❤️❤️
Noob, I like you even more than I did previously




2 ring cranks are old, go 3 ring

 

Oh no, a pinion gear transmission is where it's at now. Chain sprockets and derailleurs are so 2023.

 

I’m gettimg major creeper vibes.

 

Hold up a second. The guy who like 4 posts ago threw up a serious spoiler for his impending gender reassignment surgery by way of that Michael Jackson video, wants to get a little uncomfortable by a man throwing him a few heart emojis? Mmhmm, pot meet kettle . Kettle, pot , pot kettle.

 

Damn straight. Ain’t no logic in woke.

 

well good thing this thread was settled and we can follow the science on this one to snow plow mounts, other wise I would have to go all woke and claim that it was a gender reassignment surgery on this poor truck... you know like getting a 7.3 transplant when it started with a 5.4

 

Probably right on the plow

 

Maybe I missed it, but did you post some of the details of the report? I understand if you don't feel like you want to. When you post things of that nature on a public forum such as this, you open yourself to all sorts of criticism. Luckily, here on the FTE, most of that criticism is of a positive nature.

Not to be too prying here, but roughly where are you located and where is the truck located? Being long distance brings in a lot of stress with a potential purchase.

Speaking of the report... I see these things kind of like a home inspection on a potential purchase. You are paying for a service and the inspector better damn well find something for the fee you are paying them. Even if the house is perfect, they will (should?) find something for you to bring back to the table or disregard as not being a big deal. We dealt with that when we sold our house in Warner Robins GA. I laughed at the inspectors report because it was a bunch of BS items and I told the buyer there was no way we were going to negotiate any of that into the purchase of the house.

Is "significant" your word or their word? Significant body repairs can mean a myriad of things that vary from one person to another. Are you looking for a truck that loos great and runs great or just one that runs great and gets the job done?

There is a saying that goes with own a diesel truck, goes something like "if it isn't leaking oil, the oil is empty". I joke around about that, but with a 24 year old truck, a small oil leak may be something you have to deal with or it may be something that is fixable with a $1.00 O-ring. The good part is that if you ever find yourself incredibly low on oil, the engine will shut off before it damages itself because the injectors are run by oil pressure.

Weird stuff? I am weird and I like it that way... Based on the previous owners use of the truck, there could be some accessory wiring or something strange going on. I bet people would see my traction bars and think they are weird or maybe the routing of the air bag lines and think that is weird. I don't care, because I did the best I could and each part I have installed has aided to the truck being reliable and efficient. A couple years ago we towed our 5th wheel from GA to ID and back taking the scenic route over 5,500 miles. At ~18,000 GCVW I averaged 12.3 MPG with our ZF6 truck on 265/75R16 tires and a 3.73 gear set. Over the Rocky mountains twice and across the windy plains at 65 MPH. It is not a 6.7L PSD, but I was holding speed going up the grades the same as they were and I was proud of my dinosaur of a truck.

There may be an issue with the pilot bearing inside the flywheel, that is a common thing for the ZF6 to experience. Lucky for you, there is a long term solution available at this link if you decide to purchase the truck and tear into the clutch pack and/or replace it just to be on the safe side. I would suggest a South Bend 1939 OHD if your flywheel can be milled down or the equivalent 1944 which includes the flywheel. They are pricey, but they are rock solid clutch sets and will serve you well. Take a look at the shift fork and throw out bearing while you are there. Easily replaced during a clutch swap.

In your search... Do you need or want a 2000? I get it if you want one for the forged rods, that is how I ended up with a 2000, but 99% of 7.3L PSD owners don't need a 2000 with forged rods. The PMR will do just fine for most people. That may allow you to broaden your search criteria a bit.

In the end, go with your gut feeling. These trucks are not for everyone, but if you follow your gut, you will make the right decision. Listen to your wife, she most likely knows you better than you know yourself. Don't fret about buyers remorse or buying a vehicle that needs work. They all need work sir, just different degrees because unless you are paying $25,000 or more for a cherry of a 7.3L, it will not be to your standards until you have fixed and/or changed a few things. These can be very reliable and trustworthy workhorses, but they need more attention and tending to than a 6.7L PSD.


I drove a friends 2018 6.7L PSD a few days ago. I told him I really enjoyed driving it, but I don't want to anymore because I might be converted...

Yesterday Kate and I were out and about in the 2016 1.6L turbo Escape that serves as our run around car. Some brah in a brodozer 6.0L was rolling coal and flooring it from light to light. I managed to get in the lane to the left of him and we were both first at the light. It turn green and I floored the pedal in the Escape and pulled away from the brodozer by about 2 car lengths. As we approached 60 MPH in the 55 MPH zone he was starting to gain on me and as he went by I was laughing hysterically because he got beat by a car that cost less than his rims and tires.

He was not very happy and I smiled at Kate as we continued on our way running errands.

 

when I was looking for an Excursion,
my son warned me about the 6.0 and said to only look at 7.3s

he used to be a line mechanic for Ryder Rental Trucks 20+ years ago and has many a fender hour working on them.

 

@Rjf250 , off subject from your recent search for a 7.3L...

• What are your final thoughts on the Lemon Squad service you utilized?
• Would you do it again? Would you recommend them to a friend?
• Did they meet, exceed your expectations when conversing with them about the report?
• Are there any others services such as this that you looked into?

The reason I ask is due to the possibility of me being involved in a long distance purchase of a vehicle in the future. I am learning through the experiences of others and taking notes so that the transfer of funds and said vehicle will hopefully go very smooth.

Thank you for your time.

 

Good morning,

My experience with Lemon Squad was a positive one. With the particular truck I was considering purchasing, they provided over 400 pictures and several videos. They also utilized a paint depth gauge which revealed several areas which were re-painted, contradicting what the dealer was saying. These readings along with numerous pictures to back up the evidence of sand marks below the paint were a game changer. They test drove the vehicle which revealed several issues with suspension/alignment, etc. I was probably looking at a complete front end rebuild and possibly a steering box. The dealer was asking beyond top dollar, and this truck was not worth it. I opted not to purchase this vehicle, and I am VERY happy with that move.

I have used them again since this experience and I was very pleased again. This second experience led to the purchase of a vehicle from West Virginia. With that being said, I would recommend to a friend.

As far as other services, I only searched for independent pre-purchase vehicle inspections for the vehicle from Portland, OR. There was a local company I was tempted to use until Lemon Squad was recommended to me.

With Lemon Squad, they utilize independent inspectors. I can imagine that some inspectors may not be as thorough as others. I am grateful that my first inspector was as thorough as they were, because it saved me a 6 hr plane ride and the costs associated with that, along with being terribly disappointed/angry when seeing the truck in person.

Now, to reveal what I ended up getting. I know I will receive a lot of flack on this forum, but so far I have had a great experience. I flew to the dealer and drove it home 400+ miles getting almost 18mpg. I have towed my camper about 1500 comfortable miles in the two months I’ve had it. So, I ended up purchasing a 2018 Ram 3500 Dually crew, with the G56 manual, 79,000 miles. It is a stock truck, tradesman trim with a few special ordered upgrades. To my defense, I still have my 2005 F250 6.0l

I hope this helps with your decision and if you have any further questions, I would be more than happy to answer them if I could.

 

You’re buying Saddam’s C5 and bringing it back to the US?

 

This is very helpful sir and I appreciate your time and effort to answer questions from a random guy on the interwebs.

Also, you will (should) not receive any flack for making the purchase that you did. Perhaps some direct fire... I keed, I keed... The truck you selected is the best truck for your application and that is all that we need to hear. It is your money, time, effort and family involved in the decision. We are not like other forums that bust people down to make ourselves look better. We support people and help them see the light in their decision making process.

That is a great truck you bought! That is on my short list of trucks if/when my 2000 7.3L craps the bed. Although, I will go with an automatic transmission next time a SRW.

Rest assured sir, you did well! You don't need me to tell you that though as you already know.

One thought... I believe there is a grid heater bolt issue with that year of truck. Something like the bolt can work itself loose and cause a catastrophic failure of the engine. I think Banks has a solution for it, based on my memory. Have you looked into that?

Thanks again and congratulations on your new to you truck!

No sir. A good friend of ours has a garage queen 2004 C5 with 11,000 miles on it. He was kind enough to let me drive it in the north GA and upstate SC mountains a while back and I was impressed. Although, the widebody of the 2019 Grand Sport is jaw dropping in my humble opinion. The 2019 GS we test drove a little while back put all of our concerns to rest and solidified the purchase in both of our minds. Time will tell though when or if the purchase takes place.

You know me Leonard, I do an exhaustive amount of research prior to taking a leap and that is what phase I am in right now.

Besides, if I were bringing something back from Iraq, I would have done it already with the help of some of my C-17 loadmaster friends.

 

Oh yeah? What part?

No flack. Now you might get some good old fashioned ribbing though! I’m glad you ended up with something that suits your purpose and are enjoying.

Now this might catch you some flack on this sub-forum!

Just kidding. My neighbor had a worked over 6.blow. That thing would fly!

 

Haha, that’s great! I bought the truck in Bridgeport, WV from Carder Motors. It was a good experience for me and I am very satisfied. Are you familiar with the area/dealer?

The 6.0 put me through the wringer while camping with the family. I was several hours from home and several from our destination and popped the EGR cooler. After having the work done to check the heads, stud them, egr delete, oil pump, oil cooler, and other crap, the truck ran great, but unfortunately that stained its reputation for me and I always felt like something would happen again. 13+ years of ownership, it will live its days as my farm truck until someone wants to buy it or it completely rots out.