OK, I have settled my lawsuit on my 6.0L and should have it all wrapped up (see money in hand) in about 5 weeks or less.

So I'm down to either and older '99-2000 7.3L Ford or a Dodge Cummins '06-'07 5.9L either with autos.

I pull about 8k in the summer in a lot of mountains and use the 4x4 monthly at the ranch, The rest of the time it's my daily.

So our local diesel shop advised my for the 5.9L that all I'll need to make it reliable is to have a FASS system installed and I'll be OK with the factory auto as long as I don't add any HP...which I don't want to do. He says this is around $600. I'd also like it to have the exhaust brake.

Or if I go for the 7.3L ford (his choice) ( his head mechanics first choice is the Dodge)I'd need to add 150HP chip and carry a spare CPS to be reliable. (The chip to make it comparable to my 6.0L in power when towing).

So how's this all sound and is it sound advice?

What do you guys and gals think you would choose?

(I know this is a Ford forum)

Thanks

 

Well, seeing how you want an opinion........
That year of Dodge has all kinds of problems. You need to make sure the Killer Dowl pin ain't gonna give you any problems. The seats are horrible and will need to be reworked after a very short time, The tranny will act up and make you wonder what the heck is going on and it will turn out to be the battery grounds need to be regularly cleand at all terminating positions. The truck is smaller in the cab, headlights are very prone to fading, to really have piece of mind, you'll need to update the track bar to a 2003 style.(cause when they break, you'll be a God Fearing Man real quick if you already ain't) If you lean on the door panels while driving, mind you even if your an average size man, your windows will really slow down over time. Dodges like to eat the front tires, even with proper alignment and regular rotations.
With the Ford, you have to carry a CPS which can be changed out in minutes, tranny's have a mechanical diode that can go out, It does have more power stock than the same year Dodge. It ain't a cummins, but I know of a tow truck that has over 500,000 on it's 7.3. You are getting ALOT better TRUCK in my opinion if you buy the Ford. All of the problems I listed with the Dodge, I have first hand knowledge of. Hope this helps.

 

I dont know Dodge but I can tell you that my 7.3 in my sig has 316k miles now and still running strong.

 

Thanks! That is what I want OPINIONS with experience.
What's a dowl pin?
The head lights? You mean there are headlights worse than a Super Dutys?

Thats BAD!

What's the diode of which you speak? My friends who do have the '99-'03 7.3L complain about the transmission, but rave about the power my 6.0L has.

What kind of exhaust brake is good for the 7.3L? Beacuse I love the torque shift in my 6.0L for the down-hill runs...almost never have to use the brakes.

 

The diode is a brain fart by Ford found in a lot of 2001 models...known to cause trouble but then again some have no problems at all...

Id go for the 7.3 for mere comfort as well as the reliability. Id rather spend that 600 on a DP tuner and some gauges than on a dodge FASS system.

 

Well if I can get the power the 6.0 had (even with all its power sucking re-programs/flashes) with reliability I think I'll be happy, plus my bed cover and tank will fit another super duty.

 

I think you will be extremely happy. Besides that, you have all of us here to help ya if something should happen!

 

Thanks, that's what I hope! Some guys get kind bent out of shape when I complain about my 6.0L, but I didn't pay 39K to get what I ended up with.

You'll have to educate me... like I said I want the power to pull with that my 6.0L had and some sort of engine braking like the 6.0L....after that I know how to fix the headlights...new bulbs.

 

I dont blame you one bit. Besides the CPS deal you can rest assured you will be getting a decent rig, as long as the previous owners maintained it well. Ive had mine since ordering it back in 1999 and I love it still to this day. Its only been towed ONCE in that 10 years and that was before I found this site. Stupid wheel bearing...
I found out about the CPS deal on this site and went to local International dealer to get a new one and put it in myself and was up and running again.

Let us know what you finally end up choosing though!

 

I would be hesitant to add 150 HP chip to a 7.3 and then tow with it.
The EGT will go too high and then you will end up with a cracked piston.
.
The flip side to that is the 7.3 has a lot more low end grunt than the 6.0.
What I did for my truck is I bought a Power Hungry Performance chip and I tow with the 25hp Heavy Tow.
I pull a 13.5k 5th wheel with it and it does just fine, with EGT's remaining below 1100 degrees at all times.

 

If you get a dp tuner you can get a tune called decel and it will close the ebpv working like an exhaust brake. I have a '07 6.0 and my '01 7.3 out pulls it by a good margin. I don't know that the 7.3 will out run it however.

 

Another vote for a 7.3L, lots of good deals out there right now. Get a good tuner like DP, PHP, TW, Swamp's etc. and stay away from the off the shelf stuff like Edge or Superchips and you'll be a happy camper.

 

My general manager was a Dodge guy, and he had the exact same transmission (battery grounds) and dim headlights problems.

I have a diode transmission that has 270,000 miles on it, and it still works fine. Diodes were only installed in the early (before mid-March) 2001 trucks, and most have been replaced by now. There are no parts available to repair the diode - you have to upgrade it to the regular sprag clutch. As far as I know, there is no one that has ever put the diode back in a tranny when repairing it.

BTW, I have the maintenance records for my truck since new, and it had the original CPS in it until 270,000 miles, when I swapped it out as part of a troubleshooting procedure. It still stays in the truck as a spare. I say this to make the point that although the cps is a known weak spot, and you should carry a spare, don't think you are guranteed to have a problem with yours.

Do you know anyone nearby that has a 7.3 truck that would hook up to your trailer and take a drive over a route so you can compare power? Real world performance is what counts, not published horsepower. There have been numerous posts by FTE members towing heavy trailers, so contact them and get them to tell you the speeds and weights that they can maintain up known grades.

If you are going to run a tuner and pull heavy loads up hills, you will need to address turbo surge. Plenty of posts on that one, too. Expect to add a wicked wheel or a ported compressor housing.

Have you researched the price difference between the Ford and the 4-5 year newer Dodge? I would guess that it is several thousand dollars, even for equal mileage trucks. This would leave you some budget for upgrades.

BTW, is there a reason you don't want a Ford newer than 2000?

 

My question for the 7.3 is with box stock no chip will towing 10,000 #'s be an issue pulling from Ga to NM at 70 mph ? This is a 2000 w/auto 4wd. You mentioned a cracked piston. Just trying to stay ahead of the crack.

Thanks. vettdvr

My son will be pulling with his 6.0. So far it has been a good truck but at about 70,000 miles the turbo is being replaced so the verdict is still out on it.

 

Box stock you should be fine, but a good set of gauges wouldn't hurt so you will know if/when your EGT's get too high.