Powerstroke observations and questions

[tylermckee]

i have an 00 f350 crew cab long bed, stock except for banks exhaust, exhaust brake, banks trans command, and a couple other smaller things that dont improve performance. I Hit ~20PSI and have plenty of power, along with nearly 20 mpg with all highway, cruise set at 65-75.:beatsme maybe im lucky

 

[thejdman04]

what about the fuel filter

 

[Duke]

It's human nature to suspect complex problems when your vehicle is not running like it should, but 9 times out of 10 it's a simple filter, clamp or adjustment.

I had a guy come over my place with a bad running powerstroke. This genius replaced most of the sensors, drained & cleaned his tank, probably spent $500-$1,000 and many hours of time and here all he had was a contaminated fuel filter. :Banghead

 

[P Backus]

But it's Murphy's law that my problems can never be simple ones!

In the past it has seemed like others have the simple ones, and I always get the obscure ones.

Your suggestion is a good one though (both Duke and jdman04), and I will change out the filter, just to eliminate that as a possibility. I sure doesn't seem like a filter though. I have had filters get blocked up on lots of different engines, and they will starve for fuel when the power demand is higher. This thing has been the same for 8000 miles. It always pulls consistently, but slowly.

Thanks! I will pick up a filter the next time I'm in town. I'll try to post back and let all know if that took care of it or whatever it turns out to be. I'm sure that the clutch isn't slipping though.

Paul

 

[Captain Morgan]

It is in the ecm more than likely.........

I have owned several of the 7.3 PowerChoke Diesels, Usually a flash of the ecm by a trained professional will fix the problem. You will need to make sure that you have heeded most of the advise above pertaining to servicing the unit. Any more questions email me pipelinemechanic@yahoo.com

 

[Ford LT-9000]

A familly friends 97 F-350 P/U with PSD power had to have the computeer replaced because the old one was making the injectors fire on the wrong firing order. It was at the local repair shop and the mechanic is a PSD fan he couldn't figure out what was causing it to start so hard. The starter was changed the batteries were changed. It sounded like the engine was coming up hard. It was the first PSD I ever heard of having that problem.

I remember back in 94 when the PSD was first born everybody thought it was a voodoo engine it was new technology. When people were used to the basic tried and true mechanical 7.3 IDI and its predesesor 6.9.

One of my brothers friend was one of the first ones in the area to order a 94 Ford with the DI (PSD) engine.

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF Captain Morgan! :drinkup

 

[P Backus]

The compuker in my '96 failed once- it ran on the right bank of the engine, with the left bank just going along for the ride. Needless to say, it was a slow ride home!

I do believe I would still prefer a mechanical engine with a turbo to any of the computer controlled stuff that emissions has dictated that we have to have.

A flash of the ECM, eh? Don't know anything about it. I will do the above mentioned service first as soon as I get a moment. 18 hour days lately.
Thanks,
Paul

 

[Mack]

Our 1999 Ford F350 with the 7.3L Power Stroke and 315,000mi will out pull our 2006 F250 with the 6.0 Power Stroke and it only has 52,000mi so it could be the 2000 and newer trucks just have a differnt/weaker moter.

 

[CascadeScaper]

My dad has a '99 F350 PSD that is a hoss. We have a farm and can legally tow 20K+ behind the truck running our fruit into town a couple days a year. Truck handles this amount of weight no problem, I love PSD's. We had an '01 F450 that wasn't short of awesome either, didn't have it very long but I had 15K behind it a few times pulling some interesting hills without too much trouble.

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF Mack! :drinkup

 

[Mack]

Welcome to HEF Mack! :drinkup

Thank you Countryboy looks like you all have a nice place here.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Thanks for the warm welcome.....

All I can say about the PowerChoke is that it gets me to work daily and every couple of months it moves my travel trailer, the combo is around 40,000lbs! (look at the avatar pic). If you dont have any luck with the truck let me know. Thanks again countryboy! My brother lives in Long Co. GA.

 

[tuney443]

I'm presently on my third Dmax--the LBZ version in my '06 3500SRW.I can't be more positive with any of them,especially this one.Unbelievable power,reliability,quiet--the new Allison 6 speed lets me be only at 2K RPM's at 80.I dislike Fords tremendously,will have to say though,those older 7.3's were good,the 6.0's have more than their share of problems and these new 6.4's are shooting huge flames out the exhaust.I can get a flame-thrower from the hardware store for about $50--don't need to spend $40,000+.

 

[Duke]

I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I like my GMC. I had an F-450 crewcab 4x4 6.4L utility practically ordered then I got cold feet on the 6.4L. been a Ford man all my life. Decided on a GMC3500. It's a lighter-duty truck, but not in the driveline. The GM Allison trans is a monster. I can manually shift it to hold any gear I want, use tow-haul or use the normal shift setting. GM fianlly put in the 6th gear and gave it a warranty commensurate with this sweet of a transmission. The 11.5" REAL locking rear ain't too shabby, either.

I think Ford had GM beat in light trucks until the Allison/DMAX/11.5" locker came about. Now GM has it over Ford. I still have a '99 7.3L that won't quit, but the trans leaves a LOT to be desired.

 

[tuney443]

Let's not forget the grade brake feature we have also.Like you said,Ford has a lot of catching up to do.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

GMC is in trouble they sold Allison transmissions so I doubt you will see them in Chevy/GMC trucks.

All the "North American" auto manufacturers are in trouble they can't compete with the overseas brands.

 

[Mack]

Going to look at a 2001 Ford F350 with the 7.3 maybe it will be ok.

 

[Orchard Ex]

GMC is in trouble they sold Allison transmissions so I doubt you will see them in Chevy/GMC trucks.

All the "North American" auto manufacturers are in trouble they can't compete with the overseas brands.

They only sold the heavy duty truck transmission line. They kept the light duty line for the pickups.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Thats good then because that is a selling feature for GM. From what I have heard alot of people like the 6spd automatic. The guy I work with his son bought a 3500 Chev with a 9 foot deck. The truck is overloaded its used to haul fish etc. The guy I work with and his son are both Chevy men they won't buy anything but GM vehicals. They said that transmission brake (retarder) works good the truck is grossing 14,000lbs or more with the load on the deck.

One day we had a 2003 F-450 no not mine but another fish hauler the cab size on the Ford is significantly larger. Both regular cab trucks but the cab on the Chevy is still like a old style truck. I can see why Fords tare weight is heavier.

Would I buy I Chevy thats hard to say I have driven enough of them when I worked for the highways dept. Those trucks were used and abused

The Chevy dealer in my area doesn't want anything to do with cab and chassis trucks. You bring a 4500 to them they say no we can't work on it.

When Chevy went to that rotten A arm suspension on their 4x4 3/4 tons and 1 tons that killed their use in the resource industry. Chevy 4x4s with the A arm suspension is too low to the ground it doesn't last as long. They could have gone with a live axle and coil springs like Dodge. Chevy used to sell as many 4x4 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks as Ford for work trucks in the Forestry and Mining. The older Chevys had a little tougher driveline because they used the 205 transfercase and the 4 and 5spd tranmissions were cast iron.

The old Suburbans make good bush ambulances because they have the room inside.

One of the forestry contractors was in a bind he didn't have another truck to put in the bush so he put his new Chevy duramax in the bush. After it came back out after a week of being 40 miles up the inlet the poor truck looked like it went through a battle. With the Chevs having litterally no ground clearance the front bumper took a beating the back bumper and parts of the body.

Anyhow enough rambling if you want a good offroad truck you buy a Ford or a Dodge you want a pavement queen 4x4 you buy a Chevy :roll