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Thread: How to tow with a 7.3 Powerstroke

  1. 02-01-2010, 08:44 AM #1
    wood4heat
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    How to tow with a 7.3 Powerstroke

    I recently picked up a 2003 F350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke and am about to pull my first good load with it. With my old 1/2 ton I always pulled in 3rd just to make life a little easier for the trans. Is that a good idea with a 1 ton as well or should I leave it in overdrive as long as it's not shifting back and forth? Hwy speeds in 3rd seem to turn a lot of rpm's.
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  2. 02-01-2010, 08:47 AM #2
    gink595
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    I pull a Bobcat and gooseneck with mine maybe 13,000 lbs. I leave it on OD unless it's wanting to go in and out of OD and then I will shut OD off, other than that it stays in OD, I have put over 200K on it before I needed a tranny.


    Of course Northern Indiana might be a LOT flatter than where you are and that makes a big difference



    Last edited by gink595; 02-01-2010 at 08:54 AM.
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  3. 02-01-2010, 08:52 AM #3
    Ductape
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    I'm with Gink........ when i'm pulling a load of firewood on the highway, i'm in OD. Rural roads where it wants to shift in and out of OD, i lock the OD out and tow in third.
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  4. 02-01-2010, 09:18 AM #4
    wood4heat
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    Kinda what I figured but still wanted some opinions before I burnt up a tranny.

    Thanks
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  5. 02-01-2010, 02:19 PM #5
    catman963
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    Yea you guys got it right


    I lock it out of Overdrive on back roads, or whenever I'm not going to exceed about 50mph...... On the highway - OD is fine.


    Like was already said - the thing you want to avoid is it hunting back and forth, in and out of OD......

    Honestly - if you are going to be doing a LOT of towing - it would prolly be worth beefing up the trans BEFORE you have a problem!! A REAL trans temp gauge is also a big plus for towing - cuz that gauge on the dash for the trans temp - is nothing more than a glorified idiot light!!!


    I have my trans built (billet triple disc converter, pump mods, BTS valve body, aftermarket cooler, etc...) and it is night and day difference from towing with a stocker!!

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  6. 02-01-2010, 02:25 PM #6
    Freyboy23
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    Quote Originally Posted by catman963 View Post
    Yea you guys got it right


    I lock it out of Overdrive on back roads, or whenever I'm not going to exceed about 50mph...... On the highway - OD is fine.


    Like was already said - the thing you want to avoid is it hunting back and forth, in and out of OD......

    Honestly - if you are going to be doing a LOT of towing - it would prolly be worth beefing up the trans BEFORE you have a problem!! A REAL trans temp gauge is also a big plus for towing - cuz that gauge on the dash for the trans temp - is nothing more than a glorified idiot light!!!


    I have my trans built (billet triple disc converter, pump mods, BTS valve body, aftermarket cooler, etc...) and it is night and day difference from towing with a stocker!!


    WEll I think you have way more done to your truck then just Trans!!! hahah Love that Truck man! You cant go wrong with a 7.3 Powerstroke!!
    - Ryan

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  7. 02-01-2010, 02:27 PM #7
    Oldtimer
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    Buy a 40K GVW rated trans cooler NOW. Right NOW!....

    Add the GOOD tranny temp guage at the same time.

    Don't be scared to let the 7.3 wind out. It's built for that. TRUST me, when you see a hill, downshift and let it rev....it's a very tough engine, and it has great power....but nothing like a gasser...it will feel sluggish with a big load, but rev it and hang in there...it WILL get you there.

    Just be SURE to let the engine idle for 5 minutes before you shut it down if you have been using the turbo (Above 2000 rpm)....but letting it idle a little every shut down isn't a bad idea. It oils and cools the turbo bearings.

    What gearing does the truck have? That's the biggest factor in how you'll run it.
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  8. 02-01-2010, 02:39 PM #8
    Ironbark
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    Quote Originally Posted by wood4heat View Post
    I recently picked up a 2003 F350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke and am about to pull my first good load with it.
    Isn't that going to be a little underpowered for towing? 7.3L

    Over here we have cars with gas tanks about that big
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  9. 02-01-2010, 02:41 PM #9
    Oldtimer
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ironbark View Post
    Isn't that going to be a little underpowered for towing? 7.3L

    Over here we have cars with gas tanks about that big
    444 cubic inches. But the NEW powerstroke is a 6.7 liter....with over 400hp and 720FPT....makes the 7.3 seem like a Renault engine..
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  10. 02-01-2010, 03:00 PM #10
    Freyboy23
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    Quote Originally Posted by wood4heat View Post
    I recently picked up a 2003 F350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke and am about to pull my first good load with it. With my old 1/2 ton I always pulled in 3rd just to make life a little easier for the trans. Is that a good idea with a 1 ton as well or should I leave it in overdrive as long as it's not shifting back and forth? Hwy speeds in 3rd seem to turn a lot of rpm's.


    How many miles of the Truck you just got?? I have a 1996 f350 powerstroke with 316000 miles on it. I just got it about year ago to start hauling wood and horse trailer. She is a good puller. I have a Chip and a few other thing done to it but you cant go wrong with the 7.3!!!
    - Ryan

    1996 Ford F-350 PowerStroke - with a few mods (310,000 miles and counting!!!)

    Husky 460 - 18"
    Husky 372 xpw with Muffler Mod - 24" & 32"
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  11. 02-01-2010, 03:28 PM #11
    wood4heat
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    Mine is up to 125,000. My FIL has one with over 500,000.

    Guess I wont be towing anything with it any time soon anyway. I was out looking at toy haulers over the weekend and made a deal on one yesterday. My plan was to go by the bank after work and go pick it up but just called to let him know when I'd be by and the sold it out from under me.

    I'm a bit pissed at the moment.
    Last edited by wood4heat; 02-01-2010 at 03:34 PM.
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  12. 02-15-2010, 09:22 AM #12
    wood4heat
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    Got something worthwhile hooked up to it over the weekend. Found a clean toy hauler and brought it home. The truck pulled it in everdrive with no trouble at all, just kept chugging along. Seems to like 60mph, pulled a few hills that dropped it down to 60mph but it held there. Pulled from 50mph up to 60mph on others and didn't shift out of OD. It impressed me.

    The toy hauler was on Whidbey Island so I had to take it across the sound on a ferry.



    It was around a 250mi trip home but it got here with no problems.



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  13. 02-15-2010, 12:44 PM #13
    Art Vandelay
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    Gink has it right. At times we would push 30K pound mark between truck and trailer with a pintle hitch with a company truck I drove for years. The truck w/ tools only weighted in a 12K and always had a load of concrete forms on top of that. The poor truck had a tuff life.
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  14. 02-15-2010, 02:21 PM #14
    nilzlofgren
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    I have the old 7.3 IDI. I mentioned before, that I pull 20K. The tranny is a ZF 5 speed. I leave the stick in "OD", and never have a problem.
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  15. 02-15-2010, 02:22 PM #15
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    That trailer ain't a load. What's it weigh, 5, 6 thousand pounds?
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