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I enjoy going off road to remote places with my truck. I have been fortunate over the years and have had very few troubles with the engine. I try to maintain it the best I can, however, even with the best maintenance problems can arise. I would like to put together a collection of information and tools - PDFs, etc that I can take with me on trips that would assist in diagnosing the 7.3. This becomes very important when in places that don't have internet access. With internet access I can usually find the answer to whatever trouble the engine is having. I will almost always have my laptop computer with me. I understand I usually won't have the parts to fix what is broken, but figuring out what is broken is the first step. Then at least once I get help they can bring me the part I need.
Please post your suggestions and guidance for an ultimate library of information and specialized tools you would bring with you.
I tend to go too far on this subject. If I've ever been in a "need it and not have it" situation, I put a spare or two in the ex just in case.
I picked up an old Toughbook on eBay cheap for the sole purpose of leaving it in the truck. It's got forscan, php hydra tuner, and the isspro software.
I keep a couple of cps', ipr nuts, fuses, relays, and my old ipr cleaned up and resealed in the glove box. A spare serpentine belt stays under the passenger seat.
Puma pd1006 air compressor, tire plug kit, and for tools the minimum is enough to change a tire, cps, or ipr.
In reality, all the tools. I seem to remember a thread where someone fabbed up his own valve guides to get back on the road? I'm not having any luck finding that thread.
I carry a tablet with numerous PDF documents and FORScan. I also carry a laptop with all of the information and more in the 7.3L PSD Tech Folder and FORScan.
Acquire tools like an IPR wrench or extra deep socket, 2' 3/8" extension, cordless impact wrench, etc...
I carry quite a bit of tools, just incase. We go to very remote places with our truck, so I do what I can to be prepared.
Just to put it into perspective for you. The snip below is from my "7.3L resource folder". This folder has 150 items in it. I have a similar folder for our 2008 Subaru Tribeca and our 5th wheel RV. Everything from general maintenance items to transmission rebuild instructions for the vehicles. Everything from stuck slides to electrical testing for the RV.
I have ALL of these documents on my tablet, my laptop and a small 7" netbook that I carry with us when we travel. Sometimes it is quick and easy to grab the tablet and find what I want. Sometimes I have a few minutes and can use the laptop. I have the netbook as a means to run FORScan (versus FORScan Lite) if needed on a small, compact and mobile platform.
You can create your own PDF's by saving the text and images to a Word document and then saving the file as a PDF once you are done editing it. Then, you can move them over to your mobile devices if you so choose.
When one of these three platforms is updated with a file, the other two are as well. I verify the file count is consistent before setting out on a trip each time if the trip is further than 400 miles away. We travel cross country and go to some very remote places where there is no signal or another human for a long ways away.
Just some advice from a stranger on the internet though... If you come up with another method of acquiring and saving your resources, I for one would be interested in hearing about it.
Once you stop learning, you start dying. - Albert Einstein
11-16-2021, 04:16 PM
