7.3 is also easier to work on. how many good 7.3 trucks can you buy for the cost of a new one ?

 

LOTS!!!! I just started looking today and they are expensive... i am not the best mechanic and takes lots of research and U tube to get me there but the 6.4 i have looks impossible to work on i assume 6.7 is the same way.... the emissions stuff seems to be the weak link in these trucks

 

Merry Christmas
How do you use your truck? Daily driver, tow?
If you do not have a business to write off the cost and maintenance of the new 6.7 it is a very expensive proposition.
No emissions on the 7.3 is a big plus. Low maintenance and reliability of the 7.3 is big plus. Low cost and availability of parts a huge plus.
Obviously a newer 6.7 is going to be more powerful and more comfortable.
When I bought my 99 350 i had a business to write off the costs, now it is a toy hauler for the boat, my sons dirt bikes, and used to plow my 1/4 mile long driveway. There is no way i would spend 60k plus for a new vehicle just for these purposes. If won the lottery or had unlimited funds I may think differently.

 

Here’s some food for thought I went from a paid for 01 7.3 to a new to me 2012 6.7 and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Yes the 7.3s are a tried and true motor and will chug along for hundreds and hundreds of thousands of miles if cared for but what you will start to fight is the nickel and dime stuff that will will start popping up more often and more frequent. Now is that worth buying a newer truck or getting into a payment? Only you and your check book can make that decision, yes the 6.7 is a powerful motor and ther Sooo much nicer and smoother and more refined to drive and the 6.7 is a pretty damn tried and true motor itself, ALL years have there issues even 7.3s have weak spots some are just more expensive than others! IMO that 6.4 is the most expensive one you could pick so getting rid of that is your best bet whether you buy new or keep your 7.3. My 6.7 is not my DD it sits most of the time but it is our weekend warrior and we tow a lot with it in the spring and summer time so it’s well worth the monthly payment to us to have it and be able to have the comfort it provides while on the long hauls we take.

 

Having a shop that I get to test drive all engine platforms, I still like my ole 7.3 best. Although at 550hp it is fun to drive, but even after all the upgrades to hold the power reliably, I'm FAR FAR less into it than a new truck that is tuned and deleted in a similar horsepower range. The 6.7's are indeed are very proven platform, especially the '15 and newer. The 11-14's have a fragile turbo when tuned.

For me, the no emissions, cheaper parts, and somewhat simplicity of the 7.3 is what keeps me staying with it. I'd like a newer refined truck and every year I think about getting a newer one a little harder, but I still can't seem to pull the trigger on one just yet.

www.cncfab.us

 

I agree Corey. I can't let loose of the cash and thought of a vehicle payment makes me almost sick.

 

I went from an 02 to a 17 and here is my take on it.
I loved my 02 with the 7.3 because of its simplicity. I could work on it and fix basically whatever went wrong. The 17 I can't work on. It is so computerized and to do any amount of engine work you need a lift to get the body off. I bought the extended warranty on the new one cause im sure something will break with all the electronics on it and the dealer provides a lifetime powertrain warranty. But I was working on the 02 a lot to upgrade and fix stuff. I like the 6.7 more than the 7.3. I don't have to work on it or upgrade anything. It gives me more time with the family. It is more refined and so much more comfortable to drive. It is quiet while driving (road noise wise) I kind of miss the knock of the 7.3. The 6.7 will tow circles around a 7.3. You have more GVW capability with the new trucks. Mine is also my daily driver so the bells and whistles of the new truck is nice. The lack of emissions is nice on the 7.3. The 6.7 is turning out to have a very good reputation comparable with the 7.3. The 6R140 has a better reputation compared to the 4R100. The thing that made me decide to get a new truck was I was thinking of dumping all this money into the 7.3 to upgrade stuff and keep it running.(do a front end conversion to coil overs, reverse camera, different mirrors, different injectors. ect.... I could end up dumping all this money in the 7.3 to add modern technology and make it like a new one but at the end of the day it was an 02 and only worth what an 02 7.3 would bring. So if I upgraded it and then sold it I would never get my money back. With the new ones it has all the technology and it is still worth what you have in it. So to me that was money better spend on a new one compared to upgrading the old one.

 

Well at first glance this is an even split on what to do. I am cheap and really do not enjoy being a mechanic but will do it to save money and know at least someone is trying to do the right thing. As much as i want a new truck (6.7) for the upgrades I am just really nervous about it. I am not the best mechanic but can figure things out and the 7.3 at least gives me hope that I can fix it if needed. The 6.7 has me a little worried. Learning all the codes and parameters from Autoenginutiy is a difficult task and then know what it might be telling me is a STEEP learning curve.

I also am not sure that I can delete the emissions due to the fact that I am in the military and moving to a state that does checks is probable given the current situation...Alaska no issues... nearly every other state has something.

I go back and forth... right now probably going to stick with the 7.3. Even if the day comes to put a new motor in it might still be cheaper... I just hope this is not a day in the near future to allow my vehicle account to grow.... and a new tranny is probably in the near future if I had to guess.

I have another thread discussing upgrades... bottom line looking at uppipes, turbo rebuild with the delete option, new CAC boots, GPR, glowplugs with valve covers etc.. probably new ICP and IPRs, EBP sensor and tube, coolant filter to start with.... HOPEFULY no injectors right now.

All of that with the water pump and alternators pushes to be about 2K.... hope it is worth it and can be trouble free for a while.

Now to GET RID OF the 6.4. A good truck just do not need two and I choose the 7.3 over the 6.4... even though the 6.4 is super nice

 

If you’re moving to a state with strict emissions, the 7.3 is a no brainer. I have 0 interest in owning a diesel if I have to keep a DPF and everything on it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Here is my take... Just sold my 6.4, and it was actually hard to part with it. They are great trucks if you want to make power and have the money/time to do it. Not so great to do actual diesel/DD things lol. I just went a different direction in life and the plans for that truck aren't really in the cards.

I went back and forth for a year trying to decide between a 6.0 and 6.7. I ended up with a '15... I still really want a 6.0, but its because I want to tinker with it. I love the sound, feel, and personality of the 6.0. For me it simply came down to time. I have no problem with tearing a 6.0 down in my driveway. I don't however have the time for the truck to sit torn apart, nor do I have much extra time to actually work on it. I am a bomb dog handler full time and 6 months out of the year spend my days off training bite and narcotics dogs. It means that when I need to be somewhere, the truck better fire up when I turn the key. Cold can't be a factor...

Owning a diesel isn't a need for me either, its very much a want. I could do just fine with a half ton, but much prefer a SD. I have no kids, might as well enjoy having a "want" and getting it paid off while I can lol. Another big thing for me though is having a warranty. I can work on a 6.7 as well, unlike a 6.4 you can do most "basic" maintenance yourself without lifting the cab. You can actually get to the turbo, injectors, and pretty much anything short of pulling the heads. Being able to drop my truck off or have Ford tow it at no charge, tell them to "fix it" and have a rental provided is huge to me.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your needs. The piece of mind and the creature comforts were the driving force behind my decision. I am more than capable of wrenching on a 7.3, 6.0, 6.4, or 6.7(a quick search, PM, or post on here generally gets whatever answers I need)... I don't want to have to. That and the fact that you don't have to delete a 6.7 to keep it from grenading itself (not that I plan to leave it stock). The only thing is you need to drive the truck and let it finish its regens. None of us can tell you what truck is best for you. You are going to get a lot of the die hard 7.3 crowd, of which I am not one. They are great motors, but old and dated. Even with mods, they just don't stack up to anything newer. But hey, if you just need a truck to do truck things and don't care to about the other upgrades that come with newer trucks... You really can't go wrong. The 6.0 is great, but there is a rather steep learning curve. Once you understand them they aren't so bad, still can be frustrating though. The 6.4 is, well a 6.4... Lots of power for lots of money. Not very user friendly when things break. The only real down side to the 6.7 is the emissions crap. And its really only the egt sensors and def tank heaters lol... As long as you drive the trucks long enough to clean the dpf. Can't really forget price :look: They are expensive...

 

I heart this post...

 

I think we would all love brand new truck's, but I will keep my two 7.3L's verse's a new one. It might not pull the mountains going like a jack rabbit, and maybe not as comfortable but all I know is how my truck's ride. Even if my truck needs injector's or a transmission is still way cheaper of a repair than a 6.7 fuel system failure or a emissions problem. I will keep my pay off truck's verse's a mortgage payment for a new truck, as I've stated before Ford has priced me out of ever buying a brand new truck off the lot.

 

I checked out a brand new F350 Limited fully loaded and it wasn't for me. My biggest thing was the sound. Even 5" straight piped fully deleted it sounds like a tuned JDM car (sorry 6.7 owners) and it is too car like with its soft touch tailgate, traction assist and doors that weigh 2lbs. If you're into that sort of thing than you will probably like the newer trucks.

I built my 7.3 and literally replaced 90% of all the parts that make up the truck as many wish they could and don't regret it one bit. Granted I plan on having this truck till the day I die and when I do, the hole will be 30ft deep not 6 to accommodate the truck lol. I drive it nearly every single day and do all kinds of things, tow, go to school/work, mall crawling, mixed highway/city driving, etc. Not once have I wished I bought a new truck instead.

I upgraded the technology and have everything the new trucks have plus some. The only thing I don't have is the massaging seats but that is what the bedroom is for. I'm not 70 years old and need a massage while driving.

 

^^ I agree. If I won the lottery (which I don't play), I could go get a new truck without payments. But, until never happens, I'll drive my '01. Mine has been the role model of reliability for the 13 years I've own it. Like lots of others, I can do most of the stuff it need to have done, I have a good shop for the things I can't. I recently got hit by a guy. The truck is in the body shop. I've been driving a '19 RAM while my 'ol' Guy' is fixed. It's got a lot of nice features, a lot more than my XLT. BUT...as nice as the features are, it's not my truck and, truthfully, doesn't do anything different from my truck.

 

I dont give a dam about whats new. The truck seats and legroom need to fit me for 15-17 hour a day interstate highway driving. It has to ride like a cadilac. It has to have good speakers, cassette player,CD player, AMFM radio with usb port and sirius radio and I supply all this. It has to have a cold a/c,power mirrors and cruise control. It needs to have the tow capacity to pull a 14,000 pound trailer at 67 mph. It has to have a cool looking grill , body lines and a red paint job. My 2002 F350 7.3 has all this and does all this. What more could I want ? Truck has 121,000 miles, Wise transmission and a hydra chip and hauls ***. AND imo the 2005-2007 ford superduty trucks with the chrome package grill have the best looking front end of any pickup truck ever made. The 2005-2007 front tip will bolt on any 1999-2004 superduty and there are not that many parts to change. I still need to get the rubber bumper top painted. Its whatever you like and I have what I like. I also have a 2006 F350 dually cclb 6.0 stick shift with 180,000 miles I ordered new. I wish I had known about the 6.0 crap at the time cause I would have bought a 2002 7.3 instead. My truck needs to be reliable. The 6.0 broke down in the middle of nowhere in texas and left me stranded for a week in odessa. The truck was under warranty butt that dont mean nothing when you got to be somewhere.

 

Like Crazy said.. I dont need a diesel I just want one. I do NEED a pickup. I could probably get by with a half ton although limited at times when I do tow my tractor ect or I could get a 2500 with a gas motor. Not sure how I would like that, the mileage etc. The truck is my daily driver and I prefer to have a truck that will pull something when I need to. As much as I WANT a new 6.7 I also DO NOT WANT a truck note. I am nearing retirement and have worked really hard to pay off everything to get ready for those days. A truck note right now well is like another mortgage.

It is good to hear that the 6.7 can be worked on. that is comforting at least as I am CHEAP. Guess i will just stick with the original plan listed in the thread 7.3 Lots of Work.

 

basic mathematics

7.3 > 6.7

 

Math doesn't lie either...

 

I just drove from los angeles to deming new mexico today. just checked in the motel. my 2002 f350 was as comfortable as sitting in my living room. 120 hp chip allows me to fly around slow traffic. listened to tunes on the stereo.

 

I'v had a lot ford diesel except a super duty 7.3. I've had an 04 6.0 ECSB XLT, 08 6.4 CCSB loaded and tuned, 2014 6.7 tuned CCSB Lariat Ultimate. All were awesome trucks.

I currently just bought a 2019 Lariat Sport 6.7 CCSB and still have my 97 7.3 CCLB XLT. My 7.3 makes 530hp and 948lb/ft at the wheels and is an awesome truck. I have over half $$ of what my brand new lariat 6.7 cost me in the 97.

I sold my 14 6.7 and traded a loaded 2018 F150 CCSB in on the 2019 6.7. I liked the half ton a lot but nowhere near as much as a diesel 3/4 or 1 ton. Who cares about "needing" anything. Diesel is better than gas and you're free to buy what ever you want. The 2019 6.7 is amazing how well it performs even with the emissions garbage on it and I probably won't mess with it.

Recommended oil changes in the 2019 6.7 are 10k miles or when the light says so and fuel filters at 22,500 miles or when the light says so. Trans and transfer case is 150k, front end 150k, rear end 100k. This is ford saying this so therefore the maintenance cost that some people think is a big deal on a 6.7 is not an issue, you put clean fuel in them and drive them just like any other truck. Drain the water separator which don't cost you a dime and add some DEF when it needs it, big deal.

If you're a person that likes to always change fluids before recommended that's your choice to spend extra money.

All my diesels have been tuned with the best available tuners/tunes and I love my 97 but the 2019 6.7 stock meets or out performs all of them overall. Although, I'll never get rid of my 97.

I say keep the 7.3 and get a 6.7 if you can, you'll enjoy and hate both at different times like any vehicle.