Is there a way for people who have bought used 7.3l's to look up what year/true year the truck is? I am finding things like "99" and "99.5" so part research is a bit troublesome for me right now. I can tell you the truck was built in May of 1999... does that make it a 99.5?... It is a 5 manual speed 4x4 crew cab... I am loving it but not sure what I have... parts for this truck are hard to specify because ford parts are so easily cross referenced... Any help/suggestions?

 

Welcome to FTE! You've come to the right place to get your questions answered and your mod money spent.....

The build date for the changeover between '99 and '99.5 is 12/98. According to your info, you have a '99.5 so finding parts should be easier.

 

Welcome aboard. It's reasonably certain that you have a late '99 judging by the build date being in May of 99. It's almost a '00!

You can check to see if you have and Air Intake Heater, foil on the driver's side IC pipe and if the stock airbox is still intact, see if there's a snorkel that points to the front of the grill around the battery. Those are the first and more common features to scan to see if the engine is a late '99. (Now understand that there are plenty of hybrid trucks out there with mixed pieces from the factory and previous owners that can throw you off since your truck is now 11 years old.) There's been plenty of members that own trucks that have proven this! Good luck and post any questions you may have.

 

Ford didn't build any five speed manual diesels after the '97 model year. All the manuals behind diesels from the first '99 on have been six speeds. The shifter is labeld L, 1,2,3,4,OD. When I count those gears I get six.

 

You are absolutely right about that! I bought the truck with out the top part of the shift ****, the **** button broke off and I have not found a place or part number yet, I'm extremely new to the community but happy to be a part of it. What has thrown me off is my truck is not a "lariat" but it HAS all the "lariat" features and I have never seen any other styles like that. Any other info is welcomed.
Thanks!

 

What are the Lariat features that it has? Leather seats, overhead console, woodgrain accents on the doors and dash are usually the common Lariat items but can be easily swapped into a non-factory Lariat truck. I wouldn't be too concerned about the swap unless things were installed poorly.

 

for the year, it is a 6speed, 4x4 with everything except all the chrome and leather seats etc. I thought only the lariat came like that, but I guess I was wrong. The seats are fabric but I want to change that to leather and swap the streering wheel but the darn thing has cruise control!!! I'm like WOW! I love the cruise control too... I want the driver seat to feel more like a bucket seat but the darn thing has what? --->electronic adjustment! I feel like it has TOO much bling for a 4x4 BUT... it is kinda nice. I would really like to get into the nuts and bolts of the tranny etc. Meaning, I would like to know what parts I can do a direct swap with that would make this a really good/bullet proof all around tow/all terrain truck. I'd like to know if people think the truck is geared too low or too high or just right or what other people reccomend. I'm looking to mod the engine down the road as the engine was previously modded with a slight tune nothing too major. So I'm wanting to make this thing drive like a dream on the interstate highways and be able to tow in all terrain when I need a beast. Gearing for something like that I don't know where to start but I want to start talking to shops about it. As is, on the highway in OD, the engine revs so loud and high at 60-70 mph... It needs to chill, seriously... I worry about the dang thing.. god willing in the next 2 years I'm just going to take it to an off road shop and slightly trick it. I really am worried about the suspention and A/C right now.