[KINGTUT]

I usually just putt around in my 97 F-350 7.3. I haul cattle from time to time, but mostly it is trips to the hardware or feed store. I have had to romp on it from time to time when merging on the interstate ect. When I do it blows a little black smoke. I know that is normal. My question is should I WOT the engine for 5 or 10 seconds every so often to "blow it out" or would I just be wasting fuel and asking to break something. Thanks

 

[DRJ48]

In my opinion, my trucks have always run better after a hard run. Take it for what its worth, but I think it does good to blow the soot out once in a while. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

[WhitePowerstroke]

Well... I think that one thing you have to remember is that Diesels were not made to spin alot of RPMS... These engines were made big to produce torque and power... 7.3L! I have always been of the school that these engines make their power from about 2000RPM till about 3800... After that...your just wasting fuel and yes.....could potentially hurt the engine... When you ROMP on the engine... your putting stress on the engine that may not be necessary. I agree that the engine needs to be "opened up"...however if you use a good fuel...(Clean)...(Good Quality)... you should not have a large build up.
I recently had my heads off and the injectors out...and after 250K miles...the cross-hatch was still on the cylinder walls and the injectors were clean as a wissle...The tops of the pistons were clean...no carbon... So I think that the idea that build up comes from chuging along...might just be a little false...

The black smoke your seeing... Well... its always there...you are just seeing it more when getting on the gas...why? your putting a HUGE amount of fuel in it and some does not get burned...!

Anyway...thats my rambling 2 cents... Just remember...its a diesel....not a gas engine...power band is VERY short...opposed to a SBC that can/will make power at 6500-7000RPM...Its all about gearing in these trucks...

 

[JoshR]

From all I've heard and read here, the PCM has an 'adaptive' feature that essentially learns how you drive and tailors some of its parameters to your driving style. Thus, if you baby it all the time, it will respond accordingly. Likewise, if you drive it like you stole it. I know mine seems to run better after I remove my tool trailer (since it has learned to work harder while towing it); then again, it may just be that the whole rig has shed 4-5000# when I drop the trailer (and of course it will feel zippier). Anyone else? Am I onto something here, or am I (as oft is the case) FOS?

Josh

 

[Nitro454]

there is no learning to be done by the PCM. It simply has tables and code programmed such that at a certain position of the throttle and the ICP at this many PSI and yadda yadda it will inject this much fuel. I think your on to something when you say it feels peppier after dropping 4500 lbs. anything is going to be happier like that with less of a load on it.

 

[JoshR]

I used to have a 2000 F350 PSD, and I know for sure that the PCM had an adaptive feature. Don't know if it existed in '96.

Do know for sure it runs better at 7500# than 12000#, not to mention my trailer is about as aerodynamic as a refrigerator.

Josh