hey guys isam looking at a 88 ford 7.3 diesel non turbo with 150 000 miles on it 4 speed stick just curious of all the commen problems with theses? i have a lawn orniment nw a 6.5 diesle that has went to heven on me an had every problem in the world dont want to go thru that again all the help would be appreciated thanks

 

mine was a 85 6.9 but same idea. in the time i drove mine until i took it off the road for some work i had 2 problems with it. the ignition actuator broke which wasn't a big deal. just took some time. the other was a head gasket. they're high compression engines more prone to blown head gaskets i guess

 

the main issues with it and these are only for the 7.3 diesels, are fuel filter head leaks, cavitation if the previous owner hasnt kept up on the SCA/DCA additives in the coolant.

also the 4 speed is not stock for that truck. 86 was last year for the 4 speed. after that it should be a ZF5 speed. so depending on what trans it is there could be issues.

 

oh nice catch on the 4 speed. it has a smaller input shaft

 

hmmm whats the cavation with the coolant that couse the head gaskets to go out alot

 

cavitation is basically rust. caused by deterioration of coolant causing it to become acidic.

 

I had an 88' Ford with the 7.3 & 5 speed. The only problem I had was every 6 months or so I had to replace the starter because of the higher than normal compression. Other than that it was flawless, when I sold it, it had over 600,000 miles & It is still running with over 700,000 mile presently. It was absolutely The best truck I ever & wish I could have her back.

 

need to get the misubishi gear reduction starter. so much better.


cavitation, otherwise called block worm, is when the coolant "bores" a hole threw the cylinder wall into the combustion chamber. find out if the coolant has been replaced at the correct intervals and if they used the correct coolant. DO NOT USE EXTENED LIFE COOLANT!! only low silicate green coolant. with the proper dca/sca additives put in if the coolant doesnt have it.

 

so is it not basically rust? that is how my shop teacher explained it to me. coolant "pulsing" against the walls and taking the wall with it

 

copied from oilburners.net

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There are many explanations of what Caviation is, and how deadly it is to the IDI on the web, but none as good as what Eric (Yaric008) has come up with now. Mike (95_Stroker) originally posted the information in the paragraph below, which you can read quickly to see if your interested in finding out more. In Eric's informative article, his explaination goes far beyond the simple fact that you need to add Supplimental Coolant Additives to your rig. In Expose' style, Eric has documented proof, photographic evidence, and a VIDEO that shows you just how deadly this diesel malidy can be. Quite possibly the best article on the web on any subject, and the result of MUCH hard work, I strongly urge everyone to point to this article for reference and acknowledge it for the masterpiece it is.

Click Here for Eric's definitive cavatation article.

http://www.oilburners.net/articles/cavitationartic.html


From Mike, an article written with the PSD owner in mind:

Cavitation. What is it? How do I stop it?

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The following was taken from the 1999 Ford Diesel Engine Performance Training Guide regarding
cavitation Corrosion:

Cavitation is a localized low-pressure zone. This low pressure zone is caused by vibration of the cylinder wall due to the high cylinder pressure in a diesel engine. The cylinder walls vibrate due to irregular and sharp pressure increases during ignition. This fast cylinder wall movement causes a low-pressure zone to be created at the cylinder wall. When this pressure zone drops below the vapor pressure point (temperature, coolant ratio, and additive dependant) a vapor bubble is formed. When this low-pressure zone returns to a high-pressure zone, the vapor bubble collapses, causing an implosion, or pitting phenomena on the cylinder wall (like hitting the surface with a microscopic ball-peen hammer). If left unchecked, it will eventually eat all the way through the cylinder wall.

Diesel engines that have excessive turbocharger boost or severe duty use usually incur higher cylinder pressures and are more susceptible to cavitation concerns. Vehicles that incur short drive cycles (the vehicle is driven without time to warm up) can also be prone to cavitation concerns.

In short, cavitation is the Cancer of the Diesel Engine. Make sure you maintain the proper level of SCA's in your engine.



The following is a list of Coolants/additives that will prevent cavitation.

Ford or Motorcraft Premium Antifreeze · Motorcraft Premium Gold Antifreeze (does not require SCA/DCA)
· Texaco Antifreeze/Coolant
· Texaco Antifreeze/Coolant Pre-diluted 50/50
· Zerex 5/100 (white bottle) Antifreeze/Coolant
· Zerex Ready To Use Antifreeze/Coolant (premixed 50/50 with de-mineralized water)
· Zerex Heavy Duty Pre-charged Formula
· Shellzone Premium Quality Antifreeze
· Fleetguard Complete EG--pre-charged at 1.5 units/gallon DCA4
Also available premixed 50/50 with water with the same DCA4 level
Fleetguard's DCA4 SCA (Supplimental Coolant Additives), first introduced in 1984, contain heavy-duty chemical inhibitors and organic corrosion inhibitors that provide enhanced diesel engine liner pitting protection. These inhibitors contain Potassium, Phosphate, Potassium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite, Sodium Molybate, and Adipic Acid.