'00 7.3L Exhaust Leak/Poor Fuel Mileage

[firedance1]

I'm new to the list. I have a 2000 crew cab 7.3L truck with AT and 150K miles. I've owned it 3 years but with little use. I call it the White Elephant as I paid too much for it and have never stopped fixing it (the guy who sold it to me got righteous when I reported the huge number of problems). Anyway since I've owned it it's had an exhaust leak and I always get sick/sleepy when driving it on long trips. It's got the ticking sound when loading the engine up mentioned by other posters. After driving it from MT to Atlantic Canada last year and getting gassed out with CO I took it to the local dealer. The truck got 15-17 mpg on the trip. The dealer could find no sooty places on the exhaust but changed the EGR valve saying this was the problem. Just took the truck to Maine. Got gassed out again and the Elephant got 11.5 mpg driving at 55 mph!! It's going back to the dealer next week - suggestions? Could a wastegate be source of exhaust leak? Could the "new" EGR valve be stuck open for bad economy? Where else do these rigs leak exhaust? Help! My wife has had it with my pouring money into this mule. Many thanks,

[DJM]

Most of the time they Leak at the up pipe gasket.

[firedance1]

Thanks, I'll check into that at the shop. I imagine the "ticking" sound comes from there too.

[Southpaw]

There is no EGR valve on a 7.3L!
That is a 6.0L thing!

I would ask them to show you exactly where this part is that they replaced.

As stated above, uppipes can leak sometimes. What do you mean gassed out? You mean you can smell exhaust? Diesels don't emit CO2 I thought.

Don't get too frustrated with it, there are a lot of techs on this site that will chime in here to give you a hand. They are very knowledgable and willing to help you fix it youself, if you follow their suggestions. Keep checking back, and stay with it. You've got a great motor there, it just needs a little help.

Good Luck

[PSDfan99]

No such thing as a EGR on a 7.3L, so I would go back to the dealer and find out whats up with that garbage.

[Bakes168]

My buddy is having this same problem on his truck. A very noticeable ticking when you accelerate, it's definitely an exhaust leak, we just have to find where. I read a lot of guys say it's most often the up pipes.
Any way to find exactly where it's coming from?

[StoneGuy]

October 10th. I wonder if that is a record for resurrecting and dead and buried post? Coincidentally, I can hear an exhaust leak in engine bay toward the back of the engine. I highly suspect the up pipes but my wife spends all of my money, don't know when I will get those replaced. I'm sure it will make a difference just like the 6637mod did. Good luck.

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