Buying a 96 F250 Crew Cab 7.3 4x4 any advice?
 

I am looking at buying a 96 F250 4x4 with the powerstroke 7.3 Crew cab in almost show room condition. My only concern is the 270k miles. In the last year it has had a new auto trans put it, new tires, ball joints, turbo, radiator, brakes drums and rotors. Only cons are the dash is cracked, and the normal driver seat wear. It is for sale for 7500. Thoughts?

Welcome to FTE :-wink

That sounds like a pretty good price. Any mods, or is the truck still all stock?

The only mod is new exhaust, other than that nothing...its pretty stock.

Does it have documentation for parts replaced? Have you owned a diesel before? There's a great list that someone will post about what to look for. Have you started it cold? If its that clean, offer 6500 and see what they say. Where are you located?

Welcome to FTE!

1.) Air filter. Look and see if the air filter box is intact i.e. no broken tabs / cracked housing / loose or cracked intake boots / pieces. Make sure it hasn't been bypassing dirt into the engine. You can also look at the fins on the turbine in the turbo. If it is eaten up bad (more than just a little) it has been making some serious contact with dirt and could indicate "dusting".
See any alerts here, demand a Cylinder Pressure / Compression Test before purchase.

2.) What about service records. It's nice to KNOW whether the services have been done or not. Not necessary but good to have. The more miles on the truck the more imortant the service records become.

3.) Melted stickers under the hood. You can look at the stickers under the hood to check for melting / distortion. This could indicate excess heat in the engine compartment and would require further investigation were it me. Also look for tears in the underhood insulation from broken belts or other things that could have gone awry.

4.) Towing equipment. Set up to tow? 5th Wheel / Gooseneck / Reese Hitch? See how much wear those components have. Try to find out what it used to tow, you don't want a tired old hotshot rig if you're looking for a daily driver to power up.

4.) The Tranny / Drivetrain. How does it drive down the road? How does it shift? At full throttle or light traffic driving. There's not much more you can do but feel it while you drive.

5.) Chips, Programmers, Mods? If it is modded, you have no idea how they treated the truck unless you know them or can trust them. Besides, it's more fun to start fresh and do the mods YOU want, if any.

6.) Water damage. Of course

7.) Fluids. A used oil analysis (IE: from blackstone labs) would be nice. It would let you know if wear levels are within spec and give a good indication of how well the previous owner maintained oil changes. The tranny fluid should be a rich red/pink color SHOULD NOT smell burned or look black. Brake fluid should be full / clean. See if the pinion seal on the rear differential is leaking, fairly common. If it is leaking, take the cost to fix off the price. You could also make sure the rear wheel seals aren't leaking.

8.) Brakes, Balljoints, and Wheel Bearings. Does it go down the road and stop smooth? Any play in the front hub assy? Brakes may "vibrate" while coming to a stop since these are heavy trucks and the OEM rotors like to warp. In order to check for ball joints and wheelbearings jack one side of the front up. Have someone strong or capable hold the tire at 12 and 6 o clock. Have then forcefully move the tire back and forth. While this is happening you need to get in behind the tire and see if there is any movement. Check the hub assembly and ball joints for movement, if there is any then you need to replace them. here is a link to Powerstrokeshop.com - PSD and Ford Superduty Parts that sells kits for ball joints, wheel bearings, and other things.

9.) CPS Failures, some of these trucks are notorious for eating CPS's. They can leave you stranded anywhere anytime intermittedly. Finding out if it has been replaced (maybe more then once) might be a good idea. You never know when they'll go out, so it is best to carry a spare. These can often be had for under 60 bucks shipped on ebay, and can easily run in excess of 200 dollars at the dealership!!! It is a simple fix that is described in the "tech files" for the 7.3 forum.

Things To Look For When Buying A Used PSD

Turbo:

You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.

Airbox:

Check the two bolts holding down the airbox lid. If they are plastic with a square recess, it is a recalled part. The recall is expired, but without the updated lid the risk of dirt infiltration is greater, the lid was updated with more supports and the updated bolts are metal with a straight slot.

Tranny:

If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.

Rear Gear Ratio:

4:10 will pull better, get slightly lower mpg’s and run a higher RPM compared to 3:55.

Coolant:

Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0. Also, see if it has a block heater (it was an option on 97's).

Front end:

Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)

Oil:

The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.

Aftermarket stuff:

Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.

Glow Plugs/Relay:

Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.

CPS Failures:

Some of these trucks are notorious for eating CPS's. They can leave you stranded anywhere anytime intermittedly. Finding out if it has been replaced (maybe more then once) might be a good idea. You never know when they'll go out, so it is best to carry a spare. These can often be had for under 60 bucks shipped on ebay, and can easily run in excess of 200 dollars at the dealership!!! It is a simple fix that is described in the "tech files" for the 7.3 forum.

Injector o-rings:

The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.

Leaks and Drips:

You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.

VIN number:

If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history.

Compiled from various links around the net.

Welcome

He has all the receipts, I have never owned one, but drive one at work...It is very clean, located in Redding Ca. He is firm on the price... It starts easy even at 40 degrees, drives smooth. I have just always had gassers, I chop and deliver wood for extra $$ and also am having my first kid. So the diesel power and 4 doors would be nice.

Thanks

Here is a link to the ad of it for sale...just dont buy it out from under me :)

96 ford f 250Turbo diesel 4x4

I also already ran the car fax, and it is clean but the last reported mileage was 48K, it now has 270k, other than that it hasn't had anything else reported besides when it was bought and sold.

I'd probably pay that much, but I am pretty much only a stick shift guy.

Clean truck. The red interior would be a deal-breaker for me though. If it's rust free, and you plan on keeping it forever I'd say go for it.

I am normally the same way, but the last Shortbed Crew Cab I found with 250K as 10,000 here.

Haha my wife said the same thing. I can always get them recovered in black.

Nice looking truck. Have you went and looked at it and test drove it yet? If the proper maintanence has been done, I wouldn't be too cocerned with the mileage.

So, I am assuming that for most of you the mileage isnt an issue, since it comes with the territory on these trucks?

I live an hour away and have been there once, but only going back if I am 100% sure. It drove smooth and straight. He used it for the last 2 years to deliver hottubs, but decided he didnt need it to tow 300lb trailer and 600lb hottubs so went to a f250 5.4 gas.

With proper maintenance, that mileage is nothing to be scared about.

These trucks are known to go for half a million miles without much work. Tranny is definitely something you should have a bit of concern about unless you know the replacement was from a reputable source. Otherwise just have a thousand or two set aside in case of a what-if situation. Pretty much should have that with anything out of warranty though, so no different than any other vehicle.

Luckily he had the trans done at an good shop and still has 8 months left on warranty.

If it were me, and I had the money, I'd buy it. But I'm a sucker for these trucks though....especially the crw cabs! :D

Buying any used vehicle is a crap shoot period. So, if you like the truck, think it's a good deal, and can afford it, then I'd go for it! :-X22

Thanks guys! I am going to go sleep on it, and Ill let you know how it turns out! Much appreciated! :-drink

Good looking truck and that's a good price for around here. I just bought one a few months back for $7500 with 208k miles, but not in that good of shape, and a lot of original parts. Where are you located in Nor Cal?

I am in Southern Oregon, two hours north.

To put it in perspective, that truck would fetch 10-12 here in Ohio all day.

DOOO ITTT! stop sleeping! lol

I actually bought my truck in Medford. I looked all the way from Canada to Mexico on the west coast for an OBS crew cab and I'd say that's a good price. Drive it and if you like it go for it.

If you don't want it, I'll fly out there and get it. I would say you could get around 10k for that truck around here. I'd get it, but that is also my dream truck (minus the red interior).

Red

If a dealer around here had that truck for sale, it would be 10k+. Mileage hurts it some for sure. Heck, a nice clean 96 250 single cab long box was listed for 11995 here recently and was gone in a week.

Had to edit. I didn't see the high miles in the first post. I was thinking it was maybe half that miles and originally put it would bring close to 15k here, and it would.

Update: I am going to go get it Monday, would of today but work got in the way. Pretty excited about it, only thing I am going to be nervous about is the injectors as the current owner doesn't know when or if they have ever been replaced but has always changed the oil every 5k along with the fuel filter every 10k. I talked to our diesel specialist here and he said worst case is down the road 3K for injectors to be replaced. It doesnt smoke on cold start, and starts right up without any shaking or funny noises. Non the less I can't wait to call her mine! :)

The good news is that if you're mechanically inclined, brand new upgraded injectors can be had for about a third of that from one of our sponsors. Congrats on the new rig. Oh and this is an FTE rule, pics or it didn't happen!

Wow, thats awesome. And don't worry I will get a pic to you guys as soon as I get the keys!

Yessir, stick with FTE and learn as much as you can. These guys won't steer you wrong. :-X25

I am seeing that! I am excited to learn as much as I can about the 7.3. :-X04

Great to hear you got a new truck! Gotta see more pics for sure!

Awesome! Yet another CC!

Ok so now that its settled, any advice on getting rid of the red interior haha

Congrats on getting the truck!.........I knew you would LOL!!

I would find a donor truck with the color you want and use what you can from there. Should be able to find a nice gasser parts truck.

IMO let the red grow on you. You're gonna have a hard time finding all the stuff you need, especially being a 4 door, to switch it over, not mentioning all the work.

I think I might just get seat covers for the front and back and call it good, as it is in great condition...and I know I am going to want to start some mods on the motor, its all stock right now has new exhaust but is just single 3inch , I want to do the exhaust 4inch turbo back with a 5 inch tip, but have no idea where to start with the motor. Chip? Fuel Plate?

These don't require fuel plates, that is a Cummins thing IIRC.


You need:
3 inch downpipe with your exhaust mods,
6637 intake,
boost and egt gauges so you don't melt down your motor
After that there is always:
Electric fuel
Bigger Turbo
Bigger Injectors
Built auto or SMF conversion and built clutch if 5spd.