What kind of experience do we have with this engine on B100? I have an opportunity to get a really good deal on one, but I'm not interested if it will not do well on B100.

I have a '92 F-250, pre powersmoke, with Banks turbo. It loves B100. I have to 2 biodiesel clients who love B100 in their Powersmokes. The first thing I hear from new clients is that they believe they get more power from B100. Might be their imagination, don't know.

These are all 7.3L engines.

Great, thanks Bio, might have to go haggle a little with the guy.

My 6.9, the original PowerSmoke, loves biodiesel. It's very similiar to the 7.3 you're looking at. What year is the truck?

The prePowerstroke 7.3 Turbo can be turned up very simply for alot of power, they were detuned from the factory so they wouldn't outshine the new PowerStroke that was coming out that year.

I noticed right away a marked reduction in 'cackle' from the engine and injector noise. Power delivery was smoother however I feel that it's down a bit compared with petrodiesel, might be the lower calorific content or the IP timing may be affected by greater viscosity.

Ya know, I'm not exactly sure what year it is but it is in the 00's somewhere, pretty sure it is a 01 or 02, he said it has around 170k on the odometer, this gut is the real fussy type, if the book says it needs a certain thing at a certain mileage it gets done right on time no question.

I have a 99 F-350 CC that loves B-100. It not only runs quieter, but the SOP tells me that there is more power.
I run B-100 as often as I can.

I was kinda hoping everybody would jump in and say dont do it, now I might have to part with a chunk of change.

170k is nothing for one of those engines. Just really wash and prep your biodiesel before running it through those injectors.

Also, keep your engine oil clean as they use high pressure engine oil to activate the injector.

You can chip up the 7.3 for really good power as well while keeping the fuel system stock.

Sounds like the start of a new adventure.

I have to say this Fabicator. Ford powerstroke is a good product but it has its draw backs that keep you comming back for more parts from Ford,and being its a V8 class engine, it has more parts to work with, like two heads and headers,8 injectors,8 pistons rings bearings and to work on it! Is a pain in the butt, because you have to remove all kinds of things just to get to the heads.
The Cummins on the other hand is easly rebuilt in a week if it ever needed it, and being it is a strate six you only have one head, one header, only 6 injectors, easy two work on and the amount of power it can produce is so good that Ford is now going to offer it in there trucks. I like the my Ram Dodge and its 12 valve Cummins with its VP7100 fuel injector pump, it loves the B-100 I have been feeding it for over a year now no problems. Its up to you take hard look at Diesel power Magazine and look at the Dodge trucks they look better than Fords in my openion anyway and the Chevy there not in the running they look good but there still a v8 class truck that puts them in the same catagory as the Fords. looking to build a product thats as strong as the Cummins, and there still working on it. Ratski 96 Ram Dodge 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel

Ratski, I have to disagree with you on that. All these diesel engines have their faults. I've always liked my Ford for it's economy, power and it's ability to be fixed in the driveway if need be.

I bought the older IDI due to it's lack of electronics (hardened against EMP attack), plentiful parts supply for powertrain and body parts and the fact that there are lots of sites with all sorts of techincal information about how to diagonose, repair and upgrade Ford's I looked at the Cummapart but when I found out that they put a million dollar engine in a 10 cent truck, I went back to the Ford.

Also my old IDI is very tolerant of fuel quality. I muse to others that I could probably run boiled horse pee through it and it'd still be able to pull a house.

If it does start to run rough, it's usually due a leaky hose or a bad connection on the fuel lines somewhere.

Also, Ford is not going to offer the Cummins in their F250 thru F450 trucks. Yes you can get a Cummins in the larger trucks but you can also have a Cat C7 put in too. Ford is developing a 4.4L and 6.7L V8 for their trucks to be releaseed sometime in 2010 or so. They're in a big kafuffle with Navistar over it too.

Whether it's a 6 or V8 has nothing to do with engine quality, it's a matter of packaging, will it fit the engine bay without crowding everything else out.

And come on, how much longer does it take to put in two other injectors? I've rebuilt 6.9s before and the only thing that takes a while is the machining, unless you have your own fully equipped machine shop and line bore at home. I can remove and install an IP on a 6.9 or IDI 7.3 inside of about 3 hours and that's me taking all the time I want with a break for a can of Pepsi.

Take good care of those injectors, you can buy a whole set for a CTD for the cost of two of those.

What kind of mileage do these trucks get? I assume like most pickups somewhere in the mid to high teens?

I get somewhere between 17 and 20, that's with me driving carefully. I don't hog on my equipment unless I have to.

I"m installing a GV overdrive when time allows here I should get about 23mpg on the highway at about 65mph, if my math is right.

Spencnaz, I assume the newer 7.3's are not IDI? Is this a bad thing?

The Powerstroke and the IDI 7.3 only share their displacement.

The Powerstroke is a direct injected diesel so injector pressure is going to be higher. Also, your injectors are going to be less tolerant of poor fuel quality.

If you have a good wash setup on your biodiesel processor and do the usual quality tests, you should do just fine.

It's a common belief that the last of the 7.3s before the 6.0 came out were some of the best diesels Ford ever put in their light truck line. By then the Powerstroke had been out for 7 years and all the bugs were worked out if there ever were any.

The injectors are underneath the valvecovers and are expensive to replace but if you've kept up on your biodiesel quality, you'll do just fine. Heck there are guys running WVO through these things and I'd never do that to such a high pressure system.

Consider too that that 7.3 has 4 bolt mains, a forged crank shaft and gear driven everything, cam, oil pump etc. They're a tough engine.

Fabricator- I have owned both a 01 cummins and a 99 powerstroke.
both are good motors and each have their faults. The cummins will give better fuel mileage, closer to 20 than 15, while the powerstroke will be closer to 15 than 20. Yes the injectors are pricey for the ford, and timely oil changes are a must. It does seem to have slightly power but both are torque dogs. The dodge can handle abuse more than the ford, but over time the dodge will start leaking oil from different places. My diesel mechanic prefers the powerstroke for his personal driver. Just make sure you get a 7.3, as the newer 6.0s are problematic (just ask ford, who is in a law suit with Navistar-the powerstroke maker-because the 6.0s have so many warranty costs for Ford). Keep the air filters cleaned on both, and if the ford you're looking at is by chance a 99, check the air filter box for cracks. Dust and dirt is what kills the powerstroke, so give it clean air.
In the end, I give the edge to the ford because of the pickup, not the motor. Dodge bodies rust earlier, Chrysler can't paint a vehicle to save their lives and things seem slightly cheap on the interior and exterior both. Ford automatic tranny's will run a little longer too.
Just my 2 cents.

This has been a very informative thread, thanks for the excellent replys guys, that's why I love this place.

I have always thought Ford fit and finish is better than others. The 7.3 has stood the test of time and proven to be a winner.

I drive a Dodge, not because of the body but because of the CTD. I like the grunt and low RPM pulling power of a I6, plus every time I look at a V8 diesel I can't imagine working on it, they have very busy engine compartments.

I agree on the Cummins, I think they are one of the best diesel engines on the planet, but, I have several friends with new dodges and the body, chassis thing is quite bad, they all have had them in the shop for lots of things unrelated to the engine, I just cant get past the cummins being wrapped in a dodge.