I am out of the market for a 7.3

   / I am out of the market for a 7.3 #1  

sandman2234

Super Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
6,010
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Tractor
JD2555 and a few Allis Chalmers and now one Kubota
The truck that originally sparked my interest in diesel trucks was supposed to come up for sale when the owner bought a new truck. When I got the picture of his new truck, I was happy, only to find out that his bride wanted him to keep Ole Blue as a beater so he didn't mess up the new one. Almost a year later, and very unexpected, a got an email from him telling me to come get the truck. I had just purchased the wife a new car three days earlier so it was also not great timing. Oh well..., gotta go with the flow.
As it happened, I was planning to go to the LSU/UF game in Baton Rouge, so picking the truck up a couple hundred miles to the north would be easy. No such luck, as the owner was in Tennesee watching the leaves turn. So the next weekend, I fly over on Sunday with the truck money in cash (and sweating the TSA inspection) so I can leave on Sunday instead of having to wait on the banks on Monday.
Pulled the old trailer I agreed to purchase on the way back and the whole trip enjoyable, except when I pulled off to get fuel and stalled the truck in the middle of the intersection. When I pushed the clutch in and hit the starter, nothing. Lights were good, just no starter action. I started to worry, and pushed the clutch in harder, made sure it was in nuetral and tried again, and again, and again. As I started to panic, I got just a bit of starter before it quit, and realized it was as I was pushing the clutch pedal down. Seems the clutch pedal needs to be about an inch off the carpet in order to allow cranking. No problems after that.
I purchased the trailer so I could drive my p/u out there, load it up and drive back. Flying kept down the time needed for the trip, less fuel money and the need for the trip, but I can always use the trailer. It pulls like it isn't back there.






David from jax
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks,
It is a 2000 model. Trailer is an 1981 with new axles 800 miles ago, along with the new tongue. Tires are 14 ply, except for one which is written in chinese so I have no idea what it is. Spare matches the other 3 so apparently a flat tire was in his past.
David from jax
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3 #4  
I have never had a stick in a truck other than a 86 Toyota but anyway I can remember there was a issue on some Super Duty trucks where the clutch mounts to the firewall.

It flexes and cracks over time. There is a fix. Its a double plate that is installed. Do some research. I think this is the issue with your truck and its starting issue. It will only get worse over time.

Chris
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3 #5  
How many miles????

Is the clutch really stiff??? I have an early 99 (March 98 build date) with a 7.3 and the 6 speed. I replaced the clutch at 100,000, because the shift fork was broken and the factory clutch was really stiff.

I installed a LUK clutch kit Part # 07-155. It comes with clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing, and a new flywheel. It has more holding power and a very light clutch pedal. So light that you have to remove the assist spring from the factory clutch pedal to get it to come back off the floor.

My truck now has 202,000 on it and not a bit of trouble from the clutch.

I also installed the upgraded shift fork (ford had an issue with them breaking, because of the stiff factory clutch).

Chris
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I have never had a stick in a truck other than a 86 Toyota but anyway I can remember there was a issue on some Super Duty trucks where the clutch mounts to the firewall.

It flexes and cracks over time. There is a fix. Its a double plate that is installed. Do some research. I think this is the issue with your truck and its starting issue. It will only get worse over time.

Chris

Saw that fix on Powerstroke dot com. Will look at it when I get slowed down just a hair on when I do the maintaince on it. Service was done at 138,800 so I have a couple of thousand before I get to it. Thanks for the heads up.

Funny part of me getting a stickshift, is I drive tractor trailers for a living, and last year got put into one with an automatic. Drove a stick last month for a single trip and had to remember to downshift. Now I have to learn syncro tranny shifting also...
David from jax
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3 #7  
The synchronizers are pretty touchy in the ZF 6 speed. When I bought mine it had 52,000 on it. Undoubtfully the guy that had it before me was pretty hard on 3rd gear and about 2 months later it started popping out of 3rd gear. Ford warranteed it and rebuilt the transmission.

Now at 202,000 it grinds when you downshift from OD to 4th if the truck is empty. If I have 1000# in the back or a trailer behind it, it doesn't grind.

I have gotten as good as 21 mpg hand calculated. I usally get about 17 to 17.5 mpg, but mine has 3.73 gears being an F250.

Chris
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3 #8  
Nice looking ride sandman. I just bought a pickup from va. Did kinda the same thing, flew down and then drove it home. I went south to get something used, but without rust. You went from Tennessee back to Fla? good ride.
 
   / I am out of the market for a 7.3
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Nice looking ride sandman. I just bought a pickup from va. Did kinda the same thing, flew down and then drove it home. I went south to get something used, but without rust. You went from Tennessee back to Fla? good ride.

Thanks!
The owner was in Tn. when he sent the email, in his new truck watching the leaves change. Ole Blue was at his home in Louisiana. I flew into Memphis and then on to Shreveport where he picked me up. Got the paperwork done and headed east. As a truck driver, I have seen most of the sites that can be seen from the roadway. It is the ones off the beaten path I miss.
David from jax
 

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