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Thank you for the detailed post, I appreciate your way of thinking.
How does the newer 7.3 gas compare to the 2016 6.7 in your signature as far as mileage? I've got a 2019 6.7 dually that we use on our farm and test drove a 2021 7.3 the other day for a buddy with the 3.55's in it. It was impressive off the line, but I honestly preferred my old daily driver '97 7.3 over it as far as torque going up the mountains around here. The '97 still gets 16/17mpg empty and has around 250k on it, I'm thinking of replacing it with a 6.2/7.3 gas whenever the time comes.
Thank you for the detailed post, I appreciate your way of thinking.
How does the newer 7.3 gas compare to the 2016 6.7 in your signature as far as mileage? I've got a 2019 6.7 dually that we use on our farm and test drove a 2021 7.3 the other day for a buddy with the 3.55's in it. It was impressive off the line, but I honestly preferred my old daily driver '97 7.3 over it as far as torque going up the mountains around here. The '97 still gets 16/17mpg empty and has around 250k on it, I'm thinking of replacing it with a 6.2/7.3 gas whenever the time comes.
Thanks again.
Sorry for going long here...
I'm going to put some # down for comparison.
2016
HP 440 @ 2,800rpm
TQ 860 @ 1,600 rpm
GVWR 14,000#
GCWR 32,100#
Payload 6,680#
Bumper pull 19,000#
5th Wheel 23,800
Empty weight new 8,440# Daily weight now 9,600#
Comparing a dsl to gas isn't really a fair comparison.
I have never done a long-term empty weight mileage in my '16' because it's for pulling the 5th wheel (16k) which the mileage is 9.5-11 mpg towing 65mph +/- usally with changing elevation and grades climbing/ descending. The '16' has 53k miles on it with 33k+ miles towing. The shorter local errand trips I've seen 17-19 mpg but can't say that's average because I never have run 3 complete full tanks of non towing which would give a better average number.
Seat of the pants feel with both trucks being 3.73 gears. The 7.3 is no slouch and will easily get up and go with the 10 speed transmission certainly helping achieve this, "but" the 6.7 torque is just there at any speed and you know it's a dsl just waiting to be unleashed.
I don't get into the dsl vs gas threads because I have a foot in both camps and use the trucks all the time but gas more often and believe the engines are built for different purposes. Gas will accomplish what a dsl can do but just a little slower and lighter. A dsl will accomplish what a gas can do just a little faster and with more weight and ease. I'll idle my gas trucks for long periods of time and not think twice about it, whereas in the back of my mind the thought of these newer epa choked dsl engines just don't like to be idled for long periods without possible repairs earlier in its life. My diesel experience goes back 33 years running Case, Cat, Fiat, John Deer equipment, some being small and cute to big boy toys that make me think I get paid to have fun operating them... wheel loaders, dozers, excavators, skid steers, track loaders and theres nothing like being on one of these machines with the diesel engine just grunting with ease producing pure power, pulsating through the human body...insert Tim Allen grunts here. 😉
When it comes time to replace your truck and do go gas look seriously at the 7.3 with either 3.73 or 4.30 gears or 6.2 with 4.30 if your going to work it more than play.
Thank you for the response. I'm a numbers person, too, as it helps to separate the apples from the oranges.
My 19 is a 6.7 single cab DRW 4.10's with a Hydrabed and engine driven hydraulic pump, weighs right at 10k empty depending on what's in the toolboxes and has 26k or 27k miles on it at the moment. A bunch of unnecessary parts fell off of it a few months ago, and prior to that it was getting 11 mpg or so empty but I haven't had a chance to run a full tank through it empty since. Hauling hay with it last year (36k gross with trailer and hay) averaged 7.1 mpg whereas this year it was 8.8 mpg with same setup and route. Appears to be getting 8-10 mpg hauling our living quarters horse trailer through the mountains, haven't taken it anywhere flat yet.
Overall, I'm pleased with the truck other than the empty fuel mileage. My old 7.3 diesels have been much better on fuel but lack the power of this new engine. Time will tell.
I like what I see when looking under the hood of the new gas 7.3's, should be relatively simple to work on and it appears most commonly replaced items are easily accessed. I don't necessarily need more power than the 6.2 has in my daily driver/backup truck, but if the fuel mileage of the 7.3 gas is relatively close I'd entertain one just for the simplified design.
Thank you for the response. I'm a numbers person, too, as it helps to separate the apples from the oranges.
My 19 is a 6.7 single cab DRW 4.10's with a Hydrabed and engine driven hydraulic pump, weighs right at 10k empty depending on what's in the toolboxes and has 26k or 27k miles on it at the moment. A bunch of unnecessary parts fell off of it a few months ago, and prior to that it was getting 11 mpg or so empty but I haven't had a chance to run a full tank through it empty since. Hauling hay with it last year (36k gross with trailer and hay) averaged 7.1 mpg whereas this year it was 8.8 mpg with same setup and route. Appears to be getting 8-10 mpg hauling our living quarters horse trailer through the mountains, haven't taken it anywhere flat yet.
Overall, I'm pleased with the truck other than the empty fuel mileage. My old 7.3 diesels have been much better on fuel but lack the power of this new engine. Time will tell.
I like what I see when looking under the hood of the new gas 7.3's, should be relatively simple to work on and it appears most commonly replaced items are easily accessed. I don't necessarily need more power than the 6.2 has in my daily driver/backup truck, but if the fuel mileage of the 7.3 gas is relatively close I'd entertain one just for the simplified design.
Take care.
Mileage between the two gas engines is pretty close to the same. Even though you may not keep it long enough to needs sparkplugs, the 7.3 has half as many as the 6.2 and they are much easier to access on the 7.3. The 6.2 is very well proven though, the 7.3 just has that bit of extra power especially noticeable on the low end.
Mileage between the two gas engines is pretty close to the same. Even though you may not keep it long enough to needs sparkplugs, the 7.3 has half as many as the 6.2 and they are much easier to access on the 7.3. The 6.2 is very well proven though, the 7.3 just has that bit of extra power especially noticeable on the low end.
Thank You. I was impressed by how clean the engine bay was on the 7.3 I drove last week, major selling point for me as I refuse to let anyone else touch my vehicles unless absolutely necessary.
I try to get at least 300k out of the everyday/beater vehicle, if the body/frame lasts that long.
Thank You. I was impressed by how clean the engine bay was on the 7.3 I drove last week, major selling point for me as I refuse to let anyone else touch my vehicles unless absolutely necessary.
I try to get at least 300k out of the everyday/beater vehicle, if the body/frame lasts that long.
My last truck was a 2012 F250 with the 6.2 Not only did I drive it to 200k and pass it down to our son who is still driving it but it had over 7000 hours of idle time on the clock from being a state truck. Just had a small amount of surface rust behind the wheels from rocks chipping the paint away. I put mud flaps on the new truck and it is aluminum. Should go 300k easy. 10 months in and I am at 35k miles, so far so good.
Did some battery maintenance yesterday. Hard to tell under the dust/ dirt but was showing some slight corrosion. Used some distilled water and baking soda and gave everything a good bath and scrub, put the felt rings on the posts. Popped the tops on the batteries and they were in good shape still full not showing any low.
Looked pretty dirty there scraprat, but much better now. I like to spray the entire engine bay down with Simple Green (including the battery) at least once a year, and then spray it all down which makes everything look new again. I've compared to friend's engine bay over the years and when you don't bother doing this there is corrosion in places mine doesn't (exact same truck but his was a year newer) and the engine bay just looks crappy, so a quick spray and hose down does wonders. I even spray the computer harness as seen in your picture, and all plastics look like new. Spray it on, let it sit for a couple of minutes and spray it off. Pretty quick and easy.
I'll admit the engine bay is a mess under there. There is even some mud on the under side of the hood from too much open space in the engine compartment. Last trip was in NM and was raining so the off road conditions were a mess with the red clay mud but does make for some fun if you don't get stuck.
I've always been afraid to take a hose to the engine compartment with all the electronics now and wiping it by hand seems like work.
I believe when I added the snowplow package it required the 397a alternator (dual alternators), along with the dual batteries.
Pretty sure those are mutually exclusive options, for sure it was that way in '22 because I have the snow plow package but not dual batteries or alternators, and I can't recall for sure if you can/could just get the batteries, they are a stand alone option but I would have to select it to see if it forces the dual alternators on the 7.3.
I noticed the '23 comes with a 190 amp alternator where my '22 was standard with a 240 amp single, but now the plow package triggers a 250 amp single alt.
Fortunately, since I didn't get dual alternators or dual batteries as I originally wanted but the single battery 240 amp combo doesn't miss a beat plowing snow 12 hours straight so it meets my needs without the big reserve capacity option.
I wanted dual batteries but not dual alternators and that was not possible. I ordered upfitter switches and that triggered dual alternators on my truck. I had built it several ways and I think that was the only time it was mandatory on my truck with another option.
If anyone has a 7.3 with upfitter switches and a single alternator please chime in?
