Ford Powerstoke opinions

nohawk

nohawk

Rocker
Im looking for a new/used truck. Ive got an old Ford 1/2 ton regular cab with the 300ci straight six. Its good, solid truck but I need a extended cab. Me and my boys are trailering dirt bikes all over looking for good places to ride and driving around with three dudes on a bench seat sucks.

So today I spotted an extended cab Ford on a car lot and turned around to check it out. Its a '96 f250 xlt 2wd with a huge 8ft bed and a 7.3 liter powerstroke turbo diesel. It looks a helluva lot nicer then my '93 but it has 237,000 miles (my '93 has 122,000). This f250 is way more comfortable. I drove it after work today and feels so much more solid then mine, no squeaks or rattles, nothing. And this thing hauled ass. I noticed it has a goose neck hitch in the bed so it has been used to pull something in its past but it looks like its been pretty well cared for.

The miles kinda scare me. How long can these things go? Are the transmissions durable? Can you fix them yourself? My old 300ci six can be rebuilt in a weekend, if anything ever went wrong with em. I can only get about 18mpg out of my six cyl 1/2 ton. Will the diesel do any better?
 
nohawk

nohawk

Rocker
This is it

1314755942.jpg



He said he will take 4,100 for it.
 
sweatmachine

sweatmachine

moped
That 7.3 liter motor is a good one. I believe it was originally designed to power school buses. My dad had one, put 200k on it, and sold it still running like new. A guy I work with has one similar to the one you posted, and it has something like 350k miles on it, but his trans just went out, so.....

I had a 2004 F250 with the 6.0 liter from new, for about 2 years. I put 80k on it, and although I've heard horror stories about the 6.0 liter motors, I didn't have any issues with mine. It was pretty quick too.

Good luck with your truck search.
 
O

Oil Burner

Scooter
I had a 1996 F-350 4x4 Powerstroke. It was by far the best truck I've ever had (out of 8). It was my daily driver, tow rig, and snow plow (commercially) truck. Here in MA, rust is the usual killer of trucks like mine, and as such, I sold it a couple years back to a kid that planned a "body swap". If it wasn't rotting out from under me, it would still be in my driveway.

The 7.3 is the preferred Powerstroke by many, as the 6.0 that followed was plagued with problems. Just like with bikes or cars, every make has its "following". Some prefer the Cummins Diesel or the Duramax, but there is a huge supply of aftermarket parts, upgrades, and performace pieces for the Powerstroke too. Compared to the 300 straight six in your 1/2 ton, parts are pricey for the Diesel engines, and there are parts that eventually wear out. Injectors aren't cheap, and commonly wear out between 130K and 150K. That truck has likely had them at least once, if it runs well. Up here in the Northeast, glow plugs can be a PITA during winter startup; probably not much of a problem in Texas.

Auto trans? If so, it's probably been rebuilt or replaced by now. By 1996, there had been many improvements from the beginnings of the E4OD, but they still weren't perfect. If any engine is going to find the weak points of a transmission, it's a TurboDiesel. Plenty of upgrades available, and probably already has some. Most transmission rebuilders know the valve body mods for firmer shifts and better lubrication.

I never really calculated my mileage, but never thought it was bad (way better than my Dodge 2500 Hemi). I always did notice that it didn't really change no matter what I was doing. Empty, loaded, towing; it just didn't change, and never really felt like it was working hard. A torque monster, maybe not by todays Diesel numbers, but lots on tap when needed. It wouldn't even notice a trailer full of dirtbikes. I wouldn't worry too much about the miles. There are plenty of those trucks out there with 500K going strong. It is a commercial engine built by International; made for long overhaul intervals.

If it looks well taken care of, and the price is about normal for your area, I wouldn't see any reason not to go for it.
 
nohawk

nohawk

Rocker
And I noticed the "water in fuel" light came on while it was idleing. Is there a way to drain water from the fuel filter like on a semi?
 
O

Oil Burner

Scooter
nohawk said:
And I noticed the "water in fuel" light came on while it was idleing. Is there a way to drain water from the fuel filter like on a semi?
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is a valve on the bottom of the filter housing to drain water from the separator.

And Yup... E4OD still in 1996. Eventually morphed into the 4R100 in 1998, I think (don't quote me on that). Not exactly the same as an E4OD for a gas engine. Torque converter is way different, as are many of the internals.
 
Texas94fs

Texas94fs

Hooligan
damn my old truck had that 300 straight 6. loved it. as for the new one, just inspect the steering linkages and if it feels solid and drives well otherwise I'd say its a good deal. the 7.3 is almost as bulletproof as the big 6
 
S

slobinski

Scooter
My company pickup is a '97 F250 four-wheel drive with the 7.3 engine and automatic. Currently at 364,000 miles and driven daily. It still has the original injectors, but has had the fuel pressure regulator and glow plugs replaced, along with a starter or two. It uses no oil between changes, although the rear main seal has developed a small leak.

The worst thing about it has been the transmission. It's on its third one, even though they were serviced regularly. If it had been up to me, this thing would have had the manual transmission to begin with.

Anyway, don't sweat the mileage, just keep the oil changed (3000 mile intervals) and be sure to pay attention to that automatic.
 
Sal Paradise

Sal Paradise

Hooligan
I had the old straight six in my 1978 F150.. I kept that truck until it nearly rusted off the frame,and it was the best ever. 18 mpg, hauled anything you wanted, never broke. It had coil springs in the front and it rode like a nice old car. I put a yard of gravel in it and hauled it up the mountain like it was nothing. I kept it for 15 years. People used to laugh at it, it was so old and rusted, but it ran perfectly. It had the old vent windows and a sliding rear window so it didn't need air conditioning. I loved that truck.

Then I bought a 1996 F250 extended cab 4WD, 2 years old.. it was powered by a gas V8. It was okay. It got 10 mpg and broke the leaf springs hauling shingles. It rode like shit, couldn't park anywhere. Nobody wanted to ride in that little back seat.

They were both good but the old truck was by far the better.

My brother in law has the F250 powerstroke diesel and he had to rebuild his trans and it was expensive.

I have hauled my 3000 lb boat, and 3 kids and camping gear to lake George every year for the last 6 years with my Ford Freestar Minivan. No problems.
 
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T

TwilightZone

moped
Have a 4X4 stretch cab '94-1/2 powerstroke... (first ones out). Manual trans.

Great engine. Body good, comfy seats, but it won't turn around for shit!
(i.e takes a wide area to turn it around, if you go out in the woods you'll find out!).

17 mpg town, 20 on short runs, 22 extended run. Pulls a 7,000 boat through the hills... 14.5 mpg.
 
R

Robe338

Guest
My dad has a 96 f350 4door dually 7.3l manual trans with a bazillion miles. He uses his as a work truck. Over the road work pulling a trailer with lots of steel, welders, tools, flat bed etc. He had well over 400k on it before the motor was too tired and needed to be replaced. The new motor (junkyard)has unknown miles on it and runs like a top. He has also replaced the trans around the same time(junkyard) and the turbo sometime in the last year or so. Its still on the the road working today

Cant say on the auto trans.

Parts tend to be a little more expensive tires, brakes, oil change, water pumps...

Looks like a clean truck in the pic. If they are taken care of theres lots of miles to be had. Id say get it if you like it.
 
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