2002 7.3L Performance Advice
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2002 7.3L Performance Advice
I just purchased my first Ford. A 2002 F350 crewcab dually with the 7.3L diesel and auto trans. I have been towing a car trailer with my 98 Chevy Crewcab dually and wanted something that wouldn't be working as hard.
Truck feels slugish compared to the Chevy, but I knew that would happen. Read that they are slugish compared to gas powered trucks, but they would pull a house. Overhead mileage indicator is saying that I'm getting 11.8 mpg and that's empty. I got better mileage with the 454 Chevy. I thought the truck would get around 18mpg on the freeway, at least that's what I told my wife to make her feel better about the purchase. I'm not driving fast and don't do a lot of on the gas off the gas sort of driving. I don't know how acturate that reading is, but sort of took me by surprize.
What sort of modifications should I be thinking of to help with towing and maybe the mileage? The trailer loaded is about 11,000 lbs. Any other tips on towing with the diesel would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Truck feels slugish compared to the Chevy, but I knew that would happen. Read that they are slugish compared to gas powered trucks, but they would pull a house. Overhead mileage indicator is saying that I'm getting 11.8 mpg and that's empty. I got better mileage with the 454 Chevy. I thought the truck would get around 18mpg on the freeway, at least that's what I told my wife to make her feel better about the purchase. I'm not driving fast and don't do a lot of on the gas off the gas sort of driving. I don't know how acturate that reading is, but sort of took me by surprize.
What sort of modifications should I be thinking of to help with towing and maybe the mileage? The trailer loaded is about 11,000 lbs. Any other tips on towing with the diesel would be appreciated.
Thanks.
PMS: an obsession
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 804
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From: Kamloops
Welcome to the FTE. Best group of guys and gals are right here to help. That meter on the roof is called a Lie-O-Meter for a reason. Best to do actual hand calculations.
There are quite a few options regarding upgrades fore our rigs, stick around and choose your poison!
There are quite a few options regarding upgrades fore our rigs, stick around and choose your poison!
Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
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From: Grand Lake, La.
Your profile says 2000 and you typed 2002, just to let you know. If you are not 4x4 that miledge is low. Before adding any mods, lets make sure your engine is ready for them. Have you checked your boots to make sure there is no leaks? Look at your up-pipes for soot at the connections, if you see soot there, you have a leak that will hurt mpg.
You may want to change all the fluids in the truck to have a new base line for future changes. Like oil, trans, rad fluid, rear and front end fluild. Have you checked the air filter and changed the fuel filter?
Lets start here and work to the mods after you get her right.
Good luck.
You may want to change all the fluids in the truck to have a new base line for future changes. Like oil, trans, rad fluid, rear and front end fluild. Have you checked the air filter and changed the fuel filter?
Lets start here and work to the mods after you get her right.
Good luck.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,760
Likes: 27
From: Hampton, Maryland.
In order to get an idea of what Rick is talking about, you may want to peruse this for information.There are lots of reasons that your truck is feeling sluggish and getting poor mileage(and 11 unloaded is poor mileage even for a dually 350).
Click here
Click here
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 789
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From: West Coast/L.A. Area
I have a '02, F350 crew cab dually, and get 15 to 16 empty and 10.5 to almost 12 (with a tail wind) pulling a 15K 5'er. So yours seem low, unless you have your foot in it all the time. By the way, figuring mpg by hand has always come out very close to the overhead, but you won't know till you compare the numbers how far it's off.
I pulled the same trailer for the last few years with a '91 F350, 460 dually. So when I got the diesel, at first I thought mine was "sluggish" too (I just got it last year), but it keeps me at 55 mph on most of the grades when my 460 would slow down a lot. We go to Bridgeport every year and and last year we got there almost an hour earlier from Los Angeles, 'cause I was maintaining speed so much of the time. I guess diesels just don't have the hp like the gassers do and don't feel so "peppy". Oh yes, my 460 got 5.5 to 6 mpg towing with Banks headers.
I pulled the same trailer for the last few years with a '91 F350, 460 dually. So when I got the diesel, at first I thought mine was "sluggish" too (I just got it last year), but it keeps me at 55 mph on most of the grades when my 460 would slow down a lot. We go to Bridgeport every year and and last year we got there almost an hour earlier from Los Angeles, 'cause I was maintaining speed so much of the time. I guess diesels just don't have the hp like the gassers do and don't feel so "peppy". Oh yes, my 460 got 5.5 to 6 mpg towing with Banks headers.
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Well, I just figured out how to reset the overhead indicator. On my last short trip I got 14.2 mpg. At least that's what the indicator said.
My truck is 4WD, so I guess that is going to have some effect on the actual mileage.
I will do an actual calc at my next fill up................... course I got'ta save up my money so I can go fill up.
We are going to be doing our first long tow with the truck this coming Wednesday. Just over 525 miles one way, and there are some passes that our Chevy worked really hard going up. I am looking forward to seeing how well the diesel does.
My truck is 4WD, so I guess that is going to have some effect on the actual mileage.
I will do an actual calc at my next fill up................... course I got'ta save up my money so I can go fill up.
We are going to be doing our first long tow with the truck this coming Wednesday. Just over 525 miles one way, and there are some passes that our Chevy worked really hard going up. I am looking forward to seeing how well the diesel does.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,162
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From: Vilonia Arkansas
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
What Dave said. I also get mid-16s with the mods in my sig. And it ain't sluggish by any means... 
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