How long will the 7.3 last if taken care of? I am looking at one with over 200k on it. Should I look somewhere else or is this truck going to last "forever"?

 

Probably.

Mine will last my lifetime unless wrecked.

Rust is the only real killer of these trucks. Where are you looking at them?

Pop

 

200k isn't anything for a 7.3 but it also depends how the first owner took care of it. Or if some kid owned it and was running a tuner and beating the crap out of it would play a factor. The miles don't scare me. It is all about who owned it first. I myself when I went looking for a 7.3 I wanted one that was a 1 owner / older guy, stock, never had a tuner on it. I had found a 1 owner, guy about my age 50 yrs old, stock, no tuner with 195k. I would just stay away from trucks that have had 2 to 4 owners and that have been owned by some young guy that drove it like he stole it.

 

The first owner of mine was a Texas oil man who ran it on the highways from Midland to Morgan City, Bartlesville to Houston.

He put the first 123,000 on it (in three years), and all he did was wear a hole in the center console cover with his elbow.

I asked him why he traded it in. He told me he didn't trust the 7.3 because it had "some kind of sensor that broke once-in-a-while", and he just fell in love with the "power of the new six-liter engine".

I wonder how he felt after 123,000 in THAT truck!

I sure got lucky!

It remains rust-free here in SoCal.

Pop

 

I wish I could say that ! My poor truck has lived it's life in the arm pit of the nation where it snows and they dump salt on the roads. As once said "It's better to burn out because rust never sleeps."
So how many miles on your truck now Pop ?

 

After a two round trips this year, one to Northern Minnesota and the other to St. Louis, it's got 237,000+ on it.

It doesn't get used like it used to but still gets some miles every year.

I'm about to go out to Camarillo to meet with SkySkiJason, as he's having problems with a frame-off resto he's delivering out here.

That will put only about 70 more miles on it.

Pop

 

Mines got 310K on it and compared to some it's barely middle aged. Like Kuzz says it depends on how it was treated the first 200K. An oil analysis and compression ck would be the only sure fire way to know condition. The truck itself will need upkeep, bushings, bearings, lines, etc. but you can make theses things go a long time.

I too am fortunate to have a Texas and now Ga truck. No rust.

 

My 97 F-Superduty had 392,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. The utility bed was rusting very bad. Both doors were rough, and the differential was singing like nobodies business. It was an automatic which was its only downfall. Replaced it twice. Once at 117,00 when I bought it, then again at 365,000 miles. The guy that took it in trade from me for the 08 I got plans to make a toy out of it. A short bed 4X4 with that motor and tranny. That motor was quite strong, and didn't use much oil. Injectors, glow plugs, fuel pump, and water pump. Updated valve cover gaskets were installed when the injectors and GP's were done at 250,000 miles. The stuff around the motor will fall off before the motor itself will go bad assuming you take care of it.

 

The engine should easily outlast the truck. The 7.3 goes for a very long time when taken care of. My personal truck has 340k and appears to be as strong as ever. It doesn't burn any oil that I can measure and blowby appears to be normal so I expect to make it to 500k without any major issues with the engine. Anything past that will be extra bonus miles....

 

You're a good man POP !!
I'm sure between the 2 of ya I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it.
Sounds like a bad wire somewhere?? But where?????????

 

I might only have 216k but I'm hoping to get 500k out of my truck too.

 

I bought a 2000 XLT SCSB with 228,000 miles on it. It needed some general maintenance and a few common parts swapped out and it runs strong. The mileage is not the concern, it is how well it was taken care of during its life.

Anything mechanical can fail, so if you are happy with the truck then buy it and give it a real good once over replacing all fluids, checking all points and repair/replace anything you see failing soon.

The 7.3 is a beast and will last a long time if taken care of, but parts will fail, simple as that.

 

Excellent info guys! Thanks.

 

I'm wellover 250,000 on her now, hard miles, it's a late 99 and lots of modifications, she plows snow every year and has a salter in the bed, still has the stock injectors, serviced every 4,000 miles. Never touched the internals of the engine. Ford blew a great engine.

 

David-- when you say serviced every 4k you mean oil/filters correct? Or do you mean injectors also???