View Full Version : Thinking of buying a older F-350
A salesman at the local speed shop is selling his 91 F-350 Dually Crew Cab Diesel. It is 2wd and has a E40D Auto. What should i look for on the truck that might indicate problems with the engine, tranny or rear end? Thanks.
That Mick
07-01-2002, 01:00 AM
what motor??
m016324
07-01-2002, 03:59 PM
probably the 7.3 since it's a crew cab diesel
welndmn
07-01-2002, 04:56 PM
the trannys are ok,
They do take a crap with a lot of miles under them, but as long as it has a big ass cooler its good to go
Mine has always towed in Over drive (pervious owner, the tranny crapped out at 100k, and now is at 200k, and no longer towing it OD and its solid
ok, Well i found out that the tranny has already beed replaced on it and the only towing it ever did was the occational open car trailer with a car they bought at the track. Im tring to get ahold of ford to see how many miles ago the tranny was replaced and if the head gaskets have ever been replaced. thanks. BTW the truck has 240k miles on it.
JasonH
07-01-2002, 10:14 PM
If the guy will let you, take it home and hook your trailer up to it and see if you like the power. Naturally aspirated Diesels are slow.
I've got an 85 F350 with the 6.9 Diesel. I don't know if the 7.3 is significantly more powerful, but mine is really slow towing. Medium grades have me going 45mph.
But there are aftermarket turbo's that will get you up to respectable power. They are usually around $2K.
He probably would let me but i dont have the cash right now and i said i would not be able to buy it until near my graduation. As of now i dont have a trailer but i can prolly borrow one just to see how it tows. My first mods will prolly be a propane kit for it and a k&N filter. The price is right and it is exactly what i want, dually, Crew Cab and a diesel.
KS Toy
07-01-2002, 10:42 PM
Not sure what to look for but don't expect great fuel milage. I almost bought one a year ago and the guy told me he only got 12mpg. I do not know if this is typical. Prolly someone on http://www.ford-diesel.com/ could answer your questions if they don't get answered here.
Tusker
07-03-2002, 08:50 AM
On the diesels, MAKE SURE that the previous owner was adding the coolant additive FW15/16 or equivalent. If you don't add this stuff, you will eventually get pin-hole corrosion through the cylinder walls and blow up the engine. This can happen as fast as 70,00 miles with heavy use towing. A new 7.3 is pricey :eek: . I would suggest that you get the coolant test strips from your international dealer and check the additive level in the radiator of any used diesel you buy. If it isn't where it should be, I'd be very careful. If it doesn't register, I'd run away.
dont worry, before i buy it im gonna get a compression test done, test the injectors, test the glow plugs and also test the coolant. but the truck has seen very little towing, and yes i know about pin hole leaks in the cylinder if you dont use the stuff.
Bill Collins
07-05-2002, 10:33 PM
my buddy just bought a 90 crew cab f-350 diesel with a banks turbo.it only has 100k on it and he got it from the 1st owner.he paid $6000 for it,don't know how it pulls yet...
TODDK
07-06-2002, 05:00 AM
I have a friend here thta has a car lot he has a 93 ford f 350 with the 7.3 with only 43,000 orig miles well for shits and giglle we hooked up my trailer and through on a dakota and headed for the mountain it did not do too bad at all no cummins but hell it is a 93!!
oh yeah this one is selling for 13k
flimmy
07-06-2002, 05:14 AM
Look at the tranny shifter ( auto) and make sure the OD OFF light is working. If it doesn't have them fix it. When the tranny starts going bad it will blink. Also the computer will put the tranny in a fail safe mode, meaning it will shift HARD. It makes it seem like there is a shift kit in the tranny. It does that in case the tranny is slipping, all it's doing is boosting the lines pressure. I know I had a 93 F350 w/460 auto and the dealer ( not a Ford dealer) told me it had a shift kit in it. So before the warrenty was up I took it to a tranny shop to have the shift kit taken out and found out the tranny needed rebuilt. That cost about $850. That and a cloged cat was the only problem I ever had with it.
ok i will check out the OD Off light. Thanks.
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