hey guys...i have never owned a diesel. but i have some real diesel envy...so im planning on trading in my 250 SD in for a 99 250 SD 7.3. i have some questions though...
1. are there any issues i should be looking for with the diesel?
2. am i going to have problems working/moding it without any knowledge of diesels?
3. what kind of mileage can i expect at first with the stock components...it has 138,000 miles.

thanks for the input and if possible i have to make the decision by friday. thanks alot

 

Welcome... See the mileage thread on the this forum. Do you have a stick or auto.? It will make a couple of MPG difference. MPG are affected by many things, your driving, top speed, exhaust temperature, rear-end ratio, load, etc.. I get around 15 empty on the hiway, but i have a 4:10 rear-end dually. My son-in-law has stick trans and he getting about 18 - 19. ... As far as getting knowledge, reading this forum and asking questions is a huge help..

 

'99 was a transition year. Do you have an early model or late model '99? Some things are different on the early '99 (turbo, hub size, etc.)

 

which model is better late or early 99?

 

Below is a reply that I posted to a similar question recently, which is the same question I asked a while ago. Deja vu, deja vu, deja vu ..........

I posted a similar question a few months ago, but for a 99 F250 SD SC LB 4X4 with 110k miles, which I did buy in Vermont. You will find responses that would apply to your truck there as well:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4316...ighlight=blhfla

Mine had some surface rust underneath so I blasted and undercoated it (less than $50 to do myself). I paid $12k for what would have gone for about $18k-$20k here in FL, the $6k saved will go a long way towards mods (it already had an AFE stageII CAI). Replaced the Vehicle Speed Sensor (thanks to FTE members for diagnosing the problem) for $20 and been going strong ever since. Remember used is used; the nice thing is the folks on here are a great resource, so get the best deal you can and try to have some $ left for any problems down the road.

Also, carfax is only good to learn about problems that have been reported (DMV, insurance, etc). My wife did $7k damage to a VW Passat when she took on an 18 wheeler, broke the driver's axle and suspension in half, yet the carfax on it shows clean - I wouldn't use it as definitive history.