Powerstrokes

zstroken

zstroken

For $$$ your name here
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Sep 27, 2006
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Been looking at excursions lately, and focusing on the 7.3. Finding several with under 200K on them(130K-170K primarily) anything I should look for on these.

Looked at one the other day and it was warm, pulled the oil fill cap and saw some haze coming out, I mean it didn't blow the cap out by any means.


Any way, what things should I look for on these. Drove the one with the workhorse chip(had a service engine code) had alot of injector noise/rattle under acceleration. Drove another with the full banks treatment, turbo, trans controller. Seemed nice.

Just looking for some insight on these.

thanks!
 
Loved my 7.3 when i had it. Mine had a little haze also but never gave me any issues besides the fact i could not keep a trans in it.
 
Forrest Nearing said:
skip the 7.3 and get a 6.0
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Why do you say that? I do know some folks who have had decent luck with the 6.0. Just not in the mood to do cooler/egr stuff on the 6.0 to make it reliable. Besides the 6.0's seem to be hard to come buy as well.


What should I look for on the 6.0?
 
Get the 7.3. We have an 01 with 116,000 on it. Runs like a top and actually gets very good milage. Pulled a hair over 20 with 6 people and a weeks worth of luggage for everybody running 70mph through the mountains. I've heard alot of people say that the 6.0's dont get the best milage. Just look it over as if its a truck. We havent had the first lick of trouble out of ours yet and they command top price around here. Make sure you check the bottoms of the door and the rocker panels for rust though. I looked at an 04 with a 6.0, only had a little over 100,000 miles on it and it was very rusty already.
 
zstroken said:
Why do you say that? I do know some folks who have had decent luck with the 6.0. Just not in the mood to do cooler/egr stuff on the 6.0 to make it reliable. Besides the 6.0's seem to be hard to come buy as well.


What should I look for on the 6.0?
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They're pretty plentiful down here. The 6.0/5r combo is just so much more powerful/drivable IMO.

You don't want to mess with the cooler stuff, I get it, but do you want to build a transmission? You pick your poison with any diesel. 7.3's are venerable and all, but they have enough issues of their own to the point that I'd much rather deal with the 6.0 issues for what you end up with after said issues are addressed
 
Forrest Nearing said:
They're pretty plentiful down here. The 6.0/5r combo is just so much more powerful/drivable IMO.

You don't want to mess with the cooler stuff, I get it, but do you want to build a transmission? You pick your poison with any diesel. 7.3's are venerable and all, but they have enough issues of their own to the point that I'd much rather deal with the 6.0 issues for what you end up with after said issues are addressed
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I was thinking the 4r100 was a pretty decent transmission, is that not the case?
 
ACFarmer said:
Get the 7.3. We have an 01 with 116,000 on it. Runs like a top and actually gets very good milage. Pulled a hair over 20 with 6 people and a weeks worth of luggage for everybody running 70mph through the mountains. I've heard alot of people say that the 6.0's dont get the best milage. Just look it over as if its a truck. We havent had the first lick of trouble out of ours yet and they command top price around here. Make sure you check the bottoms of the door and the rocker panels for rust though. I looked at an 04 with a 6.0, only had a little over 100,000 miles on it and it was very rusty already.
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Yes the doors seem to be the biggest issues, went and looked at one, pictures looked great, but the running boards were discolored(rust colored) pretty much pointed me right to the door seams. Looked at them and they were shot. Truck looked great from the outside, but you look at the doors you could see the outer skins were wavy, from the rust.
 
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Forrest Nearing said:
they can be built very strong
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How are they stock? I found one with the Banks trans commander, which seems that its biggest improvement is increased line pressure.

This will by no means be turned up much.

I might tow 10K 2 or 3 times a year. Basically haul me about 20 miles round trip to work, and then be able to haul lots of folks around from time to time, and possibly used on a vacation here and there.
 
4r's are good transmissions even stock. With an upgraded vb an tc they'll hold 400hp, anything more than that an your gonna wanna build it
 
DaveyB said:
4r's are good transmissions even stock. With an upgraded vb an tc they'll hold 400hp, anything more than that an your gonna wanna build it
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Probably get something like maybe a 50HP chip or something, just something to improve the mileage a little.
 
And if you get the one with the Banks stuff on it and then get a chip. Remove the Banks trans command.
 
Purchased a 01 excursion all stock.
The stock air box was pulling in dirt dusting the motor. If it wasn’t for the re-circulated crank case it i assume the engine would of been dusted at the current milage.

Currently at 207K with custom 5" exhaust/intake, dp chip, rerouted crank case breather and after a 14K tow, the blow-by is no longer a joke. Currently building a built 5.9 CR to swap out the 7.3

Love the rig tho.. I would stay away from the 6.0.
 
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Also, per your other thread. I've gotten 18mpg the way its build said above not towing. Towing 13mpg
If you got any specific questions im sure i could get a solid answer, mechanic to mechanic.
 
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