Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Ford Diesel- 7.3 vs. 6.7

Well, I'm starting to contemplate my next work truck and figured I'd ask for opinions.

I've got a 1999 F250 Super Duty 7.3 4x4. Odometer reads 406,000 miles, original motor, turbo, auto trans and rear end. Did injectors last year. Put new springs in it this summer as well as ball joints, track bar and brakes. The new springs/ball joints made it drive like new. It's been a work horse for certain and I could list all the fixes I've done myself.

I've been thinking I'd just buy a brand new F250 in 2020, but the last few weeks I've been seeing a bunch of rust free 7.3's with 130,000 or so miles on them for sub $15,000.

The upside of the 7.3 is that I know almost all of the issues having wrenched on this one a bunch.

I'm not really familiar with the 6.7 and a bit leery of all the emissions crap (DEF etc.).

Is the 6.7 hanging at all with the old mechanical wonder that is the 7.3?

I’ve seen plenty of them for sale with over 300k on the clock. No idea how much may or may not have needed repaired along the way on those.

My dad, uncle, and a family friend have had about 5 between them and haven’t had any issues. They haven’t run any of them over 150k but all but one we’re all stock with the EGR and DEF system intact. I think they’re pretty reliable overall.

I will say, having driven both quite a bit, a 6.7 with the 6sp auto will feel like a top fuel dragster in comparison to the 7.3. They are an amazingly smooth and powerful engine/transmission.

Thanks TheKid.

I've test driven them and the way I drive, didn't feel like I was giving up too much.

I’ve got 151K on my ‘11 6.7L, I put them all on myself. Under warrantee Ford put a radiator and an EGR valve in @ ~80 and ~ 90K. I put new brakes in around 95K.

As far as I’m concerned, @ 150K, it still feels like it pulls as strong as it did the day I bought it. Tranny is still seamless shifts. No slack in the U-joints, rear diff still feels tight. I've got the 3:31 rear gears w/ELD and that works plenty good for me. Heaviest thing I've ever pulled is my 38' travel trailer @ ~10K#. When I bought it, I dropped it onto the 2 5/8" ball sans any sort of stabilizer hitch. Pressed the tow/haul button on the end of the gear-shift. Set the cruise @ 75MPH w/15-25MPH crosswind and sailed along 300Mi trouble-free to the campground where it now sits permanently. There was 1 85Mi stretch where I went straight into that 15-25MPH wind. For that leg I locked out 6th gear. Other than that, in 150K Mi, it's put the shifter in "D" and set the cruise wherever you want, it rarely shifts out of 6th (highest) gear. It's actually more prone to down-shift @ 55-60MPH than it is @ 75-80.

I started drooling when I read that statement!

Buy a cherry 7.3!!! The emissions crap is the downfall of the modern diesel. Check out the Bosch CP4 failures. https://www.forthepeople.com/class-action-lawyers/cp4-pump-failure-lawsuit/

If you find two cherry 7.3’s let me know!

They are out there and that's a fact.

A bunch have the ZF6 and a bunch are 2wd, but there are some unicorn 4x4 auto short beds still to be had.

Actually talked to a gentleman from Oregon here at a Truck Stop down near Oroville, off of I 5...

I does commercial hauling in his... he has a couple of Cherry shape VW Squarebacks on a flatbed trailer, so I was asking about them, as that is what got me thru college was a couple of Squarebacks.....

Asked him about his truck... 2 WD diesel, with the 7.3.... showed me the odometer..
a hair over 900 K on it... said the engine and trans were what come it in new.. the trans had an overhaul at 700K...

that old 7.3 International Motor was a tough & strong motor...

There is a reason those Diesel Fords with the 7.3 bring a premium, even with some miles on them.

I was told Ford used the Navistar 7.3 until 2003. After that things went South. I think the newer ones may be better than the 6.0, but all that DEF stuff is a pain.

A good bud bought a new Dodge one ton diesel. He said the dash lights kept coming on, had to take it to the shop numerous times. One day the dash "lit up light a Christmas tree" and the truck shut down. He had it towed, repaired and traded it on a new Ford one ton gasser. I see old time diesel guys going with gassers more and more.

So, if one is in the market for a diesel P/U, a good used one from back when they were "good" may be an option. It's the way some are going, or just going gas.

DF

True statement.

I read that the 2020 Ford diesel will have over 1000 lb-ft of torque!! 😳😳

1050 is what I read. Still, not a big deal. My 2004 Cummins was putting down 1060 to the wheels, which is probably north of 1250 at the crank. Not hard to do. Mine was with a stock turbo, stock injectors and CP3 pump.

Just a marketing gimmick it seems. My ‘11 is stock @ 800/400 and I can pull anything I can latch on to. Then again, I’m not a gearhead. 😉

Got my 2nd 6.7 in F350 SRW. No issues and plenty of power. Had good results with a couple 7.3s and when I traded the last one it was a pristine condition solid red f250 short bed 4x4 and someone that worked at the Ford place bought it and gave my asking price. Had one 6.4 and nothing good to say about it.