Thinking of trading my X :( thoughts on this F250 diesel?
 

2003 Ford F-250 $12,500 Possible Trade - 100634949 | Custom Full Size Truck Classifieds | Full Size Truck Sales

Are they all turbo? I really need the bed so I can haul dirt and things for all the work I'm doing on my house over the next few years and although I love the X the damn 5.4 2wd leaves me with limited options. I can't afford to buy a better equipped X so I have this or nothing. Thoughts?

Yes, they are all turbo after 96 I believe it was.

The passenger side looks nice. Any other pictures?

All modern diesels are turbo. My only thought is why the guy would be so willing to trade a diesel 4x4 for a v8 2wd.
What is the service history of the 250?

Its a 6.0, thats probably why. }>


Make sure you know what you are looking for if looking to buy a 6.0. Its best if you have access or buddy with some sort of scanner to go along and check out the 6.0 with. Gotta check fluids, does it have studs, what service was done to it and stuff?

Obviously. Who wouldn't want a 5.4 over a 6.0?:-drink

I would take a 6.0 over anything other than a 7.3

Going from a family hauler Excursion to an extended cab truck will be quite a bit different. If your not going to be carrying people around in the back seat I wouldn't worry about that part however with any vehicle second hand especiall the 6.0 either inspect it good yourself or get it inspected by a reputable shop. Unless your prepared to spend money on one.
At the same time its like what Micheal said in your header thread save the money for a diesel.

Just be prepared to possibly invest a good chunk of money into that 6.0 if needed, could be right away or it could be years away.

Have you considered getting a beater 4x4 truck to use for hauling stuff.

Personally I would avoid any 6.0 that has nothing done to it with a possible unknown history.

Who would trade a 4x4 diesel for a 2wd gasser so willingly.

They all make valid points about the 6.0 but its not as scary as a lot of people think.

I do however think you can find one for a better price. I got my X 6.0 4x4 with 140k on the clock for 9600 out the door. At that price I could justify if i needed to put 2k into the engine (which I did). But it has been great.

Super Cabs are fine, I had one that I traded in for my Ex. Just be ready for a huge reduction of inside space :-hair If it was me, I would be looking for a crew cab...

As for the 6.0, they can be a great engine, just be aware of what you are getting BEFORE pulling the trigger.

I know the 5.4 may be a little limited, but instead of getting a whole new rig, how about picking up a small trailer? You could use that to haul when needed, but have the Ex's space when hauling people or other precious cargo.

Good luck on what ever you choose

look around for a $1000 trailer...CostCo/Sams typically have a $200-300 utility trailer that can haul decent size loads.

I wouldn't touch that truck honestly. At least not trade wise. The seller is a flipper. He has sold 3 vehicles on that site in the last year. So odds are he bought it dirt cheap and is looking to offload quickly at higher price.



You will not appreciate the size reduction either. I went from a CrewCab F-250 to the X. The CrewCab is waaaaay smaller. An Extended cab is even smaller

Lots of flippers in TN. Good news is that the truck is probably rust free and never did any snowplow duty. Major cost is the bulletproofing - check if it has been studded, otherwise set aside 4-5G on top of the purchase price.

But, if utility is all you need, rent a trailer for the times you need it. Or, rent a pickup at Home Depot while you're getting your building supplies.

X2
I have a single axle utilty trailer for our jeep in colorado, has a fold down ramp for putting refrig/freezer in it along with big rocks/logs i need to move. $60/yr insurance, paid $1500 new for it.
Great for taking brush to burn piles too.

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You dont have to do head studs on a 6.0 unless your wanting big HP and use a tune that will boost over about 29 psi. I have 210k on my 6.0, no studs, no HG issues and I run a mild custom street tune.
The cost of bulletproofing is all in the labor. If you can get the EGR off yourself and install a delete kit, your only out a couple hundred bucks. The do a coolant flush and change it to red ELC coolant. Another $150.
Done.

Why not get a trailer?

True, but many 6.0 end up with HG failure even without tunes and thus one should set aside (or at least expect) another $4-5k (or half for DIY) in repair cost should it be needed.

This is the best idea in my opinion. Having a pickup is great, but the EX with a trailer is cheaper, and more useful IMO.

I dont know of a single one. To say "many" is a stretch. Of course any engine can have a failed HG for whatever reason but the #1 cause of 6.0 head gasket failure is excessive cylinder pressure from custom tunes. Factory tuning simply can not lift a head.

I didn't tune my 6.0 until after I had my HG and studs done. I had replaced the oil cooler and the EGR and still had coolant stains all over the engine compartment. So now you know at least one...

I used to flip cars and trucks a few years ago (check out my profile) but the X I paid cash for and never had any intention of selling. The only reason I put it up was just because the first day I had it I was overwhelmed by the size and thought I would never get used to it and was afraid to drive it. I put it up for sale and the wife took the keys to my Blazer. I had to run to the store and so the X was the only real choice, never had an issue since. I drive this thing like a little Miata now :D I do NOT have money for bulletproofing/rebuilding/head studs or anything of the like. I have no way of doing it myself to be honest, I can work on my 5.4 a little but am much better suited at 4cyl, old school import trucks and turbine engines (seriously). The EGR I can probably handle but other than that I'm out. I would really like a diesel but I am not going to go out on a limb and risk what I have for it, my 5.4 is nice :) I think I'll have to pass on this one unless there is something to save it. The overwhelming response on here speaks for itself!

Just got a few pics via email from him (Kinda small and not very detailed really) and a brief description so I thought I would post it up:


2003 f250 lariat, 4x4, 6.0, 152k, bed liner, tow package, leather, Michelin tires, 1/2 tread or little less, no issues what so ever with the 6.0, I know some people don't like that engine.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...s56293f29.jpeg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...sabe33402.jpeg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...s1162051e.jpeg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...s7349199b.jpeg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...scc74ff2f.jpeg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...s50dcdd71.jpeg

Whew, good job guys, nice stick save.

We kept him in the "fold."

The fact that their small phone pictures and that he didn't take any of the rear seats, back of the truck, bed of the truck is a little odd. If it was as nice as he claims it is he should be taking all the pictures he could.

Welcome back to the dark side, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Shouldn't diesel be the "dark side"?

Yep, and the only one. And you know for sure it was a blow head gasket causing the degas bottle to puke and not just the weak cap?

No pics of the engine bay, probably because there's coolant residue from boiling away. I would never touch a 6.0 unless I had detailed paperwork showing what was done, there's too many variables with no history.

Good call on keeping the EX, most places now rent 6x12 Dump trailers for hauling dirt, rocks etc.

Unless you absolutely need a 4x4, your 2wd 5.4 Ex is a good vehicle. If you really need more power, just re-gear it to 4.30 and keep stock size tires. It will have plenty of power. There is nothing wrong with a 5.4 Ex. Especially when it's paid for.

I'm totally out, he seems flaky and I have a lot of time invested in my truck :) Plus I loose this family if I trade the X off :D

What's wrong with these guys? Super Duty & Heavy Duty - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

You could expand your family not lose your family.

Yep - tried new cap first. After HG and studs (trust me I tried everything else first) - no more problems. Let's end this unrelated to the OPs post. We can argue this back and forth until we are blue in the face.

Apocalypse made the right decision keeping what he has - regardless - because keeping the Ex is economically the best option no matter how you slice it.

Trading for another used vehicle often just changes the faults you have. Glad the OP is keeping it..

I suspect coolant leaking into the intake from holes in egr cooler contributed to a few blown head gaskets. Not sure studs could've held the gaskets then either.

I had to replace a blown head gasket on my tahoe, twice, one each time. Luckily, with FTE's knowledge base, every repair makes my Ex better than original. Never had this experience before. :-)

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Couldn't agree more ;)

Now buy some new parts for your X and love it. :D

You say you're limited in what you can do for work on the 5.4 but were thinking about trading it for a 6.0?? :o

Well a 4X4 truck, the lift options are there where they are not on my 2wd X and there is no HP upgrades left on my 5.4 to speak of.

your 5.4 2v is essentially the same externally as a 5.4 2v out of the Lightning or HD F-150

just saying, there is another +100 HP that can be bolted on with relatively little work. there are quite a few walkthroughs on how to slap the blower/intake off a HD or L onto a normal 5.4 2v. and since many of the HD/L guys upgrade their blowers...you can get the blower quite cheap

It's a little more than "relatively little" but then again, it depends on a persons individual definition of "relatively little." ;)

Here's a list of what's needed for converting a N/A 5.4L engine to a S/C Lightning clone. http://www.madenterprise.com/scparts.htm

Stewart