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  #16  
Old 05-10-2011, 05:31 PM
mach0415's Avatar
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1997 was prime for the 7.3 PowerStroke before Ford started intercooling them, starting in 1999. I have worked on many of them, as a Ford diesel tech. The only weak points are the electronic valve cover gaskets, glow plug controller, high pressure oil pump and fittings and occasionally injectors ( all very simple to replace.) Cavitation sometimes takes out the bronze injector cups and you will start seeing fuel in the cooling system (very few and far between). I have seen zero base engine issues. Perhaps this is why its hard to find a cheap, used truck with a PS.

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  #17  
Old 05-11-2011, 12:14 PM
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My old man has a van with a 7.3L in it. Has 300,000 miles on it and still runs great, other than it is a little slow to start now. I would still recommend a P-Pumped cummins if you can find one that has a clean body and hasn't been messed with. It will have more pulling power than the stroker and get much better fuel mileage. Plus it's a much simpler motor which means it's easier to fix.
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  #18  
Old 05-11-2011, 12:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mach0415 View Post
1997 was prime for the 7.3 PowerStroke before Ford started intercooling them, starting in 1999. I have worked on many of them, as a Ford diesel tech. The only weak points are the electronic valve cover gaskets, glow plug controller, high pressure oil pump and fittings and occasionally injectors ( all very simple to replace.) Cavitation sometimes takes out the bronze injector cups and you will start seeing fuel in the cooling system (very few and far between). I have seen zero base engine issues. Perhaps this is why its hard to find a cheap, used truck with a PS.
seriously?
WTF is an electronic valve cover gasket???
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  #19  
Old 05-11-2011, 03:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
seriously?
WTF is an electronic valve cover gasket???
The UVC harness is a wire harness that runs under the valve cover. Probably what he is talking about.
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  #20  
Old 05-11-2011, 03:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phyxer View Post
The UVC harness is a wire harness that runs under the valve cover. Probably what he is talking about.
x2,

The valve cover gaskets hava an integrated electrical harness to run to the injectors from the harness outside. These tend to cause issues over time if the metal of the valve cover or head contact the wiring past the gasket material
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  #21  
Old 05-11-2011, 09:40 PM
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ahh. that makes sense!
I'm thinking of the reasoning for computerizing a valve cover gasket... heh.
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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  #22  
Old 05-11-2011, 10:02 PM
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Diesel Weasel
 
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Yeah the UVC harness (under valve cover harness) is what causes the valve cover gasket connectors to burn up and vice versa. The connectors get loose, cause high resistance, and burn the pins and plastic. Each valve cover gasket has two sets of four connectors for 4 glow plugs and 4 110 volt injector plugs. So there are 8 pins to potentially burn out. each of the 3 components for each bank of cylinders can be replaced separately. Easy fix, though.
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1985 300SD "Der Silberne Schlitten" 420,000 mi


Wish these were diesel:
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  #23  
Old 05-12-2011, 01:39 PM
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Here's what I know about the various model years and engines. I'm pretty sure it's accurate; Wikipedia agrees with it but I had read the same stats in other places.

These year brackets are for the ENGINES, not the truck bodies. It should be noted that the two did not always change in parallel.


1983-1987: 6.9L non-turbo IDI Navistar/International diesel. 170hp, 315 ft.lb torque.
1987-1991: 7.3L non-turbo IDI Navistar/International diesel. 180hp, 345 ft.lb torque.
1992-1994: 7.3L non-turbo IDI Navistar/International diesel. 185hp, 360 ft.lb torque.
1992.5-1994: 7.3l TURBO IDI Navistar/International diesel. 190hp, 390 ft.lb.
1994-1997: 7.3l PowerStroke turbo direct injection, 235hp, 425 ft lb torque.


Now, the truck bodies changed at different intervals than the engines. You'll just have to look and see which ones you like. The oldest 6.9 on the list was generally considered to be essentially as reliable as the 7.3, but the trucks themselves are now getting pretty old and rusty, for the most part.

As to whether a 7.3 power stroke or a 7.3 indirect injection is the more reliable choice... I have no idea. The 7.3idi is certainly more "similar" to our MB diesels, but this may or may not be of any value.

I'm sort of shopping for the same thing myself, after I get some money saved up. Right now I'm leaning towards trying to find one of the fairly rare turbo-included 7.3 IDIs but I have no idea what I'll end up going with. If I have to go to the power stroke in order to get a body that's modern enough and un-rusty enough to be serviceable, so be it.

Highly recommend this article. Shows you which engine and which body are in what combinations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F-Series
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  #24  
Old 05-12-2011, 02:17 PM
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The 7.3L ended in mid-2003. I have a 03 Excursion with the 7.3L; followed shortly after with the 6.0L. What a beast!
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  #25  
Old 05-12-2011, 02:30 PM
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I have an 01 Excursion with the 7.3. no issues at all with the motor but I did swap in a $4000 trans at around 130K miles. Im pretty hard on the truck since I tow a 24ft car trailer loaded heavy to Ohio yearly
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  #26  
Old 05-12-2011, 02:36 PM
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I would be real tickled to have a PS excursion.

Yes the cummins seems like the best engine out of the three, but it is attached to a POS Chrysler product.
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  #27  
Old 05-13-2011, 11:24 AM
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^^^What he said^^^^
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  #28  
Old 05-13-2011, 02:26 PM
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Diesel Weasel
 
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Yep. There were rumors that Cummins and Ford were to go in on a combo , but it was just a rumor. Navistar and Ford were in too far at that point. Now, the 6.7 Powerstroke is exclusively a Ford engine - and from what I am told, a hell of a good one too. Navistar and Ford parted ways over the fallout from the 6.0 buybacks and software to hardware issues from manufacturer to manufacturer.
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"Spark plugs?...We don't need no stinking spark plugs!"
1985 300SD "Der Silberne Schlitten" 420,000 mi


Wish these were diesel:
2003 Ford Club Wagon 130,000 mi
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  #29  
Old 05-14-2011, 01:25 PM
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Yeah, a friend of mind recently bought a 2010 F-250 diesel & he loves it. Took it in to the dealer for a software upgrade (factory) & said that it ran like a new truck. Also said that he was now getting 23 MPG on the highway (I'm sure he's getting that from the computer, so YMMV). He's tickled to death with it...
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  #30  
Old 05-14-2011, 02:02 PM
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I have an Excursion with the 6.0. I do like it very much. Had it since new. Needed EGR work many times but since I can only buy low sulfur diesel now it seems to be a non issue. The programming however is crazy. Every time it get reprogrammed something changes dramatically. I have gotten as high as 22 MPG on the highway and as low as 15. It has had a very quiet idle and a very noisy idle. It has had fantastic power and sometimes very good power. Funny thing is I think the fantastic power was also when I was getting 22MPG. Also starting can be good or difficult. Right now when outside temps are 50-65 it is very hard to start. Warmer or colder it starts right away. So I guess as with any modern diesel the programming is everything including reliability. The older 7.3 should have less issues

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