About to Get a 7.3

[Meteshjj]

I agree with the above. If your looking to make big power even 250hp, id' be looking for a different setup. These are work trucks, not hot rods and the amount of work need to make that kind of power is hard to justify, "IMHO". They are perfect for my needs, but thats just me.

So what I'm hearing is, "Don't expect much power unless you swap in a better engine." Fair enough. I was mostly dreaming when it comes to big power in a Ford. THe reason I don't get another Cummins is that I can't find one for under $6k around here... Everyone wants a Cummins. Oh, well.

I guess the next best avenue is mileage. How can I make this thing the cheapest diesel truck I can? With the Cummins, I would just lay off the pedal, and I got around 30 MPG. In this thing, I'm thinking around 20 MPG. Is this at all possible?

 

[79jasper]

Hahahahaha 30?!?!? Downhill with the engine off? Lol

Look up Mel's moose trucks, and take a look in the biodiesel/alternative fuels section for cheap fuel.
20 is fairly doable, just don't be surprised if you don't get near that.

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[Meteshjj]

As long as it can get better than my old Charger, I can feel good about it.

The Cummins was an interesting beast. First gen, 5-speed, stock pump, custom fuel pin straight-piped, methanol injection. If you slowly put your foot down, it never needed anything over 1500 RPM to get moving, even uphill. The pin was cut by me to make sure that it remained virtually stock until you put the hammer down. No smoke, no guzzling, just easy driving. If you put the pedal down, it would burn all four tires on dry pavement. If I had the money back then, I would have fixed the cracked frame, twin turbo'd it, and put in limited slip 4.11's. I traded it for a 1974 Dodge Charger instead.

 

[79jasper]

I'm sure you'll get better than the charger.
Most like a overdrive unit for highway mileage.

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[Meteshjj]

Okay, so obviously, I'm going to go for mileage instead of power here. That's kind of what I was thinking... Thought I was hoping for power, I shouldn't expect too much out of a diesel this old.

My next question is: How do I find the difference between the 250 and 250 HD? I have the VIN, but I can't find a decoder that has any idea of which one I'm looking at. Do Fords have a vendor tag like Dodge's do? If so, what am I looking for? Also, what is the difference between the HD and the standard? I've looked around, and I can't seem to find anyone with a clear answer. What I've gathered so far is that the HD has a full float axle... That doesn't matter to me that much.

Since I'm going for fuel mileage rather than power, how can I tell what gearing I've got? I'll probably never haul a trailer, so the only weight needs I'll have will be what I can fit in the bed before I flatten the springs.

 

[79jasper]

Look for the tag on the diff cover. Or use the axle code in the door jamb.


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[ToughOldFord]

A lot of dissing the IDI here....hmmm....

There's plenty of power in an IDI when they are in tune. It'll pull whatever you throw at it, even loads a pickup wasn't designed to pull. Will it pull a 40ft trailer in the mountains at 85 mph? No, but you shouldn't be doing that anyway, those are the guys that end up in the ditch or the ravine.

If want speed and horsepower buy a Corvette. You want a strong, economical truck get an IDI.