I'm looking at buying a 95 to 97 truck with a 7.3, am looking around 120 to 150k mileage and wanted to know what to look out for engine problems wise ?

I'm looking at something like/similar to this

Ford : F-250 XLT

Any help appreciated

Simon

 

Main concern will be excessive blow-by easy test is flip the filler cap upside down if get blown off no bueno if it rattles off you be alright, make sure when you do this test truck is fully up to temp.
Make sure the truck hasn't been started so you can do a cold start and see if it starts easy. Any sign of smoke out the pipe such as blue(burning oil) white burning eye smoke (injectors) or if smells sweet antifrezze which is what you dont want.
Other things will be diff's if 4x4 no funny noises, tranny fluid is not dark and smell burnt if auto hand shaker make sure all gears fo in smoothly with no grinds. Cosmetically check the wheel arches for any signs of rust.
That about summs it up. Good luck with your search of the legendary obs 7.3

 

Rust is NOT a "cosmetic" issue. If you see "cosmetic" rust, you should suspect there's functional/structural rust as well. FIRST place to check is the radiator support. Also check shock/spring mounts/hangers, brake/fuel lines, and the frame itself.

Are you looking for an automatic or manual truck? 4x4 or 2WD? Any particular cab/bed combo? (Sorry, link is blocked where I am, so I can't check it.)

 

I live in a dessert so when it comes to rust i dont even know what it is
But do check those areas for rust that madpogue mentioned

 

I think I can speak for a lot of us when I say "efff uuuuuuu lol

 

.....

 

D**k move ^^ lol


Rust...ugg

 

Appreciate the replies, exactly the type of info i was wanting .

I'm looking for an auto for sure and would prefer a 4x4 but 2wd is not the end of the world.
I'm not using it for towing, mainly hauling sheets of drywall, plywood etc

It will be my only form of transport so would like an extended cab with 4 seats.

Ive been toying with the idea of an 94-97 7.3 or slightly newer 03-07 6.0 diesel truck. I'm not going to be putting vast amounts of miles on it, id guess no more than 10k a year at the very most, I've been told the 7.3 is an excellent engine and have no idea how it is compared to the 6.0.

Thanks again

 

They don't compare....at all. Stick with the 7.3...you'll be glad you did. A 6.0 can be decent after about 3500-5000 worth of "bulletproofing", but the 7.3 doesn't need that and is much easier to work on than the 6.0 for the average backyard mechanic.

 

aside from the motor mechanicals you might want to inquire about the front end maintenance...particularly if it's a 4x4. I'm sure no one's going to flat out tell you it knowingly needs ball joints, a steering box, axl pivot bushing etc... Just something to consider.

My truck had all original front end parts when I got it. Put $350 worth of tires on the front and had it aligned to only have my nice new tires (now with about 10k miles on them) trashed. I just went this summer and replaced all the front end parts and albeit it wasn't TOO-TOO expensive (although it was a cost I would rather not have absorbed) it was something I should have done off the bat.

Just something else to consider. You can simply check the tires for odd wear patterns. Fords, especially the 250's 4x4's are notorious for not holding an alignment (due to worn rubber parts in the front end).

Hope this helps...

 

where u located? I got one!
1997 FORD F250/F350 7.3 lifted-trades considered

 

Thanks for the offer, im in northern VA not really what im looking for though to be honest, but thanks

 

excellent info, thanks,

 

Hey Simon, good luck. These guys guided me through the purchase of my '97. Great bunch of guys with a ton of knowledge. I think your biggest issue is gonna be finding a 20 year old truck with only 120-150 k.

 

Well i did find one as you can see above, i just missed the damn auction end today as i was at work

thanks
Si