newbie needs help

[1080tom]

Hi guys. I'm new to the board and am looking at a 2001 f250 with the 7.3 diesel engine. It will be used to tow a cargo trailer to Alaska. Has 165k miles but my rancher friends say that's no big deal. Anything I should be aware of before I decide to buy. It's a 4x4 in good shape. I'm in central California so it's a 3500 mile tow each way but the fishing is way worth it !!! Thanks for any input...Tom

[Torch]

That truck has a fairly big engine and Diesel fuel in Oregon is more expensive than premium gasoline right now, that is the only piece of advice that I have.

[fordtrucksonly]

Well Tom you've come to the right place! Welcome to AF first off.

Your 7.3 is a great find if you can get it reasonable. There are alot of things to think about when you buy a diesel, I can pretty well cover all of them, i work for a diesel performance shop now.

The 7.3 power stroke is in my book the best choice of diesel engines. There tough and i mean tough, Its not uncommon to see 4-500K on them. For example we got one in the other day with 936,000 on it and running like a champ. 126K is nothing, trust me.

Second off, the aftermarket is HUGE!! you can run a chip such as edge, banks, diablo sport, pro-comp, etc, there a little pricey but well worth the power, torque, and most important fuel economy. Exhaust is the nest step, run a chip and exhaust you'll be the proudest truck owner you could ever be. (prepare to spend around 1500 bucks in aftermarket.) Trust me, its money well spent! I promise.

third, You might not want to hear it if you've never owned a diesel but the upkeep is a little more on them compared to a gas motor. oil changes etc.. But dont let it be a deal-breaker.

Last, have fun with it, and let me know how it works out. Also check us out at Leadfootdieselperformance.com!