Frustrated over 7.3
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: New Haven, MO
Frustrated over 7.3
Our fire department has a 94 F450 rescue truck, 7.3 non-turbo. This thing is a gutless wonder. Top speed is 60 mph, with a 10 mph tailwind going downhill. 
It also POURS black smoke in second gear (not first, not third, only second). Every hill it has to shift down to 2nd, just to get up it, and by that time, you're not going much over 35. It's really discouraging, especially in a truck that needs to get places quickly. It's got 55000 <city> miles on it, rear main has been replaced at least twice, and one head gasket since we've owned it. It's really been a discouraging truck, and I'd like to find out what the problems are so that we can try to get them fixed. Thanks for the input.
It also POURS black smoke in second gear (not first, not third, only second). Every hill it has to shift down to 2nd, just to get up it, and by that time, you're not going much over 35. It's really discouraging, especially in a truck that needs to get places quickly. It's got 55000 <city> miles on it, rear main has been replaced at least twice, and one head gasket since we've owned it. It's really been a discouraging truck, and I'd like to find out what the problems are so that we can try to get them fixed. Thanks for the input.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
So how much equipment is on the truck?
Our local fire department had a 450 crash truck. The rear was squatted down big time with all the equipment it carries. I seem to remember it was grossing about 16,000 pounds when the water tank was full. That is a lot for a 185 HP engine to drag up a hill.
They replaced it with a 550 Power Stroke a couple of years ago and it did much better.
The thing you are up against is it needs a turbo to make it run.
The ladder truck used to blow by me with my NA 6.9.
Now I pass the ambulance with my 7.3 turbo motor.
Our local fire department had a 450 crash truck. The rear was squatted down big time with all the equipment it carries. I seem to remember it was grossing about 16,000 pounds when the water tank was full. That is a lot for a 185 HP engine to drag up a hill.
They replaced it with a 550 Power Stroke a couple of years ago and it did much better.
The thing you are up against is it needs a turbo to make it run.
The ladder truck used to blow by me with my NA 6.9.
Now I pass the ambulance with my 7.3 turbo motor.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 367
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From: New Haven, MO
It's done thissince we bought it, as far as I know. I left the department for a while right after they bought it, and have just recently come back. Yeah, it's got quite a bit of weight on the back (don't have exact weight, but I can get it next time I see my Capt.), but I thought, being a diesel, it would still perform better than it does; no 90 MPH, but still better. Maybe I've just been too spoiled with turbos. The black smoke in 2nd is what makes me think there's something mechanical wrong and colud perform better.
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