1997 F250 7.3

[KYAvion]

To the diesel experts here...There’s a 1997 F250 7.3 with 262,000 miles for sale for $7,000 near me. From the pics I’ve seen, it appears to be in really good shape with minimal rust. I know 262,000 miles isn’t a lot for a diesel, but what kind of expenses would I be looking at in the future with a truck like this? I don’t really NEED a truck right now, but this one caught my eye because it appears to be in such good shape.

[Razorback]

The answer to that is...... "That depends...." It all depends on how the previous owner(s) took care of it.

For that price, I'd jump on it..... inspect it...... if you know anyone locally that "knows" the 7.3's have them look at it. Or, take it to a diesel shop that knows 7.3's and get their opinion. If you get a general impression that it is clean inside and out and that it has been taken care of, it could be one of those gems that DO show up occasionally.

[Razorback]

That truck is a 4x4 version of what I have. It will be exactly what you'd expect from what they call an Old Body Style (OBS) PowerStroke...... it's going to ride and drive like a TRUCK, it's going to be LOUD compared to today's diesels, it will SMELL like a diesel. If it has an automatic transmission, the E4OD is considered a "weak point", however mine has held together nicely at 149K miles, but I don't abuse it, I keep the fluid and filter changed every 30K miles, and I installed a large cooler behind the front bumper to provide the best cooling I could for it (heat kills transmissions). I would be encouraged on that truck if it had NEVER been "chipped" to boost the performance. A chip can definitely encourage abuse, depending on the driver.

Oil changes consist of a $10 oil filter and 15 quarts of oil. The fuel filter is $35-$40 and needs to be changed every 30K miles.

You will hear people say that the 7.3L PowerStroke is the best made...... I agree....... but the truck is not as advanced as today's trucks...... but that is a HUGE PLUS as far as I am concerned.

A good inspection by a shop familiar with 7.3's would be money well-spent. They can run a "buzz test" on the injectors and a "cylinder contribution test" that shows how well each injector is doing. A common, easy check for what is called "blow-by": start the truck and let it warm up. Raise the hood, unscrew the oil filler cap, flip it over and lay it on the filler hole..... it should NOT get moved off of that hole by pressure coming from inside the engine.

[KYAvion]

Thanks for the information and tips!

[Razorback]

You’re welcome.... keep us posted!

There is a tremendous PowerStroke resource south of you near Atlanta in Buford, GA. His name is Bill Hewitt. Online, look for
https://powerstrokehelp.com/

I wish he was just down the street so you could take that truck to him to inspect........

[silverloaf]

The shop is about 40 minutes east of me. I think I’ll stop by some day and talk shop. I spent the last 2 years of my career at Ford Diesel Engineering.

[Razorback]

The shop is about 40 minutes east of me. I think I’ll stop by some day and talk shop. I spent the last 2 years of my career at Ford Diesel Engineering.

I would love to visit them. One of my brothers took his 6.0L PowerStroke f350 to them, from Oklahoma, to have them do the “bulletproofing” job to it.
If I ever need major work done on our 7.3L, or if I needed to replace it with a used PowerStroke, that is where I would go.

[silverloaf]

I ran into a guy nearby who restores Mustangs and Mustang Cobras. We’re talking high-end restorations that are collector quality and show up on Barrett-Jackson auctions. I’m paying him a visit as well.

[Razorback]

Any update on this, KYAvion or Silverloaf?

[KYAvion]

Decided to hold off for now.