I am looking at maybe purchasing a 93 3500 with a 6.5 Turbo motor. It has 170k on it the guy says and it runs real good he also says. What should I look for and how long do these motors last?

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53309

Towards the bottom of the first post are two links to threads about purchasing a 6.5. Take a look let us know if you have any more questions.

I am looking at maybe purchasing a 93 3500 with a 6.5 Turbo motor. It has 170k on it the guy says and it runs real good he also says. What should I look for and how long do these motors last?

You know, its really a crap shoot. Depends on many, many variables (here's a few):

1. How well was it maintained (all fluids, not just engine oil)
2. When (and how often?) were the injectors changed. In 170K miles, it SHOULD have had the injectors changed at least once, perhaps twice if the guy is really "on top of it". These should be changed at approximately 100K mile intervals.
3. Has it been run low on water or overheated? An overheat condition is like a rebuild grenade tossed into the engine valley. It may not go off right now (when overheated) but just give it a while...
4. Has it been run with a defective turbo or blocked air cleaner causing sky-high EGT's? Again this is another rebuild grenade.
5. How has the truck lived its life? Was it primarily a daily driver? Did it tow heavy often? The more stress put on those parts before you buy it is less stress that you can impart (see rebuild grenade).
6. Along with the injectors, has the pump been maintained? Again a (mechanical) pump will last approximately 120K miles (give or take). If the pump advance malfunctioned prior to replacement and the previous owner never bothered to have it replaced, this could have also caused some damage? Has the pump been turned up? When? Was timing also bumped for this increase is fueling?
7. Has the vehicle ever had a timing chain replacement? As cam timing retards, so does injection timing potentially causing higher EGT's. By 170K, it should have had a timing chain replaced.

I suppose I could go on, but I am sure that you get the idea. As W_Huisman provided, there is much more reading in the FAQ's (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?p=659254#post659254) regarding the purchase of a "new" 6.5TD. That is where I would go next for more info...

Regards,

Thanks