Hey guys,

I am new to this site...and so far it seems very informative.

I'm looking at an '02 Ford F-250 7.3L Powerstroke and had a couple of questions:

What should I look at for gas mileage?
How many miles should I expect to get out of this motor (life span)? 144,000 so far : /
What kind of things should I be looking at with this many miles on her?

Any if you guys have any pros or cons for me, let them rip.

Thanks in advance

John

 

Welcome to the site John...

Good clean truck?, well maintained and any documented/service records included? 4x4, Crew Cab, Super Cab, Auto or Manual transect? ESOF or manual 4x4 if equipped.. Were/are there any mods done to the truck that may give a life history as to how the truck has been used to date? Tow vehicle? Original owner purchase? Any other info. available?

The7.3 was and isa very solid platform, more so on the later builds.. At that mileage there should be 'plenty' of engine service life remaining and should be able to double the mileage on the clock(or more) as long as it's been servicedat the required intervals or better, and well cared for, especially the trans if an automatic.. Service intervals for the trans are 30K, and 15K for severe service/duty.. The later build 4R100 was a very 'adequate' trans, but if not serviced at the regular intervals could easily suffer premature failures, more so if used for heavy towing/hauling ect. or abused..

Mileage to start, will be a bit dependent on how the truck is optioned.. Since the introduction of ULSD it seems that mileage numbers have dropped industry wide for most diesel's (IMO).. And mileage's will vary greatly depending on how you use the truck and throttle,, commuter, highway (or % combination of),towing/hauling, 4x4and so on.. With average driving/operating conditions, you should see the higher teens, to maybe 14ish around town for most.. Possibly higher out on the open highway if conditions/speed are favorable for a large brick moving through the wind weighing upwards of 7500lbs+

Depending on options/equipment might bring more info/questions to mind, but I'd have NO PROBLEM buying a 02 7.3... Having someone look at it may not be a bad idea if your unsure, more so if no records to backup the mileage, but at 144K (unless used hard) and if run with good clean fuel, chances are it wouldn't have any large issues, and should be oil tight.. If used for heavy towing,, the S/D liked brake replacements.. Other than the regular mileage/calender service parts changes that should/may have been done, like brakes, batteries, belts/hoses, tires and so on, a hard to beat performer! even at 144K....

 

John,

I have a 2001 SuperDuty Powerstroke. Mine gets 19-20 MPG on the highway at 65 MPH, and around 15 in the city. With my 34' foot 12,000 lb. 5th-wheel, it only averages about 10-11 MPG, also at 65 MPH. Hayapower is correct about the low sulfur fuel we have to use now. My mileage was about 1-1/2 MPG better, city and highway prior to that switchover. And it was better when I livedin the higher altitude (Longmont, CO), for some reason. Key to longevity is regular maintenence, particularly with the engine and trans fluids. Might want to check the brakes, and look for service records. I expect to get at least 300,000 of use from my engine and trans.