Advice needed for new PSD owner

[sogdog]

I just purchased a 1997 F250HD supercab 4x4 with the 7.3 PSD. It has 226,000 miles and in great shape. One owner truck and the guy took great care of it. The dealer who sold it to him did all maintenance to include oil and filter changes. He just traded it back to them for a 2011 Ford Power stroke.

Need advice and what to do or not to do as far as maintenance, fuel additives, etc? Never owned a diesel truck before. I know the original owner was changing oil and fuel filter every 6000 miles. Not sure if this is correct or not. Thanks for any help and or suggestions.

[ridiculously_necessary]

oil every 5k, most use shell rotella or motorcraft oil. but whatever floasts your boat. fuel filters every 10k to 25k. it really depends on the quality of your fuel. DK, 2-stroke oil or some percentage of biodiesel are popular fuel addatives, i dont use any. check the tranny fliud, see if it needs changing (assuming its an auto), if its gets cold where you are check your glows and relay to eb sure they work properly, you dont want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere in the cold. thats about all i can think of at the moment.

[SuperCrutyPS]

Maintenance on a diesel truck is pretty much the same as a gasser, with the exception of the viscosity of the fluids. Example: We use 15W-40 engine oil vs 10W-30 in a gas powered vehicle. Check your belts, hoses, filters, batteries, stuff like that about the same.

Obviously, the parts are way different, more robust, heavier duty and specific to the diesel truck, but you'll learn the differences as time goes on. Don't be afraid to ask questions here - Lots of folks willing to help. I've learned a lot about my truck here.

Diesel Kleen is a good additive.(there is a gray bottle and a white bottle) I don't know how cold it can get in Illinois, but if it gets down near freezing, take a look at the DK in the white bottle. It has anti-gel ingredients to help keep your fuel in liquid form. Diesel can start gelling at certain temps especially in fuel lines. I don't normally need the white bottle where I live, but I've been in winter climates where I did. It worked very well.