I posted this in the wrong forum earlier today so thought I'd re-post it witht he 7.3L experts.

I was curious about the use of a 1994-1997 F250 7.3L PSD truck fors emi-daily use. I have a 1978 F250 4X4 (351W/GT40heads/NP435) that I run around with on the weekends. The truck runs great, is in really good condition (no rust) and I really like the simple, minimalist interior, however,I am planning on doing a bit of travel in the future and will be towing amotorcycle trailer (14x7) to NC, Lake George, maybe even the southwest. I'm sure the '78 would have no troublepulling that load, but it is not necessarily girlfriend-friendly over longhauls. No A/C, loud exhaust, road noise,no carpeting. A true workhorse for sure, but not something to drive down to the Smoky Mountains in from New Jersey.

So I was wondering if there anything to look out for onthese 1994-1997 trucks? I've read thatthe manual trans (my first choice anyway) is better, but are the automatics unreliable? The manuals seem harder to come by. I’ve also seen the price rangefrom $6000 - $23,000 . I would probably keep this truck for a long while, so I’d be willing to pay more for a lower mileage truck. I’ve read that these diesels easily run for 300,000+ miles. Is that true? And how about daily-use reliability? I know the 1999-2003 trucks made more power, but I prefer the 'boxy' look of the older trucks.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

How about 500,000 miles + and the auto can be reliable if built right. k

 

OK. If noise is a concern, the OBS's are somewhat noisy. But you need to judge that for yourself, or perhaps your girlfriend needs to judge that. The auto's are the weak link in the drivetrain, but if maintained and you don't go too crazy with power mods, they're fine. The great thing about the 7.3 is they are relatively easy to work on especially with the help on here that is available.

 

I had a 97 with 392,000 miles on it. It was on its 3 tranny, but the original engine, did not use oil, and ran like a bat out of hell weighing in at over 14,000lbs. It was a SuperDuty (F450). It was my work truck for 6 years, and I put almost 300.000 of those miles on it. It was just time to update to a newer truck.

 

picked up a 96 f250 last year for 6k, 290k miles and still strong as hell. automatic tranny but it had been rebuilt within the last 20k miles. Check the front suspension, if the tires look like this / \ in reverse it needs the axle pivot bushings, they're a pain in the *** to replace but doable from under the truck. Typical thing you should be checking on an almost 20 year old vehicle are brake lines, I've had to replace three on mine already.

Oh and since you're in Jersey...don't let any of the Midas in New Castle County touch your truck, they're all owned by the same *******..ask me how I know.

 

I picked up a 95 140 k. For 3000 rust from neing in ny. Runs good

 

fwiw, I bought a 1994 F250 PSD, 4x4, dually, 5sp with a flatbed for $3900. 230K miles. I've put around $2500 in it, (new tires all the way, new steering column, block heater cord, various sensors, ball joints, and all new O-rings on every injector, and the infamous UVCH). It's super easy to work on, strong like bull, and really fun to drive. The only issue I have with the manual is the clutch/brake pedal assembly. It is a crap design, but tolerable.

 

Thanks for all the feedback! I found a couple of really nice ones out on the west coast, but these are all in the $17,000 - $20,000 range. I'll just keep looking...and checking out this forum to learn more about the trucks themselves!

 

1996 ford f250 diesel

close to home and looks to be in good shape. alot less than those west coast trucks.

 

I'll sell ya mine. I've had it in the classifieds for a while but never get any interest in it because of my location (midwest / south).

 

So I've knd of narrowed my search down to a couple of trucks, but after reading through this board, I'm wondering if I had the choice, should I go with an F350 instead of an F250? It seems a lot of guys say the TTB D50 is a problem set-up compared to a D60. This truck would more or less be a DD and would only pull a light aluminum motorcycle trailer. I know I don't need a PSD to do that, I just want one. With my neglible towing requirements, wouldn't a 350 be way overkill? How would an F350 be as a DD?

 

Thanks for thinking of me. I'm more partial to the white or red trucks for some reason and want something that is super clean with a bit less miles. I realize I will have to pay a premium for all that, but I already have a truck that I like working on, so I'm ok with paying more for what I want.

 

If you can find an F350 for not much more, get it. They're just a LOT harder to find. It'll pay for itself the first time you DON'T toast a set of front tires, the way the Dana 50 likes to do.

 

Go with the 350, that TTB was a mess, besides wearing tires they just dont handle as well. The 7.3 is unstoppable mine has just over 250,000 and never had a problem, just regular maintenance, So many after market parts are available from wild to mild, easy to work on., etc. Im in NJ and there out there and you can find them cheap. Just keep getting your truck shopper and look at buy here pay here places, you would be suprised. David7.3

 

FWIW I'd take my dana 50 over a dana 60 for ride quality. They're a pain in the *** but put good bushings in them and they ride great.