Nice truck, overall... The one advertised for sale here? How many times has it been wrecked, To cause all the changes in Parts? Worth around $2,000., Plus my time and travel for repairs...

I've owned a 1999 Ford Ranger (too small/underpowered) and a 2002 Ford F-150 (SPARK PLUGS) so I decided to go the next logical step, yet this time I wanted something with no spark plugs so I narrowed my choice down to two white crewcab F-250 XLTs, a 2001 and a 2004, with the PowerStroke 7.3 and 6.0 respectively. After a little further research it quickly became obvious that the 7.3 was the vastly superior option, so I went with the 2001 and I'm SOO glad I did! At least once EVERY DAY a stranger will compliment me on my truck, and this is how the conversation goes almost every time: "Nice truck! What year is it?" "Thank you! 2001." "Is it the 7.3?" "Sure is!" I have had two grandpas, three guys my age, a farm girl and surprisingly a soccer mom all correctly identify that I have a 7.3 under the hood, that should tell you just how widespread/positive the reputation of the engine is, and deservedly so! I'm a pretty novice weekend mechanic, and from the maintenance I have done I can tell you that this engine is extremely user friendly and easy to work on... as long as you are diligent with keeping all your fluids clean and at the proper levels (especially oil!) there's a significant chance that the 7.3 will outlive you! Now the mileage is pretty poor, especially if your truck is lifted/has meaty tires on it (which mine does) but that's OK, it's extremely wise to own a tiny car too to have as an alternative (I have a 2001 Ford ZX2 as well) to help save some $$$ when you don't need to haul anything. Is she the strongest gal in the fight? No, not by a long shot. Is she loud as heck? Sure is! But as I mentioned before, as long as you treat her right and don't drive it like a sportscar/idiot, there's a good chance she'll outlive you! Now onto a couple of the things that aren't the greatest but are all pretty insignificant/just personal preference based.. the turning radius is atrocious. The back seat doesn't fold up and the front seats can be difficult to clean under. This next part isn't solely the 7.3 and is more just the Ford design of the era, but every wire plug that is plugged into a harness or connector are held together by these stupid plastic clips that around 60 percent of the time will break before they unclip, and these clips are EVERYWHERE in the engine and the interior design. Fortunately even with the clip broken the plugs still remain plugged in, but it can be infuriating when you are working on something and you can't get something to unplug. Long story short, if you are on the fence about buying this truck, consider me knocking you off that fence right now and into the comfy seat of your F-250, you won't regret it!!

I bought my F250 XLT 7.3 4X4 CC LB new in Sep 2001, 1 week after 9/11. One of the last 2001's built with every option less the Lariat trim (3 kids ice cream and leather seats not a good combination), dealer already had 2002's on the lot. Component date code stickers range from June 17 to July 30 2001. Took this over the 2002 model for the 0% 4 yr financing plus the $6,000 discount off the $43K+ sticker price. Having owned this since new with 8 miles on the odometer and 350K miles later I can state the following: The 7.3 is by far the most dependable, bulletproof engine out there provided you maintain the 3 "F"s: Fluids (Shell T6 since break-in), Filters (Fram Ultra Guard @ 10K mile changes with a FS2500 Bypass filter and fuel filter change @ every other oil change) plus clean water free Fuel. Service wise I've had a HPOP, 1 injector, 4 transmissions and 3 safety recalls performed under warranty (6 yrs 100,000 miles ended Sep 07 ). The 2001 4R100 was notorious for the 2nd gear diode clutch to fail and the factory single disk converter could barely handle the stock power. Adding tuners, upgraded turbos and injectors plus opening up the exhaust could easily add 150HP and 200LBS/FT of torque (400+HP 725+ TQ) which only accelerates the mean time to failure. As a credit to Ford they kept replacing transmissions for a $50 deductible (plus got a free loaner car for 2 days) albeit with stock parts that would fail again. I offered to provide a billet converter with multiple disks but they said if the dealer installed non-factory parts under warranty it would void the warranty in the future. The solution was to rebuild the transmission with billet shafts and increase the number of clutches in the gear packs. This is easily done by any reputable shop. My current trans has over 200K miles and shifts like new. While you're at it, upgrade to the 31 row trans cooler from a 6.0, factory part bolts right in with hose adapters. Another issue is over time the front steering play will loosen up and develop a tremendous amount of lateral play (slop). I installed a Red Head steering box which now has ZERO play. Not sure if this applies to gas trucks but the 7.3, 4R100 and transfer case weigh as much as some cars and almost all of it is resting over the front axle to free up payload capacity for the bed area. That is a lot of stress for those components and since diesel engines lack a vacuum source, they rely on the same power steering pump to drive the power brakes. If you are looking at buying a 7.3 here's is what to watch out for: Make sure all the service bulletins have been complied with. A VIN check through the dealer will pull up the service history. Warm up the engine, unscrew the oil fill cap and check blow by. Do the same with a flat sheet of paper and hold it 3-4" from the exhaust pipe and check for a pulsating exhaust plume. This can be the marker for a dead cylinder. Make sure you determine if the transmission had the 2nd gear diode replaced on 2001 models. On 4 wheel drive models with ESOF (Electronic Shift On the Fly) check the VACUUM system for normal operation as this can be $$$ to repair. Early 7.3 models also have a problem with the engine skipping when hitting a bump or pothole in the road. This is an easy fix caused by a loose connection on the driver side valve cover that connects to the electrically fired injectors. The newer valve cover gaskets corrected this. Check the turbo up pipes for leaks which reduce turbine speed and result in less power. The 7.3 is 100% dependent on positive intake pressure (boost) to make its rated power. At the stock setting of 525 lbs/ft @ 1600 rpm, this will easily pull a 28' 6,000lb trailer and gear over the Eisenhower Summit (11,300') on I70 at 65mph uphill in July. Finally, be advised the 7.3 was discontinued in 2003 due to new EPA emissions regulations. In simple terms the 7.3 is a dirty engine and with the exception of a small PCV hose, completely lacks any emissions devices whatsoever. This is WHY they can go 1 million miles between overhauls if taken care of. The great thing is: THE 7.3 ENGINE IS MAINTENANCE FRIENDLY AND CAN BE MAINTAINED WITHOUT SPECIALIZED COMPUTER SOFTWARE OR TECHNICAL DATA WHICH IN MANY CASES IS NO LONGER LICENSED BUT LEASED MAKING REPAIRS ON NEWER SMOG EQUIPPED TRUCKS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUT AN EXPEN$IVE $UB$CRIPTION. If you're like me and enjoy working on you vehicle, these are hard to beat and parts are readily available.