Let me start off by saying I have a 2001 F350 CC, 4x4, 7.3 with 258K miles on it. My last CPS change for this truck was at 168K miles. The first was at 98K. I am currently running a royal blue one I bought at the suggestion of some folks on FordDiesel.com back in its day. I thought I was having a CPS problem then but it ended up being a loose connection with a Quadzilla chip I was running. The CPS I replaced was one of the black Ford CPS which I am learning is highly coveted. It had 70K miles on it at the time and has sat in my truck tool box for 4 years as a backup.

My black CPS....




Fast forward to now. I am almost 90K in again and I am considering changing out my CPS just to avoid being caught on the side of the road. I don't drive this truck much but when I do, its long 4-5 hour trips to the deer lease. For less than $40 I figured, WTH its cheap insurance, right? Simple as buying a $25-30 CPS and installing it like normal right? Wrong!

My question is basically which one do you suggest I get or install now. I have read and read and read until I am blue in the face on here and other places and the general consensus is that the light gray one is crap with windshield wiper motor issues as well as several other issues, the black one is the best but not made anymore and a new dark blue one made by Navistar/International is the current way to go....except for by woodsman whose tests show that it performs worse than the light gray one...Ugggh!

So I find these in my search as cross references and confirm via Riff Raff and other online parts places they are correct.

Black CPS P/N: F7TZ-12K073-A (International 1825899C93)
Grey CPS P/N: F7TZ-12K073-B (International 1876735C91)
Dark Blue CPS P/N: F4TZ-12K073-C (International 1876736C91)

I decide I'll call Ford and see what they charge for the dark blue Ford model above since I don't have an international place within 40 miles and I wanted to change it out before my next trip next weekend(I figured shipping would take forever this time of year). I give the Ford Parts guy a part number and he says $30. I'm good with that compared to the $170 we used to pay even knowing the light gray is $23-24. He then asks me my vehicle to confirm it is the right part. I give that to him and he says I have the wrong part and that the F4TZ-12K073-C is only for the early 7.3s like 94-96 and it won't work in my truck. I ask him to confirm with other folks showing him the cross reference above. They all agree with him.

He then tries to sell me the light gray one. I tell him about the problems I have read about the gray one and he just mumbles something about the internet and follows it with I've been here for a long time and I've never heard the problems you describe about the gray CPS. Of course I am telling myself that he sure knows a lot about it so obviously he sells a bunch.. I am an OCD overthinker about buying the right and best part the first time so the frustration is building. i just want a good CPS and switch out.

So after that longwinded lead in, I have a few questions.

1. Is the new dark blue Ford CPS made for my truck or no?....and is it the one I should put in it now if it is? I can order from International if need be since getting it before my trip is probably not going to happen

2. I cannot find a new black one but I do have the used black one with 60K miles on it. Would you put that in the truck or just keep it in the box as a spare since some folks suggest they do have a higher failure rate?

3. Under any circumstance, with these other two available, do I consider the light gray one?

Thanks for your help folks. You guys have always come through for us.

 

If you simply want reliability I would just get the newest version from ford, likely the gray one, the issues are for some, slightly more noise, possibly rougher running(slight). But do not seem to have the same failure of complete stall. You have the advantage to try a few different to see if you even notice a difference. I personally in owning 3 different 7.3's have never had a CPS failure.

 

Is the windshield wiper issue fixed with the light gray ones? I couldn't find anything current on it

 

the original black or the ford gray replacement both work great in truck in signature

 

Moving the ground wire for the wiper motor to its own ground point fixes that, not a certain CPS.

Buy a grey one from Ford, keep it as a spare, and put the black one back in. Or just buy the grey one and keep it and the black one as a spare and keep on truckin' with the one you have in it now.

Stewart

 

How about just figuring out what tools you need to change the CPS on the road, and keeping those tools, along with the spare CPS, in your truck?

Figuring out doesn't have to mean reading and reading online "until you are blue in the face" (couple different shades of blue for ya). It could just mean rehearsing in your driveway. Everyone's hand size and dexterity is different. I "rehearsed" swapping a CMP sensor in my driveway so I would have the right combination and length of extension, ratchet, socket, and harness retainer release tool (aka small screw driver) to get the job done easily, and on the side of the road, if need be.

All the tools I needed to swap the CPS tossed behind my seat:

 

I guess I failed to make it clear that I changed both of my CPSs listed above....I've had the tools ready in the truckbox since 2003... But that doesn't mean I want to do it on the side of the road if I can help avoid it. I also have a second alternator and it makes it a little more difficult with big hands.

I'm trying to find out which one is the better one currently available. I've got the how-to down.

 

Anybody have experience with the dark blue CPS?

 

My bad... I wasn't trying to imply that you didn't know how to do it.

I kind of thought you were wanting to change your CPS at home to avoid having to do it on the road, and what I was trying to suggest was that working out the exact tools needed and pre setting them up (as in my pic) might make the on the road swap not as onerous.

I have dual alts too, so I know exactly what you're talking about as far as the increased difficulty and PIA factor.

The reason why I'm not changing my CPS at home is because it is the original black, and it has worked without a hiccup, at least with the original PCM. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I've read reports of even the new grey one failing, so in all things, there is risk.

Still, according to Ford, the least risk, safest bet is the new grey one.

To find user reports of using the old blue one from the 94-97 or the 444e, you might have to look at archived posts from several years ago.

 

Moderators Edit:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/guidelines.html

Thanks for your cooperation.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.....

Stewart

 

My mechanic just put in the grey one yesterday. He said all his research points to that one being very reliable.