I am looking at a '96 F350 srw cc 4x4 PSD Auto with 86,000 miles on it in perfect interior and exterior condition. I currently own an '05 F250 and love it, but considering the '96 to add to the family. I always hear how reliable the 7.3 is and wanted to hear from people who own them. How good is the tranny? What are payload and towing ratings? Are there any things I should be checking out before a purchase? The truck is running 35" tires and looks very cool with no other mods. Can someone give me power numbers? If this truck is likely to run for 250,000 miles or more without much trouble, I would be interested in purchasing. Oh, the owner is the original owner and states he rarely towed and if he did, it was only 4,000 to 5,000 pounds. Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

the only problem is the auto. take care of it and you should be fine. sounds like you found a good truck

 

Thanks for your response. Did Ford offer a manual in '96 or '97 and is it advisable to obtain a truck that has the stick. I don't mind a manual and would rather have longevity and economy versus convenience. Do you have any power/capacity numbers on these trucks. I assume you have a '97 from your name and photo (nice truck by the way).

 

ford offered a manual in 94.5 on all psd's no autos that year.
also available in 95,96,97

i would say 95% of guys on here and the other place you posted this ??? have autos. some have lots of problems and spend some $$$$ to beef em up ans some go forever.
a stick is harder to come by. and will usually bring a higher price.

all of our year trucks are good and run forever though if maintained. so i am sure it is a good buy.

94.5-96 psd's = 215 hp at the crank
97 psd's 225 at the crank. i forget the torque number but i think from what i recall its in the high 400's.

buy an obs psd you will not regret it.
an obs psd is an investment not a purchase. just look at the value they still hold and the prices a nice one brings.

 

With the E4OD, I heard not to tow (say a 30' camper) in OD. Then heard if the RPM's are up, it's OK, like on a level stretch of hiway.
Any rule of thumb on this????

 

I bought mine with an auto .. first auto Ive ever owned. and I regret it evrey time i get in to the thing.. I love truck. but with an auto you only have 4 sp as apose to the manual 5.. and IMO the auto sucks for pulling trailers.infact Ii cant think of any thing that the auto does better...
as far as the the trucks go they ar great...enless you tow a lot.. not just on ocasion.. I would get the 3.55 rear gearing better MPG and if you have a maual you can down shift to get better power.. Mine has 190K and runs great.. j

 

I have a 96 E series with the E4OD. I tow most of the time. I had the trans rebuilt with the strongest parts we could get. I have no trouble towing. I have a 4.11 rear. My truck weighs about 11,500 plus the trailer, which right now is about 7k. I get about 15 and drop about 2 towing. I don't drive real fast. Usually about 55-60 especially towing. I use the OD towing on the turnpike but not off of it, because I can hit OD by 40 mph. So I keep it off while on secondary roads. I believe the towing on that truck is 10K for srw. Good luck with it.