I have a 96 f350 7.3 powerstroke automatic. It will not heat up enough for the heater to work, It is not reaching operationg temp. the temp. hand barely even comes off the bottom no matter how long the truck is running, or how hard. I have replaced the clutch fan, and thermostat and it will still not heat up. I live in tn where it is around low 40's mid 30's right now.

 

someone let him know the problem because i live in e.tn.and i have the same problem thanks

 

Until 1996, all 7.3L Powerstrokes that were manufacturedusedan International water pump and an Internationalshort stem 203o thermostat . In 1996, Fordchanged to a lower degree 195o thermstostat.They changed water pumpdesigns at this time as well. The new pumps requiredthe newlong stem 195o thermostat in place of the short stem to properly seat the bypassdisk.All 1996-2003 Ford PSDsnow come equipped with a long stem 195o thermostat. Recently the factory replacement thermostat available at the parts counterchanged to 192o.

Diesels run most efficiently at approximately 200o or above. A factory equipped 192o/195o thermostat will maintain an operating temperatureat approximately 165o-170o. The Powerstroke has such an efficient cooling system, that this low flow when the thermostat is slightly open is normally enough to keep the engine cool. The downfall to this is that the engine --when our trucks are not under load --never begins to reach its optimal operating temperature.




This is all taken from dieselsite.com and they sell a good thermostat for your truck. I had a similar problem with my 97 and my 2nd 95.