Hey guys, I'm new to the psd scene and am interested in buying a 99' f250 psd with 164k miles on it. It is supposed to in great shape. I know they pulled horse trailers with it. What sort of things should I be looking for.

 

The air filter housing on the earlier PSD's was notorious for breaking the tabs that hold it closed, thus allowing unfiltered air through the turbo. Check inside the intake tube for signs of dust. Check the SCA level of the coolant with the appropriate test strips.

 

Welcome aboard! Try out the search features on this site for the topics that you have questions about. I'm always amazed how much reading material is out there. I have lost more sleep by doing searchs and finding such interesting reading to exactly what I have a question about.

 

Ya know, high miles is high miles. I don't care if they are "highway" or "city" miles, or how lovingly the critter has been maintained. More miles = more wear.

The condition of the engine is not the only thing to look at. With high miles and lots of towing, you're looking at more wear on brakes, transmission, suspension, rear end, ball and wheel joints. Automatic transmissions I have heard are not as stout as the manuals. If it's 4WD, there's lots of U joints n things to wear out. And be sure to test all the lights, especially trailer harness. Trailer wiring is a notorious trouble spot. Rear seals can fail, and you won't know it until your brake pads are ruined.

These are tough trucks, built to work, so I don't mean to paint a completely bleak picture. I would have a mechanic look it over, and if you still like it, make a price offer according to the condition. A good diesel mechanic can give a complete inspection in a couple of hours, and find things you didn't dream existed.

There are lots and lots of these trucks out there to choose from, so you can be picky. edmunds.com and kbb.com are great places to get information on recalls, pricing, and owner feedback.

Some diesel-specific things are what Pickachu said. Also, don't get stung on tires- they're expensive, so if they are worn, be sure to factor that in.

 

p.s.- a lot of the folks on this forum are good mechanics, and knowledgeable about buying used trucks, and might consider paying someone to do the inspection as a waste of money. The advantage of having an impartial third party, i.e. a mechanic doing your inspection, is the mechanic will not blinded by love at first sight. He will see clearly all the problems and flaws that will come back to bite you later, long after the charm of the turbo whine, that awesome V8 rumble, or diesel stench I mean perfume has worn off.

 

Nothing worse than buyers regret

 

diesels will last you forever if you take care of them or if your just lucky like me they will, i got 202,100 miles on my 96 f350 psd and that is with the stock automatic transmission. only things that i have replaced are the waterpump, camshaft pos sensor, abs sensor, wiring harness, and common things to replace.