Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum and I searched for a thread for this but I couldn't find anything. -Jon

Top of the main forum page under the 7.3 Tech Files: http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/7-3-tech-files/4422-what-look-when-buying-used-99-03-psd.html

Oh, and "high mileage" on these trucks is anything over 700,000. There is a boatload of info in the Tech Files.

 

Thanks for the info, just read that whole page. So buying a farely stock 200,xxx mile truck and building it up wouldnt be bad?

 

It should be a good place to start. The only way to really destroy these engines is to run it low on oil, or the wrong grade of oil since it uses the oil to fire the fuel injectors.

 

Yup, 7.3's are damn near indestructible... takes a helluva lot of neglect and missuse to ruin one... I'd get gauges though if I planned on towing a lot, got to watch those tranny temps and egts.

 

Stay away from propane....

And if your looking to mod the truck, stay away from 01-03 model years. Those years came with PMR's (powder metal rods) which are weak. Pushing them past 400hp is a real chore.

Some 01's came with forged rods but don't waste too much time looking for them. I was lucky enough to be one of the few to get them.

As far as mileage goes... Me personally wouldn't buy anything over 200,000. But that's just me.

 

mileage doesnt matter as much as how the engine was maintained. in general, a good tell tale test is a compression test, buzz and cylinder contribution test. if those all pass and pass well then its a good bet you have a good motor. i also like to test cold start (i.e. sitting overnight), espicially if winter is around. i have nearly 300k and it runs like a champ.

the two biggest problems seem to stem from not changing or using the wrong oil, or improperly installing the air filter thus dusting the motor.