7.3 Ford Diesel

[goose63]

That truck would look better sitting here at my place you did good 8)

[WmFritz]

I think you got a nice addition to your fleet.  8)

I talked a bit with my son tonight about your issue and his first thought was a glow plug issue too.

[coxy]

I cut out part of the front cross member to put the oil pan in one and welded it back in place  a lot easer then pulling the cab

[timberlinetree]

That truck new in our area would be $40k-$50k. Hard to believe. You'll be able to haul a full load of wood and a trailer loaded no problem! We run 2 F450's with 7.3's and are amazed at what good trucks they have been. Good luck with the new truck!

[Corley5]

I'm hoping I can get things done up tomorrow and pick it up.  I don't want to wait until Wednesday  ;) ;D

[sprucebunny]

Congrats  8) Hope it's good to you !

I looked at mine... there are bolts holding the crossmember on so I guess they drilled it out to change the oil pan. At least it will be easier if I have to do it Again  :

[Corley5]

This Ford should be a major upgrade from the old Chevy



 

  By making the box sides 4.5' tall I'll be able to haul 5 face cords at a time which is what I haul in the gooseneck pulled with the old Dodge Cummins.  Making the side board extensions are first on the agenda    Well I want to haul a load of wood first even if it's a small one ;) ;D
  I've been looking for a one ton for over a year now.  My focus has been 1 ton Cummins Dodges.  It's what I know and I like them  8)  I've found several I liked but they were on the East Coast or out West.  Plane fare etc. to get one back here would have added expense to all of them.  I've looked at Fords and Chevys too but all 350s/3500s.  We looked at a Dodge in Traverse City just before this Ford.  It had a really nice Boss V-plow but had a V-10 engine and too much rust.  I was dozing on the way home and Dee saw the Ford just south of Mancelona at a welding supply shop on 131.  It looked pretty good, the price seemed right but it was late and I was tired.  After talking to the owner that night when we got home and hearing what everyone had to say here I was encouraged.  It looked better the next day in better light and sounded nice and drove good.  The owner seems very straight forward.  He's had it about six years.  It's been parked the last two winters and has been used mostly to haul a four hundred gallon water tank and pull a hydro seeder.  He put the box on after completely sandblasting, primering and painting it.  The original owner was a power washing/ steam cleaning outfit.  The truck had a cleaning unit mounted on it. 
  It's had new glow plugs and a relay installed but it made no difference in starting.  He said after the initial start of the day it can sit for several hours and still start even when it's cold out.  I hope it's a good one.  I think it is  
  I should be able to get it tomorrow evening  8) 8)  I'll call the owner in the morning for the VIN# so I can get some insurance on it for the  drive home.  I'll get plates Wednesday AM.  The old Chevy was the last "different truck" I got and that was seven or eight years ago.  I'm a little excited 8) 8) 

[Larry]

I bought my '97 F350 new.  Glow plug relay failed at around 30,000 miles.  It would hardly start at 50 degrees.  That was covered by warranty.  I've found good hot batteries essential.  Even though they sound like they are turning the engine over just fine it is slow starting.  Four to five years on batteries is max.  That has been my only starting problems.  With 160,000 miles the mileage has dropped slightly...I'm thinking injectors may be wearing.

Most of the time it is garage kept, but this past winter I had to go out of town overnight for a funeral.  She cracked off the next morning at zero with no extra help.  Rattled pretty good as it warmed up. 

The first thing I would do is put a test light on the glow plugs just to make sure the relay is good and wired correctly.

Good luck with your new machine. 8)

[thechknhwk]

Congrats, I have wanted a diesel truck for a LONG time.  Reading your thread last night sent me on a CL goose chase.  I'd like an F350 6.0 with low miles, crew cab, 4x4, cheap, lol.

[WmFritz]

Must all the Michigan sunshine getting folks out looking for trucks here.

Corley5 buys a new truck yesterday and I sold mine.  8)

[Corley5]

Congrats on selling your truck  8) 8) 8)  We're headed out now to get my new to me truck.  Should be back in a couple hours.

[SPIKER]

Congrats, looks real good.   Be sure to keep the Ford Spec coolant in it, they suffer from sleeve failure if not.   Standard green stuff is no good in there.!   Friend of mine runs towing company & hot footer co.   was die hard Ford guy but when Chevy came out with the Alison transmission he traded in 3 Fords all with 250~300K  for 2 new Chevies.   BOTH Chevies were done shot by 80K with eng & trans issues.   Since he ran commercial no warranty on them...   

  On the Fords, standard maint. w Ford Spec coolant & fully synthetic oils only thing those trucks ever had and only things they needed in entire time he owned them (2~3 years old when traded in.)   He said if you didn't use the Ford Spec coolant pin holes would develop by 250K & by 300K injector issues would start to pop up.   Most times even Starters & Batteries were good to 250K too when running them way he did.   Alternators & water pumps would be first sign of bigger Maintenance needs to come, when those died he would be looking to trade them in on NEW trucks.

Mark

[snowstorm]

the 7.3  6.0  6.4 6.7  do not have sleeves they are a patent bore engine. you can buy the coolant conditioner from napa. good 15-40 oil i never use syn 

[snowstorm]

the pitting of the sleeve or block is called galvanic corrosion. the air bubbles in the coolant implode inward and after a while they wear thru the metal. any diesel motor can do it. thats why big truck motors have a water filter. the coolant conditioner  is in the filter

[isawlogs]

 I will need adress the oil pan issue on mine, I was talking to SpruceBunny about that the other day and told her I was going to blast the rivets that hold the cross member and reinstal with graded bolts after new oil pan is put in. For now it has a coat of metalfux waiting to have an opening in the garage tyo get her in.

[Den Socling]

Cool! 

[Corley5]

Got it home sitting in the yard 8)  Seems good.  It "loosened up" after about 20 miles and really ran good.  It had sat inside all winter.  Going to check fluid levels tomorrow morning and run a load of wood on it.  It'll hold 2.25 face cords in its current configuration.  I'm formulating a design for extending the sides to haul 5.

[Corley5]

It is low geared.  At 65 mph the engine's turning 2,500 rpm.

[Dave Shepard]

Do you do much driving on the open road? Those low gears will make that truck much more civilized around town. My '99 Dodge would be over 90 at 2,500. ;D

[Corley5]

Not much highway travel at all.  My Dodge has 3.54s in it.  I've be over a 100 at 2,500  ;D

[Dave Shepard]

Mine is also 3.54. I don't know exactly what it would be doing at 2,500, but at 3,400 it is doing 120. 

[Corley5]

 

[isawlogs]

At 2500, you're movin' in mine.  smiley_horserider

[Larry]

I call those ratios road gears. :D :D  My F350 has a 4:10 but a 5 speed helps a lot.  The '98's could be had with a 6 speed...I considered trading but never got roundtoit.

[thecfarm]

I never had a RPM gauge in the old '76 Ford ¾ ton 4wd, 4 speed truck. No idea about gears,but they was loooow.But 55,it was a working.    But it got 8 miles to the gallon,fully loaded with just about a cord of wood or fully empty. 45 mph was just about right.