This will be our first BIG diesel. Already have a little tdi vw jetta 2003. Have done lots of tuning and upkeep on it the last three years.

What we are looking at has 140,000 miles. Seems well taken care of for a 1996 5 speed. Seller says the clutch is two years old. We need to tow a 6000lb trailer cross country over the Rockies. I would like to know about any and all issues with this rig now before we buy. Drove it around the block. Shifting seems fine, brakes grab very well, suspension seems fine.

If we get it I will flush/clean the rad, new brake fluid, tranny fluid, differential fluid, and anything you all suggest!

Thanks in advance for any and all advice
PAtrick and Heather

 

First welcome to FTE great choice!!
6k isn't that much weight but you are gonna need to adress certain items depending on the grades you'll be climbing.. More info on the truck would be nice, like does it still have the stock exhaust? Most people do that first or second to these trucks get rid of the stock downpipe and get a 3 inch and slightly more open exhaust like 4"... An easy job, 2nd or sometimes first mod is to ditch the stock airbox with a 6637 filter kit you can build your own or order one through riffraff diesel, great customer service ,good price and good shipping!! After those two simple and affordable modifications you can look into getting a chip which is around 3-5 hundred give or take and who you go with.. That is a low mile truck if you ask me! I bought mine with 140k yrs ago and have had no major problems just a brake booster and some ball joints.. But these trucks tend to need good maintenance Around 200k depending on how well they have been maintained.. Injectors And hpop... may... May need to be addressed but they really aren't break the bank bad items, if you buy the truck and start to do simple mods you find yourself naturally saving for little things for it so you may even replace things before they go bad, hanging out around here is going to give you tons of info. And let you take care of your rig without ever going to a mech. If you want.. Lots of others do some serious towing on this site and will be along shortly to give you more info!! Again welcome and be ready to get overloaded with good info!

Welcome again!

 

Bryan
Thanks for the advice. The exhaust is better than stock, it does have a chip. We are probably going to buy it. The son of the second owner is doing the sell. He put a K&N filter on it. Seems most people dont like em! I have already read about the 6637 more than once here, Thanks for the reference to riffraff diesel, I like to work with people who are recommended.

I hear the crank sensor may be a problem on these? I hear to keep a backup on hand to possibly replace on the road. Have you heard of such a thing?

What do you think a truck like this is worth?

BTW your truck looks BOSS!

 

For value, need to know 4x4, 250 or 350, standard cab, extended cab, 4 door? What is it for sure?

Cam sensor is always needed as a spare part. Ford or IH parts are best in this case for sure.

Hard to tell on problems it could have, it ALL depends on previous maintence.

 

Its 250, long wheel base, 2 door, 2 wd, extended cab. The original owner took it to some specialty shop right after purchase. The inside is very nice, wood trim, leather seats like you sit in at home. The rear seat folds down into a little crash pad. Im guessing well maintain, but I havent talked to the real owner yet. He had it for over ten years. I will keep this thread updated . . .

 

I have heard a lot about cps sensors, it can't hurt to have a spare like Darin said, ford dealer or international no parts store crap from what I've read.. I'm lucky enough to never once had an issue with my cps on either truck I own.. Knock on wood... I guess...... Lol.. Yeah i had a k&n for about 2 months till i did more reasearch and reading on here, Thanks for the comment on my truck that's my cc. First powerstroke I ever bought and my baby, slowly working on her!

 

And to fill in a few details a little better; its a banks chip with exhaust and the engine is the 7.3

 

When buying a used powerstroke

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.

 

CC = crew cab

 

LOL... yeah I should have been more clear.. You'll fit around here nicely with humor like that, but I have a feeling the moderator may ban that link.. Were all good at having fun here but for the most part you gotta keep it pg-ish or just some good references... Lol that was good though!! Sounds like a real nice truck if you don't want/need 4x4... It is real hard to say a price not having pics or seeing it in person... My crew cab I bought I paid 1200 over blue book at the time and have been greatfull everyday since and the standard cab I recently bought I got for 3-3500 under blue book.. It all depends on the area your in the condition and if you really want it... We love pics around here!! But until you get 15 or maybe 25 post you'll have to just put a link to a photobucket or something up.. Which is way easier if you ask me! Next time you go look at it take good pics and let us see!!! Cheers

 

Around here one like like in good condition goes for 3500-5000

 

Just did a quick nada search on price for my area with xlt package it's at 7700 for top value.. I'm willing to bet/guess the price of the truck in question is asking around 10-11k...??

 

If you drain your cooling system, you need to flush it with distilled water and refill it with the a 50/50 mix of an SCA pre-charged coolant and distilled water. Improper maintenance of the cooling system is bad for these engines.

Pull the inspection cover on the bottom of the bell housing and check to see if you still have the stock dual mass flywheel. If so, I suggest getting rid of it as soon as possible, especially before a cross country trip towing. Go with a solid flywheel and heavy duty clutch. Most all of us on here run Valair clutches and flywheels, they are highly recommended.

Use a good synthetic automatic transmission fluid in your trans and by all means, get rid of that K&N air filter asap! Go with the 6637.

If you buy the truck, I hope it does really well for you with no major problems, but any problems or questions you have, you can count on getting help here! This is a GREAT bunch of guys!

Welcome to FTE!

 

Uhhhmmm, some of us visit here during breaks at work. PLEASE put some kind of "not work safe" disclaimer on any link like the one above. A browser history with a page like that on a work computer is a great way to get fired.

Since the clutch has been replaced, if the PO was smart, s/he also put in a single mass flywheel. But check via the inspection plate as suggested. That is worth some real $$$ toward the purchase value, and will have big peace-of-mind value when towing.

If the exhaust includes a round 3" downpipe, and you ditch the K&N for a 6637 as suggested, that will help with the towing.

140,000 miles is a mere tick of the clock, provided it's been taken care of. These trucks will go a million miles. The odometer rolls back to 300,000 after 399,999.9; the fact that this is rather common knowledge is saying something about these engines.

 

Thanks Bill, Bryan, and fordpride. We truly appreciate your time, consideration, and wisdom as well as putting it to good use!

Patrick and Heather