Whatsup you Ford truck experts! I'm hoping you can help me and lend me some advice. Currently looking buying one of two trucks I'm looking at. they are F250's in a 1996-97, one has 7.3 PowerStroke Diesel -other- a Gas V8. Both have 200k miles on them and appear at first look to be in similar shape (different private owners).

I have never owned a Diesel truck before but hearing great things about them and the life of the engine etc... I don't plan to tow with it except maybe tow my quad trailer once in a while if needed when others come to ride too, I plan to use just basic yard work, hardware store, trash removal etc...

Questions:

Can you guys give me your advice on which direction you would go for purchasing one of these two trucks... consider the prices are fairly similar (within few hundred bucks). Both have approx 220,xxx Miles...

-Would you go for the Diesel F250 or Gas F250?
-How many miles would you expect the Diesel engine to last for?

Thanks!!

BradF250

 

i was looking for a 94.5 to 97 powerstroke 4wd b4 winter but didnt find anything in my price range so i got a 92 f250 5.8. wish i woulda waited a bit. most get the diesel to tow or haul. i wanted it bc it gets great mileage period. has tons of power. and dollar for dollar they are easier to mod and get a greater payout. compare this. take a stock gas and diesel truck. throw an intake, exaust ( diesel a down pipe and 4" turbo back. for gas headers and full exaust) and a chip. you will make doublee the power then the gas.have a much more heavyer duty truck, get even better mileage. as u can tell im pro diesel..

 

go on youtube. there are vidoes of a powerstroke dually that stomps m3's, jags, porches in drag race. itll stomp them and get better mileage. if ya lift it itll have the tq to turn those big tires easier then a gas too. plus swap out the turbo and have a great sounding truck. go check out the forums of powerstrokenation.com very helpfu ldiesel people. im a frequent lposter over there too.

 

No offense but we have an IDI forum here as well. The guys that are there are very helpful as well. I have seen Rubber Duck go way above and beyond to help people out.

 

yeah,don't rule out the IDI trucks if they fit your budget better.
check out the indirectly injected diesel prior to the PSD?
you should be able to find one in your price range.
they cannot be built up really (well,not without internal mods) to make the kind of power the PSD does BUT still great powerful engines for working.

 

My advice and I have been around diesels my whole life, from tractors to trucks, and I love them. My most recent diesel truck was an '08 F250 with 6.4L powerstroke. I've had a 91 7.3L IDI, and I owned a 99 Dodge with the 24V cummins. Currently I own a 89 F250 with a 460, now while I love my truck, I really do, plenty of power and in great shape, it still is no diesel.
A few things to consider, I will give you the facts and you make your own decision. The 7.3L Powerstroke is going to make more power than the gasser, if not more than atleast similar power numbers, however, it does this making in the high teens in terms of fuel mileage. The diesel engine in a powerstroke will get you a minimum of 300,000 miles before it needs a rebuild, (most times even more if you take good care of it) while at 220K miles the gasser is probably ready for a rebuild or getting close to needing it anyway. You can make the diesel crank out a ton more power with just a few mods, where as the gasser is going to be pretty well maxed out where it already is, you can get maybe 30-40 hp gains, but not enough to notice, plus most times when you mod a gasser you kill the already horrible mileage, diesels if you mod them they will keep the mileage they were making before and most times get better. As far as towing, no one will argue with me, once you have pulled with a diesel truck, you will never want to tow with anything else, trust me, I've had big block chevy's and big block fords, (I'm a diehard Ford guy at heart) and neither of them will pull like a diesel.
The Bad........and yes there are drawbacks, you cant have a good point without having a bad one. Diesels cost more to maintain, that year powerstroke will hold about 3 gallons of oil, Rotella 15-40 is about $10-12/gallon, filter probably close to $20, fuel filters are more expensive, air filters are about the same cost as a gasser, so maintenance costs will run you between $50-100 when you do it, now the good thing is on a diesel you dont have to do it but ever 10K miles unless your pulling it hard. When it comes to engine parts, repairs, things of that nature, they are considerably more expensive, for example if you lose a turbo, thats probably around $3K if you have it done by a mechanic, and if you hire out the work, find a good diesel mechanic, they are harder to find than regular mechanics, (outside of the dealerships anyway). Diesel fuel is more expensive, I dont know where you live, but in Oklahoma diesel is around $3.30-3.40/gallon, compared to gas at $2.80, but once again when your getting 5-8 mpg better mileage you can justify it, plus with this ethanol mixed gas, once the increase the mixture to 15% our era trucks will not run real well on it, we will be having to buy that additive that you put in your tank ever fill up to displace the alcohol in the gas in order for them to run right, where as a diesel, you can throw a quart of 10W-30 in your tank and it will run on it.
Furthermore, these are the facts, no personal feelings went into this, here it is though, if your not going to use this truck that often, in other words if this isnt going tobe your daily driver, DO NOT BUY THE DIESEL!!! Diesels were designed for one thing, they are made to run, loaded or unloaded they love to run down the highway. If this is to be a truck that you may drive 2-3 times per week then save your sanity and your money and get the gasser because if thats the case the diesel will be the worst truck you have ever had because they were not made to sit, (setting is bad for any truck, but way worse on a diesel), I'll go even further and say that if you are just going to be driving this truck 5-10 miles to work, even if you do it every day, DO NOT BUY THE DIESEL!!!! Even though your driving it every day, in the winter time diesels need to run a little while to warm up, so if your only driving a few miles to work its still hard on them. I have a neighbor who had a 24V cummins and I cant wait to laugh at him when he screws that truck up, it will take a while but he will, he has never owned a diesel, and on a 20 degree morning, he gets in, starts it up, and pulls away, then raps it to 3K going down the road. You cant do this type of thing with a diesel, they need to warm up in the mornings, or on any cold start, especially if you arent going to be driving a long way because it wont warm up in the amount of time your driving.
I know I gave you alot of info and your probably on overload, but those are the facts and no one can argue with it, if I were you I would sit back and figure out what you are going to use the truck for and make your decision from that. Good luck

 

Hey - great question! I really like the details that were given in answer to your question - great info! Although I am totally a newbie when it comes to diesels, if, like was mentioned, you do drive her fairly often, I would go with the diesel. I have had mine for a year now, and am completely in love! I love the sound. I love the power. I even love the smell. It's a man's truck all the way! And, the guys on forums like these and others are so incredibly helpful, that you'll never really be stuck for long if she does develop a hiccup. This is the first non-gasser I've ever owned (or even driven), but I have to say that I'm hooked! I've had quite a few small things that I've had to do (nothing ever major), but because of the help I've gotten I was able to do just about all the work myself. Really, not too much goes wrong, and most of the things that do are fairly simple fixes (sensors and the like). I have no mechanical training, and very few tools, and have to do everything outside as I have no garage, and I still managed. I would second the caution though....if she's going to sit, especially in the winter, treat her with care!! My truck takes forever to warm up idling at 500 rpm when it's 20 below (some poeple install a high-idle switch to aleviate this), so when I know it's going to be cold, I plug her in, start her up and let her idle for at least 10 minutes (I mean ten actual minutes not two!), and then drive away very slowly (I live in the country with not much traffic, so it's fairly easy to do). I like to treat her the way I would like to be treated if I just woke up! So, another long answer, but for me, if you can treat her carefully in winter, and you have at least a little bit of mechanical aptitude, I would go with the diesel. You won't be disapointed. My 2 cents worth. Good luck! Michael.

 

I think Jim meant to say we have an OBS forum here.. LOL.

In the mileage range your looking at, I say go for the diesel. The gasser will be close to worn out most likely. The PSD can/will be fine for 400k+ excluding accessories and maybe a fuel pump and some fuel lines that get old and dry cracked. Mine has 330k miles on it now and runs pretty dang good if I do say so myself. Here is a link to check out for buying a used Powerstroke diesel...

Tips - Idea - Hints

 

Not dissing this forum JIM just saying where ths site has ONE that site i mentioned is DEVOTED to anything ford with a diesel may it be international or cummings. find a whole wealth more knowlege there but dont stray away from here though.

 

i have grew up around diesels my whole life. my dad is a certified diesel mechanic of 30yrs. he knows everything and is always going back to school to learn about new stuff. ive owned a few diesels and gassers. i sold dad the 6.9 bc it was 2wd so i could git a 4wd. but got a gasser instead. i regret it. big time.. on the idi's worst day i got 13mpg. ( i was towing a dual axle landscaping trailer with a ton of river rock on trailer and a yard of mulch in the bed) on a GOOD day i get 10mpg with the 5.8 completly empty babying the crap outa it. idk man all we can say it go with what u feel comfortable with

 

Here here, I agree with OldFord, I miss my diesels, I will get another one in the near future, but as I have told everyone before I am staying away from everything newer than 03 1/2, I will keep with the old reliable 7.3, I had the 6.4 and it just has way too much emissions crap on it, and the brand new ones are even worse. I'll get a 7.3, or a 01-04 duramax, or God forbid a 5.9 cummins, I love the cummins motor but I hate Dodges. I feel your pain on the fuel mileage part, my 460 is strong but it gets thirsty, I have a feeling after this summer of pulling my job trailer around I will probably be looking for a diesel real quick. Dont stray away from the idi's either, with aftermarket parts and turbos the old idi's can make a lot of power for a reasonable budget.

 

read that whole tips and tricks page.. long *** page man.. printed it out for dad too.. couldnt hurt lol

 

and dont get me started on that banks crap.... dont waste your money. get real quality stuff. if you go on powerstrokenation dont mention banks... u will get ranted on for a wile lol. it is crap. one day i will trash the 5.8 and find myself a 94.5 to 97 cclb/sb 4wd 5spd 7.3. It will get guages, clutch, downpipe and 4 or 5" straight pipe into duals 45'd out the rear with 5 to 7" tips. a stealth hpop, stage 2 injectors, either a d66 or similar, tymar, tony wildman or beans 6pos chip, mabye an intercooler, diff covers, new gearz for the 18's or 20's with 35's... the list goes on and on... sry to side track it.

 

Really???? Banks is trash? I couldnt say by personal experience, I have actually only gotten one thing through banks and that was a programming module for my 99 24V cummins, it did ok but I dont think it made the power #'s they say it would. Good to know though.....just out of curiosity what after market power products are good for the old IDI's? Someday I will buy another one and thats exactly what I will do is put an after market turbo and all the goodies on it. So what is recommended now? ATS? is there another brand out there that is better than another for these types of parts?

 

I would go diesel, of course I already have one. As mentioned above normal things cost more for it. Also, remember repairs cost more and not every place will or know how to work on them. Most repairs can be done by yourself if you are willing to learn. Does it start right up after the glow plug light goes off? Take a flash light and check the valley for fuel leaks. Anyway if it runs good go for it.

Paul