Alright fellers i been around here a little in the IDI forum, but i got my eye on a pretty 97 model f250 powerstroke at work, its 2wd, but hey, i aint gonna be muddin with it anyways. Power everything, super cab, long bed, thing is immaculate, 156k miles, AUTO transmission, wondering which trans is the good one and which is bad and is there anything notorious for going terribly wrong on these trucks. i know a lot about the 6.9 and 7.3 IDI but the powerstroke is new to me. I appreciate any info!

 

Welcome !

I just bought my first PSD after owning & working on several 7.3 IDI trucks.

I bought mine from a farmer in Michigan, a 95' CC Dually 2WD XLT auto
with 147K that he owned for over 10 years.

The turbo was almost brand new.
The injectors were supposedly replaced (one recently).
E4OD was rebuilt.

Well - the turbo took a dump less than 300 miles down the road.
I suspect the oil was not changed when the turbo was replaced.

I had to replace the alternator - belt - pulleys.

I have a bad injector.

All in all not a bad truck.

BUT ....

Look at the condition of the oil on the dipstick,
if it is black & there is no written record of O & F change
I would advise you pass on the truck.

Nothing kills a PSD quicker than failure to change oil & filter.



Good Luck !

 

Hey there Eallend7, welcome to this side of the forum.

The E4OD is a bit of a weakness in these trucks. That being said, if you leave the truck mostly stock and the transmission is well maintained, it is an adequate transmission. Once you start adding power to the engine though, its weaknesses become apparent quickly. You will want to plan to add an aftermarket transmission cooler to the truck if you're planning on doing any hauling or towing with the truck; keep that transmission cool and it will be a lot happier. Keep in mind also that a very CHEAP rebuild on that transmission is likely to cost you about $2,000. Getting a fully built, upgraded, bulletproof transmission will cost you more like $5-6k. They're not cheap.... That being said, if you can find a ZF5, you can do the whole swap for about the same cost as a cheap rebuild, and being as you are looking at a 4x2, the transmissions are a lot more easy to find, and they don't cost as much.

As for things to look for, let me give you a link to check out.

There is a TON of great info in that site, but about a fourth of the way down the page there is a section labeled "Buying Used Powerstroke Diesels". Read that section carefully as it will step you through the process of checking out the truck carefully.

A couple items to note about that truck are that there isn't much difference between a two wheel drive F-250 and an F-350 of the same equipment. The 4x4 models got different front axles, but the 4x2 uses all the same axles, transmission, frame, etc. They're very similar. I say this so you know you're getting a very capable truck there. One other thing you should be aware of is that the PSD and the IDI, though they are related are two completely different ball games. The PSD is going to cost you a little more to repair and maintain (all electronic) but it will run well into the 400,000 mile range without needing a rebuild if it is maintained properly.

All in all, I say that if you can get the truck for a decent price and it appears not to have been neglected (check the turbo for dusting and the SCA levels in the coolant especially) I think you'll be really happy with it.

 

This guy knows what he is talking about.

He forgot to include the link.

Here are the "things to look for" that i think he was going to link you...but forgot.

BuyingUsedPowerStrokeDiesels


ThingsToLookForWhenBuyingAUsedPowerStrokeDiesel

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.

 

I don't know what happened, because the link copies over but the hyperlink disappeared when I post the response. My guess is that is has something to do with the fact that it is a function of the fact that it is an archived page.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...13688046654666

Let's try that again...