Diesel or gas? or keep my '97?

[kdskidoo]

hey guys, I am thinking of maybe looking for a newer work truck. I have a '97 with a 7.3 and have had very few engine problems but am thinking of looking for something newer. I was reading some of the topics for the 6.4's and it seems there are quite a few problems that 6.4 owners have encountered. I am actually thinking of maybe getting a gas truck this time for several reasons. first the initial cost of the truck. second, the price of diesel is about .60/ gallon more than gas. and third, the fuel mileage on the 6.4's doesn't seem to be much better than a gas model. I do some towing a snowmobile trailer and a 10,000 lb. trailer, but not alot. tell me what you think. should I go with a 6.4 or go to a gasser or should I just keep my 7.3?

[GreenF350]

My personal vote?? Keep the 7.3 if the truck is in decent shape. If you keep up on maintenance and plan ahead you could maintain that truck virtually forever, cheaper than you could buy a new truck. Even if you factor in driveline rebuilds/replacements if you can do some/most of the work yourself. Hard to beat the reliability of a 7.3 and the OBS trucks are good looking trucks. I wouldn't fault you for buying a new truck, 6.4 or a gasser, but I know for me, in the long run I would be happier with the OBS 7.3.
-Aaron

[drunk on diesel]

if you tow anything, keep the diesel...

honestly? the 6.4 is unreal... with a delete tune on them, they are straight up hot rods!

But, they are not as reliable as the 7.3. no way, no how

[kdskidoo]

thanks for the replies. the problem with my '97 is because I use it in slop on the farm and salt when towing the sleds around I'm getting alot of rust issues. not so much on the body but on the underneath parts. I just replaced all the brake lines and I'm now in the process of having the rad support replaced. the truck only has around 80k on it so I'm not worried about the engine, its the rest of it that concerns me a little. but yeah I agree fixing is almost always cheaper than buting new, but at some point newer is nice I just don't know if I'm ready to give up the 7.3 yet.

[mmandley]

If i was you id keep the 7.3, pull the body, blast the frame and recoat it all in a thing spray liner. Then you can put it back and have a nice new frame.

Buy a 6.4 for your work truck or your around town truck, but in any case if a had a 7.3 like yourself id keep it.

I know if it was in my budget to keep my 6.0 i wouldnt have but i cant afford 2 trucks.

[Heavy Smoker]

If I had to do it over again, I probably would have bought a gas model. I love my 6.4, but if your not towing a lot then you would probably be happy with a gas pot. The extra money spent on initial purchase and maintenance of a diesel buys a lot of gas.

We have a 5.4 350 at work that regularly pulls 10'000lbs. It's not ideal, but works fine.

All comes down to personnal preference.

[coassist73]

find a rust free frame / body and just plop your motor and drive train in it problem solved...

The 7.3 is the best engine that you could have for a Diesel. The newer stuff is crap and you will spend all of your savings trying to keep the new truck on the road!

[444 ci]

i vote to keep your 7.3 stick with what brought ya to the dance. the 7.3 is not the fastest thing on the road but it will be on the road for a very long time.

[Thero]

There are days I wish I kept my 7.3, but then there are days I love my 6.4 and can't imagine not having it. Biggest reason for the switch is that I needed to upgrade my 7.3 supercab to a full crew cab. If it wasn't for that need I'd probably still have the 7.3.

[kdskidoo]

it sounds like most of you would recommend keeping the 7.3, which is probably what I'll do for at least a few more years. when it comes time to get a new work truck I don't know what I'll do. I've always liked diesels, but I hate the fact that you buy something new and right away you need to modify it or you'll end up with problems down the road. IMO the price they get for these new trucks you shouldn't have to touch them (other than normal maintenance) for at least 10 years. I may just end up buying a gasser, save thousands on the purchase price and trade more often.