And I would love to gather as much info as possible!
Hey guys, new member here, Ford guy from day 1!
I used to be the proud owner of a 2003 f-150 Lariat supercab 4x4 in estate green with tan leather!
Once our family started getting bigger the truck had to go unfortunately and we bought an SUV.

Now that it's paid off I'm looking to get myself an older model truck just for me to go fishing and drag my toys around with and travel to the mine for work so I can stop rebuilding the front end of my SUV.

Trucks I'm interested in would be any of the 7.3l turbo diesels.

I'd like minimum of supercab, prefer crew cab. Box length can be short or long I'm fine with either. Crew short box or supercab longbox would be ideal.

Is there anything in particular I should look out for on these trucks? I'm looking for something sturdy.
Ive done some research and my dad has a 99 SD 250 crew 8ft box. I like it, but actually prefer the look of the 95 96 97 model trucks.

Would prefer manual, absolutely must be 4x4.
Do these only come in 5spd prior to 99? Or can I get the 6spd?

I am actively searching for these daily looking for a good deal on one in good shape. I have so many more questions and I'm reading through the forums as we speak.

Tell me why you would or wouldn't buy any of the particular 95-97 f2 or 350's.

 

I don't know what year Ford switched the 250 from a solid front axle to the TTB nonsense, but they didn't switch it back until 1999, with the advent of the Super Duty. If such things matter to you, just know that.

Likewise, the 6 speed manual was not introduced until 1999 either.

The second generation 7.3L Powerstroke (1999-2003) are generally regarded as the better of the two generations, for various reasons. Plenty of reading on that.

Good luck finding a CCSB OBS truck. Rare as hen's teeth, and it'll cost you your first born son.

They switched from the IDI-T to the Powerstroke in the middle of the 1994 model year, so if you're looking at one of them, just double check so you know which engine you're actually getting.

The E4OD transmission has mixed reviews. Some have them run flawlessly for 200,000 miles or more, and for some they seem to be a never ending nightmare. If you wind up with an automatic, do your best to get service receipts with it, and make sure that a competent mechanic checks it over as best he can before you fork over the greenbacks.

Also, don't discount the idea of purchasing a 7.3 IDI. People seem to look down on them as compared to the 7.3 Powerstroke, and as such they tend to sell for considerably less than the first generation Powerstroke. Given that vast price disparity, if you're slightly mechanically inclined you can take a 7.3 IDI and build it to meet or exceed the performance capabilities of the first gen Powerstroke and probably still come out ahead price wise, or at least break even.

 

The ideal truck would be f350 straight axle up front crew cab short box 4x4 5spd manual. I'm open to 8ft box though I just prefer the look of the shorty. Either would be fine.

Is there any major differences between the 94-98 vs the 99+ 7.3 turbo diesels?
The 94-98 are still psd right? Not just idi motors with turbos?
Are the 94-98 versions still very much electronic reliant and confusing like the 99+?
I know my dad had some problems with his 99. Tranny shifting issues (auto trans), relay and electrical issues draining batteries, cam sensor issues etc..

I'm definitely open to an earlier model idi, I was reading some stuff on oilburners site and it seems there much easier and simpler motors to work on and cheaper to boot.
Can you bolt on a turbo to an older idi without too much extra work? Does it need an intercooler?

Are the idi motors simple like the old Cummins 4bt and such where you literally need like 4 wires for the entire truck to operate?

I will not buy an auto truck. So it will be 100% a manual.
I'm ready to buy, but patient enough to wait for the right truck too. Even if I got to go 800 kms to pick it up haha.

Lots of questions, thanks for the reply so far. Still reading up on these. And the more I do the more the idi appeals to as a nice simple truck I can get around in.

Lastly.
Fuel economy idi vs. Idi (turbo bolted on) vs. Early psd, vs. 99+ psd.
Any major differences for fuel economy? It'd be nice to have this thing get decent mileage too.

 

There are differences between the two generations of 7.3L PSDs; I'm not up to snuff in the brain box on what all of those differences are, but there's plenty of reading you can do on them. The early models had certain shortcomings that the later models resolved.

Ford used the 7.3L IDI from 1987-1992. In 1993 and the first half of 1994, they offered the IDI with a turbo. In model year 1994.5, they introduced the 7.3L Powerstroke. It's a totally different engine; the only commonalities between it and the IDI are the displacement.

Yes, you can bolt on a turbo to an IDI that was N/A from the factory. No, you don't need an intercooler, but you can add one if you do a lot of heavy towing.

Yes, they are as simple as the old 6BT Cummins. The first and second generation Cummins (up until 1997.5, if memory serves) were 100% mechanical, just like the 6.9L and 7.3L IDI diesels were.

Fuel economy is all over the place. My '88 goes between 9 and 15 in town. Not sure why. On the highway, the best I've seen is 18.5, but average around 16.5.

The PSD will be the same. If it's tuned and you romp on it, you might only see 10 or 11. If you drive it nice, you could see 20 or more.

 

Awesome thank you again.
Does or would the turbo improve or harm the fuel economy. I was actually hoping for anywhere 15+ 20 being ideal in terms of mag.
My old 5.4 gas guzzler averaged as low as 7mpg sometimes and it was painful to fill up non stop.

I won't be hauling more then a couple snow machines and maybe the odd vehicle on a trailer so intercooler wouldn't be necessary then.

Really like the idea of the idi for simplicity and cheap to fix factor, but oh my does it feel good to step on it in a newer psd. There such torquey trucks!

Appreciate the replies, gonna keep looking up info and shopping around.
If I find any trucks that interest me I'll post the details here.

 

The turbo will help you fuel economy. You'll see the greatest improvements while towing.

IDI's in stock form are dogs, but with some time and money invested in to some upgrades, they can be transformed into a veritable powerhouse that rivals the more modern diesels. Justin, of R&D Performance, built one in a Bronco that exceeded 400hp at the wheels and 800 ft/lb of torque. That rivals the first generation 6.7L Powerstrokes. He's an active member on these boards, and sells the best IDI performance parts on the market. Everything you need to beef up your engine, he has it.

You can bring them up to 7.3 Powerstroke level performance with relative ease; truthfully, it's just a matter of how deep your pockets are and how much power you want.

Bear in mind that ridiculous power increases like that will be detrimental to the reliability of the engine. And reliability is one of the IDI's biggest selling points. In stock form the IDI puts out about 180hp/385tq; you should be able to bring those numbers up in to the 250/500 range without sacrificing reliability. Beyond that, you'll be starting to push the envelope a little bit.

 

Now I want the simplicity and reliability of a idi motor, with the the more powerful feel of the 99 psd.
I think I'm in trouble haha. Odds are I can't get the idi to psd performance for less then buying a psd. But then I have to let the idi go.

Hmm. Still think the idi is more what I need though. It's not a race truck, and although I'd love to have that psd feel and pull when I want it, a reliable truck at this point is what I need most cause the family SUV will always come first when repairs are needed. Which may affect my ability to keep a psd on the road if it becomes problematic.

 

My '94 IDI turbo, even with just a Banks downpipe and fuel turned up, made my '01 PSD feel like a dog. IMO, the PSD (and all the modern diesels) rely on lots of boost and relatively low compression ratios, making them dependent on boost to have any power whatsoever and have loads of low-speed turbo lag. The IDIT is the polar opposite - high compression with a somewhat low-boost turbo. My PSD was laggy compared to my IDI, even more so now that I've added a bigger elbow and full 3" DP. Parts are much less expensive on an IDI, no sensors to cause a no start condition, almost anyone can work on one. You can get 7.3 PSD+ levels of performance with an IDIT for less $ than a PSD that has needs. The only trouble is finding one, especially with a ZF-5...

 

The 7.3 PSD still maintains a reputation as the most reliable light duty diesel engine ever built, arguably with the exception of the 5.9 Cummins. Granted, most people kind of "forget" about the IDIs when making that claim, but there it is. It's not uncommon to see 7.3 PSDs exceed 500,000 miles in stock form, if you care for them. In fact, I read an article recently that spotlighted some 7.3 PSD owners who had taken their trucks over 1 million miles.

The problem with the PSD's in today's market is damn near everybody wants an arm and a leg for it, and unless you're buying from a frail old dude, it's likely that it's been modded and hot rodded, so there goes your reliability.

My father just bought a 2000 model year F-350, dually, automatic for $14,000 with 100k miles. He really lucked out finding it. With a simple turbo and exhaust upgrade it'll throw you back in your seat when you mash the gas pedal. No lag, the power is right there, right now. Most I've seen on flat ground, unloaded is high 20's for boost before you have to get off the pedal.

They can be built to ridiculous power, but everybody will do different things to their engines that allow them to make different claims toward the other one.

Personally, I want my IDI to be more responsive so I still need to get around to monkeying with the IP.

 

Going back to the front axle, trans and bed length issues...

All F-350s (pre '99) are long beds, so you will not find an original F-350 CCSB.

To my knowledge there were no OBS F-350 SuperCabs. F-250HDs yes, but not F-350.

In '95 - '97 Ford made F-250HD CCSB. And in '96 - '97 they made SCSB. So short box HD trucks aren't real common, but they are available (in an F-250HD).

As noted, the F-250 used the TTB front axle (Dana 44HD or Dana 50) from '80 to '97. The F-350 used a TTB in the early '80s but switched to a solid Dana 60 (in '85 or '86?). It's not hard to swap an F-350 Dana 60 into an F-250.

You're set on a manual? Good luck! I shopped for a crewcab gas manual trans for 3 years before settling for an auto. Maybe you'll have better luck, especially if you're also looking at diesels. But crewcabs weren't super common, manuals even less so, and the combo is really hard to find.

 

I currently own 3 F350's, in the 92-97 year range. They are great trucks, really reliable and easy to work on. Never had a problem with the Dana 60's under the front.

Having said that, mine are work trucks and not daily drivers. The ride quality is very harsh and takes away from the driving enjoyment. Off road travel is jarring and getting into sand results in wheel hop. Hands down the worse riding vehicles I've ever owned, and that includes a cab and chassis K3500. That would be my only reason for not purchasing an OBS F350, but that may not be a major issue with you.

If it was going to be my daily driver, I'd look into a reverse shackle kit, I've read that the results were impressive. I may try it on one of my trucks and see how it goes.

 

Thansk for all the tips and info so far guys! MY ideal truck and the one i purchase may of course be different. I'm patient and currently looking, but if a wicked deal on truck comes up that i just cant pass on i may go with it.

The only real things im fussy about is,
It must have a back seat. I have 3 kids and they love coming fishing so i want to have seating for 5+ people.
It must be Diesel and must be 7.3l IDI or PSD im considering both atm.
It must be a manual 4x4

Outside of that i can live with crew/Scab i can deal with short or long box, I'd love the dana60 but would settle for others on the 250 if it was a super clean truck and a great deal.

But as you guys have mentioned it's pretty slim pickins. There are maybe 15 trucks in ontario that are close to what im looking for and most of them are either rusted out, 500+k miles or seriously overpriced.
The hunt conrinues.

 

What it boils down to is cost in regard to the engine. Both 7.3 PS and idi are turds in stock form so there isn't much debate there. If reliability and cost are your main concerns.... Get an idi and never look back; a turbo'd idi with a decent injection pump from a place like R&D will make power levels high enough for it to be fun to drive, while the injection components are dirt cheap.

You'll never spend thousands on an idi, even if the engine fails. You'll eventually spend thousands on a powerstroke. Powerstrokes are great, but any that make it to 500k miles are on their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th set of injectors and who knows what else. The same would go for an idi; an idi with 500k miles is on its 2nd, 3rd or 4th injdction system overhaul but the difference is the idi parts are a fraction of the cost in comparison to a PS. Having owned a couple PS' s myself, I'll never actively look for one again. Having owned a few idis, I'd buy an idi in a heartbeat.

Don't let a ttb truck scare you away, they are awesome axles. If you really want the d60 it's an easy and relatively cheap swap.

Manual all the way, but the right auto truck at the right price is a no brainer....then just yank the garbage auto and swap in a manual.

 

Yeh I decided to broaden the search horizon to including auto trucks since there are so many manual transmissions available on used trucks and part out trucks. Will also consider the non dana 60 front ends.

Would the ttb style be a nicer ride? Mainly wanted the straight axle figuring it would be tougher and less likely to break down or at least not as often.
I'll be doing mostly dirt roads with a bit of highway to work and back.

I do roughly 30k a year but it would be considerably less having the truck and suv to split the mileage. I'd say the truck would see 15k a year kms.

Also the 94 turbo trucks, those are psd right? Not idi turbo unless the seller put a turbo himself?

 

They switched from idi turbo to psd turbo in the middle of 1994. I like the ttb on the front of my truck, the ride is pretty good for a big truck and it feels like I have a lot of grip up there when the rear end slides out. As far as reliability I can't answer that. I haven't had any problems with mine.