1997 f250 XL 7.3 stroker

[NoTrax]

I am in the market to buy a diesel, we have a 97 stroker here at work for sale and its in my budget.

It has 157k on it, 35" tires, and seems to run and drive great. I would however like to know what to look for on these trucks, need to know if this is a good truck to buy. I think we are selling it for about 7800, but of course I work here and could probably get it for 6k, or so.

Does anyone have anything ot say pro or con on this truck? My setup will hopefully be to flatbed the truck, and possibly put my Zuk on it. and tow a pop up camper.

What types of problems am I going to be looking at with putting 4000? on the bed? and towing about 1000? I dont know much about trucks, or the preparation for carrying that kind of a load on the bed of a truck or if its even smart. Let me know!

 

[Bart]

I loved my 97 and love my 01. Is it an auto? If so, you'll prolly be looking at a rebuild one day. If you're going to carry that kind of a load you may want to do a dually conversion on it when you flat bed it.

 

[NoTrax]

It is an auto, is there a way to diagnose the condition of the trans without taking it apart.

 

[BlackDog]

Sell ya mah IDI you ran the report on for half that..... 3 grand or so.

 

[Rot Box]

I have two friends with 97 PSD 5 speed F250's. One has 279K and the other has 790K on stock engine and drive train.

They are great trucks. The stock exhaust is a joke though (check out the down pipe from turbo and you'll see what I mean ), and should be replaced regardless of intended use imo. Also the TTB front axle is okay, but some lift kits (expecially leveling kits) cause problems with wheel alignment. CPS (crankshaft positioning sensors) are a known problem on PSD's they are all under warranty and I'd look into it. Because of the cooling system (derived from the old IDI diesels) they rarely reach operating tempurature in the cold months. A 203 degrees T-stat will not only help that, but you can also gain a few more mpg with the higher cylinder temps...

Performance wise: A smaller exhaust housing, a TS (or other brand) chip, a 4" exhaust, and an intake will provide a night and day difference with better all around drivability.

The auto's are a weak link. Low line pressure at lower RPM's seems to be the culprit. I'd invest in a trans temp guage for safe measure

 

[Bart]

No way to really tell until it goes. If it's been maintained you stand a better chance. You can take it to a tranny shop and have them pull the pan and they can look underneath, which you might want to do anyway, but that still doesn't tell you what's going on inside.

 

[Milner]

Yep, tranny is the biggest concern. No way to know the real condition of it until it slips, then it is full rebuild time. If it has had a tranny cooler added, that helps.
Other wise make sure there is no fuel in the valley. the fuel pumps tend to develop leaks later in life, not a major issue though. Water pump is a PITA make sure it is not dripping from the seep hole....thats the first sign of problems.

Lots of good info here http://www.thedieselstop.com/faq/9497faq/stevebaz/tips.htm

dstop also has a ton of OBS info in the forum.

 

[NoTrax]

This is a wealth of information, I have looked at it pretty thoroughly and I believe for me its what I want, I see this engines trannies getting into high mileage and lasting quite some time.

It does have the plug coming out of the front of the truck, block warmer? I have not had the chance to dig into it, but my first add on would be a good muffler. Then chip down the road, I just don't want to over build it. I dont want to over stress the engine and trannie with unexpected power.

 

[Milner]

Like RotBox said, new down pipe is a must! There is also a bolt in cat "test" pipe that can be left in, in place of the cat OBS PSD's don't have an IC so the EGT's can get up there pretty fast. Anything to help the exhaust flow is GOOD.

I run some injectors from Bean's and a TS chip with programs specific to Bean's injectors. Nothing too radical but a good increase.

 

[NoTrax]

I do notice it has been re piped, 4" didnt get under to look at the muffler

 

[Milner]

Make sure you get at least an EGT and trans temp gauge in it.

 

[OREGON85]

6K sounds like a great deal. Air bags are also a great improvement if you're going to be towing much, especially with a Suzuki on a flatbed.

 

[Rot Box]

It does have the plug coming out of the front of the truck, block warmer?

Yep you'll be using that a LOT with this engine. Due to it's injection design cold starts can be somewhat interesting... They are really cranky if your glow system is not up to par

 

[Milner]

Yep you'll be using that a LOT with this engine. Due to it's injection design cold starts can be somewhat interesting... They are really cranky if your glow system is not up to par

My cold starts improve GREATLY with the addition of a geardrive starter!

 

[NoTrax]

So 6k, its the XL, long bed, sounds great, I would like to take it to a shop and them them diagnose the entire thing before I buy it, any recommendations on the Davis county area who are strong history on Diesel background?

Or if there are any professional mechanics who work at a place would like to give me a hand? I can pay but I would like to find a place to check it out for me for a decent price

 

[NoTrax]

I loved my 97 and love my 01. Is it an auto? If so, you'll prolly be looking at a rebuild one day. If you're going to carry that kind of a load you may want to do a dually conversion on it when you flat bed it.

what is a ballpark on this kind of setup?

 

[Rot Box]

Or if there are any professional mechanics who work at a place would like to give me a hand? I can pay but I would to find a place to check it out for me for a decent price

I'm sure others will chime with a place closer to you, but if you didn't mind the drive there is a guy here in Cache Valley that I would highly recomend

 

[RockCJ]

my 97 7.3 XLT has 173k on it and i have never had a problem it pulls like a SOB...the only thing i have done to it is 5in exhaust and cold air intake. one of you main things i would replace is the down tube off the turbo and it needs an innercooler. other then that it is a great truck...it is a ***** to start when cold but if you plug it in when it is below freezing it will start right up with no smoke.

 

[NoTrax]

my 97 7.3 XLT has 173k on it and i have never had a problem it pulls like a SOB...the only thing i have done to it is 5in exhaust and cold air intake. one of you main things i would replace is the down tube off the turbo and it needs an innercooler. other then that it is a great truck...it is a ***** to start when cold but if you plug it in when it is below freezing it will start right up with no smoke.

Thats a fine looking truck! I think this blue one is my truck... ill post it up

http://www.auctiondirectonline.com/VD.html?VID={4B92338B-A956-3C4E-8394-8144B69EE959}

It shows as sold but I have not pulled the trigger yet!

 

[BlackDog]

Thats a good looking ride NoTrax... Love those wheels, one of my all time favorite rim designs... Tend to look perfect on a Ford, had em on a 88.. and was working on a set for my 93.