Hello guys. I have been in the car scene for over a decade. Have owned two LT1 camaros and two vettes (C5Z and a C6Z). I have now stumbled into trucks (diesel). So my dad sold me his 2003 F250 7.3L 2WD Lariat. Great shape. Only had 68k miles on it. Now I have a few mods I would like to do to get it to my liking....

Dad told me it has a very small oil leak. Maybe a drop or two every week or so. Also the IRP sensor has oil on it. Pictures below.





Now the IRP sensor (iirc the name) seems pretty straight forward to replace. The oil pan gasket is what worries me. I got some quotes and they have ranged from $1500 to $2000. Someone mentioned to me that since it is such a tiny leak that I could possibly add some type of sealant that could possibly fix that small leak and I won't have to worry for another 50k miles or so. Would it be ideal to try that sealant first since in the mechanic world always start out with the least amount of money that can possibly fix the problem. OR should I really consider taking it in and getting that leak fixed? Let me add that recently I have noticed that when I sometimes start the truck the windows/door locks/radio won't work for a min. I also found at that when my gf pulled the passenger visor down and lowered the mirror door it cut the radio/windows/door locks off as well. Any idea to that?

Next thing is leveling the front end and adding a 18x10 wheel + 35" tires. I have done a little research and see that ICON has a nice 2" level kit (no blocks) for around $250 which is not bad at all. That shouldn't be too hard to do myself. Now would a BFG All Terrain K02 tire be ideal? Also is leveling a 2WD truck and putting 35s on it frowned upon? Like putting a Cobra badge on a V6 mustang lol? I will rarely ever take it off roading or in the mud. Only place I will take it off roading is at the beach as I live near the Gulf. I also did some research that airing the tires down to 20 psi is ideal for soft sand. I do love me some fishing so I would hope adding those sized wheels/tires that it would give me a much greater advantage to the 265s on them now.

After that would be a stereo upgrade. It is 2017 and this truck has no damn input for my phone or bluetooth. I already know what do to here and by putting a double din in I will have to trim just a tad. I have installed all my previous stereo equipment in my camaros/vettes. I do it the correct way with sound deadner/etc. One thing though I do have a question is subbox? The truck seems to have very little space to add one. I know it will have to be a shallow mount sub which is no problem. Any suggestions on a box? Would a 10" sound alright in the truck? I have only used 10" subs in my cars as they were smaller.

Further on....My next mods after those would be exhaust/intake/tune. I saw over on the DP website they have a nice little combo for around $1600. Not bad, imo, but if I can get cheaper with quality elsewhere please show me the way.

So that is about it. Here are some pictures of the truck after I got it all cleaned up. Sorry for the long post, but to also add my Dad had installed a security device in this truck as it was stolen once and driven to Mexico. Border Patrol found it with some damage. Not sure why he kept it though.

 

If it were me.............

That truck is worth a lot unmolested.

I would very seriously think about repairing everything except the pan gasket. You can give the pan bolts a nudge to see if it seals.

If you want to do tricks on something. Flip that truck and get a 4x if you have the need.

I am a musclecar guy but I think flirting with this diva is a wrong idea.

They appreciate in value with the mileage and condition it looks in.

Someone that fifth wheels will give you more than u ever dreamt of for that rig.

Denny

 

Yea this crossed my mind a few times. My Dad asked me to help him sell this truck last year around June/July to no avail. Was getting offers under $10k. We were asking $18k OBO. I would really love a 4WD and was looking at the new 2016/2017 Eco boost F150's but I am not sure I want a truck payment for the next 5 years. That is what my Dad purchased. I then had a guy tell me he could sell my truck for $30k to some people out in West Texas. I told him if he could do that I will give him $5k. Never heard back from him.

Any reason why it would be a bad idea? I was going to drive this thing for a while till I get myself another vette (C7Z or C7GS).

 

The IPR is your injection pressure regulator. It controls the oil pressure to the injectors. Not a sensor, as you say, but you are correct it is pretty straight forward to fix

For your oil pan leak. It is true 4-wheel drive trucks need the engine pulled to replace the oil pan gasket. I've heard rumors that it's possible to unbolt a couple mounts and do it in the truck on a 4x2. However, I have a friend who tried and he gave up and pulled the motor. RiffRaff Diesel sells an actual oil pan gasket for the 7.3, if it were me that's the way I'd go. I've heard good things about it. Also that leak will only get worse with time.

As far as leveling it and adding bigger wide *** tires. Doesn't float my boat. But it's your truck, do what makes you happy! And don't give a hoot for what other people think.

$1600 seems a lot steep for intake, exhaust, tuner. (wait just looked at it, it's the infinity combo) That infinity system is supposed to be cool. But you could get everything that package offers for a lot less. Looks like your in the South, Aluminized exhaust should work fine, and you could be well under $400 for that, That SB intake is $300 on RiffRaff, and a Hydra Chip with free lifetime burns and 6 tunes is $435 I think. Leaves you with over $500 for mechanical gauges and an OBDII adapter so you can monitor everything else on your phone. Also, Gear Head and Hydra are the flavor of the year. (Don't you want to be a cool kid?)

BTW really nice looking truck! They don't look like that in Minnesota!

 

Under offers under 10K with 68K on the clock, that's just criminal! Mine's a 4x4 I bought it with 96K and it's lived in the rust belt, and I payed 18K for it! If you want to sell it I'd look to the Midwest or Pacific Northwest. However, I don't see 30K as a realistic possibility. Does it have a clean title? You mentioned it's possible use as a cartel mule.

 

Great reply. Yea I saw some type of video where they had a mold of the oil pan gasket that you seal to the stock pan and it fixes your leaks. Didn't seem too bad, but I would def like to try the cheap method first. I have never owned a truck with decent size wheels and I always caught myself head turning to trucks like that.

Could you explain to me a bit more on lifetime burns but only 6 tunes for that programmer, please? I could probably get matching gauges + pillar for $200-$300 I would bet. Gear Head and Hydra.....You lost me bud lol. I will assume new sponsors here?

 

Yea...You will always have low ballers. I even got them when I sold my C5Z and C6Z. Like why waste your time and the seller's time? A couple grand under asking is ok, but pretty much 50% less? Idiots. Damn that's not bad, but I am sure the 4x4 helped too...

As of right now it sits with 76K miles. I drove it for about 6 months before buying it from him at a good price. Yes. The truck was stolen from work. Drove down to the border where they got into a pursuit with border patrol. Ran through a barbed wire fence. Basically a repaint on the scratched panels. Not sure if they sanded then bondoed the metal panels or just replaced/painted new ones. Never asked him. Truck looks great though. It has very minor surface rust on the roof that I will probably take care of. Truck has never seen a garage but was parked under a car port majority of its life. 1 owner (well I am the second owner now).

 

Gear Head is a tuner, they primarily use the Hydra Chip (manufactured by PHP). Similar to DP tuner (a tuner) who uses the TS chip (not sure who makes that). Gear Head offers 6 tunes for $110 when you buy the chip from them (Daily Driver, heavy, tow, performance, etc) Once you get PMS (Powerstroke Mod Syndrome) and you start firing Buck$ooka blasts of your wallet at performance parts, they will reprogram the chip to suit your new setup. Probably the best long term deal around, and many have found their tunes to perform well while being easy on the high pressure oil system.

But bear in mind I speak this from the position of wanting one and not having. I'm still working on getting my truck to 100% healthy, the previous owner never unhooked the fifth wheel in 96K and didn't do a thing other than change the oil.

 

Thanks for the information on those guys. Will keep in mind if I go that route. Yea this truck is taken care of. Maintenance always on time/etc. That is good to know though if I do end up selling it. Why are these trucks worth so much, yet so hard to sell lol?

 

I don't know why you had a hard time selling. They tend to command a higher price for several reasons. They have the perception of legendary reliability, they don't have crazy emissions systems on them, they aren't 6.0's, You don't have to take the cab off for every fix, and they are relatively cheap to fix.

 

Sweet looking truck! Getting harder to find virgins like that. And welcome to FTE!

Diesel in general and the HEUI injector system particular to these trucks is substantially different from a gasser, so enjoy the learning curve.

The IPR with an oily connector in the pic is basically a solenoid that controls the high pressure oil that fires the injectors. They are generally robust and a bit of oil there can be cleaned off with brake or contact cleaner. The ICP sensor (#13 below) is the one you need to check for oil seepage. ICP can be cleaned and get you down the road, but a leaker is dying and really just needs to be replaced.

Often oil leaks start in the valley of the engine and find their way to the weep hole at the back, and drip down to be mis-diagnosed as a rear main seal leak. Messing with an oil pan on one of these is not easy, be sure that's the problem.

Practice your google-fu and see what mods fit your intended use of the truck. Only thing I recommend for all trucks is Hutch and Harpoon to correct the sub-optimal OE fuel pickup design.

 

"Often oil leaks start in the valley of the engine and find their way to the weep hole at the back, and drip down to be mis-diagnosed as a rear main seal leak. Messing with an oil pan on one of these is not easy, be sure that's the problem."
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Another vote for this approach/diagnosis. It is rare for a rear main to leak. As far as the pan gasket is concerned I am not sure about that as a common issue. But the Ford sealer they use at the factory is petty tenacious stuff. If it did not get bunged up with the cross country trip though the border crossing it should be OK. Most leaks from there are a result of improper care when re sealing after a repair.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply. You may be right on that. Could just be oil dripping from above down to the oil pan. Funny how dealerships will lie to you when you have been a customer there since 2003 and have bought two brand new trucks from them....Go figure. I will keep an eye out on the leak though. I have not experienced any rough idles or anything either.

"Only thing I recommend for all trucks is Hutch and Harpoon to correct the sub-optimal OE fuel pickup design." What is the purpose of this?

It has def been cared for all it's life. Well besides it being stolen.

 

I believe that they're only lying 50% of the time, the other 50% they're just incompetent, either way I work on anything I can. I can buy the tools, do the job twice if I get it wrong the first time and knock off work if I have to and still do it myself for less.

 

Hutch mod eliminates the snap to connect fittings coming off the fuel pickup, and often replaces or modifies the pickup which has a tendency to disintegrate with age and plug up the fuel lines.

Harpoon is often done with the hutch since you'll have the tank out anyway. Basically you trim the inside of the fill spout to allow easier filling and a few extra gallons of fuel.

Great instructions for both can be found in the tech folder sticky at the top of the forum list, along with a lot of tech info you'll want to know, other common mods repair procedures. Let's just say it's the second most valuable part of the forums, only behind the people who made it happen. I would post a link to the hutch and harpoon, but instead I'll just say find it in the tech folder. It won't take you long, and you'll be far richer for it.