7.3l short trips
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Mountain Pass
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7.3l short trips
I've driven a F250 SD gas for quite a while, and I am looking at buying a 2000 F350 with the 7.3l diesel and 5 speed. I'll be using it as a dump truck for hauling fairly large loads (up to 5 tons of waste, I know that is over the GVW but have used my 87 gas F350, 11000 gvw, like this for years) usually 20 to 50 miles, but not more than one or two trips a day. I saw on a recent post that not getting in long trips with the diesels can cause engine problems. Would a gas engine be better for my usage or would these trips be sufficiently long not to cause a problem? Any specific things to look out for on this truck other than leaks, exhaust, and cold start issues? Thanks for advice.
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20 to 50 miles hauling 5 tons of waste wouldn't be considered a short trip. You'll be up to operating temp and the engine will be working overtime to blow out any accumulated carbon from the combustion chamber and turbo.
Also, a 10,000 pound load may not be considered overloaded. It really depends on how the truck is configured.
When we say short trips, we mean like 5 miles to the store to pick up a loaf of bread. The engine never has a chance to get up to operating tempature. Do that three times a week for a few years, you won't have a happy engine.
Also, a 10,000 pound load may not be considered overloaded. It really depends on how the truck is configured.
When we say short trips, we mean like 5 miles to the store to pick up a loaf of bread. The engine never has a chance to get up to operating tempature. Do that three times a week for a few years, you won't have a happy engine.
Last edited by redford; Dec 28, 2007 at 09:31 AM.
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From: Wheatland, Mo
I haul about 14K to 18K (7tons to 9tons) of hay a couple of times a month. I know i ma pusihng it with the 18K but otherwise, it does jsut fine and I pull it about 50 miles. It won't be a problem for the diesel and won't hurt it. Like reford said....not considered short trip...plenty of time to get it up to operating temps.
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Mountain Pass
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other problems with 7.3l?
Thanks for resposes about my trips being long enough for a diesel engine. I was also wondering what to look for as far as cold starting problems. Here in Atlanta the weather doesn't get much below freezing often, so should I not have to worry about this? If it still could be an issue, what should I look for on a truck I'm looking at to buy?
A friend had a 7.3 and he told me something happened to the torque converter that caused the motor to be very loud. I know he drove it for years with the problem and never fixed it as the dealer wanted to charge big bucks to chance the t.c.. Is this something common to these trucks or is this an isolated occurence? Any other common problems to look out for when buying? Thanks again!
A friend had a 7.3 and he told me something happened to the torque converter that caused the motor to be very loud. I know he drove it for years with the problem and never fixed it as the dealer wanted to charge big bucks to chance the t.c.. Is this something common to these trucks or is this an isolated occurence? Any other common problems to look out for when buying? Thanks again!
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From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
Originally Posted by carlsson
Thanks for resposes about my trips being long enough for a diesel engine. I was also wondering what to look for as far as cold starting problems. Here in Atlanta the weather doesn't get much below freezing often, so should I not have to worry about this? If it still could be an issue, what should I look for on a truck I'm looking at to buy?
A friend had a 7.3 and he told me something happened to the torque converter that caused the motor to be very loud. I know he drove it for years with the problem and never fixed it as the dealer wanted to charge big bucks to chance the t.c.. Is this something common to these trucks or is this an isolated occurence? Any other common problems to look out for when buying? Thanks again!
A friend had a 7.3 and he told me something happened to the torque converter that caused the motor to be very loud. I know he drove it for years with the problem and never fixed it as the dealer wanted to charge big bucks to chance the t.c.. Is this something common to these trucks or is this an isolated occurence? Any other common problems to look out for when buying? Thanks again!
The older trucks can have the "marbles in the TC" issue, but I'm not sure if that 2000 is included or not. I suspect it is, but I am told that it's an annoyance more than anything else.
The 7.3 is designed to run long & hard (buses, garbage trucks, etc), and it sounds like you'll be doing a good job with it. The biggest part about getting it up to temp is to boil any condensation out of the oil & internals. Short trips = condensation build up which is bad...
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Mountain Pass
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I am looking at a manual trans. truck so the torque converter is a non issue, my bad.
How can you tell the rear axle ratio on a used truck. Is there an id plate easy to find or an easy way to find it from VIN?
How can you tell the rear axle ratio on a used truck. Is there an id plate easy to find or an easy way to find it from VIN?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
There should be a tag on the rear-end itself. 3L73 is a 3.73 LS. If not, look in the driver's door jamb for a sticker. Under "Axle" there will be a code. Go here to decipher it:
http://www.drivetrain.com/Fordtrkratio_posidata.html
http://www.drivetrain.com/Fordtrkratio_posidata.html
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