Longevity of the 7.3?

[BoostedToy]

Hello all, I have been looking around doing a search and couldn't really gather a handle on how long these engines are good for if properly maintained. I am looking at possibly buying a 99' - 00' Powerstroke. Most of the trucks (I am looking for a 4x4 Crew Cab) I am finding in my price range have 180-200k miles. I am wondering if i'd be purchasing a truck that is on its last legs. Thanks for any input or information.
J. Mallonee

 

[95_stroker]

Welcome to SDD BoostedToy,

You ask a very good question. IF the previous owner did regularly scheduled maintenance and wasnt abusive to the truck the actual rotating assembly on these PSD's is good for well in excess of 500,000 miles. Thats not to say that you wont have problems with the auxillary equipment such as turbo, tranny, fuel pump,water pump, injectors, glow plug system etc etc............. But you shouldnt have to worry about rods, cranks and bearings (major overhaul items) for a good long time.

 

[BoostedToy]

95 stroker, I appreciate the reply. That is good you mentioned the other items. Really, I am in a situation in which I can pay roughly 15k for the truck itself. However, I cannot afford to put another 2-3k into it because of accessory driven issues or bad wheel bearings, etc, in the immediate year after purchase. At what point do some of the wear items such as power steering/water pump/injectors/fuel pump...as well as driveline items like wheel bearings...start to go bad?

Another question I have is about the transmission. I am up for either a ZF-6 or auto. I don't mind rowing gears. I honestly would probably prefer an automatic just because it is easier to drive and more relaxing (and the wife could drive it if need be). However, how do the automatics hold up in these trucks. I've been around cummin's and d-max's and many i know from those crowds (even stock trucks!) are having auto tranny issues. How does the ford automatic hold up? Really, i'd prefer an auto, but not if it's going to cost me 2500 or however much they go for, to put a new one in after I buy the truck. I'd just assume get a stick and worry about putting a clutch in it (probably 1k total?) in it to save money.

Any comments or suggestions on this? Again, thank you all for the input!

 

[powerboatr]

my 92 7.3 idi held up with almost zero issues for 110k or so miles.
I let here go for a new shiny 2002, zero engine related issues
7.3 is a very durable engine



i changed lots of brakes, a few fluids and 3 sets of tires, a few belts, one hose and 8 glow plugs, 8 injectors as part of preventive maintenance
all depends like mentioned, on how the previous owner took care of it.
a good oil sample and coolant check will tell volumes.

crawl under it look for tell tale shortcuts or lack of TLC

 

[95_stroker]

The normal wear items on a diesel will wear at the same rate that they would on a gasser. That would be some of the things mentioned already.... water pump, fuel pump, power steering pump, wheel bearings and brakes. They dont care what is spinning them, be it a gas or diesel. So if you are in the market for a used PSD, you can assume the same wear time as on a used gasser for accessory equipment.

The tranny is another issue altogether, the auto's on these trucks are good, that is unless they were abused. I think you will find the same to be true in Duramax and Cummins as well. If the previous owner got it hot, then there could be trouble looming ahead. However if he did regular service on it and didnt get it hot it should be in decent shape for a good time yet. CHeck the fluid, see if it smells burnt, see if you can have a tranny shop drop the pan and look at it. If you want to go with a manual transmission then you know the pitfalls of clutch issues. Oh, a cheap rebuild on one of the 4R100's is 2500, an expensive rebuild is pushing 4 grand right now.

 

[stroked 350]

i got 120,000 out of my e 4od cost 2500 to rebuild

 

[Crumm]

If you do decide to go for it you might check the following list from Baz's site:


Turbo:

You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.

Tranny:

If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.

Coolant:

Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0.

Front end:

Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)

Oil:

The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.

Aftermarket stuff:

Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.

Glow Plugs/Relay:

Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.

Injector o-rings:

The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.

Leaks and Drips:

You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.

VIN number:

If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history

 

[Strokin_it7.3]

the powerstroke in the commercial industry (IHC T444E) is considered to be good for 400,000 miles if properly maintained. the thing you have to worry about is the automatic transmission, which won't last that long. other than that, make sure the frame is still in good condition.

 

[Mobeydick]

My 01 tranny went 203K before I got the bts. only had the fluid changed once at 148K. It worked fine when it left!! 229,997 on him right now!!

 

[BoostedToy]

Thanks for all the feedback. It looks like the engine itself isn't a major concern. So I am going to redirect this topic if I can. This may have been gone over at some point, but I couldn't find TOO much on the search function. So...All things being equal as far as preference. Over a 200k period (from 200k-350 or 400k miles), I would LOVE to hear an argument for and against an automatic or manual tranny. So:

ZF-6 vs. Auto

Keep in mind, I really can't afford to drop 4k on a sun coast or whatever the equivalent tranny builder is. I would PREFER an auto, but if it will be cheaper to run a manual...I will do it.