Powerstroke question

[IHMANKY]

Wondering from you Ford guys, do the late 90"s - mid 2000 model 7.3 liters have glow plugs? I"m looking at replacing both my trucks with a F250 or 350 but I will drive it some to my "real" job with no place to plug it in... Usually never below 10 degree or so.... Want it to start ya know... Cummins guys weigh in as well if you want...

 

[extrempuller]

All 7.3's have glo plugs. I have a 02 power stroke and it stayed below 20 degres for 2 weeks here latley and didn't plug up and started fine every morning!!

 

[IHMANKY]

You give a feller news he likes to hear!! How is that '02 for you? There's several 01-06 candidates around here and some of them have high miles but really doesn't worry me.. I figure the high mile trucks have a lot of open road steady RPM's under them instead of beating around in the brush all the time.

 

[extrempuller]

Mine does good, no magor problems just normal stuff like starter and water pump. Mine has 192,000 now and still runs as good as day 1 and alot of my miles have been pulling a trailer to pulls every where. I would sugest getting 7.3 if you wont a ford don't get a 6.0 some of my friends got those and do not like them at all. I looked at a 07 that only had 18,000 miles and the sales man told me if I didn't just have to have one right know not to buy one of the 6.0's that they had nothing but trouble out of them. ( MUST BE REAL BIG PROUBLEM FOR A SALES MAN TO TELL YOU NOT TO BUY A $30.000 + VEICLE? ) And on the dodge side buy a 5.9 the new ones are nice and run real good but are junk and have nothing but proublems. I have 4 friend's that bought new ones the oldest one haveing 28,000 miles and has been back to dealer 7 or 8 times allready over the engine and the other guy's have had there's back atlest 3 times or more with the newest having only about 13.000 miles. Some of the same people had 07's that still had 5.9's and traded them in for the new ones and know wish they all had there old 5.9's back now!! JUST MY OPINION AND EXPERENCES!!!

 

[ricky c]

the key to the glow plugs is wait till the light goes out before starting or it will damage the glow plug and could result in you taking the head off to fix.

 

[IHMANKY]

I have heard horror stories on the 6.0's as well.. if I buy a Ford it will be a 7.3..

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

The only down fall of the 7.3 is the pass thru connector(s) on the valve cover gaskets.
Being the 6.0 guy in the shop, like I told a friend, "You buy a 6.0 I'm not working on it!"

 

[Rich Iowa]

I owned a 1996 F250 with the 7.3L for a couple years before I bought my Dodge. I never had a problem with the Powerstroke, that 7.3L was a good engine, wouldn't buy a Ford with any other size diesel in it. Like the others said, use the glow plugs and wait for the light on the dash to turn off and you should be fine.

 

[Ntix]

I have a 04 Ford 6.0 260,000 miles have replaced one injector in 100,000 miles since wire harness was replaced due to chafing, causing replacement of 15 injectors that were not bad. Had head gaskets replaced at 75,000. Only other repairs have been a sensor here and there. Everything else on engine is original incl. turbo, water pump ect. Just my experience.

 

[showcrop]

I had a 2001 7.3 for three years in northern climate before I ever went looking for the cord for the block heater. [ten hours after I should have] It was 20 below and it took about two hours for it to heat up to where it would crank fast enough.

 

[stan jefferies]

7.3's are great, 6.0's are horrible and have sold more Chevys and Dodge's then Dodge and GM probably. Mine starts everytime I need it and I dont run it everyday.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

A Duramax will start without being plugged in down to -20 with good batteries. They just don't break...

 

[Southtowns27]

I had a old Ford with a 6.9, it always started even if it wasn't plugged in. Now I have a '96 Dodge Cummins, 220,000 on the clock. It always starts too, but if it's really cold, it complains a bit at first. IMO, you can't beat a 7.3 Powerstroke or the 5.9 Cummins.

 

[souNdguy]

mu 04 6.opsd has been fine. Have never had a problem that wasn't soemthing simple like an oring ont he fuel filter or oi filter cartridge that sets a thte top of the engine unde rthe hood. 130K miles on her... pull a 16' trailer with a tractor on it all the time.. many trips out of state to fetch tractors as well...

only repair I've ever made was to repalce a belt tensioner.. a 10 minute job ...

soundguy

 

[Johndeerewc]

If you have a 6.0 you will have trouble with it. I had a 03 it was in the shop 45 days and ford bought it back, ordered a 05 had it for about 40,000 and couldn't keep injectors in it, so i traded it in and went back to a 01 with a 7.3 The best motor ford ever made. Also have a 97 with 225,000 on it

 

[Anonymous-0]

To answer your question, yes the PS 7.3s have glowplugs, but they are under the valve covers. As was previously stated don't try and start it until the light goes out. NEVER use ether on one as it can ignite the either fuel mix before you hit the starter and cause damage. BobG in VA '99 F350 PS.

 

[burnetma]

I had a 1997 7.3L with 283,000 miles before I sold it. Keys to cold weather starting:
1. Synthetic Oil - Rotella T 5W-40 was my preference.
2. Good batteries and wires.
3. Functioning glow plug relay. These go bad fairly often, but really easy to diagnose and change.
4. Functioning glow plugs. The harness goes through the valve cover gasket and is prone to short out. I replaced glow plugs and the gaskets at 235,000 miles.
5. Good starter. Replaced mine with a newer model after 230,000 miles when it started drawing excessive amperage. The new starter spins twice as fast and popped the truck right over.
6. Good fuel bowl heater element. When these short out they blow a fuse and everything stops. Again, easy to check when changing the fuel filter and easy to replace, if required.

Basically, if you keep up on the maintenance, these trucks will start down to -20. Maybe a little grumpy about it, but it will start.

 

[burnetma]

BTW, I now have a 2008 with the 6.4L Powerstroke. AWESOME truck in every way! I only have 47,000 miles on this truck, but it starts up so quickly and will pull anything I hook to her. I highly recommend the 2008 and newer to anybody towing more than 10,000 lb trailer. I have the Tow Boss package which includes the Tow Command. I will tell you that the Tow Command is worth every penny. The control that the TC gives you makes for real confidence behind the wheel, even in off conditions (wet, snow, gravel, rough wash boards, down hills, stop and go traffic, etc...). Hands down the best tow vehicle I have ever owned, driven or road in. Check one out, if it is in your budget, but I warn you that it may be dangerous.

 

[Harvestmoonpuller]

started my cummins in 0 degree weather without it bein plugged in started right up. 400 bucks in optima batteries help to

 

[4430jd]

I HAVE 2007 f-350 WITH 90K Never been plugged in it is parked in garage at nite, no problems yet, had 2002 F-350 before with 7.3 it had to be plugged in ran better but did not like cold weather.

 

[cphillips]

I have an 04 6.0 with 75,000 miles, not one problem, lifted and sct tuned with no studs