General Used Diesel Trucks Question

[Boficus]

I am considering of buying a used Ford Diesel pickup truck in the future. My budget will probably keep my choices to the pre-Power Stroke engine trucks. From what I have seen in the forums, there's two types of engines that were offered in the trucks of this age, a "Pre Power Stroke 7.4" and another type that's quieter. I also would like to hear any pitfalls and troubles that these older diesels have had. I already understand starting in cold weather is one common problem. I also understand that the 7.4's are rather noisy as compered to other engines. Anyone out there care to please comment on their older diesels and how they are faring in terms of reliability, durability and ease of use? My intended use for the truck is infrequent light towing (3000 lbs max.) and general light inter-city use. Also, what fuel mileage can one expect from the 7.4 liter motor? Many thanks

[fordiesel69]

For correction, there are TWO types offered, the 6.9L IDI, and the 7.3L IDI. The 6.9 was offered from 1983 thru 1987 whereas the 7.3 was offered from 1988 thru 1994.5. From 1993.5 thru 1994.5 there was a heavier duty turbo diesel.

Both engines are pretty much identical except for the bore, stroke, and head bolt size.

Some of the pros and cons of the 6.9L:

Pro's
Generally easier to start
Slight chance of cavitation
Almost as powerfull as the 7.3
Genarally a good dependable engine


Cons
Uses alot of oil, very common problem
Valve lifters can fail, and flatten out the cam
Head gaskets need changed at about 100k
Glowplug controllers are worthless, never work right!!!!!!

Some of the pros and cand of the 7.3L:

Pro's
Very good glowplug system
Uses Less oil genarally than the 6.9L
Bigger head bolts to lessen the chance of head gasket problems

Con's
CAVITATION!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can happen between 75k-150k
Harder to start due to the glowplug angle was changed
Chassis to engine harness has a problem with melting. Very simple fix though.

All in all, these are both pretty good engines. If it starts, runs good, and does not smoke whote or blue, then you will be fine. Concern yourself more with the condition of the truck rather than the engine.

[Spectramac]

Or you can get an '87 6.9. They have the 7.3 style glow plug system.

[redneckmechnic]

Find a truck that has been well cared for and take good care of it yar self. this means regualer routine maintence done on time and with good quailty products. my truck has alwasy been well cared for by the previuos owner and me and shes still kicken.

[Hired Gun]

My 88 7.3 cost near $2,000 in repair a year to keep it running. That was over a 10 year 100,000 miles average.

Pro's:
No power
cool big rig sound.
used lots of oil
smokes
You get to buy $16 a bottle additive at least once a month to make the fuel system live more than a couple months.
You learn to have patience as your not passing anyone ever.
Very heavy front end wears out tires and suspension components rapidly.
You get to spend all your spare time looking for more power and reading articles to help you understand why you like your diesel.
You get to buy more special tools to work on it.
An onboard complete set of tools, jumper cables, spare parts, belts and a tow strap will have you well prepared for every day situations that arise. Don't forget a full can of starting fluid for when you get to the end of your battery power.


Con"s:
Service shops charge more for diesel Parts and labor.
11 mpg highway. 8 mpg with a load.
Fans belts and batteries every other year.
Can't talk while engine is running.
You get to buy a couple new glow plugs every time it gets cold out.
If you ever run it out of fuel it will about cost you a $200 starter and a pair of expensive 1000cca batteries to get it going again.
All the tow companies will send you Christmas cards.
Replacement engines cost three times as much as a gas engine.


The best thing about my 7.3 is it blew the rods out at 188,000 miles and put itself out of me and my neighborhoods misery. That's okay as the remains of my $2,000 fuel system that is only 500 miles old is worth nothing on the resale market. I changed the oil on this every month and it still turned the oil black in the first minute.

[redneckmechnic]

Sounds like ya had a lemon my truck cost me 500 bucks to buy with a blowen tranny another 500 bucks for the tranny and thats it. alwasy starts never use additive in the fuel never burned up any starters have run out of fuel a couple times and it gets 18 mpg on the high way.

[MRZ]

Hired Gun-

Yikes! Next time you are stuck in that situation, get the vehicle running and trade it on a Toyota Prius or a Segway Transporter.

I long for the days when going the speed limit is okay, and 70 for a truck that was built to go 55 is just fine in my book. Why can't everyone just drive responsibly and slow down? I was hit TWICE in one month, the last one was a trip to the hopsital, and now I am glad when people pass me. At least they are not running stop signs into my passenger door. Seriously, if you hate being passed get a McClaren F-1 or a Porche. If you need to speed well just bite the bullet and be late- just leave early next time º¿º

You had a lemon, roll the dice on another and trade that puppy off. I have never heard of such problems. Heck, that is why I bought a diesel, everyone I knew around me was getting at least 15 mpg and so far I don't regret it one bit. Plus it is big and people don't tend to smack into this one while speeding and passing, talking on the cell, while eating their cheeseburger.

[Hired Gun]

With my 7,000-pound trailer it wouldn't even do 55 most of the time and as far as passing that would only be possible if they actually pulled off and parked. I have never had a speeding ticket and don't mind being passed. I also have never been in a car wreck, as I know how to drive very defensively. As far as being on time when I travel I usually get there 2 or 3 days early if nothing breaks. I drag race all over the northwest and do my racing on the track, never on the road.

The load in this picture here is near 22,000 pounds combined. I am extremely responsible and have never had a mishap on the street.


I wish I could trade this off but the replacement cost for me is near 100,000 dollars due to all the modifications that need to be done for me to drive it. I did the next best thing and put a nice 460 in it. I lost one mile per gallon and tripled my horsepower so now I’m not hazarding the road with another rig going 26 miles per hour on every grade and no one has to risk their life anymore to get around me when I didn’t have the power to even, get to the speed limit. I now can hold the limit on any grade with any load.

After you have had yours 10 years or so then you come back and tell me how great it was. By then you will have done injectors a time or two, went through a couple dozen glow plugs, belts, and a water pump. You might have even got to spend some quality time somewhere waiting for a tow truck and being at the mercy of some shop that charges to make your truck worse. If you like to tinker, and have something else to drive when it is not working then a diesel is for you as it will nearly always need something done to it. Now if you don’t drive it or work it like I have then maybe it will last forever

[redneckmechnic]

I dont no ive owned my truck for about 5 years now and it has close to 300,000 on the orginal motor injector pump and yes even the injectors are orginal. I dont no if the glow plugs have been done but ive never done them and they do get used up here in northern new york. I also pull cattle trailers with the truck some sl;ightly over weight and can alwasy hold a decent speed and keep up with tractor trailers on the hills. Ive only ever been in one wreck with my truck and thatw as when a lady yaking on her cell phone blew a stop sign and decided to clean the mud off my plow frame with the side of her van. luckily no one was hurt but she sure did learn one lesson that day. I am sorry that ya have had such bad luck with yar diesel ive never really heard of any body thats had quiet that much trouble on the same engine.

[kidoo]

This is my second ford 7.3 and of course being a F250 it is more expensive to repair than a normal light duty truck. I bought the truck because I have a Truck camper, near to 3000 pounds in the bed. What I like is the fuel millage and in order to get the same power i would need a big gas engine that would be quite expensive on gas. I also like the sound, makes you feel you have a real heavy duty truck.
As for gas engine truck, if it is old, you still have problem to fix. If it is new, the are now very complicated to fix with all the electronic.
Well, may be you are right it is touchy on the injectors and glow plug, but, it is a real truck, not the fancy stuff.

Cheers,

[Spectramac]

Hired Gun,
Sorry you had all those problems with your van. It sounds like you had a few cases of mechanics not really knowing what was wrong with your engine so they just threw parts at it until it started. That's the only way you could've changed all those parts in that span of time. I have noticed these engines don't seem to hold up as well in vans (no reason why). I work on these things at least a couple times a week, 95% in pickups. They all hold up well and usually get to around 300,000 miles before they need to be yanked. Glad you found a solution to your problem, even though you had to jump ship on the diesel.

[Ford rocks and rules]

Hi All
Just joined up. Great site. Just wanted to add my 2 cents on the topic-my 1991 f250 4x4 has 360,000 km. with no major work. It runs like a champ with tons of power, no smoke and 21 miles per Can. gallon.

[beretzs]

I have no idea about your van but my truck is at 125,000 and is still really strong, the PO never did anything to it. I found this out when I put the turbo on and looked over the engine, still all factory equipment. My father ran his 1986 4X4 F250 for 300,000 some miles before he retired it. It still runs, he just needed a new rig, Logging beats up trucks. You are right, they are not powerhouses but the do pretty well. Sounds like you had a whole lemon grove parked in your yard. If you look around where I am from the are still the old fellers driving their F250's 6.9's from the first ones that rolled off the line and they have had very little trouble with them and they have most all been used as farm trucks alot, so with that. Sorry but don't bash the truck because of one bad seed. My father had a 1987 F350 Dump that blew its first 460 at 67000 and that truck got babied so much more than any truck he ever owned. It is not that the 460 was a bad engine its that the engine was made on a Monday or something. Scotty

[fonefiddy]

Quote,

"The load in this picture here is near 22,000 pounds combined. I am extremely responsible and have never had a mishap on the street. "


Um, you need a bigger truck!

No wonder the poor thing gave you problems.

I've read more good stories than horror stories regarding the old IDI's. They were no hot rods, but they are depenable, cheap and easy to maintain.

[Dave Sponaugle]

22,000 towing is no problem. 17,000 truck alone is no problem either. I do that lots with my 86 F250 with a 9' dump bed. Over 250 k miles and still going strong with original motor. A few glow plugs and a vacuum pump are the only repairs, just very regular oil and fuel filter changes.