First post... hey fellas.

Well, I have been looking for something larger than my little Toyota 4x4 to
pull my camper and fit more than just the wife and me in the cab. I always
keep my eye open, no matter where I am.

Something caught my eye the other day. A 1999 Silver F-250 extracab PSD
sitting for sale. Nice looking truck. Had $9,800 on the windshield. My first
thought was... something is wrong with that truck, but I swooped in for a
closer inspection. Looks a little worn...was definitely a work truck. A spray
in bedliner would fix about 90% of all cosmetic problems with this truck though.
176,000 miles on the clock. Man, this guy drives like me.

Pretty decent shape...so I get inside. Could use a new headliner, the one in
the truck is a bit dirty, but not horrible. Same can be said for the seats and
carpet. 2 hours with some cleaner, a scrub brush and shop vac would do
wonders for this truck. Smells nice though. Non smoker.

I call the number on the sign. Guy answers, real nice fella. Used it as a
company truck, running the Beltway pretty much non stop. I know that
feeling. I have a 2002 Taurus with 80,000 miles on it. So we chit chat a
bit about the truck. All maintenence done at the dealer, all records kept.
Only getting rid of it because he went and got the new body style 350.
Sat for a couple of months at his shop, and he decided to sell it before it
sat and rotted. Sitting is hard on vehicles. I asked him why it was so cheap.
He said a couple of friends told him it was cheap, and he decided an easy
sale was better, and it was more money for it than he has in his pocket right
now, which I took to mean he was paid a vehicle allowance and basically
the sale of the vehicle would be gravy on top.

Started the truck up... batteries might be a little tired. Noted by the jumper
cables in the backseat. Sounds good though. Great throttle response. Raise
the hood... yep, there is an engine in there. Hoses look good, belt looks good,
pretty dirty, but nothing some elbow grease couldn't cure. Will go back and
drive it tomorrow, didn't have time earlier this week.

Anything else anyone here can tell me to look for on this particular kind of
truck? This will be my first diesel (I don't count the 1978 Olds 98 Regency)
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the long first post.

~castrol

 

Yeah, the Olds doesn't count as a diesel...

 

This is from Steve Baz's page
Mainly deals with 94-97 psd but the basics are still the same:

Buying Used Power Stroke Diesels
Things To Look For When Buying A Used Power Stroke Diesel
Turbo:

You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.
Airbox:

Check the two bolts holding down the airbox lid. If they are plastic with a square recess, it is a recalled part. The recall is expired, but without the updated lid the risk of dirt infiltration is greater, the lid was updated with more supports and the updated bolts are metal with a straight slot. If it is the old style, you spend around $80 to update it.
Tranny:

If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.
Rear Gear Ratio:

4:10 will pull better, get slightly lower mpg’s and run a higher RPM compared to 3:55.
Coolant:

Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0. Also, see if it has a block heater (it was an option on 97's).
Front end:

Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)
Oil:

The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.
Aftermarket stuff:

Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.
Glow Plugs/Relay:

Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed (http://forums.ford-diesel.com/cgi-bi...&f=21&t=005210), and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.
Injector o-rings:

The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.
Leaks and Drips:

You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.
VIN number:

If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history.

 

From what you've described, it sounds like a "golden opportunity" alright!!
After looking at the info provided by mjwhip2, if it looks good, go for it.

 

I would like to say welcome to this wonderful forum here dude, I see this was your first post and all here... I for one like the long post and this does sound like a really good deal for both you and the owner of the truck.

If you have read on here much at all you already know just about anything that could be wrong you will be able to more than get help here to figure out what it could be. Plus if you are handy with tools and the such, someone here will most likely help with that as well. Be sure to let us all know how the drive goes and keep us posted on the deal. Again welcome to the forum

 

Hey, I had a 99 PSD DRW since it was a baby, and after trashing my barnyard for the last time(it was 2WD), I let it go to a buddy, and bought a 99 4WD 4door PSD. It had 134,000 on it, but the Carfax came out OK, it was what I wanted, and it "fit". I paid more, but it is a 350. The only thing I would be leary of is the tranny. I know the auto have some problems, but I also know guys that have 200,000 on theirs, with no sweat. Mine were and are 6spds, wouldnt have it any other way.
Anyhow, just an opinion. I did just get done getting glowplugs and injector orings put in mine. If you can shadetree work on one, this forum will help you out if you ever need to do something.
I would buy another PSD again in a heartbeat.

 

Man, thanks for the welcome guys.

I didn't make it home in time to go and re-look at and drive the truck. (Couldn't reach
the guy anyway)

So it looks like I'll have to wait til in the morning. I'll see about getting some photos
while I am there, and see if I can't get them up on here.

Once I get a truck like this, the mileage will basically come to a stand still. I have a
company car, and the wife has her car, so the trucks are basically an RV. I think I
put 12,000 miles on my Toyota over the past 4 years. Heh.

So, if you know anybody who wants a:

1988 Toyota 4x4 pickup
1989 Cadillac Fleetwood with 36,000 miles
or a 1969 Project Mustang...

Have em give me a holler.

~castrol

 

if that truck checks out ok you'd better jump on it. like faster than you can blink an eye. because if you dont that is how fast it will be gone. good luck

 

Castrol-
Don't do it- it's a trick. If you will send me the guy's number and where the truck is located I will make sure it goes off the market. All I ask in return is $9800 plus tax for my expenses and I will take care of it.
All kidding aside though if you will PM or e-mail me I need a project car for my big block but I need something kind of rough. I won't butcher a pretty car to do what I want to do.

 

On my way now. Bringing the camera. I'll post up when I get back.

Heh, thanks bodabdan. I only call it a project car because it is not 100% driveable. It
runs great, freshly rebuilt tranny, just about 90% done with a front disc swap and I am
tired of running into little bitty problems that put me on hold for weeks at a time due to
my limiting schedule. If I have a spare few hours to work on it, I hate having to drop
everything to try and find parts. Ugh.

 

I wouldn't dare butcher a car like that. If that was a chevelle I could but it obviously ain't. Hope it's as nice as it looks. Good job.
It would appear that we have the same taste in basketballs, box-fans, and garage stereos.

 

For a truck with 176K on it....You might want to check the front end (balljoints, alignment etc.). I'd also check out the oil pan....I know several Super Duty owners who have had problems with oil pans rotting out and leaking on their 7.3s.Tranny might need a rebuild soon, unless it was already done. I wouldnt say $9800 is "cheap". It may be diesel, but 176K is a lot of miles nonetheless....Not to mention the fact that the truck apparently needs some considerable TLC. But if it sounds good to you, then grab it! As long as you treat it nice it'll be good to you.

 

Well, quick update.

I drove it. Started up kinda slow. Batteries are definitely on their way out. No biggie.

My biggest concern was a whine. Pretty loud whine, seemed loudest when just off idle
while driving. Just enough pedal pressure to keep your speed constant. As soon as you
let off the pedal, it completely disappeared. Got a little quieter when you accelerated
a little harder, but it was there.

After much debate with the wife, and my father who wanted to come out and take a
look at it (now that he bought his Duramax, he is all the diesel expert... lol) they have
seemed to talked me out of this particular truck.

My wife reminded me that I really, really want a 4x4 to replace the one I have and
that buying a 2wd truck would be settling for something I didn't want. My dad mentioned
that $10,000 would be a nice down on a $15,000 or better truck. Both statements are
very true. So, I appreciate the help guys, and I am going to continue my quest for the
right PSD for me. Pretty sure I am gonna stick with Ford on this one, despite my dad's
best efforts to sway me toward a Duramax. Heh. Hope you guys don't mind if I stick
around for a bit. Seems I got a LOT to learn.

~castrol

 

Round here Duracraps dont really count as diesels any more than that Olds did and 176K on a PSD is not a lot of miles, many folks here expect to crack 300k. The engine is good for it is maintenance is kept up.