Looking at a 2002 F350 DRW 7.3 PSD, AUTO Lariat. Seller wants 12K for the truck. It has 143K on the odometer, looks to be in good shape. Texas truck, looks to have been serviced regularly. Just curious if that mileage is high and what would you check or replace on that engine, other than oil, filter(s) and coolant. Any known issues I should look for with that year model and the 7.3.

I need it for the occasional pull on my 5th wheel.

 

Mileage is not an issue, the motors run a long, long time and the peripherals are not too bad to service if you have some tools and the will to do it. While it's running place the oil cap upside down on the filler tube and check for blow-by. The cap should sit there and rattle off, if it blows off with pressure then it has serious problems. The price is not out of line with what they are going for and if it's in top shape not a bad deal. Check the regular things like having been wrecked, springs and rotors. Check for rust too but that's not usually a problem with southern vehicles...unless they got flooded in a hurricane...check for that too.

Edit: I don't see 4WD listed, 2WD are substantially cheaper than 4WD models.

 

143k is barely broken in for a 7.3. You are asking some basic questions (no offense intended - just an observation) which indicate that you are at least new to the 7.3. I think the most important thing to realize is that with a 17 year old truck, you can't reasonably expect to just drive it and do nothing to it. There are a number of design flaws and common weak points that can leave you stranded if you do not address them on an older vehicle. A few things that I can think of (and I'm certain others will chime in with more):

- Transmission oil cooler. Yes it has one but it has proven inadequate over the years. Upgrade to a brand new 6.0 cooler and your trans will thank you.
- HPOP lines. If original, your lines are 17 years old, made of rubber, and subject to pressures sometimes in excess of 3,000 psi. Their service life is about 10 years but many opt to change them out of prevention. It's not pretty when they go unexpectedly.
- Fuel line clamp next to passenger's side head. The rubber insulation dries out, cracks, and falls apart, leaving the metal line to rub and vibrate against the metal bracket. You can guess what happens soon after that starts.
- Hutch and harpoon fuel tank mods. There is a TON of information on this in the forum. If it hasn't been done already on the truck, it needs to be. It's very important and shouldn't be ignored.
- Up-pipes. The factory design is flawed. It's a question of when they start to leak, not if. If you start to leak and you aren't aware of it, AND if you don't have an EGT gauge, you may want to start looking for a new engine now because a pre-turbo exhaust leak will drive EGTs through the roof, which will quickly destroy the engine.

I would absolutely not tow a 5th wheel without addressing those things at a minimum.

If the truck really is solid, 12k is a steal but then again you are in Texas, the land of great truck deals. I would jump at the chance to buy a 143k 7.3 for $12k, as many in here would.

There are also a ton of aftermarket mods to improve performance and reliability. This forum is your best friend as there is someone here who can answer every question you have and help solve every issue you encounter.

 

 

What color is the coolant? If yellow or green ask them about coolant additive. If they know what you are talking about then it might have been maintained and
less cavitation on the cylinder walls. If red then they know what they are doing too as it needs no additives.

Check the air filter box and for dirt getting past it. 2002 should have a new box but if they used a drop in aftermarket filter it could let
dirt past. If bad enough you will catch the blowby in the oil filler test from above.

Check in the engine valley for oil leaks.

Has it been chipped? You cal look at the PCM behind the emergency brake. if the front(facing the back of the truck) is cut out then it had or has a chip. It may be taped
over, that is a way to hold the chip more secure.

Stock intake and exhaust? Original exhaust is really restrictive but if original they probably didnt modify anything else.

Oil changes should be around 5000 miles with brand name oils for diesels (Rotella, Delo are the two major ones)

 

"The 7.3 is a great engine. That said it can be leaky as hell."

This is true, but if you want to see an oil leaky engine try an N series Detroit diesel 6/71. They really like to "spread the wealth" so to speak.