what kind of things should i look for/pay attention to when looking at a used 7.3L in a super duty?

Thanks

 

There is a sticky toward the top that has a lot of info on what to look for. Front end, tranny, blow by, condition of all fluids, excessive soot on up pipes, just to name a few.

 

Personally, I think the air intake is the biggest concern. Pop the top off the air filter and make sure the tube between the filter and turbo is not full of dirt. Look at the turbo wheel inside there and make sure it's not dusted. If that checks out, read this thread. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...questions.html

 

thanks for the link.

 

There so much to check for...

When I was buying my truck, I wish I knew then what I know now.

 

I second that. Although I like my early 99 I would have bought a later model. Good luck on your search.

Chet

 

Well I always go with who owned it and how did they drive it. Well when I went looking for a good used truck I always tried to find a 1 owner truck. If I would call on a truck and the guy was 28 yrs.old and only owned it 2 or 3 years I wouldn't even waste my time looking at it. Why you say...Well to start with a guy under 40 yrs old drove the truck hard and if he only had it a few years he really didn't care about the truck.( 15k between oil changes) Back to him beating the crap out of the truck. Driving it all day in the 120hp mode. And when things are starting to break so it is time for him to unload. Now I know there are some young guys who treat their truck better than their girlfriends. Which brings a tear to my eye!
But back to finding a 1 owner truck owned by an old guy. First of all if it a 1 owner truck that means he or she was into the truck for the long haul and I am sure they stayed on top things. Oil changes done on time. And being an older guy chances are he didn't drive it hard. No burn outs, No getting it stuck in a mud hole 2 miles from a paved road.
I think you get the idea of things to look out for with the owners. And always look the truck over good, look for leaks, make sure it shifts right, put in 4wd to make sure it works and that the front hubs are good.
Good luck in you search. Take your time and don't rush into it.

 

thanks BadDog

if i look at a truck and it has had a tuner then i wont even waste my time with it since i do not need/want a tuner. plus like you said when you have a tuner in there you drive it hard.

 

why exactly?

 

you might want to look into psd with tuners alot of older guys run them even just for better shifts on there auto transmissions,40 to 60 hp chips from a reputable tuner isnt really hard on a psd driven responsibbly

 

good point.

how are the auto trannies in these trucks as far as shift feel in stock form? if they are anything like the E4OD in my IDI then i would REALLY like improved shift feel/performance.

 

Late model plenum, spider,turbo, HPOP all things that will lower egt's and
burn the fuel a little better. Models built after Dec. 99 are considered late models. I am changing mine as we speak. Just one thing I wouldn't have had to do. Chet

 

While I agree with the above general reasoning, it is not always true. I realize I may may be the exception to the rule, but I have an 02 PSD with a DP tuner installed on it, and I can assure you my truck isn't hurt because of it. I installed it because I wanted to have it in case I needed more power like everyone else, but it turns out rarely does it ever get taken out of stock mode. I don't like it on for normal driving because it makes the throttle so touchy. I only use it when I want to pass someone poking along when there is little distance to pass, and situations like that, then I turn it back off. I also use the high idle fast warmup mode in the winter, but other than that, it stays in stock mode 99% of the time. Howevere I will admit that the real reason I bought my 4x4 truck used with 100,000 miles on it was because it never had a tuner on it, with highway tires, and it looked like it never had seen anything other than pavement. So I guess I agree with the above statement all while I am giving an example of it not being always true. I hope I haven't made it more confusing for anybody?

 

I found so few crewcab shortbed 7.3s for sale that I couldn't be choosey - beyond color. After that, I found one with new ball joints, a new trans, and new tires that the owner didn't really want to sell.

This still left plenty of 'small things' to do to bring it into shape. I ruled out ones with gauges and tuners, but knowing what I know now, I'd be a bit more forgiving of those. Unfortunately, many of the 'tuner' trucks had obviously been driven hard, or were otherwise beat up. You can expect that most used trucks will need brakes, shocks, tires, fluid changes, interior cleaning, etc.