a/fdslngsht said:
hi ... i'm lookin at a 99 f350 dualy, 2wd, 7.3L 6 speed crew cab.. it s got 236,000 miles on it... it was used for towing in the past and i'll use it to do the same...
That is what they're good for!
i have been told to not worry about the miles, its nothing for one of these trucks....
who told you that?
It just is not true! You DO have to worry about the miles, just like anything else. The more it gets used, the more it gets worn out!
For instance, the ENGINE is probably fine at 236,000, IF he kept the SCA levels up, IF he changed the oil regularly, IF the engine had no defects fromt eh factory that reduce life, IF..... Well, you get my point.
Also, keep in mind that there is more to the truck than just the engine. After 236,000 miles, you have to figure EVERYTHING is getting on toward worn out. Interior, exterior, transmission, rear end, bearings, etc. All of these items are getting right up to the end of their useful life (Ford rated these trucks for 250K if memory serves...)
Now, that said, at 236,000 miles, that truck spent most of it's life on teh highway, which probably means they were easy miles (unless every one of the miles was towing at gross!).
I'm not saying don't do it. I would buy one of these trucks with 236,000 if it were the right truck, no worries. All I'm saying is that you should not dismiss the fact that this truck has a buttload of miles on it because you were told not to worry about it. The truck has a buttload of miles on it, and things are goign to need to be replaced on it eventually. Don't let anyone talk you into anything different.
i can get it for a price that reflects the odometer....
Bingo. I'm thinking (just off the cuff, right out the old wazoo) around 8k to 9k should be a good price. But don't take my word for it, do some research on Kelly blue book, etc....
the body and interrior are in great shape..
Good. You can tell a lot about the INTERNAL maintenance a truck got by how it looks EXTERNALLY. If the guy took care of the outside you can probably bet he did the same on the INSIDE.
what should i look for???
Dirt passing the air filter (gunky, gritty build up inside intake hose, dull, worn turbo blades), SCA levels in coolant (buy test strips, test it before you buy it) oil level and condition (no water, nice, black color, no milky brown or rusty looking stuff), get a code reader and read it for codes, listen for bad knocks or rattles in the engine, pull the fill plugs out of transmission and rear end AFTER driving it and inspect for contamination/metal shavings, look for no smoke at the tailpipe (especially blue or white smoke. If you see black, then suspect a dirty air filter, or suspect that power midifications have been made already to the engine),
Check for oil leaks. Test the clutch to see of it slips by shifting into a higher gear (get RPMs around 1200) and floor it. See if the clutch jerks, hops, rattles, etc...
should i be affaraid to hop it up???
Depends on what you're planning. I would go easy on it, myself, but I don't think you are going to destroy it by throwing an 80 horse program at it...
No, but she's gonna take some TLC to keep her on the road (more so than a newer truck)
whats the average life for a truck with this equip???
Hard to say. Ford says 250,000. I think Ford is being pessimistic because so many folks don't take care of their rigs. However, we don't know for sure that the previous owner/owners of this truck DID, so who knows? It is not uncommon to see these things log 400K. If so, you'd be getting one heck of a good truck for a good deal (8 or 9K) to go another 161,000 miles in. A lot of guys pay a lot more than that for a lot less miles. The guy that owned my truck previously, for instance, paid around 30K for it, drove it for 120,000 miles, then traded it in for about 14K. It cost him 16K to go 120,000 miles.
But, his truck wasn't constantly breaking and nickel and diming him into the ground like high mile rigs can do, you know???
i'm good with a wrench so working on it is not a big deal, i just don't want to buy something with no life left in it and i'd also like to know what the common problems are...i.e. cam sensor.... thanx a bunch... Mike
I wish you the best of luck. Go with your true gut feel, not what someone told you. If you are uncomfortable with the miles/maintenance, don't let anyone talk you into it by saying you don't have to worry. If you think that THIS truck specifically is a good rig, regardless of the miles, based on what you know and see, then you are probably right.
Good luck, friend!
