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I think ive decided on the 7.3..

937 views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  $lick 
#1 ·
I've been on the prowl looking for a powerstroke and reading and reading and hey some more reading on these forums for over 2 months now. Had my heart set on a 6.0L, more power, mod friendly (SCT custom tunes etc), but reading more horror stories about the 6.0L made me think.. I am a Junior in college, and buying a powerstroke out of warranty, or the 6.0L in this case would be stupid in the event that things go wrong with it. I believe that the extra power/better mpg/ etc evens out with the 7.3L in the event that anything goes wrong headgaskets/studs/turbo/etc.

So ideal-ly, it is a better decision in the situation I am in, wanting a powerstroke and not having the funds to be able to fork out major cash in the event that things go wrong or i get one of these dreaded 6.0L lemons. Right?
 
#3 ·
man every motor has there horror stories. i had 2 7.3's and 2 6.0's and 1 duracrap and none of them gave me problems except the 7.3's tend to have weak trannies. if you want a 6.0 i would buy the 04 and up cause they made alot of changes in the 04 model and in 05- 07 trucks. i personally love the 6.0 better than the 7.3 cause way more power and better trans. mileage is about the same in either.
 
#4 ·
i'm a college student too, sometimes i wish i had an 05 or 06 6.0 but i'm very content with my 7.3. gives me a lot to do and enough to have fun. and i've beat my truck like crazy and in coming on 8 years i've only had one tranny rebuild, one leaky water pump, one CPS failure and bad ball joints. and i towed a multitude of trailers, from 15' to 30' and in between. mostly cattle, horses, and hay bales. a bulldozer a few times. but i digress.

point is i've never been let down by my 7.3, and i'm sure 6.0 guys have never been let down by theirs. it's personal preference and just pick what makes you happy :icon_ford:
 
#5 ·
Do you plan on towing anything heavy? Any of the Diesels can be very expensive to own if something breaks and the price of diesel fuel is running about 90 cents a gallon more than regular unleaded. At these prices it is hard to justify the slight increase in fuel mileage that you will see only while towing with a diesel. If you aren't going to be towing heavy loads, a 1/2 ton gas might be a better answer while on a limited budget, just a thought.
 
#6 ·
Not towing anything currently but have plans to.. i have a pretty modded TJ wrangler that i would like to tow up to Rausch Creek Offroad Park in PA. Also may be towing a 18 foot enclosed trailer during the summer months as my boss and I install window treatments. I have access to my family's 18'6" Polar Craft duck boat...etc. Not interested in a gasser at all, i dont care what the economy looks like right now, I am 3 semesters away from grabbing a bachelors degree and becoming a Registered Nurse, where the funds will be beyond anything i've ever had my hands on.

In the mean time, i am looking for a truck < 13,000$, my car loan will be 10 grand, 192 mo payments. Insurance will only go up 17 dollars a month, etc.

Other then that, its the reliability, sheer power, and maybe a little black smoke that has me interested. Not interested in a gasser, if im going to be getting 16-20mpg in a boring gasser, id rather it be in a diesel.
 
#7 ·
When the 6.0's run out of warranty there will be a bunch of them for sale as parts are outrageous for them!! Ask any Ferd diesel tech!! The 7.3 was used in everything from School buses, UPS trucks and everythging you can think of in between, so parts are cheaper and easier to locate, kind of like a small block 350!! Now is the time to start buying up the low mileaged 7.3's that are popping up since diesel has gotten more expensive than gasoline. There is a limited number of these clean, low mileaged 7.3's out there. Ford already has plans on dumping the 6.4, they could really learn something from Toyota who doesn't reinvent the wheel every 4 years or so, they stick with what works. With all the money they spent on the 6.0 ( and the bad name it gave them) , the 6.4 and now the 6.7, I honestly believe they could have gotten the 7.3 to meet emissions requirements and we all know they could have easily got more power out of them with the right tranny!! I am not hear to bash 6.0, or anything else just stating my opinion. So I say you are making the right choice. But you can't have my 2000 with 75K on the dial, lol!!!

NCH
 
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