Hows it going people. So I'm sure at some point this has been brought up. I have been looking into a crew cab OBS Powerstroke. Now I'm not saying this is gonna happen any time soon, just starting to throw the idea around a little. Been thinking of buying something reliable with a little better mileage for daily driving and keeping the F150 as a project/work/toy. In an ideal setup, I would like a 97 F250 Crew Cab, Shortbed, 7.3 PSD, auto, 2WD with 4.10 out back. I know that's hard to find, but I'm more that willing to wait for the right truck. What kind of fuel mileage is expected from these setups? I have seen people claiming low teens, and some claiming 25 mpg. Can't be worse than my average of 11-12 mpg with my 351W. How reliable, if well taken care of, are they? From what I have seen they seem to be pretty durable. I know overall a diesel is more costly to own, and more to buy, but I'm okay with that. Just looking for your guys opinions. Any real difference between a PSD and an IDI with a turbo? I won't even be thinking of lifting or putting any bigger of tires on it than what's stock for the truck. Any difference in either of these things if it's the same setup, just on a F350 platform? Wan't to stay in an OBS. Best looking trucks Ford has made...

Thanks in advance guys. ALL input is welcome.

 

forget those 25 mpg claims you've read about.they're false.
here you will find some to look at and compare;

Ford F-350 Pickup MPG Reports | Fuelly

Ford F-250 MPG Reports | Fuelly

don't forget diesel costs more than gas.

 

Thanks for that. Figured I would see you post up on here.

I honestly didn't believe those claims of 25 mpg. Way too high. Right now Im getting between 12-14 highway and 8-10 city with a 351. It SUCKS. The way I see it if I can average 16-18 MPG driving gently, I am doing much better. I do mostly in town driving so the 8-10 is what I get them most. I would really love to get a 2WD CC and hand my current truck down to my little brother here in a few years for his first vehicle. It was mine, and it was the first vehicle my parents ever fully payed off. Any opinions on the turbo IDI vs. Powerstroke? Just curious.

 

how many miles do you drive per yr?

iv driven plenty of the 94-97 di trucks (none of the latter 7.3l's in the SD's though) and they are nice and powerful trucks.i loved every one of 'em that i got in and just drove or worked.it's been a very long time now,but i don't recall them being as snappy off the line as mine.but i installed a small quick snappy turbo and an extra low stall converter,so no surprise there.they can't be too far off overall,but it's been many years now.
the idi isn't self tuning like the di.the idi is all old school and sports a medium ware fuel system.meaning approx every 100k you need to replace the ip and injectors,and you have to manually set the fuel rate and timing (of which,both slowly go out of spec.) where as the di's fuel system can potentially last the life of the engine.not sure how often that actually happens though,and it's on board computer keeps everything in peak tune.
both have their strengths and weaknesses.imho,neither is better than the other just as long as you manually tune the idi.they are both like the 300-6 gas engine.known to last forever, even driven WOT for extended periods of time,but like on steroids.
it wasn't until latter that the BIG hp increases started coming along.
the problem now is,the odds of finding an idi in decent shape is getting low.and a proper tuneup can set ya back a grand.then again most of the di trucks have pretty high miles,if not,it's gunna cost ya.probably too much with a SD era making more practical sense,though i don't like the style either.what ya gunna do lol.there isn't anything cheap about running any of the hd diesel trucks.whatever you do,don't think you'll be saving by giving up your f150.that would be far cheaper to just keep that.you'll have to need or just want it.but know it's gunna cost ya,not save.

 

As of right now I'm only in school and driving about 4-5k miles a year. My 16-18 credit loads toward a science degree kills any chance of working. Once summer gets here i'm looking at taking up full time work as well as possibly continuing classes part time which will probably bump me up to 7500 to 10k miles a year depending on the commute.

I realize HD truck are more expensive to maintain, run and purchase. But I would rather put money into a truck that has the chance of going hundreds of thousands of miles instead of something that needs work well before that. I really like the OBS trucks. I want one that will last me a long time. As much as I love my truck, I know it doesn't have a chance at making it as far as a PSD would go. It's bad on gas, hard on parts and still needs a bit of work to really get it operating properly. That lift doesn't help either. I see the PSD as a more expensive, but more powerful and durable 300, with the CC option that is really appealing to me.

This idea wasn't so much as a way of saving money. After all is said and done the diesel will still probably cost a little more to run. That's okay with me though if it means a more dependable truck, with more USEFUL power. I thought about a 460, due to the lower cost and abundance of CC 460's around here, but the fuel mileage isn't any better than what I have and the longevity probably isn't much better. Seems like there isn't much of an improvement. For me it really boils down to having the longevity in the engine, power when it counts, and the added bonus of being a CC like I have always wanted.

Like I said though, this is something I'm just starting to think about. And yes there is that want factor. Then again, with OBS trucks, isn't there always? I really do appreciate you giving your input.

 

If fuel economy is a concern, ditch the 4.10s and get 3.55s. The low-end torque of the diesel will more than makeup for it.

My 2WD manual reg. cab routinely gets 20 mpg averaged between light town and mostly highway. I don't even drive it that much. I wouldn't believe anyone getting 25mpg though.

 

If you are only driving 4-5k miles per year it will take a long time to recoupe any $ spent towards improving economy, like changing gears in your current truck. Maintenenc on a diesel is generally higher than a gasser also. Do the math before making a decision.
5k miles @ 12mpg= 416 gallons of gas x 3.15/gal= $1,310 per year
5k miles @17 mpg=294 gallons diesel x 3.80/gal= $1,117 per year

less than $200 per year in fuel savings

 

Thanks for the input. I did do the math last night after thinking about it more. Really no difference in spending on gas. I guess I really only asked about economy because with morning driving in town to school, I get crap mileage and don't want to go backwards. I guess really the question is how to you guys with experience with 7.3/diesels in general like your trucks. Ultimately I want a truck that will last and do everything I want. Hence the choice of a 2WD F250 and not a 4WD F350. I want a truck that will go the distance so to say. From the people I have talked to in town, friends who have a 7.3, the general consensus is that they love their trucks. Problem is they all have the 99 up trucks. Like I said though, this is just something I'm thinking about. Your guys input is appreciated.

 

I just sold my 94 PSD back in October. It was a crew cab long box. It was an awesome truck. But i sat down and did the math of owning it for what i was using it for and i couldn't justify keeping it. I worked that truck about once a week minimum hauling weight, which is what they are for. I ended up replacing it with a one ton gasser because the cost of owning it was not worth what i had to put into it for maintenance/repairs. My truck got about 20-22 mpg on the highway(empty) on a long trip, but about 17-18 in town at the best. Add a load to it and you see the drop in mileage. These motors aren't deisgned for going to the store or school. Short drives with no chance to get to and maintain operating temperature for a time will kill these things. Not to mention you should always add a diesel fuel additive and ensure your coolant PH is maintained, and these are just easy things to watch. This is just my experience but i know more and more people going back to gas trucks because the diesel just isn't a financially viable option like it used to be. That being said if its what you want, go for it. there is tons of info out there on owning and maintaining these trucks. Just be prepared to wake up when its in your driveway and realize your probably not saving much over what you have now, if any.

 

I like my IDI truck a lot. Why, you ask? I paid about $1500 for it a year and a half ago. I can hook up to my 14k trailer and haul around whatever I want. (as long as I dont want to haul something too heavy) It gets better MPG than my 351 powered dump truck.
My dad has 2 first gen PSD's and has had very good luck with them.

 

I have looked into the gas trucks as well. Don't think that's the route I want to go. This idea really isn't so much for saving money as much as it is getting a truck that appeals to me and is reliable. However, if I decide to continue schooling full time next fall, there will be no chance of me getting a diesel. Can't justify $6-8k for a daily commuter that isnt gonna save me money in the long run.

Thanks for that. If I decide this is the route I want to go it will be used for work as well. Most of the shop jobs I have been looking into involve part running, retrieving and occasional towing on top of working in the shop. And you have to use your own vehicle for it. I love my truck I have now, but I know it won't like having a trailer behind it with any real load on it.

 

What kind of half assed shop would require the employee to provide their own tow truck? If the shop can't justify owning a tow truck they should sub it out to a towing company. Who's insurance will cover it when you damage a vehicle during transport?

 

Yeah, not that smart. Just seems to be trend I have seen lately. I think its more toward running parts, large parts mainly. But a few I have seen have listed towing. I have a buddy in Colorado that uses his personal 7.3 to tow for work because of the company not having one. Not sure how insurance works in a situation like that. My guess is it being more towards scrapping cars.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Puting aside the notion of saving money, which isn't going to happen in this situation, anyone drive a PSD or IDI as a primary vehicle? Any real downsides to runnin one day to day? Other than fuel. Ignore that. But in general, are they a good drive in a day to day setting? I have a buddy with a 7.3 in a 2002, he loves it, but it's tuned, upgraded and sitting on 44's. Not much help to me.

 

Owning a diesel is NO LONGER cost effective. It USED to be when these trucks were new and fuel was at least $1.00 cheaper than gas. But now that diesel is averaging at least $0.50 a gallon MORE it is not cost effective

Figure out the cost of driving your PAID OFF TRUCK and what it would cost to run a Diesel

like BASHBY said
5k miles @ 12mpg= 416 gallons of gas x 3.15/gal= $1,310 per year
5k miles @17 mpg=294 gallons diesel x 3.80/gal= $1,117 per year

Then factor in oil changes
gas= $25 per oil change
diesel=$75 per oil change

Insurance is MORE because the truck is worth MORE

Gasser tuneup= about $150 every 100k
Diesel should have injectors done at 150-200k = $500-1000

Water pump
gasser $50
diesel $150

Dont get me wrong, I really enjoy my diesel but they are NOT cost effective to own. ESPECIALLY if you already own something.

Look at the new gassers. the 6.2 is 360+hp and get 10-12mpg
the 6.7 diesel is 400hp and gets 12-14mpg but the truck costed 8,000 MORE just to purchase.

And just for the record, I have NEVER seen or gotten over 19mpg out of a power stroke and I have owned 7 and driven close to 50. I drive like grandma with the cruise set on 65

 

I see what you guys are saying. This isn't something I was planning on doing right this second. The thought just crossed my mind when I was browsing Craigslist. Saw some really nice crew cabs. At some point I think I'll end up getting one simply because I see the appeal in them. I really like the crew cabs and the easy power they make with the PSD. Ultimately for me it's a want thing. Just getting opinions. I would have to have the money to spend to really justify I think. Appreciate the input greatly guys. Always count on honesty from this forum.