Calling all 7.3L E350 Owners!!

[obselesc]

I have an 02 7.3 Quigley that I love. Got it at around 280k miles, when we bought it the biggest issues were just wear and tear in some of the suspension/4x4 parts. Got it sorted and checked out by Ford after buying and has been fine since. Based on the documented history I have HPOP issues also came up but were addressed before we bought it. Since sorting that we have only had a couple issues over ~50k miles in 2 years.

- Turbo died, but was easy to swap out on my own
- Starter died in Colorado while stopping to take pictures at a 13,000ft pass (luckily I had an aftermarket upgrade in the trunk that I was sitting on and swapped it out then and there)
- New brakes, listing this only because the Quigley conversion makes new rotors a little annoying but ultimately got it sorted within a couple days and didn't have to pay Quigley for their fancy rotors or express shipping (thier customer service was spot on, I am just thrifty)
- Biggest PITA has been old injectors. It is an expensive repair that apparently requires lifting the van body off of the chassis to do. For now I just found a way to extend the life in ours by shimming them, took me an annoying weekend to get sorted, but that has added two winters of cold starts whereas before it was struggling to start in cold weather at all.

But yea in general I love it. Did 7 months straight in it from the PNW to Newfoundland, and now daily it while figuring out what's next. Sold the Land Rover in my pic to help pay for it, so in general the noise issues others deal with will probably never be a complaint of mine because that rover has probably damaged my hearing more than years of going to punk and metal shows.

 

[dcguillory]

I recently hit 500k miles on my 7.3 van and it is nearing completion of a full motor rebuild with surfacing/polishing/new everything. I love vehicles and I love to drive. A fun day for me is 12 or more hours behind the wheel. The 7.3 is all personality and spice (and beautiful noise). The 7.3 eats transmissions including the "bulletproof" custom trannies. Major transmission work/replacement about every 120k miles for me, which equals 1 every 4 years. I'm sure others last longer but I drive every vehicle like I stole it. The V10 is quieter, way cheaper, but tends to break various motor bolts and studs. I loved my V10 (2000 F250) and am looking to by a V10 truck right now. If money is in your top 3 priorities then don't buy a 7.3.
My desires are

Cool Factor
Fun Factor
Comfort

Price has never been in my top 3 but if it was I would not buy ANY diesel van or truck. People that use them for earning money that's totally different.

 

[XTRALND]

I have an 02 7.3 Quigley that I love. Got it at around 280k miles, when we bought it the biggest issues were just wear and tear in some of the suspension/4x4 parts. Got it sorted and checked out by Ford after buying and has been fine since. Based on the documented history I have HPOP issues also came up but were addressed before we bought it. Since sorting that we have only had a couple issues over ~50k miles in 2 years.

- Turbo died, but was easy to swap out on my own
- Starter died in Colorado while stopping to take pictures at a 13,000ft pass (luckily I had an aftermarket upgrade in the trunk that I was sitting on and swapped it out then and there)
- New brakes, listing this only because the Quigley conversion makes new rotors a little annoying but ultimately got it sorted within a couple days and didn't have to pay Quigley for their fancy rotors or express shipping (thier customer service was spot on, I am just thrifty)
- Biggest PITA has been old injectors. It is an expensive repair that apparently requires lifting the van body off of the chassis to do. For now I just found a way to extend the life in ours by shimming them, took me an annoying weekend to get sorted, but that has added two winters of cold starts whereas before it was struggling to start in cold weather at all.

But yea in general I love it. Did 7 months straight in it from the PNW to Newfoundland, and now daily it while figuring out what's next. Sold the Land Rover in my pic to help pay for it, so in general the noise issues others deal with will probably never be a complaint of mine because that rover has probably damaged my hearing more than years of going to punk and metal shows.

Thanks for your input!

 

[XTRALND]

I recently hit 500k miles on my 7.3 van and it is nearing completion of a full motor rebuild with surfacing/polishing/new everything. I love vehicles and I love to drive. A fun day for me is 12 or more hours behind the wheel. The 7.3 is all personality and spice (and beautiful noise). The 7.3 eats transmissions including the "bulletproof" custom trannies. Major transmission work/replacement about every 120k miles for me, which equals 1 every 4 years. I'm sure others last longer but I drive every vehicle like I stole it. The V10 is quieter, way cheaper, but tends to break various motor bolts and studs. I loved my V10 (2000 F250) and am looking to by a V10 truck right now. If money is in your top 3 priorities then don't buy a 7.3.
My desires are

Cool Factor
Fun Factor
Comfort

Price has never been in my top 3 but if it was I would not buy ANY diesel van or truck. People that use them for earning money that's totally different.

Cool factor is definitely huge with the 7.3 vans!

 

[Deshet]

Get one with little to no rust if plan to complete the conversion your self.
Look at the e350 7.3 ambulances they are the best bang for the buck. (Usually under 6k with good miles)

The 5.4 and the v10 are reliable after about 2001 but the 7.3 holds its value better. Buying a van right now is difficult but if you are patient you will find what you want.

A good running 7.3 will require less maintenance and return better fuel mileage.

A project 5.4, 7.3, or v10 can cost a lot to get right.

My F450 4x4 7.3 gets similar fuel mileage to my 100 series land cruiser.

If you are installing the 4x4 kit yourself, you are more likely to be upside down with a 5.4 or v10. A 7.3 e350 or ambulance with a ujoint conversion has increased in value and will hold the value for a long time.

Don't by a 300,000 mile van.

Good luck with your search.

 

[68camaro]

I have a 2001 V10 with close to 10k pound rig. 6 - 8 hours at 65 - 70 mph is nothing for me to drive at a time, mostly highways. The V10 gives me plenty of speed and get-up-and-go to pass trucks. I do live on east coast so don't deal with those steeper ascents out west but it's crazy how strong the v10 is.

 

[XTRALND]

Get one with little to no rust if plan to complete the conversion your self.
Look at the e350 7.3 ambulances they are the best bang for the buck. (Usually under 6k with good miles)

The 5.4 and the v10 are reliable after about 2001 but the 7.3 holds its value better. Buying a van right now is difficult but if you are patient you will find what you want.

A good running 7.3 will require less maintenance and return better fuel mileage.

A project 5.4, 7.3, or v10 can cost a lot to get right.

My F450 4x4 7.3 gets similar fuel mileage to my 100 series land cruiser.

If you are installing the 4x4 kit yourself, you are more likely to be upside down with a 5.4 or v10. A 7.3 e350 or ambulance with a ujoint conversion has increased in value and will hold the value for a long time.

Don't by a 300,000 mile van.

Good luck with your search.

It definitely seems like you can't lose much money with a 4x4 swapped e350 these days. I was looking at a 7.3 ambo but I haven't found any below $10k yet. Good thing I'm patient... Thanks for your insight!

 

[XTRALND]

I have a 2001 V10 with close to 10k pound rig. 6 - 8 hours at 65 - 70 mph is nothing for me to drive at a time, mostly highways. The V10 gives me plenty of speed and get-up-and-go to pass trucks. I do live on east coast so don't deal with those steeper ascents out west but it's crazy how strong the v10 is.

Man I had a 2001 V10 E350 for a few months before I sold it. I should have kept it but the timing for the buildout wasn't right.

 

[tienckb]

I have a 2001 V10 with close to 10k pound rig. 6 - 8 hours at 65 - 70 mph is nothing for me to drive at a time, mostly highways. The V10 gives me plenty of speed and get-up-and-go to pass trucks. I do live on east coast so don't deal with those steeper ascents out west but it's crazy how strong the v10 is.

West coast v10 here toting around 9500 lbs. buildout.

4.10 gears on 34” tires she will pull all day. Don’t be afraid to let her wind the rpm.

Oh I pull a 4500 lbs trailer every now and then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wgeyer88]

As a 4x4 7.3 owner, I would go V10 next time. The 7.3 is LOUD, needy, stinky and LOUD. I’m a big car guy and do all my own maintenance, but working on the 7.3 is getting old. Part of the problem is owning a 24 year old example. None of the 7.3 vans are new. I’ve fixed 3 coolant leaks and 2 oil leaks recently. That comes with owning an old van. Mine only has 155k miles on it and I did a 5 speed swap which is the only reason I’m holding on to it. And having anything turbo really helps living in Colorado.

edit: I’ve pulled up my carpets and insulated the floor and also the insides of my doors. Still loud.

 

[XTRALND]

As a 4x4 7.3 owner, I would go V10 next time. The 7.3 is LOUD, needy, stinky and LOUD. I’m a big car guy and do all my own maintenance, but working on the 7.3 is getting old. Part of the problem is owning a 24 year old example. None of the 7.3 vans are new. I’ve fixed 3 coolant leaks and 2 oil leaks recently. That comes with owning an old van. Mine only has 155k miles on it and I did a 5 speed swap which is the only reason I’m holding on to it. And having anything turbo really helps living in Colorado.

edit: I’ve pulled up my carpets and insulated the floor and also the insides of my doors. Still loud.

5 speed sounds awesome! I'm starting to lean more towards the v10, possibly even the 5.4 at this point. But that turbo whistle and diesel torque still has me thinking, haha.