1997 Ford F-350 (OBS)

Reliability tier: verified - see /disclosure/

Engine: 7.3L (Power Stroke, 7.3L)

OBS era: single-shot AA injectors (49-state; California OBD-II trucks = split-shot AB), 15deg-swash HPOP, non-wastegated 1.15 A/R turbo, 2-stage cam-driven fuel pump; California OBD-II split-shot AB applies from 1996

Applicable failure modes (12)

• CPS (camshaft position sensor) failure
• EBPV stuck (exhaust backpressure valve)
• Fuel bowl / filter housing leaks and heater short
• Glow plug / glow plug relay failure
• High-pressure oil pump wear / low ICP
• IDM (injector driver module) failure
• Injector o-ring failure
• IPR valve failure / o-ring degradation
• Turbo pedestal o-ring leaks
• Turbo up-pipe / donut gasket leaks
• Under-valve-cover harness (UVCH) failure
• Water pump wear

Applicable parts (24)

• 7.3L Power Stroke Turbo Air Inlet Connection / Boot (Ford F4TZ-6C640-A, OBS 1994-1997)
• powerstroke-7_3: coolant (service item)
• 7.3L Power Stroke EBPV Block-Off - Non-EBPV Turbo Pedestal (KC Turbos 300112 OBS / 300270 E99)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Bowl Heater Element (Ford F5TZ-9J294-A, OBS 1994-1997)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Valve Cover Connector Pigtails (Alliant AP0015 OBS / AP0016 99-03)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Camshaft Position Sensor 1994-1996 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Camshaft Position Sensor 1997-2003 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Bowl Drain Valve / Seal Kits
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Filter Element 1994-1997 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Glow Plug (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Glow Plug Relay / Control Unit (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke High-Pressure Oil Pump 1994-early 1999 (15 deg)
• 7.3L Power Stroke ICP Sensor (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke IDM (Injector Driver Module) 1994-1997 (reman)
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector AA code 1994-1997
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector AB code 1996-early 1999
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector Seal Kit (aftermarket)
• 7.3L Power Stroke IPR Valve (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Oil Cooler (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Thermostat 1996-2003 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Turbo Pedestal / Turbo O-Ring Kit
• 7.3L Power Stroke Up-Pipe Donut Maintenance Kit (OBS era)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Internal Injector Harness 1994-1997 (aftermarket)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Water Pump 1995-1997 (OEM)

Platform recipes (4)

• The 7.3 longevity package: the known wear points that strand or scare owners are all cheap.preventive fixes (modes fm-73-up-pipe-leak / fm-73-turbo-pedestal / fm-73-ebpv-stick / fm-73-fuel-bowl-leak)
• Cold-start system service (modes fm-73-glow-plug-system / fm-73-uvch-harness): HEUI needs glow assist below ~40F, and the chain fails link by link - plugs, the single heavy relay, and the under-valve-cover harness connectors
• Camshaft position sensor replacement for THE classic 7.3 failure (mode fm-73-cps-failure): heat-cycled CPS stalls the truck dead, kills the tach and can leave it restart-locked until it cools
• HEUI oil-side diagnosis and repair (modes fm-73-hpop-wear / fm-73-ipr-valve / fm-73-injector-orings): hard or no-start HOT with ok cranking speed is a high-pressure-oil story

Recalls that include this truck (2)

• 09V-399 (October 13, 2009) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY...
• 07V-553 (December 5, 2007) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL: ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 7.3L DIESEL ENGINES, THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR LOCATED ON THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE MAY FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ENGINE STALL.

Matched by the model and model year NHTSA lists for each recall - a recall often covers only part of a year's production, so read its text for the build dates and versions it names. Whether a recall is still open on your VIN is not known here; check nhtsa.gov/recalls. All recalls, investigations and bulletins for this engine: /recalls/powerstroke-7_3/

Reference for this truck