New pines exploration vehicle!

Badfish740

Explorer
Feb 19, 2005
589
44
Copperhead Road
I am the proud new owner of a 2003 F-350 Powerstroke! I just picked it up yesterday after a lot of searching for the "right" truck. I'm looking forward to bouncing over some sugar sand soon and testing the four wheel drive. Of course she'll be fed a steady diet of biodiesel once the weather gets warm enough to start brewing again. Too bad the name RednekF350 is already taken!

Here she is :dance:
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,058
3,328
Pestletown, N.J.
I am the proud new owner of a 2003 F-350 Powerstroke! I just picked it up yesterday after a lot of searching for the "right" truck. I'm looking forward to bouncing over some sugar sand soon and testing the four wheel drive. Of course she'll be fed a steady diet of biodiesel once the weather gets warm enough to start brewing again. Too bad the name RednekF350 is already taken!

Here she is :dance:

Congrats Dude!
You will love the diesel, especially if you tow.
I have the 6 speed manual trans and see about 19-20 mpg all the time with 21 on a highway trip.
Not bad for a crew cab, 8' bed truck that weighs 8400 lbs just sitting there empty.
If you got an auto you, will probably see 17-18 mpg.
I have the 7.3l International.
The early '03s came through with the 7.3l (444 cu. in.) International.
Mid '03 saw the intro of the 6.0l .
From your pic, I am thinking I see the 7.3 badge on the lower fender.
Is it the 6.0 or 7.3?
Buy your fuel and air filters at shopdiesel.com and your oil filters Walmart if you have the 7.3.
Good luck with your new baby!
Scott
 

Badfish740

Explorer
Feb 19, 2005
589
44
Copperhead Road
I have the 6 speed manual trans and see about 19-20 mpg all the time with 21 on a highway trip. Not bad for a crew cab, 8' bed truck that weighs 8400 lbs just sitting there empty. If you got an auto you, will probably see 17-18 mpg.

I looked and looked and looked for a manual but just couldn't find one. I'm still happy with my purchase though.

The early '03s came through with the 7.3l (444 cu. in.) International. Mid '03 saw the intro of the 6.0l. From your pic, I am thinking I see the 7.3 badge on the lower fender.

You're dead on! At first I wasn't even going to look at truck because I figured it was more than like a 6.0L (Or 6.Oh No! as I've heard it called), until the salesman mentioned it was an early year 7.3L. After all I heard about those first and second year 6.0L's I was dead set on the International engine. Anyway, if you see a white shortbed F-350 that rattles out in the pines-give a wave!

That's awesome. Just be careful of those narrow trails. I get bushwacked, even in my Ranger, so I can only imagine the "Pine Stripes" you'll get on that baby.

HA! I'm not quite ready to pinstripe her yet so I'll be sticking to the nice wide roads for now. I'm looking forward to getting a GPS that I can use in the truck and then walk with though so that I can drive in as far as possible and then bushwhack on foot to the really tough spots. If the road ain't wide enough-I ain't goin!
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,967
8,710
Congratulations!

And I have found that white vehicles keep the scratches from the trees to a minimum. You picked the correct color also :)

Guy
 

Hewey

Piney
Mar 10, 2005
1,042
110
Pinewald, NJ
nice ride, thats a lot of truck, roads my jeep fits down fine lay a hurtin' on my silverado, people ask why I don't buff out the scratch marks, why when there will only be a new batch next week, well any how good luck with her.
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,058
3,328
Pestletown, N.J.
Whew!
I was sure hoping you got the 7.3
You did very well with your research.
The early 6.0's in 03' and 04' were very problematic.
The only common problem with the 7.3 is the cam position sensor.
Its a $110.00+/ sensor in the front of the block above the flywheel that craps out with no warning and the motor becomes a no-go. Don't buy it from Ford.
Mine went at 52,000. Luckily, I was on Pestletown Road a half mile from home. I coasted into the cemetary and left it for the night. (No one said a word.)
Buy one as soon as you can and keep it in the glove box along with a 10mm socket, a 2" extension and a thin bladed screwdriver.
You can change it roadside in about 15 minutes.
You will find Walmart to be your best bet for Shell Rotella 15w40 oil and they carry the Motorcraft Model 1995 oil filter for $9.95.
From what everyone has told me, you can look forward to about 325,000 miles out of the 7.3.
God Bless Rudolph Diesel and International!
:)
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,058
3,328
Pestletown, N.J.
The new 2008 Super Duty diesel puts out 350 HP and 650 lbs ft of torque!
Twin Turbo! Nice truck by the way.

The only down side is this will be the new twin turbo 6.4l. A completely new engine again.
You will be looking at least another year or more of growing pains and troubles like what was experienced with the 6.0
 
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