Hi
I have a 2002 ford f-250 xlt (quad cab) with the 7.3 powerstroke it has 335k miles and has moto metal mo970 18x9 with 33's, its stock completely besides the bullydog 6 position chip and the transmission is bullet proofed and every time i turn up the chip ( btw the settings are - stock, CARB, 75hp, 125hp (rolling coal), valet, high idle ) and every time i turn the chip to either 75 or 125 and get on it at about 2,700 rpm the engine light comes on and when i turn off my truck and turn it back on the engine light dosen't come on and idk if the turbo is pushing to much boost or what but i'm just worried that i might be hurting the engine because i want the engine to last as long as possible and my dad, who gave me the truck said its been doing that ever since they put the chip in it at about 20k miles, is there something that's wrong with my truck? and how must boost dose a stock 7.3 turbo put out?

 

Hey Kyle, welcome to FTE.

That is quite a lot of information to digest with widely varying answers.

I would like to make a suggestion to you. Try using the search feature in the blue bar near the top of your screen. If you utilize advanced search you can select the specific forum (99-03 7.3) and be specific about your search criteria.

Also, you can change the title of your post if you like by going to edit, then advanced, then you have the ability to change the title to something more suiting to your questions.

 

Somewhere around 22 or 24 lbs of boost sets off the SES light for a minute or two, then it goes back off. I didn't see anything about an exhaust gas temp gauge (EGT) and at the bare minimum you will want that.

 

First off welcome to the fold!

There are lots of things that can set the Service Engine Soon (SES) light, especially with canned tunes. Sous has a good recommendation to search the site. With the age of our trucks it is a safe bet someone, somewhere, has experienced this or something similar before. The wealth of knowledge on the FTE servers and those here willing to give it is second to none IMO.

These trucks came with mild programming from Ford so were not equipped with anything to measure Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGTs) as the conservative "tune" did not warrant any real EGT concern (and one of the reasons that the engine lasts as long as it does). Once you start modifying power delivery (parts, programming, etc.) then engine health becomes an issue. There are plenty of parameters you can monitor but EGT is a primary means of dynamic "in-the-moment" measurement of how far you are pushing the truck. If you do not have a probe installed and a way to read that measurement, I agree with Walleye Hunter in that you should heavily consider one, especially since you're running a chip.

Stock boost should run around 18psi IIRC and once you reach 24psi the truck will begin to defuel and set the SES light for an 'overboost' condition (or thereabouts). From what I've read the stock turbo can safely go to about 30psi before it loses efficiency and is not good for the internals.

Not to be rude but your initial post is a bit contradictory. You want the engine to last as long as possible but you have a chip with a 125HP "rolling coal" tune. That equation will not balance no matter how hard you try. The more you spend the closer you will get but you will never reach equilibrium.

Many of us bought these trucks to last 500K and beyond. By today's standards they are very underwhelming. Some people are content with that and some are not. You need to decide what you want out of the truck. Longevity, durability/reliability, performance, and cost are all things to consider. There are many options from mild to wild but the price tag goes up exponentially from one end to the other. Depending on the route you take and how much of your wallet you want to empty over the course of your 7.3L journey will help you decide your path.

The term Powerstroke Modification Syndrome (PMS) was coined many years ago for a reason. Many of us have it and everyone's endgame is different. There's a reason that many businesses still make parts for a truck that went out of production 15 years ago.

Just my .02. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now...

 

You should start by pulling codes with a compatible reader, not by speculating about the cause.

 

I just wanna know if i'm hurting my engine. I'm wanting durability and reliability, i don't dog my truck, like i don't run it hard on the tunes 24/7. I probably crank my tune to 125 when someones tailgating me for a while so they can get away from me, i crank it 75 which btw dosent blow any black smoke. i've never ever pushed my engine beyond 2,700 rpms i want the truck to last as long as possible cause i'm about to sell it later this year and my dad is giving me his duramax so he can get one of the new l5p duramax truck, cause he is worried the engine dosent have much longer till something major breaks and idk cause ive heard 7.3 last till 500k miles without showing a problem. And even if the put the code reader in when the engine light comes on and i turn it off. would a code pop up even if the engine light dosn't come back on when i turn the ignition off and turn the key to the run position (not on)? do i have to turn off my truck to plug in the code reader? cause i know nothing about a code reader tbh all i know about it is that it reads the codes that an engine puts out and tells you whats wrong, and I'M NOT WANTING THE ENGINE LIGHT TO STAY ON.

 

To use a code reader:

1. Make sure the truck is turned off and the key is in the OFF position.
2. Plug the code reader into the OBDII plug.
3. Turn the key to the ON position (DO NOT start the truck).
4. Navigate the code reader to read the codes.
5. Write the codes down. (If you decide to clear the codes you will not be able to go and read them after this step).
6. Clear the codes if you so desire.
7. Turn the key to the OFF position and disconnect the code reader.

You can post the codes here and/or Google them and people will be more than happy to help.

Durability and reliability are very possible with elevated performance, especially with this engine. There are a lot of supporting improvements/modifications that go along with that otherwise you are asking for trouble. Vehicles are designed to do more than what they are built with, that's how they last. However, when you add 125 HP (in theory...the OEM injectors can only be tuned for an additional ~50HP) without evaluating what that will do to the powerplant and drivetrain you are asking for trouble. It's like saying you can normally bench press 200 lbs but if you take a muscle-blaster pre-workout that will increase your workout by 50% you can just slap on another 100 lbs no problem. Nobody is going to be able to take one pre-workout shake and immediately be able to do 50% more than they did the day before with the same number of reps. Either you can lift the weight but not as many reps or you'll hurt yourself trying. The same goes for your truck. Do you think that your truck can handle an adrenaline shot of a hot tune (with no other adjustments/modifications) and be okay even if you "don't dog it"? Not likely. It may seem like it but there's plenty of stuff you can't see. Air in, exhaust out, cylinder temperatures, fuel delivery, transmission, u-joints, suspension, etc., are all things that need to be assessed to manage the extra demand on the truck to make that kind of power and get it to the ground. You need a plan. If you plan your workout routine you will be able to lift 50% more in time and the same goes for your truck (whether it's Ford, Chevy, Dodge (Ram), etc.). If you plan your improvements you will have power AND durability/reliability.

These trucks continue to run at 500K miles and beyond. I say "run" because I get the feeling your definition of "last" means that they don't have problems and that is not the case. It is a great truck but does not have magical properties. These trucks are old. Old things leak and break just like any other car or truck out there. It just so happens that the engine is stout and continues to run despite problems. I have had many issues over the years and put some serious coin into it. Heck, I could have a pretty nice car for the money I've invested in mine. It is a great truck and there's very few things that can go wrong on the truck that will put me on the side of the road waiting for a tow (most of which I have a spare in a tool box in the bed). I've sprung major oil leaks, blown out tires, busted leaf springs, ruptured sensors, and popped intercooler boots and it has made it home every single time in the 10 years I've owned it.

Just to clarify one thing: your dad is giving you the Duramax because he think the engine doesn't have much longer?

The 7.3L doesn't lend itself to hot rod power due to its design (unless you have serious $$$) but it is a great engine that will go for years.

If you want a hot rod stick with the Duramax.

My dad has an '06 Duramax LBZ and it is a very nice powerplant but I still prefer my dinosaur. At 306K miles I love it just as much as the day I bought it.

 

OK thank you,
But thats the thing im torn a lml duramax with cory willis tunes with the ezlink lifted 6in with 35's, def/dpf delete, 4in dual exhaust comin out to two 6in tips, and its crazy fast. But i dont know what what to choose: "ole faithful" (7.3) or a stupid fast lml duramax?

 

You answered your own question.
Stupid= fast.
When you're 18- 35, fast = stupid. For longevity, durable is best.

 

Durable is great but you can't outrun age. You have to consider the Ford is 15 years old and the GM truck is at least 10 years newer than that (Google tells me the LML is a 2011-2016 run).

If I got both of them for free? I'd have to see them to pick one. I'm almost 50 years old so each one has its merits. Newer is nicer but more expensive. Older is no emissions, more mechanical and less electronic, and cheaper registration and insurance. If I was under 35 years old none of that would matter to me and I'd sell the Ford. Just my .02

I love my 7.3L but would I buy one now? Probably not (please don't ban me! ).

 

Man, and they call me a Blasphemer .....