Any 99-03 Powerstroke owners?

[ITSNO60]

I plan on using my beloved 2002 Crew Cab Superduty 4X4 with the 7.3 diesel for my tow vehicle. It has 170K well cared for miles on the clock and still rides and runs like a new truck. I have kept her in mint condition both drive train and chassis wise, and always garaged. I could afford a newer truck but I have a hard time justifying it especially since the 7.3 was the last of the bullet proof diesels, and I don't trust the newer stuff. Any other 7.3 owners out there?

[Peter Culp]

I have a 2001 F350 crew cab long bed. I am the second owner. My wife's uncle owned it before me. I have 113,000 on mine. I just replaces the tranny, and plan to keep it a long long time. I am in Zion right now with it and he trailer.

[ITSNO60]

113K Nice! Mine is a long bed as well with an automatic. I hope you put in a 6.0 cooler for that new tranny, the stock cooler is way too small for towing.

[1973Argosy]

I just bought a late 1999 from my father that sounds to be in about same shape as yours. My truck has been dealer maintained since new and runs like a dream. It doesn't have the same power levels as the new diesels but has more than enough to tow our trailers anywhere. Mine has 217k on the clock, I put about 100k of those miles on it while it was my fathers, and have now pulled my trailer about 1500 miles while the truck has been in my possession. Mine is a xlt crew cab long wheelbase f350 dually 2wd. Pulled 420 miles today with cruise set at 70 and squeaked out 15.2 mpg. Not bad for an old truck with a 4 speed tranny. Like you I could have bought a new or newer truck but I chose to purchase this one because of their proven reliability and the price was very right.

[PaulnGina]

Not the year range you specified, but we DO have a 7.3L PowerStroke..... the original 1995 model year. 123K miles on it, in great shape.

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by PaulnGina

Not the year range you specified, but we DO have a 7.3L PowerStroke..... the original 1995 model year. 123K miles on it, in great shape.

I love that body style and if I had more room I'd pick up an OBS 4X4 just to have it.

[ITSNO60]

Didn't mean to leave out the OBS Powerstrokes, love to hear from those owners as well. I've been so immersed in the 99-03 Superduty I forgot about the early ones and it's too late to edit the thread title.

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

the 7.3 was the last of the bullet proof diesels,

Last of the bullet proof Fords anyway.

[Peter Culp]

I did put the 6.0 trans cooler in. I actually put a John Wood tranny in it. It was more but I'm pretty sure it's not going to fail again.

[TruckerFritz]

2001 dually with 450K miles, beat to death and it still starts and runs great, used to deliver trailer rvs from northern Indiana to all over the us.. if someone has a good body with a blown 7.3 engine let me know..

[pappy19]

The 7.3 is a great engine, I had a 97 and a 2002. The automatic transmission is the weak link. The John Wood or Suncoast rebuilds, make it a very reliable setup. Don't forget that those engines and their competitors at the time, averaged about 250 hp. Any new gas F250 has 380hp and more torque without the maintenance issues of diesels.

[coastal me]

Long bed, 6 speed stick shift, 2 wheel drive, 7.3 liter.
Bought in 2004, second owner. Less than 100,000 miles in 2004.
Just turned 140,000.
Full-time RVer since 2004.

The first couple of years, new clutch, new alternator, new starter. Otherwise routine maintenance, -brakes and more.
This past winter, the truck died. I was driving on a campground loop road. The truck just happened to die right in front of a mechanic/camper. It was the heater. Unplugged heater under hood, and everything fine.
Quite a few mice under hood and in cab. This year I'll try the ultrasonic devices.
Mostly travel in Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Northern California.
Towing- a 1978 31' Airstream, and since 2010, a 1999 31' Airstream.

[wvstreamer]

These trucks are great. Have had 4 beginning with 86 with 6.9..then 3 Powerstrokes. Never a bad one. Recently sold the 02...supercab short bed 6sp manual 7.3 with 130k. Now have Tundra 5.7 TRD it's good too. Didn't need the 250 and the Tundra rides and handles great. I'm sure the new 250's do too but costly to buy and maintain. My Fords were great but Toyota is wonderful. The 7.3 was a horse though.

[wvstreamer]

Also rust was beginning to be an issue for mine. If yours has a good body/frame it will go almost forever.

[Chaplain Kent]

I tow with my 2000 Excursion, the best TW ever built. My 7.3 has 120,000 miles, the X is all stock, no lift or beefy changes. I had it de-rusted last year and will do the interior this year. The ride is incredible, pulls anything, and can fit a full size kayak inside without encroaching on the front seat. My Airstreams have all increased in value and now my TW does the same.

[davejay]

Hey,
We got a 2000 excursion, with 290k . Runs like a dream. I d take it right now to Alaska. These 7.3s were designed for 1/2million miles. My trans has never been touched I change oil, royal purple only, on all my units. Every 6000 miles. She ll get 22 mpg at 48 miles hour. At 70 about 17.5 it likes 1400 rpm. The only thing I wish it had, was one more gear. Mine has 3:54 gears towing,? These babies were made for towing. In the big trucks the 7.3 is called a DT444. Diesal turbo end 444 cubic inch. They re a bullit proof motor. Keep your trans cool. That's the towing weak link. DJ

[rjmaype]

My son was given my wife's Uncle's AS but we had no TV.

Bought a then four year old 2001 Crew Cab 8 ft bed DRW 7.3 PSD.

I had buyer's remorse when I bought it because of the size but I wanted a good TV for my son.

Then an older guy told me "Listen kid, you can never have too much truck. Many times you can find yourself with not enough truck."

[tjdonahoe]

I had one for 189,000 miles, it had 4.11 gears, was too slow 2000 rpm about 62, I lived with it , mileage was 13 towing a 23' avion, I traded it for a ram, with a 6.7 cummalong, never looked back as it was a very good move...

[Ronman]

We just bought a 1997 F350 crew cab with 8' bed. WE GOT LUCKY!! 85,000 original miles and it was owned by the proverbial Old Guy who had a camper and just went out here and there. Dealer maintained. We are SO lucky!!

[PaulnGina]

Mind if I add a little more?

Our 1995 F250 PowerStroke is almost bone-stock, 123,000 miles. Added a 45,000 BTU Tru-Cool transmission cooler, a bypass oil filter to super-clean the oil, and a K&N air filter that I got from Camping world for $10!