I've decided to go with the 6.0. This is what I'm looking for if you happen to have resources to find one that the general public doesn't have, see one locally or know somebody selling one.

2005-2007 are the better years for the 6.0 from what I can tell
2wd
manual transmission
XLT
2wd
Prefer extended or crew cab.

Not needed but would be nice:

- disc changer
- (power)sliding rear window
- aux switches
- trailer brake controller
- head bolt to stud swap completed


Original post:

 

I had a 96 F250 4x4 7.3 and I got 17-21 highway depending how fast I was going. I know of a few that have 99-01 2wd getting upwards of 24 highway. Things I look for on a 7.3 is cold starts which you cant do until it gets cold. This way you can see if glow plugs are shot. Trannys!!! Make sure that thing shifts properly when on the throttle hard and lightly. Other than that these engines are very simple compaired to others. Probably look for oil leaks around the valve covers and check the engine valley and around the turbo for oil leaks. I would check the up-pipes for boot leaks, the reason is they are A pain in the azz to replace. Another easy way to check for boost leak is if it has boost gauge you should see around 20psi give or take on stock motor. Last but not least is the oil pan, make sure that thing IS NOT ROTTED OUT!!! Very comman on 7.3s. Again another pain to replace.

 

What is all done to the truck? Milage, body shape ect.....

 

N/A, he's looking for a stick. The ZF is just about indestructible.

 

About the only thing I would change on mine would be to have a the ZF6 instead of an automatic, but back in the day I had to take what I could get due to the 6.0L comin' out. With my 6.4L, the six speed is the best truck tranny available period.

Each year has their plusses and minuses, but motor wise you'll be fine overall. Over the last ten years the 7.3L has taken on this mystical aura, only rivaled by the 12v cummins, but there are weak points easily addressed if you start puttin' power to 'er. For sure though, much simpler and cheaper to build than a 6.0L or 6.4L.

No matter on the motor, the newest truck is now at least 10 years old, and they have no different than gas trucks problems there. Suspension, chassis, electrical parts, rust, used hard, ect. I'd first focus on finding a clean truck, then picking your year.

Crew/ex/regular cab trucks are so close in weight being portly anyway mileage doesn't really get adjusted that much. I'm a crew shorty automatic, and with heavy footed driving was always around 15. Unloaded highway would flirt with 18. Since my 6.4L I've parked the 7.3L to keep the miles off, so I don't really have good numbers with the ultra low sulfur diesel.

I'm partial to the '02-'04 front clips as being the best of the superduty series to date, and if it would fit around my '08's motor, I'd swap one on.



Adrianspeeder

 

You could always swap in a ZF6 behind that 7.3....

 

I never shoulda sold my 01.

 

It is on the list of the 50 other truck projects I have stocked up.

Adrianspeeder

 

The time that has passed since I posted this is greater than I thought. I sold the truck to the first person that looked at it. Luckily I didn't even have to advertise it anywhere.

I'm probably going to go with the 6.0. The OP has been updated with what I'm looking for. From what I've read, it's better to go with a 2005-2007 if you want the 6.0. As for mods/upgrades, EGR delete and head studs are the two most helpful for longevity it seems like. Here's a list of what I'd probably install. This is the order I'd probably do them in unless you think something should be moved.

1. EGR delete
2. head studs
3. tuner
4. intake
5. exhaust

How important are the head studs if I won't be hauling heavy loads often? Would it be fine to replace the bolts one at a time to avoid having to completely remove the heads?

 

The head studs are the main part of the bullet-proofing. I'd do those before anything else, but the EGR does has to come off too. I wouldn't tune it for any kind of power, just tuned around the EGR, and I wouldn't put an intake on it either. Nice turbo-back would be nice though.

Are you wanting to do them one at a time to avoid pulling the cab? That would be a real bitch to try IMO

 

I'd prefer not having to lift the cab if possible. There isn't a place around here that would make that easy to do unless I pay somebody to do it. Why wouldn't you swap out the intake? As for the tuner, I'm not looking to roll coal. Just something that would provide better fuel economy when I don't need the power and maybe one that would provide 25-50 more HP. Somebody I talked to mentioned the Banks Six Gun kit. Something that would provide monitoring on a screen like that would be nice.

 

Hmm yeah, I don't know if it's possible to do them one at a time with the cab on, but I suppose you could certainly try! I wouldn't put an intake on it because they all don't filter as well IMO and I don't want to do anything that would compromise my extremely expensive diesel motor. Messing with a $4k gas motor is one thing, but I personally wouldn't with a diesel. A light power tune would probably be alright, just no crazy race tunes haha. Those screen tuners are nice, but boy do you have to shell out for em. I'm not familiar enough with diesel tuners, but I'd want something with full ability to be custom tuned, whatever you get.

 

In 05 is when they went from the 18mm to 20mm head studs. I havent seen many issues with 05 and up models after EGR delete, FICM reflashed, oil cooler upgrade and a coolant filtration preferably sinister diesel. If you do these things it is highly unlikley you will have issues with the heads lifting off the block. The emissions is the route cause of this. And get a good tuner to get custom tunes, allot of people are using the SCT flash pack. If you do all this before the EGR starts causing allot of issues you will be fine with those yrs. Ealier yrs have the smalled studs and lift off the block allot easier. If you don't have any of these things done DONT sit at idle all the time if you dont have to, that will plug the EGR real quick. My buddys 05 has over 170k with just the EGR delete and SCT tuner and hasnt had any issues except replacing 1 injector. But you never know when injectors could burn up, its all in how you maintaine it I guess. My 7.3 had 175k when I sold it with original injectors and still going strong.

 

WTF... I've been looking through pictures at places such as carmax and autotrader. Do the 250s have problems with the seat fabric? Quite a few of them have holes or rips along the outer edge on the drivers side. A lot of them had 100k fewer miles than my 97 150 had.

 

I'll find out tomorrow whether or not I'll be getting a 2005 extended cab with 64k miles. I know power rear sliding windows were available. Is the wiring already in place or would I need to buy/make the harness? Would it be better to go with an OEM or aftermarket power slider?