Hello all,
I am just about to get into a diesel. I saw some pretty hairy issues with the GM 6.5's after 93. Dodge's are good engine, qustionable everything else. I don't know much about the Fords though.
I am looking at a 97 4x4 with a 7.3 in it...it has close to 250k on it, but appears to have been cared for. Could you knowledgeable types point out some issues I may experience with a 97 Ford, high points and low would be appreciated. I think I read someplace that the 97 PSD's were a solid engine...probably why the trucks cost so much with all that mileage.

Thanks for the help in advance.

Tim

My favorite year of truck. I have had a 95 and a 97 that we put around 250k on. Things to look out for are ball joints on the front axle, the dual mass flywheels we've had only made it to 200k then got replaced with the solid flywheel. If the DMF went too long with out changing and vibrated alot, it could have messed up the barring on the input shaft assuming it's a standard. If it's an auto, I don't know what to say because I had owned one and that was the last one, forever. Check for oil and fuel in the valley and the water pump weep hole. If it idles real ruff, you can check the injectors. That's all I can think of for the moment.

Have fun.

Thanks for the info, I've been hunting around for info on these PSD's adn I think I will be happy after what I have read.

From what I've been told the 97's were the best year of the 1st generation PSD.

I picked up my F350 just over a month ago. It has the flywheel "flutter" so its time for a single-mass replacement. I have 4.10 ratio too... 3.54 would have been sufficient for me as I don't tow anything.

I made sure to steer clear of the F250's TTB since I was shopping for a 10-year old truck ;)

I am also a big fan of that style 350. Ball joints like mentioned and rotten oil pans are another big cost from what I have read.

I made sure to steer clear of the F250's TTB since I was shopping for a 10-year old truck ;)
Why, what's up with the 250?
Like you, I won't be towing much and I saw a 97 250 a lot closer than that 350. Please explain more.
Thanks

I had a 97 F350 and sold it a few years ago with 147,000 miles on it. Pulled a 17k fifthwheel cross country twice a year in addition to loaders and other heavy equipment. Had to put front brakes, rotors, calipers, and a clutch in at 100,000 miles. Other than that, it was the best truck ever owned...wish I kept it. Pulled stong from day one till the day I sold it!

You've got a solid-axle in the F350... just some balljoints to change. No biggy.

The F250 has TTB (Twin-Traction Beam)... essentially a whole bunch of extra parts to wear out and eat tires in the process; accelerated by a behemoth turbodiesel riding above it. :lol:

My father had an early 80's F350 (these were also TTB at the time) and did just this. That may account for my less than objective opinion ;)

This is a funny read:
http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2539

There's only a few changes I'm aware of in the 1st gen PSD trucks. 96+ got the revised ZF/5S-47 instead of the 5S-42. I have heard the auto trans got progressively better. Some 96-97 models have a BW4407 t-case instead of the BW1356.

Injectors will be at end of there service life at 250,000 miles. I would have a compression test done if I were going to buy it.

:badidea: