justice1736

iTrader: (1)

hey guys,
im new to this side of the forum. normally spend a lot of time over in the f150 side. but im looking for a 3/4 ton truck and was wondering what yall thought of the 1999 to 2002 7.3 liter? all the ones ive found seem to be pretty high for a 15-16 year old truck. is there anything I should look for? I know very little about diesels. the last one I drove was a 1991 f350. heres a link to one I found. but man it worries me buying an older truck.


http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4927147346.html


what do you think?

RainDesert

Some guys like working on trucks and some can't stand the fact they have to take it in for little things. I for one don't mind what comes with a used SD w/171k miles on it, and is why it cost 9k instead of 50k. I also choose to go new anymore because I just can't afford downtime on my truck. Anyway that truck will have or has had:
Annoying oil leaks, ball joints go bad, power window or lock problems, tranny failure for sure and glow plugs. All in all, everything on the SD is pretty easy to take care of, and no telling how much maintenance the truck previously had.
I have had lots of trucks and the used SD is the only one I would get today if I was looking for used trucks.
I always try to find out how much recent work it has had so you know what could be coming soon.

learningneverends

I used to own a 1999 extended cab xlt 4x4 7.3. Best truck ever. Needed money so I sold it and I regretted it. Older stuff does need work sometimes but read some of these forums. Newer does also. If you keep up on maintenance it will outlast a newer gas truck. The towing on the older ones does not compare to newer diesel trucks however. In fact it may be close to some of the new f150's with the right options. Unless you get a dually.

whitey13

Had a 2000 f250 with the 7.3,loved the truck,put 168,000 miles on it mostly towing and the only problems I ever had was a transmission at 134,000 and a cam position senser at 98,000.I would stay away from any one with a programmer or chip in it.I only did an air inlet and exhaust and I think that helped the depenablity of it.Had it 10yrs great truck.

RLXXI

FYI the 7.3 DIT spanned 1994.5-2004 when the all new and better 6.0 debuted.


As with any used vehicle you face worn out or almost used up machines. If you can make $$ with it all the better.

redneck wrencher

Actually, the last year for the 7.3 was 2003 and this was also the first year of the 6.0. The 7.3 was still produced in later right drive models, overseas, in countries such as Australia. The only major failure I had was the transmission. This was the drawback of owning an '01 year model, as they were produced with a "mechanical diode" one-way Intermediate clutch. This is something to consider when looking at different years. If the trans has been rebuilt, this part should have been replaced. I rebuilt mine and upgraded all the "trouble spots". There are also some differences in the between the early '99 year models and the '02 and up that are noteworthy in comparison to the other years, but not deal breakers when considering them. The biggest change, when considering mods to upgrade power, is the fact that engines produced after mid Oct 2000 on were mostly likely to have PMR's (powder metal rods), instead of the preferred Forged Rods. I lucked out and mine was produced only a few days before the change.
I sold my diesel in August of 2014 with 218k miles on the clock. It still was a great truck and the new owner loves it. I hated parting with it, but it wasn't cost effective to keep it after purchasing my new F150 and fuel/upkeep savings I have with my commuter car.

PerryB

The transmission is definitely the weak link with these trucks. The 4r100 was basically an updated e4od, and the e4od was a steaming pile. If the truck is a grocery getter you'll probably be fine. If you're going to tow any significant loads, start building a tranny fund.

redneck wrencher

Both the E4OD and 4R100 can be built to handle just about anything you throw at it. But, like everything else, there is always a price attached to it. A trans and cooler, with upgrades, is going to cost you a few grand. I am , currently, helping a fellow Ford Truck Enthusiast rebuild his 4R100 trans.
The maintenance history is a key factor when choosing a vehicle. I did all my own maintenance and repairs (auto/heavy equip mechanic for 35 yrs) and provided the new owner with the information he needed to keep up said maintenance. I even went so far as to provide him with "lifetime tech support".