96 crew cab advice and info

[bobfish21]

had myself talked into an 02 excursion when this popped up, wondering what you guys think and what potential trouble spots to look for. '96 crew cab 4x4 xlt auto, 91,000 mi. small amt of rust near 1 wheel well, frame and undercarriage showing a fair amount of surface rust but nothing "falling apart". looking at about $8000. opinions? thanks!

[ridiculously_necessary]

sounds like a nice deal. id use the rust bit to talk them down. if you dont buy it let me know where it is, im in the market.

be sure to do all your 7.3 checks

[superduty4x4]

Are you familiar with the 7.3 and the usual pre-purchase list of things to check?

[CT Performance, Inc.]

Big difference between a OBS and a Ex...whats the usage going to be?

[ridiculously_necessary]

turbo fins for damage, see if there is any side to side play or contact marks on the compressor housing
the oil cap upside down on the fill hole while the engien is runng - poor mans compression test. if it flips off thats bad. if its vibrats off its ok.
check for leaks
check for rusty oil pan.
check the up-pipe area for fresh looking soot
check tranny fluid color and smell
try for a cold start to see how well it fires up initially
give the pulleys a jiggle to see fi they wobble