Hello everyone. I need your opinions and experience.

So I have never owned a diesel and am looking to buy my first one. I tried to search all the forms and could not find the answers I was looking for.

I am looking to buy a 2000 f350 7.3 6 speed with 173k miles. It has a few aftermarket parts such as 5 inch lift, full 5 inch exhaust, adjustable tune as well as a few other things. I really like the truck and have managed to build a friendship with the seller and talked him down to $6500.

I went to check the truck out for a second time and brought a friend of a friend who used to be a diesel mechanic. He was telling me how diesel trucks just constantly need repairs and when you fix one thing something else will go wrong. He also said the injectors were starting to get towards the end and that would cost like $6000-$7000! After doing more research that number sounds ridiculous and is making me second guess his overall opinion.

My main question for you guys is how much do you think it really costs to own a 7.3 repair wise? How often do things break down, how expensive to fix, also how easy are things to do yourself? I do a lot of minor work on my car right now. (axle changes, brakes, fluids, etc.) I know that the maintenance is more expensive than a gas vehicle with fuel filters and such. Also what do you think an average cost to replace injectors with new injectors would be?

All in all I really like this truck and would really benefit from the ability to haul trailers. However at the amount & cost of repairs this diesel mechanic was telling me, buying a diesel just doesn't sound like an option I can afford.

Any thoughts or input would be incredibly appreciated!

 

First and foremost what makes him think it needs injectors? I would take that Mechanic advice with a grain of salt.

 

The way to test these trucks first off is stock mode a tune can mask A LOT of possible issues. On the test drive crusise very slow at first all systems are under the lowest pressure including the transmission. If something is weak chances are the signs will more likely show below crusinsg conditions. If maintained well previously that's a pretty good mileage. And a pretty good deal what's up with the deal why is it 6500? The injectors usually last longer than 175,000 but every truck is different. These trucks also need the best parts don't let anyone tell you otherwise it's not like a car it's a truck built to haul itself and huge trailer. First of all they cost a little but nothing compared to a new rig, second if your paying someone the second the auto crap pump goes out sure they will probably give you a new one free and a 3rd labor bill down the line. A total cost far exceeding the motor craft pump. I agree this truck needs to go to a mechanic who actually works on diesel plenty of these gas jockeys will say they work on diesels so watch out. On this truck I do the work since the set up is nice plus the lift helps out as for the 6.4 I'll change the tire that's about it lol

 

Also with the tuner what type is it? And how does your new friend selling the truck drive lol what's the gauge set up is there are no gauges especially an EGT roll out on that deal

 

The age and mileage on that are not issues. The lift, 5" exhaust and the tuner say that it could have been abused. That price is cheap unless major work needs done to it. An engine and/or transmission would be costly. Transmissions are $3000+. Overall the engines are as reliable as they get with most repairs being sensors, hoses and connections. A quick way to check the engine is to place the oil fill cap upside down on the fill tube. If it just rattles off that's good, if pressure blows it off that indicates major engine problems. Drive it and see what the transmission does and check its fluid for burnt smell.

 

I've had two manual trans 7.3's, a '97 2wd with the ZF5 five speed, and now the e99 4x4 with the ZF6 six speed. I think they're fun to drive, and I've never had issues with the trans in either. If you don't need the lift and big tires, you can get some pretty good MPG's out of these things if your driving/towing for distance.

Unless you're going to play in the mud or go off-roading, sure the maintenance is pricey compared to cars - 4 gals of oil per change and $20 filters - but if you have the ability to do your own work, they're really not that hard to work on, and there are plenty of folks here willing to offer advice and help.

 

Your friend may or may not be a diesel mechanic, but he definitely doesn't know much about Ford diesels. The 7.3 is one of the most reliable, longest running engines out there. They are complicated machines, and like anything else they have some design flaws and weaknesses. All of which can be corrected with aftermarket components by this point. $6500 is stupid cheap for a truck with 175k on it. Unless you know why you're able to buy it for 8k-10k under market value, I would think long and hard about it.

The cost of ownership is going to be higher than you're used to. Every time something does break on it, it's more expensive. Almost every part on the truck is very heavy and more expensive than you think. It's simply not cheap to maintain a vehicle that can do what these trucks can, and that's especially true for a 17 year old truck. But when you compare them to the cost of a new truck, it's a pretty easy decision.

Do you NEED a diesel? They are more expensive to maintain and modify than their gas counterparts.

 

This really depends on how mechanically inclined you are. If you like to tinker, have some basic tools, and have the means to augment your tool kit a bit - this is an interesting car to hitch up in the life-long train of vehicles we drive. I can fix my stuff (with a lot of help from the forum) - but I would never try to un-do the sins of the the PO... again...... I have that tee-shirt (a whole closet of them), and I'll take dilapidated bone stock any day over shiny lifts and cling-ons over top of mystery meat under the hood.

If the owner had carefully researched each mod and could reason out what he did and why he did it, plus the work looked to be of professional quality... then we have some wiggle room here. The mentality of "Slap some meat on there... and there... and there", then a slab of meat on the throttle is not a recipe for longevity. It's more like prep for a barbecue, and your wallet is the grill.

Now... opt for a new diesel, and I can damn well guarantee you will pay a lot more in payments, taxes, license, and insurance than you will on a used 7.3L Powerstroke over the course of the next 5 years.

 

Come Join the Club!.....leave your wallet at the door........

 

The injector number is rediculous, Most shops are at $450 for an install and reputable remans can be had for 1340 or even alliant OE stock ADs new for 16-1800.

Hands down up front a gas motor will be much cheaper to own over any diesel of any make. If you keep the truck for a long time it will pay itself off in mileage and longevity. Have fun watching the fuel tank needle move if you ever tow regularly with any gas motor, v10 or even the 7.5 that got 11mpg hwy and like 5-6 towing anything over 5-7k.

I'm not going to knock your friend, but he is way out of the realistic realm on his injector statements IMO. A 7.3 will be as reliable if not more than almost any other diesel out there, there is a reason why people hold onto them. Previous care of the truck will make or break your wallet in a used 7.3 purchase....

Cost to own... its all based upon the condition when bought. I bought a very abused 114k 7.3, put over 15k into it in the first 50k miles (this was not replacing stock components, at least 70% of that was in mods and paint/bodywork) In the last 150k the truck has seen tires, oil, fluids, brakes, and a couple miscellaneous cheap fixes. nothing out of the ordinary. Been dead reliable and always impresses me considering the beating it takes as a work truck. There is a reason we own multiple and it has argueably the best ford diesel to date for its time. I just wish theywould make the 7.3 great again and common rail it!!!!

On the flip side of new, my father in law went through 3 turbos on a 2013 6.7 in 90k miles. All it was used for was hauling hay. Needless to say the truck will be gone this spring as it hits 100k, the warrantied repairs in itself would have paid for your truck 3 fold.... New or old they all have their plusses and minuses whether a ford, dodge, or GM.

In retrospect my brothers ranch purchased a bunch of the New bi v8 gas tundras (yeah that spaceship tugging sob commercial from tv) back in the day as they were tired of diesel repair costs. As gas motors, every 20k each truck was getting a new motor or transmission under warranty from hauling cattle - they purchased diesels 2 years later to replace all of them with, as the downtime for repairs exceeded even holding onto them till the warranty expired. Hauling your boat to the lake, great, haling anything over 6k lbs over anything considered a hill, $$$.

Point im getting at, if its going to haul anything or part of the reason of purchase, diesel is a no brainer, otherwise go get a gas truck if its a pavement queen light duty dd.

KEEP IN MIND YOU ASKED A FORUM OF 7.3 OWNERS IF YOU SHOULD BUY A 7.3 :-) I'd say its a pretty biased response you will get. Go post this on a cummins forum and the responses will be the opposite :-)

 

If you can do axle changes, brakes, fluids


Then you should be able to work on one of these 7.3s and not spend a lot at the shop for repairs

 

Thanks for the information. I am going to check the truck out again tomorrow. The owner trusts me enough to just leave the keys in it and let me take it out while hes at work. I'm going to see how it starts in the cold and I will also do the oil cap test. I think Im going to take it to a local mechanic and have them do a good look over.

 

Taking it to a mechanic who actually knows what he's looking at will be a huge help.

Don't take it to your friend.

 

That's what I have heard. Plus I just overall enjoy driving stickshift. All of my vehicles have been stick. I also own a sportier car for summer so I am use to basic parts costing a bit more than average. And I appreciate the willingness to help! I'm sure I'll need it at some point.

 

These trucks are not that hard to work on. There is no huge mystery. We will walk you through any question that you have and there is a huge data base going way back to a lot of great people who loved and bled for the 7.3 Brotherhood.


The 7.3 is PRE EPA crap....
No 'Muffler oil'... for the matter of that fact.. if you want no muffler...take it off. etc.


keep it 'plain' or dress it up. We will be here every step of the way.




The mileage means little to a well kept vehicle. I use to drive 7.3 vans that had over 600,000 miles on them.