2020 7.3 ford

[Bruno of NH]

Mike
Yes I liked the motor pulled good and plowed snow well.
I had a gas Chevy one ton with a 7. Something with the Allison trans pulled like a beast hard on gas. Never plowed it just pulled my 24ft job trailer with it.
They stopped using it went to the gutless 6.0.
I had a 6.0 in a halfton that was good.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Manifold, argh!

My last truck was an 05 2500HD with a 6.0.  Not a whole lotta power, not a whole lotta issue's either.  But the manifolds.  I got new hardware (updated) and manifolds under factory warranty when I bought it in 07 or 08.  I got them done again in 2015.  I traded the truck last year and it had under 80K on it!

My new(er) truck is a 2015 GMC 3500DH with the 6.0.  GM has made improvement in the power dept, but not the manifold dept!  I dropped it off to my buddy at the GMC dealer for an LOF and look over, it's got 55K miles.  It got to spend the night.  He noticed a few manifold bolts were missing heads, then he removed the manifold(s) and they were warped!  It was all covered under powertrain warranty, so that was good news.  My buddy was less than impressed with my newly undercoated truck  :-\, he was a little, no a lot messy when he was done.  I repaid him with a nice Italian sandwich!

[starmac]

Funny, I have owned and used hard quite a few 460's from the time ford first made them available in a pickup. I still have and use an 87 with a 460 and 5 spd, and a 79 one ton dump with a c6. I have never had any manifold problems that I can remember out of any of them. I also had several cars with the 429 or 460 engine. I can't recall any of them, cars or pickups I got less than 200,000 miles out of, except a 79 f250, I bought new, but totaled right before it hit 100,000.

I got good gas mileage out of the cars, and 1/2 ton pickups, not so good out of the 3/4 and 1 ton pickups.

I am glad to here ford is coming out with a new PUSHROD engine. I literally hate starting overhead cam engines when temps are 20 below or less, way too much strain on the timing chains, but I am not and will never again be in the market for a new pickup, especially at todays prices.

[Runningalucas]

I've got an old IDI, I like it, does what I need, and gives me lots of contemplation time while doing it HAHAHAHA(idi joke)

[starmac]

As far as I am concerned, the old idi 6.9's were one of the best engines ever installed in a ford pickup. I still have a couple, but I have installed a turbo and overdrive unit on one of them.
They will not do what currant diesels do, but did everything I ever wanted to do with a pickup, I always had bigger trucks to use, when I needed a truck.

[ohiowoodchuck]

I never had any trouble out of the 460 manifolds either  we would always go find a 460 out of a lincoln continental  buy motor mounts for a 440 mopar bolt them on to the 460, change out the passenger side manifold for one from a truck and drop it down and go. If we couldn't find a manifold we would dish out the top rail of the frame and it would give the clearance we needed. 

[BargeMonkey]

Local boneyard down the road has a stack of 7.3s there, engines outlive the trucks. The LLY in my 3500 has been the biggest money pit possible, never again, I'm in "headgasket denial" right now.
The 6.7 we have now goes down the road in a few weeks, I'm honestly impressed with that truck, it's got the power and brakes I wouldnt hesitate to go down the road with a 440 / 450 on the trailer.

Is it the 6.7 ford or cummins  I dont have experience with the 6.7 cummins  my buddy has a 6.7 powerstroke and I'm here to tell you it's the real deal  I had him go pick up my 440 since I was having trailer brake controller issues. It hauled it down the road like it wasnt even back there  he has even moved a couple jd 450 dozers with it  he said you could tell it was a load but the truck took it down the road like it was suppose to.

6.7 Ford.  Bone stock in a 1-ton dually dump it's still pretty nasty. Definitely has power enough and the trans brake works well, I've went up the road with 16x 4x5 haylage bails and I was impressed, this one sees 3 cord of wood on a constant basis. 

[Firewoodjoe]

I have a 1996 460 switch to headers due to broken bolts. Manifold didn't break but they are so thick with emissions running through they expand and contract and break the bolts. Great motors though. 10 mpg. I wouldn't own a diesel. Ran many and sick of cold starts fuel filters and exspnece.

[kiko]

I too have no intention of ever buying a new superduty ; I will let somebody else eat that depreciation. The first step is to admit you have a problem. I have a Ford truck problem.  I own and maintain five powerstrokes .  One 6.7 , Two 6.0 s and two 7.3s .  The 2000 F550 smokes a little with 700k on it.   I am impressed with the 6.7 , but probably more impressed with the truck, quiet and smooth.  My favorite psd is the 6.0.  The 2003 F250 has the head studs and stock programming.  The 2004 Excursion 6.0 has been modified and it is nothing short of a beast and gets 20 mpg .  I found good deals on both my 6.0 s after people got diesel shock from repair cost.  I was telling a friend that had sworn off the diesel pickups how much I liked the 6.0 and he said that is because you don't have to spend 5k every time it breaks down!  

[barbender]

I have an 03 Dodge 3500 with a 5.9 Cummins, it's been good. It had around 120K on it when I got it, around 190K now. It starts good in the cold, in fact yesterday the GFI outlet I was plugged into for my block heater was tripped. -27°F and it fired right up. This common rail Cummins runs nice, my 12 valve would've started too but it would've been coughing and spitting for 15 minutes😊 However, it's getting where I don't pull enough to justify a diesel.

[mike_belben]

nothing i own would start at -27 and that includes me.  Thats national emergency temps, aint goin nowhere. 

[starmac]

My 12 valve will not start below 10 below, unless it is plugged in, then 30 or even 40 below is no problem at all.

I suppose everything I own starts at 30 below with no problems as long as they are plugged in, I just hate to start plugging in the gas rigs until it is 10 below or more, it is too hard on the electric meter.

[barbender]

My Cummins have always started good in the cold. I plug them in just cause it's easier on them. The intake grid heater is key, let it cycle til it kicks out, turn the key off and let it cycle again. Then hit the starter and they come to life. I was surpised how easily mine started yesterday. It seemed like it cranked hard for being plugged in, well in essence it wasn't😊 Same routine for the Ponsse machines, the Mercedes 906 has a intake grid heater system as well. My forwarder will reliably cold start down to -20, not the preferred method but sometimes the Webasto preheatedr malfunctions and you show up to a cold machine. Mike, up here if you won't go out on the -25 mornings, you won't get out much. Especially this winter, it's been a bit of a doozie. Lots of snow and cold👎

[barbender]

I forgot to mention, I do run 5-40 synthetic Rotella oil in my Cummins, that definitely makes a difference.

[moodnacreek]

Wasn't the 7.3 a gas engine to begin with?  I think it was based on the IH v8 that replaced the 304-392 for the epa rules. My '91 f350 pu has 200,000 and gets 20 mpg running lite. Only problem it's only 185 hp.

[snowstorm]

I too have no intention of ever buying a new superduty ; I will let somebody else eat that depreciation. The first step is to admit you have a problem. I have a Ford truck problem.  I own and maintain five powerstrokes .  One 6.7 , Two 6.0 s and two 7.3s .  The 2000 F550 smokes a little with 700k on it.   I am impressed with the 6.7 , but probably more impressed with the truck, quiet and smooth.  My favorite psd is the 6.0.  The 2003 F250 has the head studs and stock programming.  The 2004 Excursion 6.0 has been modified and it is nothing short of a beast and gets 20 mpg .  I found good deals on both my 6.0 s after people got diesel shock from repair cost.  I was telling a friend that had sworn off the diesel pickups how much I liked the 6.0 and he said that is because you don't have to spend 5k every time it breaks down!  

you have more than i do. i only have 4. 1 7.3 1 6.0 2 6.7. i have never plugged a 6.7 in. maybe should have. the coldest it was it was -28 it started ran a few seconds stopped started back up ran fine. since you have an older f550. have you had any trouble breaking wheel studs? 04 and older had 8 newer had 10. sometimes its on the front usually its the rear. nice to see i am not the only one that likes his 6.0

[starmac]

Wasn't the 7.3 a gas engine to begin with?  I think it was based on the IH v8 that replaced the 304-392 for the epa rules. My '91 f350 pu has 200,000 and gets 20 mpg running lite. Only problem it's only 185 hp.

It is my understanding that the 6.9 started life as a diesel, it evolved into the 7.3.
The original 5.7 chevy was built on the olds 350 block, after there life was up as a diesel (pretty quick), the circle track guys used a lot of the blocks and bottom ends to build them back gas.

[snowstorm]

Wasn't the 7.3 a gas engine to begin with?  I think it was based on the IH v8 that replaced the 304-392 for the epa rules. My '91 f350 pu has 200,000 and gets 20 mpg running lite. Only problem it's only 185 hp.

that would have been the 404    446 gas that ih came out with in the late 70's? also a 537. they replaced the older gas motors. i never heard the 7.3 came from that. they used to say way back that the 1160 cat was styled after a 534 ford. the 1160 later became a 3208

[kiko]

With the 550 I have not any issues with the wheel studs on either end.  If you change the rear brake pads every 24k miles, you won't get into the rotors.  Had a 99 F450 that was the same way.  I can't give an exact count but have rebuilt the entire front end on the F550 several times , each time the wheel bearing assemblies were replaced and the came with new wheel studs.  Had several issues with the clutch and hydraulic master slave.  With the IMT box ,crane,air compressor, welder and tools , I believe the front is light.  This truck has been retired to a yard truck but is still dependable.  Took it up the road not to long ago to do a clutch job on a Trelan chipper.

[snowstorm]

i know several that run f550 plowing roads. most have a 10ft plow and a 9ft wing then add a sander and sand. mine weights 15000 with out sand. so loaded its close to 25000. and there is some side load with the wing. last week it cleaned off all 8 studs at once. by the time i got stopped one tire was laying on the ground. bolth wheels were junk after that the stud holes were now slotted. and for anyone that has the studs break never buy them from napa. buy from ford much better and use a torque wrench 165 lbs 

[snowstorm]

from what i read the 7.3 will have a variable flow oil pump. as they put it once it gets a little wear like after 3 to 400,000 it will increase oil psi to bring it back up to spec. and its not direct injected

[moodnacreek]

from what i read the 7.3 will have a variable flow oil pump. as they put it once it gets a little wear like after 3 to 400,000 it will increase oil psi to bring it back up to spec. and its not direct injected

Pre combustion; hard to find these days but I think it's better for me because most of my fuel is waste veg. oil.

[barbender]

It's a gas engine.

[Dave Shepard]

I don't think anyone has mentioned a gas engine in about two, maybe three pages.  ;D

[barbender]

True.😂