I just thought I'd say hi. I've been lurking around for a bit reading the stickies and I really like the cruise control information. Long drives really get to you without it.

I bought a '96 F250 7.3 2WD 5psd back in July with about 135K on it from NC. The truck's just plain white XL with the blue vinyl interior. I like it though. No frills and 20 MPG appeal to me. Aside from throwing a fuel pump in August, she runs pretty good.

I have a large list of things I'd like to do, but up first are the mirrors. It came with those tiny 5"x8" on it. I tried a simple upgrade to the large 6" x 10", but the factory mounts don't like the drag at 70 mph. So, I'm gonna have to fill some holes and start over.

Anyway, here's a picture I took back right after I bought it.

 

Welcome!

Glad to have you in here. These guys are great. Keep reading as much as time allows and you'll learn a ton!

 

Welcome to FTE!
I can honestly say I haven't seen that mirror set up yet. It looks like you can turn them in then flip them around so you won't hit shoulders on the sidewalks. Your truck looks great and it is low miles to boot. I don't have my "welcome links" on this PC but I will send the to you when I can.
The first 2 mods I would do is the air intake mod and the downpipe mod....and lose the cat if big brother will allow it. Where are you from anyhow? Oh and are you old or young?...apparrently if you are over 35-40 you are old in this forum, lol...I am old IAW FTE 7.3 OBS. Anyway it is a lot of fun and you will learn ALL about your "new" truck. 24-7 tech. help.
See you around!

 

You won't find any aftermarket mirrors to fit that will be very stable in the wind.

 

I'm in WV, so yeah no big brother emissions checks to worry about. The thing has ridiculous amounts of power and torque to begin with. But more is always better I guess LOL.

My big concern with building power is the tranmission. It's only the ZF5-47, so it's only rated to 470 ft-lbs. According the factory numbers on the engine, I could only build about 50 to 75 ft-lbs w/o risking tranny failure (at least based on factory ratings).

I'm 25 to answer your question. So, I presume "young" then.

By the end of the 300 mile drive back from NC, I was already hating the tiny mirrors (I'm used to the new body style with the split mirrors). In town, I didn't feel like I could see nearly enough of the vehicle for my comfort. Hence, the ghetto mod in the picture.

Sadly, the only option I see is to completely remove the mounting hardware, fill the holes, and put on something more appropriate for a tow vehicle. I was thinking of these or these. I think I prefer the second one for size (relative to the vehicle) and it may make use of half the factory mounts.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm sure I'll find plenty of things in my reading. I wish now I was a member when the fuel pump let go. That took a while to diagnose.

 

I really enjoyed the drive down 33 last year in my PSD way better than my 302.

 

Another youngen huh? lol
I like the both the mirrors in your post will do you well. Do you pull/tow anything on a regualr basis? If so, what? I would set you sights on getting 25 posts in this thread. This is YOUR thread so post often... even if you are "talken to yourself". Once you hit 25 posts you can add a signature....year miles mods etc....This will let us know what you have and will aid in troubleshooting if/when you have questions/problems....so chat away! Here are the "welcome links" I was talking about earlier. Please save them:
1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevebaz/_i...az/index3.html
1996 Bronco/F-Series Workshop Manual
97-15A 7.3L DI Turbo Workshop Manual
I stick by my "1st 2 mods" you outta do.
What do you do in WV?

 

At the moment, I work part-time as the on-site Engineer for a local recycling center. I'm also finishing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at WVU.

Now, the next question everyone always asks is, "what will you do with when you graduate?" So, I'll go ahead an answer that one, I have no idea.

But, I'm pretty sure the weather is gonna cooperate enough by the end of this week to take her out. During the winter months up here, the weather changes so quickly from sunny to snow/ice, that I haven't taken the 250 out much (2wd and all).

I do actually have two questions though. I've driven quite a few manual trans/diesel trucks (up through 15 ton dump trucks) but none with a clutch as "heavy" as mine. I'm guessing (since it's full hydraulic) the previous owner must have upgraded the clutch housing at some point to one with tougher fingers. Am I correct or were these trucks always that heavy?

My second question is on Reverse. Once the transmission has warmed up, reverse can be a bear to engage, sometimes. 1st and 2nd are never a problem. To get into reverse, I have to hold the tranny in neutral, and disengage the clutch for a solid 10 seconds. If I do that, it goes right into Reverse. I'm guessing the synchros have been trashed on Reverse. Not a big deal, just curious if anyone else had experienced that.