Greetings all. I am a new member to the site. I have owned two ford trucks in the past and loved them! I had a 71 f100 with 302 and a 78 f250 w/400. I am looking at a 78 f250 custom 4x4 with a 400 and auto tranny. It has just a few rust spots on the bed and some minor rust issues in the cab area. It looks like the floor pans have been replaced at some time in the past. It is missing the tailgate, but has an Airgate in it's place. The rear of the bed where the tailgate should be is not sloppy. It has what appears to be a tranny pan leak on the exhaust. Wheew. When I took it out for a drive today it displayed a few interesting qualities. It seems to have wheel hop when accelerating (Aftermarket rims and tires....not in the best shape). I turned the locking hubs and put it in 4 high.

I noticed a pop from the front when turning very sharp (Guessing a u joint?). This was just one pop. Did not pick up on any other bad noises while in 4 high. But went to put the truck back into 2 high, I could not disengage the wheel locks or the 4 wheel drive selector on the cab floor. I tried to disengage the transfer case shifter in park, nutral and with the truck shut off. I rocked the truck from the outside while someone tried to turn the wheel locks. Wheel locks also looked like pliers had been used to turn them back to "Free"Also truck was a hard start after I shut it off (Timing advanced??). The guy wanted 3000 for it. I got him down to 2000 before I drove it. Is it worth the buy?? I do not have a problem withputting money/time into it but wanted to know if this truck has to many red flags for the price?? Thanks for any input.

 

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Angel,
Where are you living? Do they salt the roads there?
Is the under carriage covered in mud? It is not uncommon for wheel hubs to get gummed up. they can be cleaned and repacked. The transfer case is another issue. If the drivetrain is binding this could effect the transfer case but that is optimistic thinking. Get this truck on the highway and see what that case sounds like. Is everything factory/ is it lifted? Did it run hot?
Fill us in a little more.
KingFisher

 

Two things to take with you when you look at any used vehicle you are seriously considering:
compression tester (or better yet, a leak down tester; this also gives you a chance to read the plugs) and a floor jack (to get the wheels off the ground to check the driveline.)

beware of brand new fluid in an auto-trans... it should be used and not burnt smelling.

Rub the oil between you fingers.... you can feel STP, some folks will throw this in to increase compression and decrease smoking.

Hold the corner of a dollar bill partially across the exaust pipe(s)... it should not suck back in. (bad valves)

Hold a piece of cellophane like you would find on a cigarette pack at the air horn.... same idea....you are looking for smooth airflow in the right direction only!.

Examine the frame carefully with a flashlight with an eye for bends and/or cracks.

Investigate anything that looks like it has been painted recently.

Unless the rust is beyond stopping, 2K sounds reasonable, barring any other issues.

Caveat Emptor! Good Luck.

 

I live in Northern Indiana. You bet that they salt the roads! I think that they are moving twords using more sand but that is just me rambling. The underside of the truck was clean. What rust was present was not more than I expected. I was told buy the seller that he had bought the truck just to resell. I get the feeling that the truck has been sitting somewhere for some time. The tires have the dryrot look about them and the cab has the "Nobody has been in here for awhile" smell. When I drove the truck in 4 high I did not notice any noises that made me cringe. I did notice a squeeking sound that seemed to be from the drivetrain, but I attributed this to the truck just sitting. I looked at the u-joints and they were very dry. The truck seems to be lifted, but I did not look close enough to see if it had aftermarket components for the lift. The only recent add to the underside seemed to be the newer exhaust.

 

What should I be looking for as far as the tranfer case to do while driving that would be an indication of a problem?? The trans fluid was dark enough not to be new, but I did not check the smell. I forgot to pull the stick and check for the "Milky Deposit Of Death" . The truck does not appear to be painted anywhere. The paint has some oxidation and can see where they waxed the truck, but just enough to kinda make it shine. What do u think would make the transfer case bind?? Besides the driveline idea?? Could this happen just from sitting for awhile? I will have to try the dollar bill trick, that is a good idea. The truck did not appear to run hot, but I also had the heat on to check the heater core.