I decided to make a thread to document my little project.

A little background first. I have been away from the 7.3 family for way too long! A couple of weeks ago my 2015 Ram got totaled. With the used and new pickup market so crazy I decided to look for an older pickup and pay a little over what I should instead of paying 20-30k over for a late model. I stumbled onto this 2001 F350 with 322k miles. It has been neglected the last few years it seems, but it appears solid. It has a few mechanical issues I need to address first and have been reading many threads on these over the last few days.

When I bought it I knew it needed the front end overhauled. I try to do as much work as I can, but time doesn't always allow. I ended up dropping it off at a local mechanic who knows his stuff (got to know him after owning a Dodge for 6 years!!) Luckily his is very reasonable when it comes to $$. I had him go over everything and we ended up fixing a lot, but all in all it is in decent shape for the miles.

My goal is to get this thing running good, put a gooseneck/utility bed on it, and put it to work. I forgot how much I loved my old 02 F350 until I started driving this thing last week!! I have a large gooseneck flatbed I haul around a skid steer with various attachments from time to time. It had my 2500 working pretty hard and is probably too much for this 01 (suspension wise) , but I need the ability to move it if needed. I was looking at getting a used 2020 F450 prior to totaling my dodge, but I may just find a 99-02 F450/550 and just build it up the way I want it and just run two trucks instead of one. I change my mind constantly on this thought process!!


So far here is what I have done or had done:
- Changed all fluids: Engine, Trans (fluid looked like engine oil!!), Front/Rear Diff
- Front axle seals
- Front axle u-joints
- Front bearing units
- Warn hubs to replace inop factory auto/lock hubs
- Ball joints
- Tie Rod ends
- Sway bar bushings
- Sway bar end links
- Dip stick o-rings (source of significant oil leak)

Things that need fixed sooner than later
- rough idle when first started
- steering box replacement (adjusted it for now)
- door actuators
- power steering pump whine
- deep clean of entire pickup!!

The rough idle when it first started is my main concern right now. The thing was no blow by and after 5-10 minutes it runs nice and smooth the rest of the day. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

I downloaded forscan lite and am learning how to use it. I have yet to get a good scan on the cold startup, but once I do I am hoping to compare it to a smooth running idle and see what is different.

Here is a link to the thread I posted pictures when I bought it.

 

Fair odds the rough cold idle is tired injectors. If they're OG then somebody/'s got their money out of them. If not , well you did say it's been neglected for a few years. If not running full synthetic already may give it a try next oil change. Some people get by with that for a good while.

 

What udsuth78 said, could be as simple as whatever oil is currently in there. Synth for the win with tired injectors.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will try synthetic in a couple of weeks.

I have injectors on my list of things to replace, might just move up the list if needed.

 

Doing a power steering flush and fill with mobil 1 ATF helped my pump a lot. That said. If you need all those other front end components then no wonder it is whining trying to turn....

 

That is my thoughts exactly. After seeing the heavily worn out front end parts that pump was doing good just to work!!

 

Any clue if the Hutch and Harpoon on the fuel tank are done?

 

I doubt it, everything on this thing appears to be 100% stock. I have that on my list, but am hoping to wait until the bed comes off. The bed is beat up pretty bad. The current plan is to put one of these on it.

 

Any photos of the truck? You know how we roll around here. Sounds like a good start and that you have a solid foundation.

 

LOL looks like a rolling gun safe to me!

 

Here is a pic of it when I brought it home.

 

Perfect!!!

 

Took the driver side engine compartment apart to try and start cleaning things up under the hood. Decided to take the foil off the intercooler tube. It was really oily under the foil, which I didn't thing much of, but I found a hole on the seam of the tube.


I think I will jb weld it and some AL tape.

 

Thank you for posting the photo in Post #13, of what you described as "a hole in the tube seam" on the hot side CAC tube, underneath the foil.

It appears to be at the crook of the elbow, where the tube changes direction near the driver's side exhaust manifold. Is that correct?

The location detail along the tube may help others check their CAC tubes for the same failure.

Many folks already know to check where the power steering pump fitting can rub into the tube, but this appears to be in a slightly different location, further back toward the firewall along the tubing, and is obviously not a rubbing issue.

 

You are correct, it is further back toward the firewall from the power steering rub area. It is on the outside of the bend right on the seam.

Appears to be cracking right along the seam so I will need to keep an eye on it.