I just traded my 2008 F350 dually with 50k miles for a 2001 F350 with 98K. I got divorced and could not handle the payment - I seriously drove probably 35 used trucks over the course of 4 months - mostly 6.0s but was scared to buy one - so I finally bit the bullet and traded for this 7.3. I know the 08 and 01 are very differnt animals but I have a few concerns about the 7.3 I just bought. I already called the dealer and am taking it back in tomorrow ( I picked it up Wednesday) for the breaks, I want to have everything I am concerned about looked over tomorrow so here are my questions:

FYI I am a mechanically challenged (but tough) woman that wants to learn to be able to work on her own truck.

Ok - the breaking is jacked. When pushing HARD the pedal can go to the floor, normal breaking feels okay. Slammed on breaks today and I thought I was going to take someone out. When pushing hard on brake I can feel a pulsing and hear a weird noise. Is this more likely brakes that need bleeding or something wrong?

The truck has a 6 inch lift and wide tires with big tread, backing and turning at very slow speeds requires some muscle to turn the tires, other lifted trucks I drove were difficult also. Is this a lift/big tire/slow thing or power steering thing?

Occasional weird noise when starting - sometimes after the glow plugs warm and I turn the key to crank the engine there is a pause with a "wrrrrr" kind of noise (wish there was sound on here LOL) then the engine cranks and sounds normal. What might this be????

Final question for now, when idling the RPMS are at about .5 - is this normal, something that can be adjusted or indictive of a problem?

I got the truck from a reputable ford dealer so I want to make sure they fix everything that might be a problem when I take it back tomorrow. They were rather embarrased that the brakes are going to the floor.

Thanks!

 

pedal to the floor is not normal. The pulsing and weird noise might be the ABS kicking in. Or could be bad rotors or calipers.

Stiff steering is probably the lift and tires.

Wrrrr noise might be the fuel pump. That would be normal.

Best of luck with the truck and dealer. It should be a good truck, nice choice.

 

I think the wrrrr noise is actualy the anti lock brake system doing it's thing. All superduties I've been in make that sound. The brakes on these trucks are powered by the powersteering pump so your hard braking and hard steering may be related afterall. What size tires are on it? Unless they're bigger than 35's it should not be hard to steer. These trucks idle around 550-650 I think.

 

wrrr could be the vacuum pump on the passenger side fender. i would bleed the brakes and check the power steering pump it uses ATF, if it is low the brake boost dont work to good. just what are you pulling most goose necks dont like 6 inch lifts? or is it a DD?

Congratulations and if you hang around here you will be able to fix the truck.

Matt

 

At this point I will probably just be hauling a 2 horse BP - originally got a truck for 3/4 horse gooseneck but divorce can really change things. The truck has ranch hand bumpers so the BP hitch is where it would normally be - should be fine for the small amount of pulling I will be doing.

I did not really want a lifted truck but I wanted a 7.3 with 4 doors and long bed and had to be under 100k miles for financing - was sick of looking - and it looks really tough and I just could not help myself

I dropped if off this morning with a list of things I want fixed. After doing more research I think the master cylinder might be the culprit of the breaking.

 

This Matt agrees with the above Matt on the wrrr noise before start-up....vacuum pump. If the dealer is gona check things over, let him. Ask questions and have the mech do a pointie talkie (show me) with you. If the answer smells funny, bring it here, these folks will give you the straight and narrow.
Congrats on the truck.....

 

Hi, my name is Bill and I am a recovering 6.4L owner. You will learn to love your 7.3. The folks on this forum will have up to speed in no time. A few mods and DP magic your truck will be performing like the old 6.4.
Welcome and best of luck.

 

Wrrrrr noise when turning key, maybe starter spinning before contacting flex plate.

 

somone corect me if I am wrong but the starter bolts comming loose on a 7.3 is common, my 03' never a problem in 150k miles, my 02' I have tightened several times.

 

Hope this helped?

And we like to see pictures so post them when you can of your new joy!

 

Dealer just called. Said stabilizer on left front is bent and is crimping a line that controls the breaks and steering. Asked if I had done anything to the truck .... must have been my rough highway driving . Truck also needs a washer jet replaced.

Any how they said they are fixing it. Does this sound like a legitimite reason for the problems I was having? Also, how exactly does one bend a stabilizer? Should I be worried?

 

umm last time i looked i didnt have any brake lines hanging in front of my axle! LOL

 

Picked up truck and took it back - braking and stearing still jacked up. Did not feel it at first but after driving a bit brake was still going to the floor.

Talked with manager, showed him the brake on the floor. He got one of the mechanics and we went for a ride - about 1/4 mile he says "yup - something is wrong with the truck" Fuel pump about to go out.

Go back and talk with manager and mechanic. Tell them at this point I am very concerned about the truck, that they let it leave twice without the brakes working properly and it initially left without wiper fluid coming out of the driver side ( that was fixed first time I took it back ). I told them I did not think anybody even looked at the truck before it was sold to me and I wanted the entire truck gone through this time.

Manager was very apologetic (again) and pissed that it was not fixed. Mechanic is supposed to call me back today after actually going through truck.

Would the power steering pump going out cause stearing and braking problems? From what I have been told by a couple people on my year truck it can.

 

Yes, the power steering pump supplies the boost for the brake master cylinder. I hope they are not charging you for this.

 

No way are they charging me for this! I have got a friend going through it this weekend - if he finds anything they will be fixing that to - after returning it twice they kind of owe me!