Will be buying an F250 very soon....

[spoilers4me]

Hello all. I will be buying a used F250 with a 6.0 Probably a 2005 - 06 model. I have read reveiws and opinions about the 6.0 motor. Just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on what to look for when checking out the truck. I have never owned a diesel truck, although i drive one for a living 6 days a week. Just looking for something that will tow my 6500 pound camper trailer with ease. Thank you in advance and i look forward to visiting here.
Have A Great Day!

Tracy

[Raul@Stealth Automotive]

Tracy,
First off welcome to the Org.... best bet is to get the Vin number and get an Oasis report... it will tell you everything that has ever been done to it at a ford dealership.... that way you can see if it was having problems...

do the usual like check for oil leaks, engine compartment ect.

good luck... let us know if you have any questions... FYI but if you become a premium member on here you get free oasis reports

-Raul

[spoilers4me]

Thanks Raul,

I will be test driving the truck on sunday. I will get the vin number and more than likely will become a premium member as i will have alot of questions!

Tracy

[stroken04]

here you go

Some 6.0L weak points (things to check):

look for signs of coolant degas bottle overfly (dry white residue or no level in degas bottle).

Ball joints go out at 40k-70k miles.

Lots of idling can cause EGR problems. I look at the hours on the engine (if it has this monitored) and divide the miles by the hours (is it below 30? If so, may have had lots of idling). EGR valves seem to plug quickly - maybe negotiate a new EGR valve.

Try to find out about the routine maintenance:
Filter change intervals on time? What kind of oil (CI4+ or CJ4 - one of these is required)?
OEM filters? Look at them and see what kind they are. Aftermarket filters can cause MAJOR problems.

Any exhaust problems visible (ie lots of white or blue smoke)? White smoke may mean and EGR cooler leak.

Fluid leaks (SPECIFICALLY OIL LEAKS - 6.0L are prone to many of these from many possible places!!)

CEL light on? Consider getting a code reader and check for DTC's

If you can pull the EGR valve, I would do so and check for wetness or excess soot. Wetness indicates an EGR cooler leak.

The Electronic Shift on the Fly ESOF sometimes fails due to vacuum leaks. Be sure to check this out (several times in and out of 4WD).

Check for excessive wheel bearing wear (looseness).

Check the coolant - it should have the Motorcraft Gold Coolant - anything else and there may be problems.

Find proof of Transmission being flushed - it is required every 30,00 miles.

Any evidence of a tuner (aftermarket air filter, gauges,etc). tuners may or may not be bad. Some tuners are MURDER on the transmission. Some dealerships will cause you a lot of problems w/ them - even if you bought it that way used.

Try to find out if the original owner ever ran it empty on fuel or have plugged filters?

Then the common stuff I'm sure you know:
Look at and smell the fluids
Drive it - surges? Stutters? Rattles or clunks? Good acceleration? sluggishness?
Check the tires - should have over half the life left at this mileage - abnormal wear?
All electronics working? Especially the AC?
Dents? Air bag been replaced, etc.
See if he has any repair or maintenance records.

[mrnecsteve]

Great choice for 6500 pounds...lots of reserve capacity !

[idrinkdiesel]

Welcome. Check out Bill Hewitt POWERSTROKEHELP.COM - The Information Source for Ford Power Stroke Diesel Owners and here is the link where he talks about purchasing a used PSD. POWERSTROKEHELP.COM - The Information Source for Ford Power Stroke Diesel Owners

Good luck.

[uga33]

If he hasnt corrected his tranny movie, disregard the comment about Mercon 5. Only Mercon SP in the Torqshift!

[spoilers4me]

WOW!! Thanks for all the info so far. I really appreciate it. The videos are great! The truck that i will be looking at sunday is an F250 Crew cab 2005 with just a little over 11k on it. I saw this truck on the internet from a local dealer. They are asking 20k for it. It is also just a bone stock truck, which is all i really want for now. I will be paying cash so i can do some "haggling".

Thanks again!!

Tracy

[stroken04]

Originally Posted by spoilers4me

WOW!! Thanks for all the info so far. I really appreciate it. The videos are great! The truck that i will be looking at sunday is an F250 Crew cab 2005 with just a little over 11k on it. I saw this truck on the internet from a local dealer. They are asking 20k for it. It is also just a bone stock truck, which is all i really want for now. I will be paying cash so i can do some "haggling".

Thanks again!!

Tracy

WOW an 05 with only 11K
thats a good find, if its a good truck. Make sure to run an oasis

[dlsanders6oh]

well i found this guy on youtube he dose some videos on 7.3's and 6.0's he seems like he knows something about psd but you be the judge here's a video on what to look for in a used psd and ill agree with most of what he says in the video YouTube - HOW TO BUY A USED POWERSTROKE DIESEL TRUCK - 1 OF 4