Morning all,

I am looking at purchasing a 97 E-350 extended van for my son to haul his race bikes all around the SE. This 7.3 Diesel has 270K miles on it. The owner says it runs great. he tells me that that many miles on a 7.3 is nothing. I really know nothing about diesels. That many miles on a gas engine definitely would concern me. Is the 7.3 a good motor? Is that a lot of miles and can I expect a lot more assuming the owners took care of it? What would be some key things to look for when checking this vehicle out? I can handle all the other stuff, just not sure how to look at this diesel engine and the tranny that is behind it. Are there things this engine was known or not known for? Good or bad.

Thank you all very much for your help.

Sid

 

Check in the stickies. There is a good write up for super duty trucks but the engines are the same. Good luck on your decision

 

There are several good write-ups in the stickies about what to look for when buying. Most of us on here think the 7.3 is a great engine. Mine has 247k and the engine is still really strong. The bottom ends are tough but anything this old will have other issues. There are some awesome mechanics on here though, that help the rest of us fix our own vehicles all the time. good luck.

 

Thank you very much guys.

Sid