Dump the OEM intake box. It is known to seal poorly.

There are plenty of options from mild to wild. With stock injectors you can move to a 6637 setup for minimal investment (https://www.riffraffdiesel.com/riffr...37-filter-kit/). I ran one for 10 years and did plenty of off-roading in the desert with no issues. It might accelerate my filter change based on how much time I spent in the sand but underhood temperatures were not an issue.

My "conversion" was a short piece of 4" aluminum pipe (some use pieces of exhaust pipe but I found a short 4" polished section in the import "tuner" section at a large local auto parts store), two giant hose clamps, and about an hour modifying the lower half of my airbox to support the filter and still allow the hood to shut (cut, test fit, mark up, cut, test fit, lather, rinse, repeat).

The second thing I would recommend is the Hutch & Harpoon that slowsure and Sous mentioned.

 

Hey Brain, tks for that. Yes the air box is already on my list, tks! And I agree, Hutch & Harpoon with Parker Racon PS120-2 is next!

 

Ok, so today I finally started the some maintenance on my truck...
Please check the pictures so you will have a better idea.
Basically, I removed all the air intake (installed an AIS kit today), both intercooler pipes and all rubber boots and cleaned all up.
Same for the mist around the the spider and the turbo. My plan is to drive for a couple of weeks to check where the main leak is coming from.... my bet is on the turbo pedestal... the valley is oily too, but not wet, mainly at the rear.
Looking at the pictures, what do you guys think?
I'm preparing myself for the following now:
- pedestal seal + spider to turbo clamp...
- bellowed up pipes
- riffraff plenum reinforcements + new rubber boots
- new HPOP Lines
- CNC Fabrication '99-03 7.3L 4-Line feed fuel bowl retain kit - prevent fuel starvation in cyl 8
- Intercooler rubber boots (to be honest they look in very good condition after I've cleaned them, but might just replace them...)

The turbo wheel looks pretty good to me, clean, moves freely, shaft has no play... thoughts on the oil mist on the outside? the other side of the turbo is bone dry...

 

- The turbo wheel looks good, a lot like mine did after 212,000 miles when I bought the truck. The condition of that wheel is a good indication of how the truck was taken care of and easily checked.
- Good call on replacing the boots, the OEM boots were OK, but the RiffRaff (or other aftermarket) boots are much better. Be sure to use brake cleaner on the mating surfaces of both the piping and the boots before installing them.
- The plenum inserts is another good call on your part!
- As for the oil mist on everything, that is what a 7.3 diesel looks like most of the time. The oil comes out of the CCV and permeates through the boots and joints in just about every system it touches. I would not worry too much about the mist looking oil, just clean it up and keep an eye on it. Your new RiffRaff boots will help a lot with that problem.
- The valley and pedestal look pretty good from the pictures. Again, this is what a typical 7.3 engine bay would look like. Clean everything up as best you can so that in the event there is a leak in the future, you will be able to pinpoint it easily.
- Your green line is popped out of the intake tube, not sure if this was intentional before taking the pictures or not.
- Soak the hard to reach and known bad spots with some sort of penetrating fluid.

Keep us updated with how things go and have fun!

 

Hi @Sous , tks a lot for the input! Really appreciate it!
Yes green line was disconnect just before the pics, tks. I'll get online and order the parts now.
Also, could you give a little input on the following? My coolant level is about 1cm under the min line (no leaks tho), and I'm planning to get the coolant flushed in a coupe of months... could I top it up with distilled water as I'm not sure what coolant I have at the moment? It's a gold colour one, but I can't find the same here in uk.
Tks a lot!

 

Yes you can top it off. But they all tend to run below the line and stay there so it won't hurt none. Your year truck, run the ELC coolant, much better.

 

Hey @Bonanza35 tks for the reply! And yes, ELC is the one I'm going for! Tks a lot!

 

See the answer from Chet below, he is spot on... Not sure how readily available ELC is on your side of the pond, but (I'm sure you know this) there are a few FTE'rs here that are in England as well. I used to live just north of Cambridge at RAF Lakenheath from 199-2005 while I was stationed there. We got to do some really cool stuff during our time there and still look back on it as a good period in our life. Well, except for 9/11 of course, but that is life...

Some of us (me included) have coolant that likes to run a bit below the minimum line. No matter how much we add, the coolant still settles down at that line. We just leave it there and check it from time to time when performing other tasks. It will stay there (with no leaks) so it is easy to keep track of.

If you decide to go with ELC, be sure to get all of the old coolant out. I ran 40 gallons of distilled water through the cooling system with the thermostat out and idling the truck. At about gallon 27 the water was coming out very clear, but I ran another 13 through just to be sure. I did this because I am on well water (love it!) out in the country and there are too many natural minerals to run my "tap" water through the cooling system. Anyway, I ran 40 gallons through, then poured in 4 gallons of concentrate Rotella ELC and then topped off with distilled water until the level sat just below the minimum level like yours does.

 

Anybody sell just the Stiffer spring...??

I understand the cast piece is weak, but if is structurally sound I don't see the point in spending all that money for a simple stiffer spring..

Unless is more to it than the spring..

 

Spring and seals that I got for mine.

https://www.riffraffdiesel.com/upgra...ing-kit-99-03/

 

Or this: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...de-thread.html

Here is a good old thread that I’ve picked through pretty well for preventative maintenance: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...on-thread.html

Just remember the tech folders are your friend. I like the Excursion one a bit better than the 7.3 as it’s a bit more organized, but they both have great info.

Hi, my name is Eric and I have PMS...

 

Step 1. Clean it. Simple green and Hot water from a hose.... never a pressure washer.
dry all electrical connector with compressed air and then the whole thing with a leaf blower.

makes any work in there a pleasure instead of miserable.

dont bother trying with cold water.... make a hose bib from your hot water heater if required.

At the age of these trucks your cooling system is near its age limit... best to do it all at once rather then suffer through individual failures.

radiator
clutch fan
water pump
all 5 hoses
reservoir
thermostat. ( use the Motorcraft thermostat, aftermarket ones seal leaks in a Motorcraft pump )
tensioner
belt.
idler pulley

 

Www.Dieselorings.com is your friend.

 

Often overlooked lubrication points

unit bearings. ( front wheel bearings, requires an adapter )
unit bearing needle bearings ( requires a needle greaser )
drive shaft slip yokes front and rear
drive shaft ujoints
Steering TRE
axle ujoints

door hinges
window channels ( slow windows ? Try cleaning and silicone lube )
transfer case fluid

 

Common failure items

hydroboost pressure line ( when the fitting fails you loose brakes and steering )
passenger side head fuel line. (Bracket rubs a hole in it.)
fuel pick up foot.

Somebody already said it but the fuel pressure regulator housing often fails after a fuel bowl rebuild
see diesel o rings above for all your O ring needs ( as well as other quality 7.3 parts )