Well gents, I'm feeling pretty guilty right now.

I sold my '88 F-250 with the 7.3 IDI the other day. It ran smooth during the test drive, the guy came back that night and bought it, picked it up today.

I get a call when he gets home, saying it's puking oil all over the place, undercarriage and engine compartment are covered in oil, it was smoking like a mother on the drive home.

I really have no idea what to make of this. I owned and daily drove the truck for nearly two years, and had some minor issues here and there as one should expect with a nearly 30 year old truck, but never anything catastrophic.

I replaced all the glow plugs two months ago, and then replaced all the injector return lines because I disturbed them while doing the glow plugs, and then the truck got parked for six weeks.

I'm truly at a loss as to what could have happened. I feel for the guy, I know how crappy it is to buy a new used vehicle and face problems right off the bat. I couldn't provide him with any more information than I've stated above, I really am at a loss as to what could have happened to it just sitting there for a month.

 

Tell him to take pictures and register on ford-trucks.com.

Other than that... who knows.

When buying a truck this old, you have to count on issues. It's just the nature of things.
I bought my '93 knowing that, and, well, I've had to deal with a couple of things in the two months since I bought it, the most catastrophic of which was the belt tensioner bolt shearing, shredding the serpentine belt, and leaving me with no waterpump and no accessories at night with the outside temps below freezing.

Could it have been prevented? Probably not. When I bought it, it was just fine. Freak problems, I guess.

Also found that one of the pins holding the right front caliper on was put in upside down, and was halfway out before I caught it. That could have been a big problem too...

 

Not cool! What a weird event. Maybe that's what you get for selling your IDI?? J/K

I agree that pictures will tell a lot of the story. It's really hard to spread oil all over the engine compartment.

My first thought is maybe he's just ignorant and thinks the "oil" is actually fuel. We just had a thread on this forum a few weeks ago like that.

Honestly if he agreed to buy it its his problem...as bad as that sounds there isn't much of a way around it. But like you I'd be trying to give any info I could.

 

I was wondering about that too. When I replaced the glow plugs I had a fuel leak that looked like a massive oil leak and posted here about it.

 

This one is easy. If the oil is "splattered all over the engine compartment," then it must be an oil leak near the belts and pulleys. That means the dude didn't tighten the oil cap down when he drove it home.

 

That's a distinct possibility. He said he was going to stop and put some oil in it.

 

Sounds like he left the oil cap off. As far as feeling guilty don't, he saw it, drove it, liked it and bought it. Just telling sorry about that. Used cars and trucks are sold As Is , where is.

I bought a motorhome once got 6 miles from dealer engine locked up.

 

If he doesn't live too far away, you could always volunteer some of your time to go look at it and see if it is an easy fix.

 

That's awful nice, but I would be too worried about them trying to return the vehicle, or worse, trying to nab you with a small claims lawsuit. They could use your generosity against you.

 

You would definitly have to try and read the buyer's demeanour prior to offering. If they are in "Jerk mode" i wouldn't risk it. If they are just interested in getting it running right, then I might help.

The OPs explanation makes me bet that it is either a fuel leak and the purchaser mistook diesel for oil, or they didnt put the oil cap back on right.

 

Sounds like the new owner got an instant crash course in IDI ownership! I know that the day after I bought mine I had to replace every rubber fuel related hose because it was leaking fuel faster than it could burn it. Didn't seem to leak a drop during the test drive ha!

 

Mine was the dreaded cone of failure in the fuel tanks and glowplugs. I learn more about it every time I do something to it

 

I agree that used vehicles are sold as is no warranty implied. I would feel bad too but you had no way of knowing.

 

I'd be looking over that bill of sale again. It is important to always state in no uncertain terms "Vehicle sold as is".

Do some states regulate individual, private party sales in a way that would allow a return? Just wondering outloud. Sellers always include verbiage like that. "All sales final." Probably the only recourse would be small claims court. S*** happens, it's important to protect yourself.

 

Language on the bill of sale is clear. "This vehicle is sold as is, where is, with no warranties expressed or implied. Seller is released of any and all liability for the truck following the signing of this bill of sale."

I'm not worried about small claims court. I just don't think it's something he'd pursue, and there's no case anyway.