Input on 1999 super duty f250 w/ 7.3

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I am getting out of debt and a guy offered the above mentioned truck and cash for my rig.  It has been well maintained and has 172k and a auto tranny.  I know little about diesel engines and wanna know if this will last as long as other diesel engines I have read about.  I just need a good truck and no payments but I don't wanna have one at the end of its life expectancy.  I figured there has to be a few guys on here that have them.

  Thanks

[Woodchuck]

Ask if the tranni has been gone through yet. Have ball joints checked. Great motor and if maintained is just getting started.

[dpete]

ive had the same truck  since 99 its a good rig arguably the best engine they put in. Mine has 145000 and runs great. Maintenence is the key, I would look closely at the auto tranny if you plan on hauling anything heavy make sure it has a good cooler the stock one sucks. Ive got a lot of aftermarket stuff on mine It hauls  a big camper just fine and gets decent mileage for a big truck. good luck DSP

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I will check that stuff out, thanks.  What's average milage with no load? 

[royalbull]

I will check that stuff out, thanks.  What's average milage with no load?

mileage depends mostly on how heavy your foot is my Excursion with the 7.3 gets 20.5 if I keep it between 65-68 but I hate being the slowest guy on the road, I get around 17.5-18 at 78mph

[poopooheaddad]

Great truck, I have a 97,crew,7.3, auto, She has about 180k on her, the 99 has the better brakes, better torque converter and a better trany cooler, what everybody else said is true, maintenance,use good oil and check out the ash content, I blew my trany on Chinook pass pulling a 30ft toy hauler filled with toys. now has built tranny, cold air intake,bigger exhaust and a programmer, pulling a large trailer with camper, you gotta monitor your exhaust gases to keep your trany safe.....I will probably keep that truck for ever

[nwhunter]

I had a 99 stroker and sold it with 220K on it. Great motor if maintained. Front end will go as will the tranny with 150k plus but a solid truck for sure. My mileage was 15-16 on average.

[Cascade_fisher]

Great truck but change to a cold air intake (AFE) and replace the downpipe, tuners can be a good option too.  (bare minimum upgrades)  Mileage depends on gearing my 4.10LS gives me 20mpg if I keep at 2,000 RPM E4OD tranny.  Towing a couple horses or heavy sled will get me 10+ but I am normally going over the pass and I don't go less then the speed limit. (well there are 2 pitches going east on 90 that I go easier on but I pass all those Subaru *censored*)

Use Delo oil and change your oil and fuel filter frequently. There are many other options out there - fuel bowl delete would be a good one and then put your fuel/water separator inline under your bed.  Electronic lift pump.  Build up the tranny and get a triple billet torque converter if you are planning on towing.  When you do that go ahead and convert to a 6 speed manual.

[huntnphool]

I will check that stuff out, thanks.  What's average milage with no load?

mileage depends mostly on how heavy your foot is my Excursion with the 7.3 gets 20.5 if I keep it between 65-68 but I hate being the slowest guy on the road, I get around 17.5-18 at 78mph

 I have over 300k on my Excursion and the engine still pulls like it was new.  Great trucks with little to worry about, at that mileage I would think its just getting started as long as its been maintained well, oil changes are the key, they hold 16.5 quarts.

 Mileage will depend not only on your foot but also in the rear end gears. Most Excursions have 373 gears but a lot of the trucks came with 411's. 373 will get you better mileage but not pull as hard off the line when towing.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Thanks for the input it fell through but I will keep them in mind when I am looking for a truck.

[Pathfinder101]

I like my 2000 with the same motor.  Same engine they have in school busses.

  X2 on what Woodchuck said about the ball joints though... I have to replace mine... and don't forget to take a peek at what we are paying for deisel before you decide...
 

[bearpaw]

I already had to do the ball joints and a new auto tranny, other than that it's a good truck that I have already put 40,000 miles on it since buying. I hope to get another 150,000 out of it.

[Special T]

My  not so little bro was a Ford Mech. He says that is the best rig made, minuse the tranny. The trannyis the weak link. That said there are trannies out there now that fix most of the issues. If you realize that you are going to fork out some $$$ for a new tranny at some point (don't have that POS rebuilt) then i say do it. The 7.3 is a great motor adn will last well into the 350k range if taken care of. 

You can always afford to put a little $$$ into a paid for rig, it is much harder to do with one that still has payments!

[Cylvertip]

Add a temp gauge on that tranny so you know what's going on with it.  Motor's great - Front wheel bearings and tranny are the only real issues.  If it still has the original Cam sensor in it, don't let ford do the recall/ pull it.  The original factory black one was the best.  regardless, you should have at least one spare CPS in the rig just in case. 

[Mudman]

 I have 2001 350 4.10gear average 15 to 17mpgs.  20 highway if i can keep my foot light!  Great engine and love truck.  Ditto on whats been said,  Tranny mods gauges tran. cooler for sure.  If stock simple mods like air intake exhaust chip/programmer will get better mpg and really wake truck up!  Make sure oil changed and clean fuel in it and you will get many miles.  My cousin hitting 400000 with his.  2nd tranny ball joints/hubs only major repairs.  Mine 5k due to dirty fuel! 2nd tranny upgraded torque converter, accum. valve body, ball joints next! 170k on it.

[cwbygotabigtrck]

also find out the build date if its pre July 99 then it has smaller turbo and smaller injector's then the post July 99 trucks. The don't produce as much power or tow as well. The 4r100 trans in those truck are very well known for blowing up between 160K-180K miles. If it hasn't been rebuilt already plan on a rebuild in the next year or so depending how much you drive and how much you tow. Best thing to save the life on them is to NEVER tow anything or pull a grade even empty in over drive it smokes the clutch's quick. Anytime you think you may have gotten the trans hot do a service and filter on it and it will save a lot of it's life span. If your going to tow get gauges if it doesn't have them already. You will want trans, boost and egt. You don't want it running hotter then 1250 egt's and make sure and install the egt gauge into the manifold not the down pipe on the exhaust it can be off as far as 250-400 degrees depending on the set up of the truck. If it's already in the down pipe move it to the drivers side bottom part of the manifold. If you have any question's you can ask me that's all I do all day is work on these trucks.

[Caseyd]

I came across an 03 Larriat Crew Cab 7.3 with 78k for $14,000 yesterday on CL 

Post had been up for 8 hours before I emailed......you guessed...GONE 

[huntnphool]

I came across an 03 Larriat Crew Cab 7.3 with 78k for $14,000 yesterday on CL 

Post had been up for 8 hours before I emailed......you guessed...GONE 

 The 7.3's dont last long on there do they.

[Caseyd]

I came across an 03 Larriat Crew Cab 7.3 with 78k for $14,000 yesterday on CL 

Post had been up for 8 hours before I emailed......you guessed...GONE 

 The 7.3's dont last long on there do they.

No they never do but I just keep my eyes out for steals 

Cousin got one with 40k for $13k. Husband died and the wife wasnt going to use the camper so no need for the truck.

[jjhunter]

My uncle has an '01 F350 Lariat with 66K.  Trying to make it mine by fall....