Got into a conversation with my buddy tonight about the notoriously ever rusting 7.3 radiator support (and all other obs ford radiator supports for that matter) and how NO ONE in the aftermarket makes a new TRUE 7.3 radiator support besides Ford. We were just trying to fathom why with such a large market available for new 7.3 radiator supports, that no one from the aftermarket has taken advantage of it yet. You figure with Ford charging people upwards of $600, even though we all know it doesn't take more then $100 to make those things, that someone in the aftermarket would come along and make one and under bid them and take all their business? Criest even trashed rusted out rad supports are going for over $400 on eBay so why hasn't a company taken advantage of this market? Is there patent issues or something? We also talked about possible solutions like maybe buying a gasser support of the correct width and then cutting off the lower support and extending it to the correct length. Or just buying the biggest new gasser support there is with the biggest radiator available to fit within that gasser support and then just use a gasser support and gasser radiator to cool your 7.3. Anyone try that before? I read somewhere that the 460 radiator actually has more surface area which in theory would allow for superior cooling but in my gut I feel like it would overheat still even though it may be bigger in surface area. What you guys think? Any of you guys do something totally different? Curious what Yall have to say/think about this topic!

 

Stamping dies are very expensive to produce.
Giant presses are expensive to have sitting idle.
Packaging, warehousing and shipping bulky fragile items costs too.

Just how much demand do you really think there is for OBS diesel radiator supports?
How many could you sell tomorrow?
1,000...10,000???
Setting up a production line for-maybe- a weeks output, and then filling a warehouse with them is not an economically viable business proposition.

Look at the size and location of a diesel fan compared to that of a gas engine and the hoses.
You'll see why it doesn't really work to use a gasser support.

Eta: I'm not saying a diesel rad support costs more to make than a gasser, just that with dwindling demand the aftermarket is not going to tool up for it.

 

and diesel rad supports are no longer available from ford either.

 

A gas rad support really isn't entirely too much bigger than the diesel yet they are a dime a dozen. It's not like a Fidel rad support next to a gasser support would look like a mouse next to an elephant ya know? I can't honestly see it being that much more costly on the producer side to press a 7.3 support. And the market for a 7.3 rad support I would think to be pretty large because
1. The rad support (along with the wheel wells) are the first to rust out on obs fords. Anyone that lives in A road salt state will tell you that.
2. typically those with 7.3's keep their trucks running as long a possible due to the reliability and longetivity of the 7.3's design. I can go to any local junkyard and find 20+ obs fords...out of that 20 MAYBE one will have the 7.3. No one is keeping f150's with gassers, when they go or won't pass inspection without major work, they get shipped straight to the junk yard. We had 2 obs f150's fail ba use of the rad support being shot in the past few months both of which got sent to the junkyard cause the cost of the truck was less then the cost to replace the support...yet they still make a rad support for it.

Their's clearly a market for them because it's a frequent topic on forums as well. I did hear ford stopped selling them but I also heard they stopped selling the window weather strips yet my local dealership has em still. I feel like it's all about location with dealerships and how much they actually wanna sell you a part.

 

http://shop.broncograveyard.com/mobile/Core-Support-AFT-1992-94-Diesel/productinfo/34202D/

92-94 it says not sure if something changed after 94 but in the description it says it works on all obs years

 

I saw that and a few others online but even though it says it's a diesel I don't think it is, at least it's not a 7.3 support, cause my 7.3 rad support dips down much more on that lower part Of the support as do all the other 7.3 rad supports I've seen on friends trucks. I think the ones labeled "diesel" but look like the one you posted are old IDI no turboed rad supports but not sure about that so do t quote me. Either way it's not the rad support I'm necessarily looking for. Anyone know what those supports are for/out of??

 

that also does not look like the support in my 88, the lower "dip" is deeper.
i think that may actually be a 460 support

 

Very strange if you ask me

 

That is BULL S#!+ just like every other "diesel" aftermarket support.

Ford made ONE diesel rad support from 92-97. And it didn't matter if it had A/C or not, or if it was stick or auto.

Their description is one of YEARS past, AKA from the 87-91 trucks.

I cannot figure out why the aftermarket has not started making them either. After all, who is fixing up the gas trucks and even if they are what are they worth? The diesel trucks are the RAGE and people put some serious coin into hem and they sell for serious money if done right.

but as long as no one is making them, I will keep selling rust free ones in the rust belt

 

It is weird I have no clue what they are saying in the description the pic might just be generic it looks the same as their "gas" core support pic, if I still lived close I'd go take measurements, maybe you could call or email them for the specs. If it is the right support they'd make a killing at that price but who knows

 

It is VERY simple. A DIESEL support is 29" tall. A GAS support is 24"

 

No I think the OP was right those are probably for an IDI

 

I PMed you with reguardless to a rad support DieselBrad. That's the only thing I could think of cause the 6.9 wasn't in commission when they changed from the brick nose to the newer obs style front ends so doubt very much a 6.9 rad support would bolt up in a newer obs ford without serious modifications and or doing a brick nose front end to the truck. That being said I just guessed at the non turboed IDI thing cause logically it's the only motor that was around for the newer body style obs's yet wasn't turboed so logically thinking again a non turbo motor runs cooler than a turboed motor thus requiring less rad surface area for sufficient cooling. That's my greatest guess at it but I've never torn apart a non turboed IDI to check.

 

NO. An IDI and a Powerstroke use the SAME support since they are DIESELS

 

Hey Diesel Brad. You say that you have access to used radiator supports for PSD.
Have a 97 F-450 that dire need of rad support and not having any luck locating one.
Sure could use some help !!