Hey guys I am a newbie to the diesel world and was wondering what your thoughts where about a deal that I came across. The truck is a 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty Crew Cab, with leather interior, running boards, remote starter, 8ft plow, and 126K highway miles. All the maint. records are available and the truck appears to be in good condition. My ears are open to all suggestions. Thanks Joe

The 2000 have the good rods in them Vs. the later models of the 7.3 with the Powdered metal rods.. I personally have a 2000 and love my truck. the Tranny, if an auto, is liable to give you a little trouble in the near future so before purchasing keep that in mind

Powder metalurgy is not as bad as some aftermarket companies claim it to be. P/R's hold well over 400 RWHP, despite hype. They also use capscrews vs. bolt & nut. In a street application the P/R's aren't an issue to be concerned with.

In the powerstoke case, they are in fact REAL bad. They can blow at anytime with just a hot chip. Heck, even the forged PSD rods can blow around 500 rwhp. A 2000 will have the good forged rods.
Another thing to look at is the front end since it has a plow on it. Ball joints are most likely shot. Check them out.

Let me rephrase my response to: In an unmolested street application, the P/R's are not an issue. Anything can break under the right circumstance.

Let it run for a while then pull off the oil filler cap while idling. If it pulses white "smoke" it has a lot of blow-by. If its just a small puff your fine.
Check for any signs of a aftermarket chip/tuner.