Homeless in Canada
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- Dec 23, 2018
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I had an F450 with the 7.3 powerstroke they're not that hard to work on especially in a pickup. Vans is another story some shops will lift the entire van off the frame to get to the engine for major work.
To learn more about this engine go to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts site there are lots of 7.3 owners who will help you and sticky threads on common repairs and stuff you need to know.
Forget glow plugs. If you switch to synthetic oil you'll never need the glow plugs. If you prefer running regular oil and can't start the truck on a cold morning just put your propane stove under the oil pan. When temps drop to -30 and diesel trucks don't start that's what we do. If you're tempted to try and change the glow plugs don't. What happens is they swell up and are difficult to remove, and if the tip breaks off inside the engine you're screwed. A hard cold start could also be the glow plug relay. A common fix was to replace the ford relay with a more robust relay from Stancor.
One common problem is the oil pans rust and leak and it sits over the front axle like a saddle so to replace you have to lift the engine several inches. Huge pita. If you notice it starting to rust put some POR on it.
Change the fuel filters at every service cycle.
Common failure is the cam position sensor. Most guys carry a spare. Easy way to tell is the tach needle isn't moving when you crank the engine.
Leaky turbo pipes. IIRC this was an expensive part but these engines were also used in some farm equipment and the identical part was much cheaper if you went to the tractor parts counter. Check around if this happens to you.
Leaking o rings in the high pressure oil pump. This is what fires the fuel injectors and symptoms are hard hot starts and rough idling. Also check often for leaks.
To learn more about this engine go to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts site there are lots of 7.3 owners who will help you and sticky threads on common repairs and stuff you need to know.
Forget glow plugs. If you switch to synthetic oil you'll never need the glow plugs. If you prefer running regular oil and can't start the truck on a cold morning just put your propane stove under the oil pan. When temps drop to -30 and diesel trucks don't start that's what we do. If you're tempted to try and change the glow plugs don't. What happens is they swell up and are difficult to remove, and if the tip breaks off inside the engine you're screwed. A hard cold start could also be the glow plug relay. A common fix was to replace the ford relay with a more robust relay from Stancor.
One common problem is the oil pans rust and leak and it sits over the front axle like a saddle so to replace you have to lift the engine several inches. Huge pita. If you notice it starting to rust put some POR on it.
Change the fuel filters at every service cycle.
Common failure is the cam position sensor. Most guys carry a spare. Easy way to tell is the tach needle isn't moving when you crank the engine.
Leaky turbo pipes. IIRC this was an expensive part but these engines were also used in some farm equipment and the identical part was much cheaper if you went to the tractor parts counter. Check around if this happens to you.
Leaking o rings in the high pressure oil pump. This is what fires the fuel injectors and symptoms are hard hot starts and rough idling. Also check often for leaks.
