Confirming you were "set up"

[BrianX128]

So, when I bought my 6.9 last year everything seemed the same as all of my craigslist ventures, I've bought 4 vehicles off craigslist at this point and was getting used to the song and dance.

Something seemed a bit off at first because they were cool with 3k (were only asking 4k) for a 85 6.9 4x4 4 speed which was legit "rust free" especially in Pennsylvania, it was more or less what we would call like new in the rust belt. Everything worked and the truck drove great. It's "half ugly" as some of you have seen from my ongoing adventures to paint it.

A lot of you know the mess I went through getting fuel in the oil with the truck after I had it a while. It ended up being that the IP was leaking into the crank from the shaft seal of the pump. I had the truck "run away" numerous times on the highway one night getting it home as it ran off of its own oily fuel mix going up hills cause the crank area was about to overflow... Ignore the video title saying "injector knock" cause that's not what it was.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Fun. I fully believed that they didn't know any better, they told me it had smoked and coughed a month ago and they put a new lift pump and fuel filter on it and changed the oil and it had been fine since when I bought it. It was for a week and then it had 2 gallons of fuel in the oil. I put a electric lift pump on and changed the oil and got rid of the 6.9 water separator which had air intrusion issues, did the return lines and it was happy again for a week until it still had 2 gallons of fuel in the oil. That's when I got the new IP and injectors from mel and it runs perfect now. Put about 10k miles on it and a lot of them towing and hauling things. Smokes a bit much for my liking, but has plenty of power with it's fresh fuel parts and sounds good. Here's a video from today after I put my exhaust tip on it. It was hot after towing and you can hear my fan clutch howling also.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Anyways, the other weekend I took my old case tractor to another parade / antique pull (did good first time pulling, was in the middle of the weight class) and who did I happen to see? The previous owners far away from home with their tractor, I'm sure I was the last person they expected to see with the 6.9 hooked up to the massive trailer hauling the tractor by the dumb stunned look on their faces.

Honestly, the moment I saw how surprised they looked it kinda all came full circle to me. I don't think they wanted rid of the truck, I think they couldn't figure out why after driving it for a week it had oil full of fuel and was smoking and ran like garbage. I think they quit repainting it and working on it because they didn't want to do any severe engine work and figured it was damaged and figured if they put a new lift pump on, changed the oil and just said they didn't have a real use for it that someone would come and buy it quick and not know any better. It wasn't a "hey hows the truck doing? what year is the case?" friendly conversation it was a half timid expecting me to be pissed and say something type of "hello" I'm sure of it as I'm sitting here typing this.

And honestly, I don't care. They didn't try to sell it for 6k which around this area someone would have payed for something that isn't rotted out like my F250 in the background of my exhaust video. It just amazes me that someone in that scenario would rather be like that and lie, then list it for 6k and say it has issues and they'll negotiate and not take less than 3k cause it's still worth something. And when we got there, they gave me; a spare radiator (idi), new side moulding, fan shroud, fan clutch, tailgate, transfer case, and a box full of other cool parts for the thing. But yet again, why not tell someone they are driving a time bomb. I would have still bought it, it had 116k miles I knew it was going to need and IP and injectors soon in it's life of me owning it, I planned on driving it basically primarily for 3/4 of the year except for the hottest months of summer (no ac) to leave my best two trucks never out in weather I don't want them to drive in.

I just hate people sometimes. They could have sold this to someone who might have panicked up hill when it started to run away and got someone hurt. They still did "right" price wise all things considered, but could have done it honestly.

 

[79jasper]

Maybe it didn't run away on them.
Maybe they didn't measure how much oil came out?
Maybe you're too pessimistic? (I don't have much for expectations with people. I let them give me a reasoning way or the other)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[BrianX128]

I don't know. But they had 3 classic old cars that they had built themselves, I'd find it hard to believe that they had 5 gallons come out when it is supposed to be half of that and wouldn't look sideways. Only took 150 miles to get it that bad, and they supposedly had drove it to camp the previous weekend which was 200 miles round trip which they of course mentioned as a good point that day. I just don't buy for a second after interacting with them again that they didn't know it had issues that they weren't talking about. For the bit we talked, it was almost like they were probing me to say how I still had it on the road. One of the first things I would say to someone after they bought a vehicle from me if I saw them again wouldn't be to say, "so uh how much have you drove it since you bought it".. just everything together doesn't add up, I guess a good bit of it involves some of having to have been there to see the body language and stuff. It's just annoying because it's not just "this part doesn't work all the time", or "the water pump leaks" etc.

 

[subway]

i have been had a couple times buying used stuff, the worst was a tractor that the engine locked up on me a mile from the guys house driving it home. he must have just changed the oil because in about 10 min of running it was full of metal shavings. we had some back and forth but i was more or less stuck with the rebuild.

unfortunately when you are dealing with individuals you don't know, you have to assume the worst. it is usually at best them playing dumb, or worse out right lying. some are quite honest but you just don't know. don't loose sleep over someone eases lack of integrity. even if they are completely honest and trying to be forthcoming not everyone is a diesel mechanic and it is an old truck that could have dropped a valve on the ride home. it would be no ones fault, sometimes crap happens.

they all "used to run" just make sure your paying price can afford some "missed" broken items.

chalk it up to a life lesson you fixed right, and now have a clean truck for a great price.

 

[saburai]

Lou Reed sang "don't trust anything you hear and only half of what you see. You can't even trust your mother". He was just a bit pessimistic, but you get the message. In regards to my dealings with people, two things come to mind - I have lots of hope, but little faith and trust, but vairify. I've been very surprised by folks on both sides of the spectrum. All you can do is try to keep your eyes open, hope for the best and trust in your own ability. From what you've written, I'd be inclined to agree with your initial assessment...

 

[compressionignitionrules]

I recently purchased a 1996 F250 diesel that I never heard run, it needed an engine wiring harness that was burnt from a small engine firein the valley. I replaced the harness and it ran great no issues, but my first trip to work it blew a fuel return line from the L cylinder head, and i had to limp home in a hurry. I ended up replacing all the fuel lines and hoses in the valley including the R side cylinder head return line. no problems in the last 4 weeks but it has a very noisy TC . trans might blow up on me too, it just rolled 370,000 miles .

I bought this truck JUST because of the body condition, we have a lot of rust in everything here and this truck was from Texas 10 years ago and only summer use since. I took a big chance paying good money for this but was prepared to put another engien/trans in it if neccessary.

You bought your truck for the body, "legit rust free for PA" get over it.

I don't think the seller of my truck knew the TC was toast in it, diesel trucks are not the same as a gasser . person that sold you yours may not have known much about the truck.

 

[Macrobb]

Another thing I find is that a truck that "runs and drives" will get a decent price. If there is *any* major issues(clutch, ring gear, IP, smokes[ip/injectors], transfer case) you can often pick them up for a *lot* less.
People don't want or don't know how to work on these old rigs, and shops charge a bloody fortune.

 

[riphip]

AND a large percentage of them don't know how to repair them either but will charge you big.

 

[210Tumbleweed]

Somebody knowz....the troublez I've seen!
Everybody Sing!
Somebody knowz my $orrow$....

Whoooo! Thank you OP fer that (Seriously). Man I thought I was all alone...
First thing I did (as I've done on every vehicle I've ever gotten) was change the AIR FILTER. Don't ask me how the thing ran. THE GUY I GOT MY TRUCK FROM TOLD ME HE DID ALL THE FILTERS A MONTH BEFORE. Well I pulled and weighed (for accuracy) 2.78 Pounds of dirt! From inside the air-box. Oh...and that was just the tip o' my berg.
Quote: "It's just a good ol' farm truck...nuthin fancy."~that dude

Please don't get me wrong, I've come to grips with our common fate, as it were. And within the trappings of parts cost and fuels consumption...I have found a gem of a truck...

NAY! I HAVE FOUND A CHALLENGE!!!
Not only to best that dude's schmuckery...and in the face of all other naysayers ( there's a few....dozen)....conquer the short comings of periodic maintenance, as well as, care and concern...that this fine contraption has suffered from previous owners.

Thanks fer letting me share.

 

[Macrobb]

First thing I did (as I've done on every vehicle I've ever gotten) was change the AIR FILTER. Don't ask me how the thing ran.

I have to say, it doesn't take much to drop significant power. Just changed the air filter on my rig after only 3-4 months. It was dirty, but didn't look "filthy". Restriction gauge said "change" though.
I easily gained 50HP. Straight up. Also, turbo whistle and response was much better. I'm going to have to keep a supply of filters and change it much more often.

 

[210Tumbleweed]

Really...it ran good on the test drive. Little bit of smoke (blueish) when I stomped on the go-go...no complaints here. Just amazement and some amusement....

Its been an adversarial adventure ever since.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

People can be amazing. I've seen a couple of Factory Turbo trucks that had air filters so dirty that they were literally sucked up into the air cleaner lid far enough that the air just went past them. I've also seen a 1600 series International that was a county truck. They always ran it around in the dirt so they just tapped the filter on something hard to clean it out instaed of blowing it out with air. It dented one of the sealing surfaces so bad that it ate the rings out of one of our engines in just over 5000 miles. They were only about half the thickness that they should be from the piston to the outside that made contact with the cylinder walls.

 

[Runningaford]

The guy I bought my truck from, definitely lied about the truck, but overall then, and now I'm happy with my truck... Although realizing the guy's character, well, I don't like two faced ********, so I just don't like the guy I bought it from .