I'm in the market to buy a used truck. I've got my eye on a '95 F250 7.3L 4x4, with a manual transmission. From the pics it looks very clean and well taken care of. It's got over 220K miles on it. I've never owned a diesel so I'm not entirely sure what I should be looking for when I go look at it and test drive it. Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Lots of views, but no replies.

 

Hi Bob, and welcome to FTE. I've moved your thread to the 94.5-97 7.3 forum, where the folks that own these trucks hang out...you'll get plenty of help here

 

Welcome to fte !
There is a good checklist going around.someone will throw it up here in a min.
Got any pics? We are big time suckers for pics haha

 

Here's a bump for you. Where are you Nate or Mike?

BTW welcome to FTE!

 

I stole this from a post from Nate (DIY Mechanic)

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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Red

 

I'm here a min to late but red got it

 

Welcome to FTE Bob! What part of the country is the truck from? Is rust an issue? There are certain places these trucks rust you need to look at. The core support where it mounts to the frame is one place, and the rear spring hangers and the very rear of the frame where the bumper mounts is another place to look at close. This of course if it's in a part of the country where rust is a problem.

 

Thanks guys. Appreciate it. This is excellent info. If I get the truck, I'll post a pic for sure!

 

Welcome to FTE. That check list is a great start. If you have more questions, post up.

 

Holy moley! It's sam out of nowhere!