oil filter change interval for 7.3L PSD?

[Hohn]

How long can I go without changing my oil filter?

- 2003 Ford F250 7.3L SD 2WD
- current 187182 miles
- last oil change (with Motorcraft filter) 183100 on August 18, 2024
- not a daily driver, 10k miles hauling 5th wheel trailer until 2007, light duty around town now (Louisiana).

So with only 4k miles on this oil and filter I want to just drain filter, visual check and reuse but this oul/filter change will take me past August 2025 and that’s over 1 year same filter.
Is this an issue? Searching interwebs I get “change within a year”. Oil, Rotella T4 (see pic) is super clean. Just curious since those 1995 filters went from $9 to $27-30. Have one more Motorcraft then I start using the Doc’s diesel filters btw.
Later….

View attachment 282731

Don't change anything. Don't break the filter joint unless you intend to replace the filter.
Your filter is fine and your oil is fine. In that engine, the oil will need to be changed long before the filter does. Change the filter when you change the oil and not until.

The whole "change your filter every year" is baloney.

 

[Hohn]

I'm not an environment expert, but I question all the emissions components on the diesel trucks 2007 to date. These components starve engines of power and fuel milage. It all started with the ULSD which you think would have been good enough to keep environmentalist happy. In fact, the emissions standards that were coming put a stop to the 7.3 in mid 2003, then the 6.0 was introduced.

Although, I really like my 6.7 Cummins, the 7.3 was one heck of a motor.

As a diesel fuel system engineer, I have thoughts on this matter. But the only one immediately germane is that ULSD is a huge improvement that we should have done long ago.

 

[bismic1]

I realize it wasn't the sulfur itself that was providing the true lubricity in the fuel, but the process for removing sulfur did drastically reduce the organic compounds that provided that lubricity. It was unfortunate that a minimum lubricity spec for ULSD was not established until 2005, and IMO it was not sufficient (spec should have been higher).

 

[billt460]

Does anyone produce an additive for diesel fuel that replenishes the sulfur content, or something similar to achieve the better lubricity that was provided by the older higher sulphur diesel fuel?

 

[Duckless]

Does anyone produce an additive for diesel fuel that replenishes the sulfur content, or something similar to achieve the better lubricity that was provided by the older higher sulphur diesel fuel?

Pretty much every diesel fuel additive out there promotes added lubricity for the fuel. I run Optilube products, personally. So many options out there.

 

[loneryder]

The 7.3 was a great motor for the F250- F350 Trucks, which were made by International. I had a 2002 F350 with the 7.3, again great motor, dependable and easy to work on. When I had my 7.3, I used to buy the 3- 5 quart jugs of Motor Craft 15w40 and the Motor Craft Oil Filter (FL1995) at WM.

There were never any issues, I changed the oil/oil filter every 5000 miles. The oil stayed pretty clean because the emissions components were not on the 7.3's which kept the oil much cleaner. The only reason I no longer own this truck was because it kept rusting out, otherwise I would still have it.

My current truck, 2011 Ram 3500 with the Cummins 6.7 holds 12 quarts of oil. I use Shell Rotella T6 Synthetic 5w40 and change the oil and filter every 5000 miles although the Manuel indicates 7500 miles. I can use the 15w40 oil at temperatures at zero or above, or the 5w40 diesel oil year round. I choose to run the 5w40 year round because it covers all temperatures. Because of the emissions components on my truck, the oil is pretty dark/black right after a fresh oil change.

EGR's are what really darkens the oil quickly.

 

[Duckless]

While mostly negligible, depending who you ask, if you don't suction out the hpop reservoir on these 7.3s, you'll leave old dirty oil. I think it's 1 quart? Again, pretty negligible on a 16 quart motor, but dirty oil still.

 

[BC1]

That dude on youtube was all about it. I have never changed that oil in 23 years I have had mine. I am sure there are a few quarts left in the HPOP, rails and cooler.

 

[chorty]

i'd rather change the oil and filter excessively on an older IDI vs the newer power jokes. why? they're actually a good engine to take care of.

Once ford got their hands on the older IDI's, they ruined them. i'm sorry. They did. Just how it is. They ran great and dependable without 5volt headache's wired everywhere. The 12v fuel solenoid was all that was needed.

all my 6.9 and 7.3 IDI non-turbo's, i'm always dumping out the oil and spinning on new filters. I'd rather spend $200k on oil and filters for my older IDI's vs $100k on a newer power joke. Where does the old oil go? right into the fuel tank. F' ULSD. The pumps need lube too.

I've been collecting the older IH IDI's and the little brother 12v cummins along side the big brother 855 cummins. I think i'm around 30-35 engines in total? They're keepers for sure.

Go ahead and change the oil sooner. Filters too. Don't be bashful. You'll be doing yourself a favor of dependable security while being behind the wheel.

 

[bismic1]

I still have a '97 F250 7.3L and love it. That said, I have a 2006 6.0L at 250k and still running well. Love it also. These trucks are too expensive to justify buying a new one for no reason (or force yourself to buy one because of poor maintenance on the old one)!

BTW, I used to use fuel additives religiously in the 6.0L, but I don't use them very often now.

Anyway, that said - I agree that proper filtration is crucial! Oil maintenance has always been "meticulous".

 

[Ruby]

I only owned the 7.3 (2002 F350) great truck, motor and very easy to maintaine. The 7.3 is one tough dependable motor. Too bad, mid 2003 was the last year for this motor because of emissions regulations.

 

[Bighorn2500]

If you’re concerned about service length of the filter may I suggest a better filter such as Donaldson, Fleetguard or Baldwin. They offer better media for collecting finer particles for roughly what you’re paying for the Motorcraft these days. Just have look around online at parts stores that deal in HD or OTR truck parts.

Personally I’d run the Motorcraft OE filter before a Doc’s Diesel branded filter.

The Doc’s filter is just a rebranded standard cellulose media Premium Guard with a price mark up for their name on the can. You’d be better off grabbing something off Rock Auto with a synthetic blend media at that point.

 

[Chris142]

Do not remove the filter and drain it. Too much of a chance of cross contamination.

 

[Hohn]

Does anyone produce an additive for diesel fuel that replenishes the sulfur content, or something similar to achieve the better lubricity that was provided by the older higher sulphur diesel fuel?

Sulfur does not provide lubricity. Any commonly available additive will generally add lubricity.

Ashless two stroke oil is a great way to add lubricity without increasing the tendency to form deposits.

 

[Sumboodie]

Sulfur does not provide lubricity. Any commonly available additive will generally add lubricity.

Ashless two stroke oil is a great way to add lubricity without increasing the tendency to form deposits.

While it does, there are better additives that have been independently compared.

Biodiesel is a great one.

 

[Hohn]

While it does, there are better additives that have been independently compared.

Agreed. I think the best I've seen in literature was a simple 2% blend of biofuel. Low enough to mostly have no risk from the bio content, but high enough to make a noticeable improvement in lubricity.

Adding lubricity is very easy to do. The trick is adding lubricity without also adding the risk of other issues (deposits, etc). That's much harder.

 

[ripcord]

Does anyone produce an additive for diesel fuel that replenishes the sulfur content, or something similar to achieve the better lubricity that was provided by the older higher sulphur diesel fuel?

As Hohn mentioned, sulphur itself does not contribute to the lubricity of diesel. The issue with ultra low sulpher diesel is not the lack of sulphur, but how the fuel is refined. Some of the sulphur in diesel is bound up in carbon containing molecules, so to get it out, refiners put the fuel through additional refining steps under high heat and the presence of hydrogen to crack open the sulpher containing molecules so the sulpher can be removed. A side effect of the process of busting these molecules apart and removing the sulpher is the resulting fuel less "slippery," or less lubricicous.

 

[billt460]

Can adding a small amount of 2-Stroke oil to a large amount of diesel, (say a cupful into a large semi saddle tank), replace the lubricity lost with low sulphur diesel?

Or would that compromise the EGR system? Or whatever system large semi's use these days.

 

[Bighorn2500]

Can adding a small amount of 2-Stroke oil to a large amount of diesel, (say a cupful into a large semi saddle tank), replace the lubricity lost with low sulphur diesel?

Or would that compromise the EGR system? Or whatever system large semi's use these days.

In my Ram & old John Deere, one ounce of two-stroke oil per gallon of diesel is what I use. Supertech TCW-3 at Wally World is the cheapest usually.