1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel

home run??

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 08:30 AM

#1

f1501987

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home run??

Found a 96 f250 dually, Says it runs good and drives, but the tranny is leaking fluid in front off the converter(pretty bad). so im guessing its the 4r100.and probably needing a new one or rebuilt. Going to check it out today. Hes asking 1590. Figured id offer him 1k cash today. I want to know from all off you what to look at/for. Another thing no title ?!?!

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 08:35 AM

#2

DIYMechanic

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From: Orrville, Ohio

Be careful. Lots of things sound fishy there. First of all Ford never made an F250 dually, so it is either a truck that has been converted, or the seller doesn't know what they're talking about. Second if it needs a tranny, that is likely a $2,000 investment (for a stock level rebuild) and the auto in these OBS trucks is the E4OD, not the 4R100. No title? That doesn't sound good either. I would be really leery about it and go over it with a fine tooth comb. Sounds like a pretty sketchy deal to me...

At any rate, here is the obligatory list of what to look at if you decide to go take a peek.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w

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ontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w

ontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> 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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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 08:54 AM

#3

Awitte58

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Joined: May 2011

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From: Rockford IL

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1501987

Found a 96 f250 dually, Says it runs good and drives, but the tranny is leaking fluid in front off the converter(pretty bad). so im guessing its the 4r100.and probably needing a new one or rebuilt. Going to check it out today. Hes asking 1590. Figured id offer him 1k cash today. I want to know from all off you what to look at/for. Another thing no title ?!?!

See if its a 4x4 or not too.. It seems to me there could be a few options.

It was a SRW 4x4 converted to a dually...
or
It is in fact a 350 and a dually....and it could have been converted to 4x4.

lol
Plenty of other things that could have been altered. Its unbelievable what some people do to these trucks.

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 09:11 AM

#4

f1501987

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Ok thanks a bunch, going around 1 to look.

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 01:41 PM

#5

madpogue

Lead Driver

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 8,476

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From: Madison, WI

Bad tranny === instant candidate for ZF5 swap

Is the title simply lost (lost paper), or is there something "fishy" about the title (truck was scrapped/salvaged/stolen/etc)? If it's the former, most states will re-issue a title for a not-so-nominal fee. If it's the latter, buy it as a parts donor only.

Even without the title, get the VIN and run it through a decoder, to find out what it was when it was new. Compnine might still do the full build-out based on the VIN, but I think they charge for it now.

More like a ground rule double than a home run....

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 02:40 PM

#6

f1501987

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Well just got back from looking, huge disappointment, dude that had it don't know what he's got, its a 93 idi, had 289k, the tranny couldn't look at but he Guy it looked at and said the Guy told him it needed rebuilt, it had been wrecked and totaled out, so he can get a Salvage title for it, lowest he wanted to go was 1300

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 02:44 PM

#7

bodabdan

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Feb 2004

Posts: 1,816

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From: River Valley AR

I agree with all the above. IMO a truck without a title can be used for parts or for off-road only. I've got into those deals when I was younger and regretted them.
If you're not gonna put it on the farm or tear it apart I would stay away, and in either case I would make an effort to see if the VIN is reported stolen.

If it was me, I'd walk away from it.

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 03:48 PM

#8

madpogue

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Joined: Oct 2003

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From: Madison, WI

Now it's more like a sacrifice fly, or at best a bunt.

I started a thread on a Saturn forum a while back, for the "Bonehead Craigslist find of the day" - there's always one like this; seller has no idea what model he's selling, or what year (and evidently never heard of a VIN decoder), totally misrepresents the vehicle, takes awful photos (sideways, upside down, blurry), can't spell worth a hoot, etc. Or asking waaaaaay too much. Seems to be no short supply of such people....

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Old

Oct 29, 2012 | 06:38 PM

#9

DIYMechanic

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From: Orrville, Ohio

Sounds like a double play ground ball....

Sorry man. That sucks. Keep looking. There are deals out there to be had, you just have to be ready to jump on them when they come up.

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Old

Oct 30, 2012 | 07:04 AM

#10

f1501987

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Welp found another one looking last night, its a 96 dually single can 2Wd, waiting on a call back

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Old

Oct 30, 2012 | 07:25 AM

#11

DIYMechanic

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From: Orrville, Ohio

Good luck!

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Old

Nov 1, 2012 | 02:42 AM

#12

f1501987

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Well u got it, I'll post pics as soon as I get home, gave 2500 for it, 258miles auto, new batterya,alternater, has a 120idm, and air filter that's all

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Old

Nov 1, 2012 | 06:40 AM

#13

DIYMechanic

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From: Orrville, Ohio

Nice! Good things come to those who wait!

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Old

Nov 2, 2012 | 02:08 PM

#14

f1501987

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Looks to be leaking fluid at the thermostat.

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Old

Nov 2, 2012 | 02:56 PM

#15

DIYMechanic

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From: Orrville, Ohio

It probably is. The thermostat housing on these things is a thin piece of stamped steel. You can but a new one or just get an aftermarket flange that reinforces it where it bolts up. Neither one is a very expensive solution ($30 or less IIRC).

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