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How many miles is to many on a used diesel pickup?

mr.smartass

mr.smartass

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Been shopping around on craigslist for a used truck that I could pull a gooseneck with carrying the blazer or a midsized tractor on. Only working with about $8000 so it'll probably be a gasser or a high mileage diesel, any suggestions? How many miles is to many miles on a used cummins, 7.3 or duramax? Not to mention what years of these trucks to look for and the whole 12v vs 24v cummins debate... it's a lot to take in. Help! :doah:
 
Well if you are interested in a 7.3 ford they are 99-03. I bought my 01 with 125k for $9500. It now has 195k and I've had very few problems with it since I've had it. I have kicked around the idea of getting rid of it in favor of a newer (03-up) 5.9 cummins or a duramax, but the Furd is paid for and its been a good truck.
 
Mileage is not a major concern for a diesel as long as the truck has been properly cared for, but even the best truck can have problems. Check for compression, leakdown, and blowby. Make sure to check out the rest of the truck, because while a diesel may run fine for hundreds of thousands of miles, other components wear just as they would on a gas truck. HD pickups tend to be hard on front end components and transmissions, particularly if used for towing. You can easily drop a lot of money fixing components that have been neglected.

12V Cummins is the older variant, I believe they stopped making them in 98 and switched to the 24V. The name comes from the number of valves. 12V models are mechanical diesels. They are not as powerful stock as the 24V, but they are more simple and cheap to modify. The best choice for those is a 93+ P-Pump, which has the most power potential. The 24V is computer controlled. The 7.3 is reliable and relatively powerful. It has some weaknesses, but those usually aren't an issue unless you start turning up the power.

If you're not terribly concerned about fuel economy and willing to consider a gasser, the 01-up Chevy/GMC big block trucks tow well and the engines have a reputation for holding up. The money you may save can buy a lot of gas. The Ford V-10 is not a bad option either, although it isn't quite as strong as the big block. IMO the only reason for considering a Dodge is the Cummins, so their gas trucks would seem to offer the typical Dodge disadvantages (electrical, problematic transmissions) without the payoff, and unless you can find a Hemi truck, their gas options didn't match the competition for power.
 
Found a 2000 F350 7.3 4x4 crewcab with 238k on it for 6k, no idea on condition yet, going to check it out tomorrow anything in particular I should check for visually? Thanks for the reply.
 
Look at the firewall. If it has soot on it, it needs turbo seals/gaskets. Also, the TTB front ends are notorious for eating tires.
 
I know a few guys with 6.9 and 7.3 Fords (International built the engines),that have over 500K on them..the only issues the 7.3's seem to have are oil pans rusting thru,and being hell to replace (requires the cab to be lifted and the engine raised up to replace it)..and the usual ones like glow plugs,etc...
The guy with the 6.9 says his truck is the "only one thats more noisy" than my 6.2 is!..:rolleyes:...they change their oil every 3000 miles and the filter every oil change too..the trucks are falling apart,but the engines still run like new..many shuttle bus and airport limos on E350 chassis here use the 7.3 and have a lot of miles on them,and they hold up very well--also many town DPW trucks and ambulances here use them too..

The newer Ford diesels like the 6.0 Powerstrokes,I haven't heard many owners bragging about them,but a lot have complained,mostly about turbo failures,head gaskets, and the cab having to be pulled off to get a head off the engine..

Dodge's here are big bucks,even beat and hacked up ones..the coveted cummins are hard to find reasonable here, and unmolested,almost impossible..

The Chevy's with the Duramax and Alison tranny are in high demand too,hard to find one thats not high miles and reasonably priced..some years had issues with injectors and the transfer cases had oil pump troubles on some years too..they have a reputation for being a "hoar" to work on too,I've heard from many dealer techs who hate working on them..(one said he has to drill out busted clow plugs on a weekly basis and its very difficult to do sucessfully "in the truck")..
 
ktmoutfront said:
Look at the firewall. If it has soot on it, it needs turbo seals/gaskets. Also, the TTB front ends are notorious for eating tires.
Click to expand...

There are no TTB '99-up Superduty trucks. All are solid axle. 99-03 are leaf spring. 04-up coil spring D60. With 03 being the only year a 6.0L came with leafs.

Really excluding the engine, for a working rig ford superduty are a really solid truck. Frame, body, suspension, tcase and tranny. 5r110 auto are super solid. Even when taking a beating from a tuned diesel.
 
ktmoutfront said:
Look at the firewall. If it has soot on it, it needs turbo seals/gaskets. Also, the TTB front ends are notorious for eating tires.
Click to expand...

Is that an expensive fix or something I can order a rebuild kit for and do myself?

diesel4me said:
I know a few guys with 6.9 and 7.3 Fords (International built the engines),that have over 500K on them..the only issues the 7.3's seem to have are oil pans rusting thru,and being hell to replace (requires the cab to be lifted and the engine raised up to replace it)..and the usual ones like glow plugs,etc...
The guy with the 6.9 says his truck is the "only one thats more noisy" than my 6.2 is!..:rolleyes:...they change their oil every 3000 miles and the filter every oil change too..the trucks are falling apart,but the engines still run like new..many shuttle bus and airport limos on E350 chassis here use the 7.3 and have a lot of miles on them,and they hold up very well--also many town DPW trucks and ambulances here use them too..

The newer Ford diesels like the 6.0 Powerstrokes,I haven't heard many owners bragging about them,but a lot have complained,mostly about turbo failures,head gaskets, and the cab having to be pulled off to get a head off the engine..

Dodge's here are big bucks,even beat and hacked up ones..the coveted cummins are hard to find reasonable here, and unmolested,almost impossible..

The Chevy's with the Duramax and Alison tranny are in high demand too,hard to find one thats not high miles and reasonably priced..some years had issues with injectors and the transfer cases had oil pump troubles on some years too..they have a reputation for being a "hoar" to work on too,I've heard from many dealer techs who hate working on them..(one said he has to drill out busted clow plugs on a weekly basis and its very difficult to do sucessfully "in the truck")..
Click to expand...

Most of the duramax's I've found have been expensive, I've found a few cummins but most of them are to far away for a test drive or really high miles like the 04 I listed, and it's already sold. 7.3's appear to be pretty common around here and seem to be decent motors from what I've read and from word of mouth. I've been avoiding the 6.0's like the plague because of all the issues I've read about and the feedback from my father. (He manages a mechanic shop for the state DOT, says the 7.3's are the only ones that stay out of there.) Not to mention I've been looking for something with some sort of backseat in it which apparently doubles the cost of any truck out there.:doah: Have a 4 month old and don't plan on hauling him around with me, that's why the wife has a new to us Armada, but it'd be nice to have in a pinch.

DEMON44 said:
There are no TTB '99-up Superduty trucks. All are solid axle. 99-03 are leaf spring. 04-up coil spring D60. With 03 being the only year a 6.0L came with leafs.

Really excluding the engine, for a working rig ford superduty are a really solid truck. Frame, body, suspension, tcase and tranny. 5r110 auto are super solid. Even when taking a beating from a tuned diesel.
Click to expand...

Yeah we have a new crewcab F350 gasser at work and I noticed the straight front axle under it the other day, wasn't sure when they got away from the TTB, nice to know. Thanks guys.
 
The 99 F350 at work is a TTB. Just replaced all of the wear items on it. What a pain. It ate a set of tires in 4k miles. Now it appears to be ok.
 
Ok then in those years the Ford crewcab is the only true full 4 door truck. I sold my dodge 2nd gen quad cab when my first daughter was born. Because it was garbage size. And IMO Chevs 4door of the early 2000s era are not full doors. And rear that's no bigger than an ext cab anyways.
 
I never understood the whole 3 door deal on the chevy's... maybe other makes had them as well, just couldn't figure out why they wouldn't add a 4th.:confused:
 
So litterally superduty. Not Old Body Style? Wow I suppose stranger things have happened. Or someone swapped it in lol
 
ktmoutfront said:
I'll get a picture Tuesday. Blew my mind and finding parts was a pain.
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Sounds like a left over truck. My '00 K3500 ('88-98 body style) was tricky finding the right parts for. I eventually just started saying it was a '98 so I'd get the right parts.
'99 was the obvious transitional year for Ford so they might have done some odd stuff in the beginning.

I know my '94 Dodge 2500 has the same issues sometimes. I went to get a new track bar only to find out the first few months (yes, months) of '94 they used one taper size and then from then on... practically forever they've used another size. :doah:



As to the topic at hand it all depends on what you're going to be pulling. I love diesel trucks, they're fun to drive and get great mileage compared to their gas counterparts (pre emissions diesels that is). BUT I'm not so into them that I don't realize you can get waaaay more truck for the money if you go with a gas engine and for many it'll be more than sufficient.

If you tow in flat areas and/or only tow once in a while you could probably get away with a 3/4 ton gas truck and be perfectly happy. Not to mention your budget will go a heck of a lot further so you'll be getting a lower mileage and generally cleaner truck.
 
In dealing with getting parts, found out itwas manufactured 7/98. Sold as 99 year model. Transition month.
 
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