Hello. Last night, I tried out a 1987 Ford diesel, 3.4-ton Xcab, 4WD w. 4 on the floor. It drove fine on the Interstate, but there was a slight lugging. It has full gauges, but there's an idiot light as well which came on when I turned around to return, "engine".
Owner's manual only says its an engine warning light, so it could refer to anything.
Returning to town I came from, I smelled hot brakes, but couldn't find a hot one on checking. Coming into town 7-8 miles down road is a 40-mph zone with lights. Lights turned red, I touched brakes, & found I had none. They had been fine before.
I downshifted like a maniac, stopped OK except for few new grey hairs.
I sneaked through town & stopped at friend's house; he's a Ford mechanic. He found nothing either. Master cylinder full, but brakes wouldn't pump up. No brake fluid anywhere on truck or ground that we could find.
If anyone has ideas on possible causes on this other than bad master cylinder or booster, I'd like to hear them.
Then - He noted "a rattle up front under the hood" that I should watch, as he couldn't identify it right then. I laughed & said, "Of course it rattles; it's a diesel." He gave me one of "those" looks & I said, "OK, I'll watch it. Any idea?" He had none.
I drove 3/4 block further & the water pump blew without warning. I parked it & I & friend went to haul it back to shop this a.m.
Question is - what else might the water pump take out; OR, what else might be bad if the water pump is?
Truck had no leaks when we ran it at the shop yard; radiator was full, overflow was full, no warning other than the rattle before it blew.
Truck odometer shows 66,022 miles right now, so it could be 166,000 or more. People who owned it before claimed it had nothing wrong with it, just hail damage & the insurance paid enough on it that they bought a different truck. One without dents.
I like the truck. I'm still interested to buy it. I don't mind doing the repairs; I've done lots, although this is my first diesel.

 

I think I'd skip over that truck and keep looking.

 

If you have to do repairs right off the bat the owner proably hasn't takin very good care of it (I.E. Lots of repairs lots of money to spend)

 

Well...I'll disagree. Just because the water pump chose that moment to die doesn't mean that the truck wasn't maintained in the proper fashion. Things DO break. I'd bet the truck has 166K on it, judging from the age. And anything that old is going to have a few things that need to be taken care of, and will have a few surprises here and there, but hey...so do new vehicles. And to buy that truck in the 2004 version, you're looking at what? $30K? So a little maintenance/repair money now and then won't equal 1 yrs worth of payments.


Lobstah