'99 7.3 with NO BALLS!
 

I have a buddy that has a 1999 F350 with the 7.3 in it. It does have a steel dump body on. He bought it second hand a few years ago.

The truck has no power what-so-ever. It will push snow awesome, but realistically it takes the truck a mile to get to 50MPH. As far as we know and can tell, the truck is completely stock.

My buddys says that the reason is because the dump body weighs so much...no way. I have a D-Max that I could load with 10 roundbales all weighing 1200LBs a piece on a gooseneck, and it would still beat this 7.3 in a race.

So where do we start? He has had it to a mechanic to see if they could find anything with no results. But there is definitly something wrong. Everything sounds normal, idles fine (does start pretty hard though).


Thanks for the assist here!

if ur wanting to go aftermarket go gauges tuning intake exhaust...tuning will bring a stock truck to life loaded or unloaded...before i had tuning my truck was slow as could be...now with custom tunes my truck would outrun itself loaded with feed

Re: '99 7.3 with NO BALLS!
 

Scan the computer for codes.

Luke

How good is his maintenance schedule on the truck? Fuel filter changed on a regular basis? Oil changes regularly? IMO with hpop systems clean good oil is important and as luke said scan the ecm for any codes. As far as the hard starting it could be the glow plugs or the glow plug controller

Yeah, I would assume the shop did that, but when My edge CTS comes in I'll plug it in and see what it says.

His maintenance schedule is pretty good, but we really dont know about the people before him. Its been like that since he got the truck. He really only uses it for plowing his rentals and hauling gravel every now and then, and hauling equipment. Fuel filter was just changed a couple months ago, and we changed the oil after he bought it.

The hard starting just catches me off guard cause it can be 70 degrees out and my trucks GP wont even come on, but his, come on, and if you dont wait for them to stop, it will not start. Never knew any other diesel that needed GP at 70 to start. Geeze the Cummins and Mercedes in the Groomers I run will start without a glow plug or block heater at 0 degrees. lol


The biggest problem is that we dont know much about the trucks past, other than it was owned by a towing company. I just cant believe the truck should have more power stock than it does.

First off your comparing an 05 vs a 99... Stock it would have had about 230-240hp to the wheels...

Secondly, How many miles? The glow plugs is a nonissue... The PCM controls how long the glow plugs stay on depending on oil temp and outside temps... If it is having troubles, might be time to replace glow plugs and relay...

Lastly, He needs to do some testing before throwing some aftermarket parts on there.

In reality that truck has about 220hp to the rear wheels... Add to that the weight of the bed, poor maintance and other issues you get a truck that has about 180hp at the wheels.

My bet is leaking up pipes, Boost leaks, Dusted turbo and a bad Glow Plug Relay.

Comparing an 02 D-max to a 99. The 02 is what I use to haul with. I know there is power difference, but the 95 Power Stroke he had before this one had more power.

So It is normal for glowplugs to come on in the middle of the summer on that truck?

He doesnt want to put aftermarket parts on it.... thats the whole thing. I'm not asking for ideas on aftermarket parts, I am asking for ideas of what the problem might be.

What is leading you to believe the glow plugs are coming on?

The WTS light has nothing to do with the glow plugs... NOTHING.

Check the turbo up pipes, I bet there leaking... No boost means no power.

Check the fuel pressure... Low fuel pressure means no power.

Check the air filter and turbo compressor wheel... Lack of maintance means dusted turbo and no power.

Check for boost leaks, lack of boost means no power.

But again, forget the glow plugs, glow plugs do not cause a lack of power (so long as they are in the heads...LOL)

Ohhh I thought as long as the WTS lights were on they glowplugs were on. My bad there. Maybe part of the starting hard is because the truck sits for weeks at a time. As you said though, the hard starting really doesnt have anything to do with no power, which is my focus.

What is the turbo compressor wheel?