94bronco Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Since no other parts of the forum seem to get any attention I will ask this in here, I plan on buying an 02 or 03 Superduty with the 7.3 powerstroke within 6 months and was wondering what to look for as far as problem areas on one with around 100k? Thanks I was going to go look at this one but it fucking sold for 13k http://www.foreignmotorcars.com/shared/pho...sList&pid=1 But basically I am hoping to buy one in very good condition that does not appear to be worked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedc3 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 oil pan cracks, and leaks. If they go low on oil they run bad. Ball joints!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedc3 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 oil pan cracks, and leaks. If they go low on oil they run bad. Ball joints!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 oil pan cracks, and leaks. If they go low on oil they run bad.Ball joints!!! I knew about the ball joint problems on SD's, Is it an inherent design problem or will greaseable ones last for a good while? Did not know that the 7.3's were known for oil pan problems either but thanks for that info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainp4 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 ball joints and the unit bearings on the front end - make sure they are replaced before buying if you're working on a deal they are $$$ to replace. brakes on these trucks don't last very long without warping either so if it's vibrating like hell when you step on the brakes it's pretty common, but new brakes never hurt a deal either. as far as the 7.3... they're pretty bullet proof, the only problems they have really is the cam sensor that will go out occasionally but they're cheap and easy to replace. umm.. pinion seals on the sterling 10.5 rear axle are sometimes a problem. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Yea i have seen that front end parts for the Superduty are pretty exspensive, So I guess I will just have to make sure the oil pan is in good condition, check the rear end for leaks, and see if the CPS recall has been done which is not a big deal if it has not. I just hope I can get as reliable of service out of one of these as I have out of my Bronco which has taken little to no repairs over the 70k that I have been driving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White99GT Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 (edited) Common 7.3 issues Turbo Pedestal leak at the EBPV. Signs are an oily mess on top of the trans and what appears to be a rear main seal leak (it isn't). HPOP leak. Signs, engine valley covered in an oily mess. If the turbo pedestal is leaking, figure on spending ~$500 on a reman'd pedestal, unless you have the pedestal that can be rebuilt. The rebuild kit is $130. Common SD issues Already mentioned ball joints front sway bar end-links on 4x4s All in all, 7.3 SDs are some of the best rigs ever built. Make sure the trans fluid isn't burned, a mistreated and unmaintained 4R100 isn't likely long for this world. A well maintained 4R100 that hasn't been overheated will last a long time. The problem is some of these trucks have lived a VERY hard life and poorly maintained life. Edited January 27, 2009 by White99GT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Greene Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I did some part time work for a Mustang restorer in the Orlando area. Their vehicle for picking up and delivering cars is a late 90's F 350 with 7.3. It has 438,000 on engine and transmission, with no major parts replaced other than some of things mentioned above. Just a lot of regular mainenance...both engine oil and trans fluid. The trans fluid got changed wvery 15-20,000 miles. It went all over US usually pulling an enclosed trailer. It won't go much over 60 pulling trailer, but runs forever. It was just recently replaced with newer model. They can be very reliable with long life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Thanks for that info so I guess I will have to check the engine valley and on top of the tranny for oil leaks too, I will only be putting maybe 10k miles a year on the truck so I am not too concerned about the long term reliability which seems to be good from them and I am actually only dead seat on a diesel because I don't want to get stuck with a Triton which I don't really care for. Also I had another question regarding buying one that is already chipped as some of the ones I have seen, Is it a good idea to avoid one that has had one installed or are they of no harm as long as they are used properly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
351cid Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Thanks for that info so I guess I will have to check the engine valley and on top of the tranny for oil leaks too, I will only be putting maybe 10k miles a year on the truck so I am not too concerned about the long term reliability which seems to be good from them and I am actually only dead seat on a diesel because I don't want to get stuck with a Triton which I don't really care for. Also I had another question regarding buying one that is already chipped as some of the ones I have seen, Is it a good idea to avoid one that has had one installed or are they of no harm as long as they are used properly? My V-10 will keep up with my buddy's 7.3L in every area except mine is cheaper to maintain. A V-10 with 4.30 gears will pull just as well as a 7.3L with 3.73 gears. And no...I've never blown a plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 My V-10 will keep up with my buddy's 7.3L in every area except mine is cheaper to maintain. A V-10 with 4.30 gears will pull just as well as a 7.3L with 3.73 gears. And no...I've never blown a plug. I don't really want to take the chance of blowing out a spark plug which I know can happen with 2V Tritons, I also don't feel like replacing the exhaust manifolds when the studs decide to rot off like they all do on Tritons up here. I would consider a 2005 with a Triton if priced right but I have noticed I can get a 03 7.3 for about the same price as an 05 with a 5.4 and I would much rather have the diesel, I have also noticed that the 6.0 pieces of crap are cheaper than 7.3's while being newer and lower mialege. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT90SC Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 DON"T get a 5.4. Not enough power in a SD and actually will get poorer mileage than the v-10, for most applications. I strongly suggest a gasser though if you are going to do less than 10k a year. Diesels HATE short trips and setting. Don't forget that there are a lot less fuel problems with gas. The current state of diesel fuel is poor at best. Lots of parafin, lots of crap in the fuel, which leads to gelling and plugging of filters. A diesel takes 15 quarts of oil and a pricier filter, as opposed to a gas's 6 or 7. The aforementioned fuel filters MUST be changed every 15k miles. It takes 2 good batteries to start a diesel in the cold and their life is pretty short. Because of the demands on the electrical system, alternators fail pretty regularly. When it's -10 degrees, a gasser will start, BTW. I could go on and on... But if you're dead set on a diesel, in addition to oil leaks already said, check the up pipes to the turbo. They like to leak. (sooty appearance around the upper connections) MAke sure that the exhaust manifolds are not leaking (soot around runners). Since the oil fires the injectors in the 7.3, the oil MUST be changed regularly with good quality oil. If this has not been done, it can lead to injector oil control issues and hard starting, low power and a myriad of other problems. Be sure that the glow plug relay terminals look clean and fresh, not burnt. IF green coolant is used, it MUST have addative added to it per the owner' s manual, the coolant needs to be changed regularly as well, as cavitaton can lead to errosion of the cylinder walls. BE sure that the water pump is not leaking or has any green on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 My V-10 will keep up with my buddy's 7.3L in every area except mine is cheaper to maintain. A V-10 with 4.30 gears will pull just as well as a 7.3L with 3.73 gears. And no...I've never blown a plug. Actually after doing some reading a 2004 V10 may be on my list, It appears as if midway through 03 Ford did change to 8 threads for the plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 If you live where there's winter cold, and you drive only 10K a year, you might want a diesel, but IMHO, you need a V-10 with synthetic lube. My 2¢. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94bronco Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 I will have to give myself a few months to think about it as I still have to sell my car anyway but I will probably just buy whatever I can find in excellent shape and at a good price regardless of V10 or 7.3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewq4b Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The steering gear (power steering box) will more than likly be shot in what ever SD you buy. This is the single weakest part in the 99-2004 SD's-2005 Excursions. The steering gear is way undersized for the applications and the sector shaft bushings wear out rather rapidly. If the out put of the bottom of the sector shaft is damp at all the box is toast and it will need replacing. Red Head Steering Gears in Washington remans theses boxes and replaces all the bushings in them with roller bearings and this solves the problem once an for all. Power steering pumps are also a weak point if the steering gear is shot replace the pump at the same time. If the truck has been lifted or has wider than stock tires on it then the you can be 95% sure the steering gear is done for. If the truck has been lifted and has drop pitman arm on it. Replace the steering gear just for safety reasons. The trucks with drop pitman arms on them have been known to shear off the Sector shaft. Which is not a good thing as this results in a total loss of all steering control. Rear axle Pinion seal leaks are common as well. So check for a damp pinion. Rear axle seal leaks are common as well do check for those. The SD's can be hard on rotors if you use the Ford rotors they are crap. Go to a good quality after market piece and you should have no issues. The 2004 and up 2V Triton engines have revised heads with twice as many threads for the plugs. Those engines do not pop plugs. And I believe the issue is not a design problem but the torque specs, Ford recommends a ridiculously low 11Ft lbs on the plugs. The plugs are not torqued tight enough and they are backing out. Even the older 5 thread plug heads have been torque tested to 100Ft Lbs with out pulling out the threads. Torque the plugs to 18-20Ft lbs and you will never ever pop a plug. I have a 92 GM with the 4.6 and over 600K miles I have torqued the plugs to 20 Ft lbs since I got it and it has had more plug changes than I can count. Since I have never ever used platinums in it. If your buying a 4x4 the ESVO (Electronic Shift Vacuum Operated) system can be trouble prone and very costly to repair. If you are buying a 4x4 SD with this system demand that the system is checked and that both the left and right assembles are verified independently for vacuum integrity. They should be able to hold a vacuum for 15 mins with no loss with the tire in a static or dynamic state. If it does not do this there is a better than average chance that the wheel hub bearing on that side is toast as well. If you do get a truck that the system is shot on and do not care if you have to lock the hubs manually or not then be sure to disconnect the PVR (pulse vacuum relay) under hood. Or you will possibly suck crap in to the wheel bearing and destroy it in short order if you engage the system while in deep mud or water. Also if your going to be using the the 4x4 for an extended period of time it is a good idea to unplug the PVR and lock the hubs manually. This will prevent a vacuum form being pulling in the hub and will lengthen the life of the parts in the ESVO system. The ESVO system is not really designed for extend use and was built more for being engaged getting unstuck then being disengaged. The V10's like synthetic and tend to consume conventional oils. So if you get a V10 be sure to use synthetic in it. The power Door locks in these vehicles are notorious for failing especially prior to 2004. The Door lock actuators have a built in over load protector it is little more than bimetallic strip. This strip weakens with age and the door lock stops functioning. you can fix this yourself in about 20 mins by removing the actuator disassembling it and by-passing it. It is there in case some yutz rests their arm or what not on the door lock button engaging the actuators, and it prevents the actuators from over heating. In 2005 for the SD's most of these issues were resolved and bunch of new ones were added. If you do not want an 05 and are going to buy a V10 then I would recommend an 04 they were the best of that generation of the gas powered SD's If your set on the 7.3 they were put in them till mid year 2003. Find the newest 7.3L you can afford. The 5.4L is ok for the short box regular cabs 2x4 and 4x4 and the Super Cab shortbox 2x4's any thing else really needs the Diesel or the V10. There are some easy mods to waken up the V10 as well that will not hurt the wallet either. The V10 stock Y pipe is a joke and is not good for anything and is really really restrictive. Even one cobbled up at Midas muffler will good for 10-15 ponies and a couple MPG. This mod will not trigger a trouble code either. The Air filter housing is excessively restrictive (like every other Ford ever made) and it can replaced with and After market bit from AFE, K&N or MAC Mac make the best unit by far for the V10, or even 10 mins with a hack saw will yield some more ponies and a MPG or so on the hyway. As mentioned before ball joints are an issue and be sure to have them checked. It is big bucks and big job to replace them. Check the rest of the steering bits as well. If one rod end is shot I.E pitman arm rod end replace the rod end on the other end of the link. When one side goes the other is right behind it. AC Delco suspension parts are OEM bits just way cheaper than the Ford boxed ones. The Ford limited slip (traction lock) is about the weakest on the market so unless th truck was babied chances are 9 to 10 it is toast. For most this is of no concern unless your going to be doing lots of off roading. That is about all I can think of right now if any thing else come to mind I will let you know. Matthew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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