New to diesels...advice needed please!

[Country Mav]

Hello all! I'm needin' a little (or a lot) of advice. I'm looking at a 1996 F-250 4x4 with the 7.3 and a 5 speed. It has 176,000 miles on it. My first question is, am I nuts for considering buying a truck with 176,000 miles on it? This will be my first diesel if I buy it. The truck appears to be well taken care of, but it was owned by a rancher, so life probably wasn't all just drivin' to church and the grocery store. What are some things that I need to look for and look out for? Any warning signs?

The other questions I have concern upgrades. If I buy it, I will most definitely be putting exhaust and some type of programmer or chip. Not really for power, mainly for economy. Any suggestions? What possible mpg numbers are there for an extended cab 5 speed 4x4 powerstroke? Thanks y'all, I really appreciate any help/suggestions/advice! Y'all take care! Preston

[MacDougall]

If it was taken care of 176,000 miles isn't way to high (sort of depends on the price as well) but it has plenty of life left in it if it was taken care of. Here is a link to a thread on what to look for when buying a used OBS powerstroke. What to look for when buying a used 94-98 PSD

Now for the MPG numbers, with my 97' F350 with my chip on the lowest setting and me driving it carefully i have seen around 20mpg. This is a hard one to tell you because it depends on your driving habits.

Hope that helps a little bit.

[1995psd]

buddy a 7.3 is just getting broke in a 200k lol
no i wouldnt worry about it
your best bet for a chip would be to get a tony wildman or dp tuner- programmers suposality dont work to good on the obs's
you could get a tw chip from Raul@stealth-automotive- he is a sponsor on here
suposeally the tw and dp tuners are the best chips out for the 7.3's for mileage and power.
if you get a chip then your gonna need an exhaust and intake too
intake- D.I.Y.(do it yourself)- beter air flow, and keeps it cooler! there are many write ups on here on how to do one
and for exhaust there are many diff. dealers out there and they are all right about the same but be sure to get a turbo back system and not a cat bac system since the down pipe on the 7.3's are so small, its like you trying to breathe through a straw with the stock down pipe. and with a turbo back system you get all of the exhaust system from the turbo back including the down pipe
hope this helps you!
and also welcome to powerstroke.org!!!!!

[POWERSMOKIN]

176k mi is NOTHING make sure he changed the oil every 3-5K mi and that he DIDNT baby it. these trucks dont work well when there babied, carbon bilds up and nasty stuff happenes.

If you get the truck, its gonna take a lot of getting used to and require a different mindset.

5 speed, your lucky. some would give a lot for that. good solid tranny.

mpg potentials with the 7.3, not a lot. max, maybe 17 or 19. MAX

with CC LB m getting around 13-14 but i drive her hard every day.

as far as exhaust goes, if you have a welder and a grinder, get a downpipe off the net and just straight pipe it yourself. youll save $300

intake, go with the DIY, I got it, i love it.

chip, go with tony wildman. if your only looking for econo, get only 3 positions, stock, econo, street (or tow, depending on what you do)

you wont be disappointed when you get er. I love mine to death, but she is needy, you cant just use and abuse her like a 90s honda.

Hope this helps, if you have any questions, feel free to pm me or post up more!

[Country Mav]

Thanks y'all! This is really helping me! A friend of mine has been tellin' me about Tony's chips. I was plannin' on doing the 3" downpipe and 4" straight exhaust. The same friend I just mentione has a 94 turbo diesel 7.3 with a 5 speed and 2wd. He put this exhaust on his and it sounds awesome. One question I have on the exhaust- does the larger diameter pipe reduce backpressure to the point that low end torque is lost? I mean will 5" sound deeper but be weaker on the bottem end than a 4" system? Just curious. I think I'm gonna hafta go do a little dealin' tomorrow...I've got a 93 F-150 supercab wih the5.0 in it, but I've wanted a 7.3 for years now...and I love the body style of the 92-97 Fords. I'm just glad to have found a 5 speed truck. I work on a ranch and do a decent bit of haulin', both for the ranch owners and my own stock. So hopefully this truck will do the job. Thanks again folks and keep it comin'! Take care! Preston

[POWERSMOKIN]

Originally Posted by Country Mav

One question I have on the exhaust- does the larger diameter pipe reduce backpressure to the point that low end torque is lost? I mean will 5" sound deeper but be weaker on the bottem end than a 4" system? Just curious. I think I'm gonna hafta go do a little dealin' tomorrow... I'm just glad to have found a 5 speed truck. I work on a ranch and do a decent bit of haulin', both for the ranch owners and my own stock. So hopefully this truck will do the job. Thanks again folks and keep it comin'! Take care! Preston

Nope, all the backpressure is taken care of by the turbo

I want your 5 speed!
wanna trade?

[HappeetxnR.N.]

176,000 no problem if regular maintenance was done. Post some pics of the truck if and when you get it.
Craig

[Country Mav]

I can drive off for 6800.00. This is what I've gotten it to over the phone. I have asked a TON of questions about the truck and the salesman hasn't balked on anything. The truck had 4 plain steel wheels (like spare tire rims) on it when they first posted the pics, but they had a set of nice lookin' chrome wheels and mudgrips that they put on it. The back two tires are goin' to need to be replaced pretty soon, so I'm gonna try to get them down to 6500.00. We'll see. Is $6800 (including tax/title/license) a good buy if the truck is what I think it is? I looked up the KBB value and this seems to be a good deal. BUT, you guys know a LOT about these trucks, so what are some opinions on the price? Thanks a bunch y'all! Take care! Preston

[Country Mav]

Oh, and another question, to test the 4x4, can't I put it in 4-Low and crank the tires all the way one way or another and just let off the clutch? I mean if it bucks and chirps and jumps on the pavement then the 4x4 is workin' right? Any way that y'all know of to check for warnin' signs with the front end? (Ball joints, tie rod ends, etc...) I mean besides the obvious of listening while goin' over bumps and seein' how the truck tracks down the road? (straight or pullin' left or right?) And on glowplugs, if they go out, can the truck be plugged in to help it crank in the winter? I don't know how to test them other than seein' if it puffs a little white smoke at startup...? Thanks again! Preston

[Tim Langley 1997 f-350]

well the best way to test the 4x4 is to pull up to a rock or something kinda tall and see if ittl climb it in 2wd if not put in 4wd if it climbs it it works but out here in oregon i can get you a 1997 4x4 ex cab 5 speed with 114000 on it for 8500 and its super clean. so 176k isnt bad my cc f-350 has 127k on it and it runs great but it all depends if it was a ranch truck it has probably had a hard life and not reg maint but it all depends on the owner i also know of a 97 cc f-350 for 9k