Problems after 200k.....

[krupatex]

What should someone with a 99-03 7.3L, with over 200k miles, look for as far as typical problems or worn parts that may become an issue or that need to be changed at this point????

[haulin99spd]

do you have any specific problems?

[krupatex]

well the thing is I haven't driven another F250 with a 7.3L so it's kinda hard for me to know what it should run or feel like????? That's why I left it pretty general here. I figured there is probably certain things that I can take a look at and maybe get to before I have a major issue?

[ponyponer]

my buddy has a 97 f350 4wd 7.3. i did all the work on it for him, and with him when something went most of the time other than oil changes, and easy stuff like routine maintenance. i could pretty much tell you every single thing done to it, and the mileage approximately cause i'm weird about remembering that stuff. it's got like 290k or so on it now. at 60k something. he smashed up the grill, and the radiator, and broke the cooling line to the transmission. he kept on riding too so he overheated his trans, and lost all his trans fluid cause i think he busted the pan gasket, but he got that taken care of at some shop his friend owned because he had full coverage, and it was reported an accident.

i think i helped him replace the camshaft position sensor at 70k something. this was over 7 years ago, so i don't remember exact mileages there. all i remember at the time was the engine light was on, and we read the codes, and it pulled up the camsensor. we replaced it before it showed any symptoms of it failing. at the time neither of us even knew what a camshaft position sensor was. we never had one in our other vehicle. we knew what the camshaft was! just not the sensor. had to reference his haynes manual to find it.

original water pump went at 137k.

he has his own garage door business on the side, but worked with the carpenters union too. one day he asked me to drive his truck from jersey to fairfax virginia to pick up doors for real cheap at this wholesaler. i wound up going two times that week. on my way out of there the first day the engine light came on. nothing out of whack. once i got back to jersey scanned, and the camsensor again. had 180k something by this time. drove all the way back down there two days later on a bad one. it stalled a couple of times, but nothing too bad. he bought a new one, and we put it in the next day.

original alternator went at 203k i think.


another transmission at 256k or so.

here is where it gets interesting though. second water pump went at 274k. after that something was going every couple of thousand, and still is. i did a heater core for him at 277k. a bunch of oil leaks, that he took care of himself.

original starter at 280k. he had someone up by where he lives do the turbo a couple thousand later. first it lieaked, and they stopped it, and the turbo went.

287k fuel pump went. i don't think this was original he had the original one changed when the bed was off. it took him 2 months to pay for the part, and i loaned him my 6.0 i don't own no longer which when that started to have problems he was driving it. i had to pull him with my 6.0 f350 to another friends house and left it in his garage until i was able to drive a rollback a friend of mine has. i put it in finally, and then once i started driving it for a few days before i gave it back it started making noise. carrier bearing went and the driveshaft fell off. i fixed it.

that same week another camsensor went, i had to change the battery cables because they were deteriorated. oh and the hubs were bad, and we replaced those. so at 290k or so he seems to be putting money into it every week or so it seems. a cruise control fuse went somewhere a few years ago, and was bad for 3 years before he fixed it. power window switches too. i forgot to mention somewhere in there maybe shortly after 200k he had his friend who owns a shop replace all his universal joints, ball joints, and shocks.

i have a 2000 with 124k miles, and everything is original except for one camsensor somewhere at like 80k something, and the transmission which i replaced at 109k miles. my best friend is the original owner, and he signed it over to me a few months ago while the transmission was already toast. we put the new one in together. with the way he is on transmissions i can see why it only went 109k haha.

[ponyponer]

another friend of mine knows another guy with a 97 f350 4wd 7.3. i've seen the truck, but i personally don't know the guy. i do see the truck all over jersey though it's crazy cause i've seen this thing in north jersey, i've seen it on the atlantic city expressway, 80, 76, turnpike, parkwa, 287.. he is a driver, and hauls stuff i guess, but he uses his own truck cause he works for himself. about a month ago he said the guy told him it had 327k. he's on his 3rd water pump, 3rd alternator, 2nd transmission, 4th cam sensor, and is on 2nd ball joints, and rear u joints. that is all. supposedly original fuel pump, radiator, starter, heater core, power steering pump. these things are very reliable. the motor is good until 400/500k alone. thats with decent maintenance. it's hard to kill these things.

[austin lanquist]

yeah the 7.3 is very reliable i mostly hear of just deferent sensors going out.iv never had any motor problems.mine has 331k on it running strong.i just put a tanny in it a couple of mounths ago along with a new driveline.but its a strong truck.the motor never gets worn out its just the stuff around the motor that gets worn out.

[krupatex]

first off.... That is the way every reply should look! It really puts a lot of things out there for me. thanx

[todd]

200k heck its just gettin broke in nothing to worry about

[ponyponer]

these were $30000-$35000 trucks brand new at the time they out. top of the line parts. you buy a little taurus, contour, or focus you're gonna be replacing the alternator, water pump, ball joints, fuel pump, **** sensor, starter, and all of that by 75k miles. you buy a strong durable vehicle like a 7.3 pickup you'll still have not replaced half of that stuff by 175k. thats why you can use one of these things with 200k-300k on it as a daily driver. you can't do that with a little car like i mentioned above. forget the diesel motor longetivity. everything in it is built better.

[austin lanquist]

Originally Posted by ponyponer

these were $30000-$35000 trucks brand new at the time they out. top of the line parts. you buy a little taurus, contour, or focus you're gonna be replacing the alternator, water pump, ball joints, fuel pump, **** sensor, starter, and all of that by 75k miles. you buy a strong durable vehicle like a 7.3 pickup you'll still have not replaced half of that stuff by 175k. thats why you can use one of these things with 200k-300k on it as a daily driver. you can't do that with a little car like i mentioned above. forget the diesel motor longetivity. everything in it is built better.

Yep agreed.The ford 7.3s are awsome they just keep on ticking.The ford body and interior is tough too.mine still looks just as good as if it had less then 100k on it.People never believe me on the milege on my truck cause it still looks so good tell i show them.People that dont know about these trucks think that its crazy.