Just got back from a trip to California, towed my son's 05 Explorer Sport Trac out to him, plus his three kids (15 month twin boys, 4 yr old girl) Made it to Lordsburg NM the second day out, checked into a motel and noticed a thin film of stuff on the rear of the truck and front of the Sport Trac. Figured it was maybe fuel I spilled refilling the inbed aux tank. Next morning went out to start the SD and it wouldn't (temps in the high 20's) There was a pool of oil in the engine valley and another under the bellhousing. Spent two hours trying to get the SD started (along with a trip to get a flashlite and a set of jumper cables, you do NOT want to break down in Lordsburg, the town is dead, just doesn't know it yet) I made one last effort to start the SD after transfering most of the cargo to the Sport Trac and it fired off. Fine, I figured to get the hell out of Dodge, driving both trucks the next 550 miles to California. The SD was leaking a gallon of oil every 150 miles but ran fine. Made it to Twentynine Palms. Went looking for a reman HPOP the next day. Autozone: nothing, Napa: listed a reman, but it would take at least a week to get it (apparently they fail to realize what CENTURY this is) Went to Yucca Flats to O'Reilly's: they offered to ship my HPOP off to the rebuilders and have it back in no less than a week. Went to the local Ford Dealer, had a fresh reman in two days, but cost me $1100 (kept the $150 core to possibly fix it myself later) Installed the HPOP, but still had extreme trouble starting the truck in the mornings there (20's and 30's temps) Started back to Louisiana Friday AM. Ran into snow and black ice on I-10 going into NM. Parked it at the motel where "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN" was filmed (looked like it anyway LOL) where I could plug in two 150 watt drop lights under the hood to keep things warm. Got up every three hours to crank it off and rewarm the engine. Left El Paso in light snow. On the last stretch of grade up to Sierra Blanca hill, the engine lost power and started missing. Fine, I figured. stopped and replaced the spin on fuel filter I carried just for this. No luck, still ran like crap. Limped into Sierra Blanca, once again, another town dead town that doesn't know it. Limped the next 40 miles to Van Horn, found a NAPA parts house, bought a new primary filter for the motor and a couple bottles of Power Service to add to the B5 fuel I bought at Love's in El Paso. Replaced the filter and added one bottle PS to the tank. Motor ran fine afterwards. Made it the next 300 miles, almost to Junction Texas when the motor again lost power. Limped to Junction, filled the fuel tank, but again, no luck. Made it over the hill to Segovia Texas, pulled into the little truck stop there. This place is one of those forgotten gems that has nearly everything sitting on dusty shelves. Bought their last PS primary filter and a bottle of Lucas Extreme Cold Weather fuel treatment. Still no luck. Fought it the next 50 miles to Boerne Tx, pulled into a Valero station, bought a spray can of Berrymans carb cleaner, the battle to that point got me to thinking my problem may have been the sensor plugs I'd fiddled with at Van Horn, well it was. Made it the next 300 miles to Baytown Tx where I figured to add the two extra 5 gal buckets of B5 fuel I'd bought as insurance at El Paso and that would get me the last 250 miles home. Well the gremlins struck AGAIN a few miles down the road, the engine died at the foot of the Trinity River bridge. Couldn't get it to run enough to pull the bridge and the turnaround under the bridge was barricaded off. Called for help (this was 11:30PM Dec 24th) waited a full hour, gettting the engine started several times but not enough to drive it. Finally, got it running enough to limp, went around the barricades under the bridge, dodged a 400 lb feral hog rooting there (and the wife wanted to walk around to scout the turnaround earlier) made it back to the last exit, filled the tank to dilute that bottle of Lucas that I'd added as langiappe at baytown, but contrary to what the label says, you CANNOT expect the engine to digest too much of this stuff if you over dose the tank. Made it home at 3:15 AM Christmas Morning. Needless to say, I've completely lost faith in using this truck for long trips where I need towing power. A freind who works on these trucks told me the HPOP developed the oil leak from the hard running in west Texas and NM towing the Sport Trac at 75-80 mph. The only high point was the 22+mpg it got from Lordsburg NM to Quartzsite Az with the 150 mpg oil leak. The whole trip only netted a 13 mpg average, which is about 2 less mpg than I'd figured, but not bad considering to 20-30* temps and the rain, snow and ice on the return trip from NM to LA.

 

dang that sucks...unfortunately things break with an vehicle (especially one from 99 that is 12 years old).

I know it doesnt help but misery loves company right? haha

 

I'm sorry to hear of your tale of woes. Glad you made it home safe.

That said, I have complete faith in my 99 7.3 with 260,000 miles and I regularly pull my 12,000 lb 5th wheel across the country. My only worry is blowouts on the 5th wheel.

 

Don't I know it. Memphis Texas...............know it well. been thru there every trip to the mountains. US 287 is like the "mother road" to me. Been runnin it for 40 years now

 

Sorry to here your old 7.3 sick sounds like u might have lift pump troubles Had a &.3 like that it had 650,000 kms on it and had to change the pump. Ant how u say it 12 year old I have a 91 ranger with350,000 kms on it and I still would relie on it when it is real cold in stead of firing up my diesel. Well don't give up on it , It's still a way better motor than the 6.0 . Seasons greetins Roy

 

Keep the faith! You got experience for next time!

 

Sorry to hear of your bad luck. That said, the only thing that sounds like it was the trucks issue was the HPOP. Sounds like you have some glow plugs out, which you probably wouldn't notice in South LA and got hold of some bad fuel. Just be glad it wasn't a new 6.7, you'd probably still be there and have a repair bill for more then your 7.3 is worth.

 

I changed the electric pump on the frame rail last year. Replaced the intank filter assembly with a spin on filter on the frame.(this all was dealt with over a whole month period of trial and error) There's nothing lacking in fuel delivery on that end. Just this past month, changed the turbo(oh what fun!) & HPOP. All this isn't my "first rodeo" been trucking professionally for 35 years now, Wrenching for longer, I'm the type who'll do whatever it takes to get going again, I refuse to sit on the side of the road waiting for someone else to do it. If I can keep her moving, I will to get somewhere better to complete a fix. I rarely ever quit, but this past trip has convinced me we need something more reliable to do long trips in. The 7.3 runs great..........when it's running. That's the only part I love about it. And it'll pull anything you hook to the bumper. With the 6 speed manual, it's like a tractor. Now with the nearly dollar diffference in fuel prices of diesel vs gas, the economy advantage of the diesel is going south. And the new stuff as far as I've seen (ain't really looked hard at it though) manual transmissions are fast becoming extinct. Automatics suck for towing heavy loads.

 

Where are you located? I'm from south Louisiana! Hate to hear your troubles! Wonder what's going on? Maybe stopped up in tank screens. See if you can return that pump. Tell em it quit and you want your money back. We can fix your old one or replace it for about half the price you paid on that reman! Sorry to bum you. But glad you made it back!

 

Sound alot like my self I pull wrenchs for a big constrution company up here If u were wondering about the 2011 and 2012 f350's we got 3 new ones, they have been great. Only thing we have had problems with are the fuel filter under the cab on the frame rail ,but I think it is the fellow that is driving it. He might be tighting the filter cap to tight then when he's change's it the past 2 times the cap were u put the socket on ten's to crack their ,seem's a little on the thin side in that area. But if that's the only thing that's wrong we can live with that. I think he said that they have a change up coming for the problem

 

Therre's nothing wrong with the electric pump. I guess you didn't get what I posted above about the intank screen. It's gone. Replaced it with a short piece of fuel hose and a brass Tee located about a half inch above the tank bottom. That is loosly wrapped with plastic window screen secured with plastic zip ties. Ain't no way it's clogged. The fuel bowl fills right up when you turn the key on. As for the HPOP I bought it in Yucca Valley California, little too far to be tryin to return it now. I just found an O ring kit and parts to fix the old one. Gonna do that and pack it in oil and store it for the future.

 

Can't afford a new diesel (not to mention having to buy DEF for the new ones now, another "up the ***" for US buyers, courtesy of the EPA), nor want to buy a new gas burner either, new SD's are just rediculously expensive to suit me. That was why I bought the 99.

 

I know the feeling mines sitting about 500 miles from home right now , with issues...............

 

Yea, that's why I "got the hell outta dodge" (lordsburg) when I got her cranked up. damn the oil leak, full steam ahead.................22 mpg on fuel, 300 mpg on oil I had every intention of having to leave it there until it fired up. The only parts house in town was the Ford dealer.........that had all of twenty vehicles on the lot............if that many. It's one thing to break down close to home, where you've got connections to fix it. But when you're 1000+ miles from it, the funny thing about repair bills is they're nearly all double what you'd pay at home. Then you're dealing with a buncha strangers who you have no way of telling who's on the level.

 

been there done that. Some of it on that same road. What fuel pressure are you seeing under load? Last spring on my trip west I fought a running/not running issue that progressively worsened til I was finally down outside of Casper Wy. Don't assume pressure is OK. just cause there's flow out of the filter.

Barney