Long story short. Need a better truck. Looking for f350 crewcab diesel 4x4. Can only spend around 3000.00. Finding trucks in that price range, but am unsure about what to look for as far as mechanical issues to look out for. Never owned a diesel. Dont know alot about them. I would use the truck only when hauling heavy loads and going to my cabin in the mountains. About 10 - 12 times per year avg. I have a few question that i need help on.
1. Is the maintenance on diesels excessive?
2. How much mpg to expect?
3. What mods should be done for reliability and better fuel consumption?
4. Is 250k miles considered high?
5. Am I crazy and should stick to gas guzzlers?
Honestly I am just starting and dont have a clue where to begin. Any help would be most appreciated.

 

Welcome to FTE. I would say go for it but with 250000 and a 3000 dollar truck your gonna have to put some money into it. There is a nice what to check sheet floating around but I don't have it saved. Someone will chime in though with it I'm sure. I paid 4000 for mine but have done quite a bit too it. Just depends on the PO maintnence to the truck.

 

Buying Used Power Stroke Diesels
Things To Look For When Buying A Used Power Stroke Diesel

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. If it is the old style, you spend around $80 to update it.

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 (http://forums.ford-diesel.com/cgi-bi...&f=21&t=005210), 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.

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.

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Wish i could say these were all my ideas, but theyre not haha. oughta get ya started!


As far as mileage, if you have no exhaust leaks, tires good, everything in working order, you can expect somewhere between 13-18 average. Thats a big range but that is because it depends HUGELY on how you use the go pedal. Keep the RPM's low and take it easy, 16-18. Race from light to light to hear your exhaust (like me) and youll get 13-15.

As far as maintence, any older truck will need some odds and ends, and for a 3000k truck, i can guarentee you it will need work. I suggest that if you are looking for a reliable diesel, long lasting, pull anything you throw at it truck, in good shape for 1500-3000 dollars you head on over to the IDI section. They are great trucks, run forever, and stupid simple to work on. But you wont be racing around, or winning any light to lights with other trucks.

Thats my .02 cents