What to watch out for?

Ok everyone bear with me, I'm new to this forum so forgive my clumsyness on here. I frequent our ATV forum and I'm so use to it that I have a hard time getting use to new ones. Anyway on to my question. I'm looking at a used 2000 model F250 4x4 with the powerstroke. The truck is in awsome shape inside and out runs smoothly and shifts good, but it has 94,000 miles on it. I'm just touching base and wanting to know if there are any problems that I should check for that I might not know about. I have always wanted a powerstroke since they first came out but never could find a reason to own one till now since I will be pulling a toy hauler loaded with my 4 wheelers, and that weighs too much for my Z71. I have compared it to alot of other F250 trucks and it seems to have good power, "not the most powerfull" but its really strong. I have checked for blow-by by removing the oil cap while the engine was running and it seems to not have enough to worry about, but is there any other tests that can be done to check for problems that I may not know about? If I can't find anything wrong with this truck I'm gonna be buying it Tuesday so please let me know if You can think of anything. Thanks and all replies are welcome.

At about 94K on the odo, it broken in, but just. These things are reliable to well over 200K, and some to 400K if you keep good clean oil in them and DO NOT overheat it.

One thing you should CARRY WITH YOU is a "sapre" cam sensor. They are prone to failure, easy to replace, and nearly impossible to buy on the road.

Thanks for the info ModMech. Just wondering if there were any little tests to do that I wasn't aware of since this will be my first deisel truck.

If it starts easily at 30*F, you should be fine. Also check the fuel filter, the fuel should be blueish, NOT black or brownish at all. If it is NOT blueish, run.

Hey another quick question. I'm use to the gasoline engines and how they run so maybe this is ok for a powerstroke but doesn't it rev a little high when your pulling a load at say 70mph and not in overdrive? The RPMs are like 2900 or so and it redlines at about 3200. Could that be bad on the engine to do it on long trips? Just wondering cause I really don't know on these engines. I plan on going on some faily long trips and just want to be able to depend on this truck to get me there and back. I don't mind babying this thing so whats the verdict? Is it ok to let the thing rev like that or should I go slower and not make it rev so high? Thanks for the info. Oh yea is there any way to put a transmission temp. gauge on these things?

Leave the trans in "OD", it will stay (or shift into) 3rd if needed based on load.

Ok Now I'm gonna sound dumb but I can't seem to find the darn fuel filter. I looked the engine over real good today and was looking for the thing but I found nothing. Is it by chance covered by some type of plastic housing? I guess I could be overlooking it cause I know its there. Sorry to sound so stupid but I really like to know where things are when I own something. I'm planning on buying a good manuel since I didn't get one when I bought it but just haven't had the chance yet. I probably wouldn't ever use it to do anything other than just read since I'm not about to attack any repair problems on an engine I've never touched, but is there a good one out for the 2000 model 7.3L powerstrokes? I have the Haynes books on the other vehicles I have and they do ok for most things considering you have some prior knowledge of how things work. I don't have a problem with Gas engines but I'm a bit underknowledged on desiels, so thanks for all the info. Sounds crazy but I can tear an ATV engine down, rework the entire unit put it back together and never bat an eye but open the hood of a powerstroke and darn it I get weak in the knees. Guess I'm just a bit nervious when it comes to something that costs so much. :eek7:

Open the hood, where is says "7.3L Turbo Diesel", the filter is under that beauty cover (two 13mm nuts hold it on).

The service interval on the fuel filter is 30,000 miles, and that REALLY IS often enough unless you get water in the fuel. Even then, you can simply drain off the water with the drain lever on the filter housing (about 9-10 o'clock from the front).

Ok now that I have looked like a dummy and have read this I actually found it today..... Well, ok I asked someone that knew a little more about them than me. I do appreciate the info about it though. I thought it was more frequent change interverals. I'm about to service the thing for the first time since I bought it and I guess I'm just gonna change everything now and then I'll know how long its been since everything has been changed. Something that will probably get mixed replies on from most that own these machines just wondering what kind of oil everyone uses? I'm thinking about going with the Amsoil brand, but I'm not totally brand loyal, of course unless its going in my ATV. I use only synthetic oils in my ATV's because they are the best for the style riding I do, but I just wanted to see what all kinds of oils everyone uses in their powerstrokes and what they like and dislike about them?

We run our fleet on Rotella T 15W-40. We get 250K to ???? miles on them. Only replaced on of a hundred or so so far. We have them dating back to '94 (first year). None have fewer than 35K on them, many over 200K miles.

We also service them (LOF) every 4,000, which is about 1/2 of what they could go. 5,000-6,000 miles is a very good interval if you drive it over 40 miles/day on the highway etc.

We change the fuel filters every fall, just to PREVENT any cold-weather (-30*F) problems, not because we should or need to.

Edit:

I should add that if you used Amsoil, you could almost certainly go 8K-10K between changes (twice yearly). So your costs are slightly higher, but the piece of mind that comes with using the BEST synthetic oil is worth something too (IMO).

You know some people will argue you down that the Amsoil synthetics aren't worth the money, but I just can't see how they belive that. I mean its proven in all tests that it outperforms all other conventional oils in thermal breakdown, cold weather starts, and protection properties. My dad is one of the ones that says " oh its just oil....Heck don't spend so much on it, just change it regularly." I guess thats because he has owned two Toyota pickups that both have ran to well over 250K miles without any problems at all, and I do mean no problems, in fact he is still driving the second one, and all he has ever used has been Castrol 10w-40. I bought my chevy used and the previous owners were using Mobile 1 synthetic. I switched back to castrol in it because I didn't like the way the oil was breaking down compared to say Amsoils synthetics so I do beleive that different synthetics perform differently. They used the synthetic because they he was based in Anchorage Alaska and it provided good cold weather performance, but in the heat of Mississippi it seemed to fall apart to me.

I just worked on one of our '95s last night. 377,000 on the factory engine AND transmission. 7.3L DIT/E4OD. That is quite impressive.

I have had Mobil 1 save overheated enignes. Somewhere I have a piston from a customer's Jeep that had Mobil 1 in it. It was overheated, like the gauge was PEGGED hot, due to a pinhole in the upper radiator hose. He drove it about 10 miles this way, I drained less than a gallon of coolant from it. All that really happened was that the plastic valve cover melted, and the spring in the PCV valve melted too. That caused his oil consumption. He insisted I install new pistons and rings, even though the compression was still over 130 PSI on all cylinders (normal). Only a new PCV valve solved the oil consumption problem. There was NO evidence that the engine had been hot, except for the melted V/C.

My own vehicle tossed it's fan belt (broke or whatever) in traffic on my way to work. The temp gauge was reading very high, but not pegged (close though). I drove for almost 15 miles this way. 20,000 miles later, no problems at all.

Synthetics cover you on BOTH ends, hot and cold. IMO, they are worth every penny.

7.3L DIT/E4OD.

That transmission, its a 4 speed with an overdrive isn't it? So that means 4 working gears and overdrive. I'm asking this because my truck shifts five times. I'm just trying to make sure what I have here. I'm not sure what Ford put in these trucks since the manufactors change stuff up so much. (well on everything else anyway) A typical person that doesn't see them everyday like say a mech. does then they usually don't know.

The E4OD is a 4 speed auto, 4th is OD. The "extra" shift you feel is the torque converter locking up. The E4OD/4R100 is the ONLY transmission designed to withstand full throttle upshifts into ALL GEARS, ALL DAY. That is why you feel the T/C lock up.

Cool. See I didn't know that. I just watched the rpm gauge and when it felt like it was shifting from say 4th to what I thought 5th the gauge would drop. I also have noticed that if you take off real slow and just ease up to say 70 and not get on it.... That the transmission changes from third to what I thought was fifth. I guess thats normal because every one that I've driven has done this. On ours I can make it use what I thought was 4th by accelerating harder right before it changes into the locked tc setting (or what I thought was 5th). I think if I was towing something heavy it would feel like it was shifting 5 times but as long as I'm only towing a 4 wheeler trailer it doesn't use it very much unless I'm climbing a big hill or something. Is that normal?
You said it was the only transmission that would withstand full throttle upshifts into all gears... What about the allison? Chevy claims to have the best transmission in a heavy duty truck. What's your opinion on that? I almost bought a chevy because of the Allison, Well, and the duramax but mostly the Allison. Just wondering if you've heard of any problems with those transmissions. I know alot of people that have them and like em but surely there are some issues that have arose.