Ford F-250 Help

[CliffB]

Alright so for the last 5 years i have driven an F-150 and while it is plenty of truck for me currently i am American and i need a vehicle larger than i require. My daughter is 3 months old and while the Super Cab is functional it is very difficult to fit the car seat as it is and with looking to expand the family in 3 to 4 years i would like to get something slightly larger. I have always wanted to go up to a 3/4 ton truck and figure this would be a great opportunity. Where the trouble lies is as i understand it the F250 switched to a larger engine which is more troublesome and more expensive to repair. Cab having to be removed for injector replacement and such. Just curious if anyone here is familiar with 3/4 ton diesels enough to give me some advice on what to look for, look out for and steer clear of. Thanks for any advice. The truck below is essentially exactly what i will be shopping for.

 

[jdm333]

If you look at a 6.0 powerstroke be sure to take it to a shop that knows them well for a pre purchase inspection. There are a ton of potential issues that get very expensive very quickly. There is a reason they are cheaper than any other diesel. Trust me when I say I speak from experience.

 

[ehoward308]

If you must stick with ford stay away from the 6.0L. The 6.4 is a good motor and much more reliable and powerful. The exhaust cleaning system is the only real downfall to it but it's only permanent if you want it to be. The 7.3 motors are wonderful pieces of machinery but you would be hard pressed to find one with decent miles for a reasonable price. As far as expense to repair, it's a diesel... Expensive regardless. But the 6.0 is the cab removing, head gasket blowing, turbo killing one of the bunch. With regular maintenance you can get 250k miles minimum out of most of your production diesel trucks without any major issues. Or You could just buy a cummins. Then you wouldn't have to worry about it. Just transmissions. Hope this helps.

 

[atljetmech]

Get an older model with the 7.3 would be my advice....

 

[Blskypilot]

My 7.3....

get one one with the 7.3 or go cummins is how I feel as well. Don't be afraid of 200k just try and buy it intending on paying about 2k for injectors, glow plugs, under valve cover harnesses, and valve cover gaskets. Somewhere between the 9-13k range likely depending on what you get other than that it'll be fairly standard maintenance stuff. Mobile diesel solutions is in the Atlanta area and will do inspections, injector buzz tests, etc to give you some info on what you are getting.

 

[CliffB]

My Uncle is a diesel mechanic who has an F250 and a 97 F450 that he bought new so i will probably be planning on toting him wherever i go to shop for one. What years were the 7.3?

 

[ehoward308]

99-02 would be the years to look at in the newer super duty body style.

 

[atljetmech]

99-03

 

[jmblack]

http://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/threads/724989-FS-FT-2000-F250-7-3-crew-cab

7.3 nice clean truck ive seen it. Dont let the miles scare you there are forums with tons of 7.3's with 1,000,000 miles just take care of it

 

[jmblack]

If you must have a 6.0 buy it cheap and get the engine bullet proofed $5000 job