bit newer, and while the new engines sound decent, the good old roar is simply not there anymore.
     
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    Reactions: AIAW
    Yep, now that time has passed and new trucks are $60,000 6.0PSD ain't to bad. I could own one before I could own a 6.4 PSD, oh my gawd they are horrible.

    Yep, Yep, Yep, seen that a few times. I am pretty sure that is the reason the 6.7 uses 32 lifters and 32 push rods. NO valve bridges.

    I managed to get rid of my 6.4 right before the point where it became EGR cooler/head gasket failure prone. Didn’t want to go through the whole block-off route at the time, but it was DPF/CAT deleted. Weren’t they turbo bearing failure prone also?

    One of friends hydro-locked his 6.4 after an EGR cooler failure. Luckily the 1st Gen 6.7 was out by then so he switched. Still lost a good bit of money on it regardless.
     
    I managed to get rid of my 6.4 right before the point where it became EGR cooler/head gasket failure prone. Didn’t want to go through the whole block-off route at the time, but it was DPF/CAT deleted. Weren’t they turbo bearing failure prone also?

    One of friends hydro-locked his 6.4 after an EGR cooler failure. Luckily the 1st Gen 6.7 was out by then so he switched. Still lost a good bit of money on it regardless.
    Yep high pressure turbo would run hotter than hell and burn up the oil which would block the oil feed line and burn the bearings up. The 6.4 has quite a few issues AND it is a BITCH to work on.
     
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    Reactions: AIAW