new '96 owner in TEXAS!

[shoptruck]

Howdy from the upper Texas coast! Needed some emergency wheels, bought this truck on a gamble, it's now a week and 100 miles later. So far she seems like a VERY cool concept as trucks go, 2wd 4dr auto with 350,000 on the ticker. I do smell a hint of fuel when I walk up to her frontend, no spots on the pavement where she stays parked, gonna spend some time over the next week learning the ins n outs of the 7.3 and quirks of the F350 in general.

Only drawback so far is disappointment in finding a wheel to match the 16" originals, resembles a Weldwheel. It was a shop truck and somewhere along the line one of the goobers lost/misplaced one of the wheels after a flat.
Front seat (60/40) has seen its better days, I have a '98 150 with a seat that might find its way into this 350 as the '98 could be on its way to pasture.

Lookin' forward to this forum, many thanks to the admins for providing it.

[shoptruck]

My shopping list

4th wheel so I can throw the spare in the bed!
(located one in town for 85 cash YIKES!)


advice I've rec'd locally so far:

keep extra/emergency fuel filters handy
change em every other oil change
fire extinguisher

[erics diesel]

For the fuel smell there are several known places in the valley where it could be leaking from and hasn't pooled up enough yet to leak down the back of the block to the ground. If you remove the small hood from the top of the engine look behind the fuel bowl there are 3 short rubber lines that crack over time and a weep hole on the fuel pump itself along with prongs on the fuel filter assembly

[shoptruck]

Thanks for the welcome, gonna go through the sticky's for the basics and not so basics. Owned turbo and supercharged Ford cars in the past, don't need any towing cap yet but never say never...only one Powerball away from a 40' Cigarette!

[BigFuel]

Check the bottom of this thread. Guys trying to sell 2 Alcoa's and he's in Texas. When you get a chance buy a spare CPS and 10mm wrench and keep them in the glove box. Don't buy aftermarket parts for these engines. Hit IH first then Ford.

Link Factory OBS Alcoa f.s.

[shoptruck]

Originally Posted by BigFuel

Check the bottom of this thread. Guys trying to sell 2 Alcoa's and he's in Texas.

Thanks, got a PM headed his way.

[Red '97]

sounds like youre gonna fit in well here haha x2 on the spare CPS. its a good thing to have handy.

[terryknight]

welcome lots of info and helpful folks here, sounds like you have a plan with reading the stickies. and get that spare cps

[shoptruck]

Yep, CPS is on the short list for tomorrow. Also gonna hit the shop up for any maintenance records they might have stashed.

[shoptruck]

So she has a 4:11 rear, I've had an easy time keepin the RPM's under 2500, tach shows 2,000 at 62-63mph. After 230 miles of 70% city/30% hwy driving, first refill of 14.6 gallons has netted me approx 15.7mpg.

Some more city driving and a trip to a gunshow in Houston and looks like 11.4 gallons got me 185 miles, works out to approx 16.2mpg. Pretty sure I can live with this so far. Gotta score a better tire gauge and double check the tires, thinkin' she's good for a lil more mpg.