What to watch out for on 2000 F350 4x4 Crewcab?

[fields_mj]

It will soon be time to replace my '93. I'm currently considering a 2000 F350 4x4 with an automatic transmission that for sale locally. The body is in rough shape (rough), and would need a fair amount of work to make sure it would endure another 10 years of dialing driving. I'm also concerned about the automatic transmission. Anyone have any feedback on them? The only autos I've dealt with are the old C6 and the E4OD, and I don't think either of them had any business being installed in a 3/4 ton+ truck. At least the C6 wasn't too bad to repair, but I hate the E4OD. I have nothing to base any opinion on for the R4100 and would really appreciate any feedback on it.

What about ride quality? I seem to remember that the 2004 (and later) models had significantly better ride quality, but I'm not interested in a 6.0L, and making one reliable is out of my price range. I don't expect the 2000 to be as good as a new truck, but will it be a big improvement over my '93? I'm reasonably certain that the front end will need a fair amount of work done to get it back into good shape, so even a test drive may not give me a fair representation of its potential.

My plan would be to add a 50 gal fuel tank in the bed, and plum that into a secondary fuel system that would allow me to burn WVO and WMO like I do with my IDI. I burn blended veggie oil in the summer, and blended WMO in the winter. On my IDI I just dedicate my front tank to the blended fuel, and my rear tank to D2. I know that won't work with the Power Stroke. I'll need to plum in a completely separate (heated) filter system including a FPHE. Anyone have any experience doing this on a newer 7.3 PowerStroke?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[79jasper]

While some have success, a psd is not a engine I would run a lot of WVO/WMO in. Just price a good set of injectors. Lol
The 4R100 is a great trans. Not a bad idea to do a better torque converter.
I'm sure it'll need work on the esof (?) The vacuum operated locking hubs. I would just convert to manual.
Is it a dually?


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[IDIoit]

these trucks are great, bet on a ball joint and u joint job on that front end. do it and get it out of the way!
if the vacuum hubs work, keep em, once they fail, switch to manual hubs.

one of my biggest complaints me and my buddys who own these trucks, is the bed.
they crack and fall apart. if you do a 50 gal tank, make damn sure you add some support to the frame, or the results can dissatisfying
4 of my friends have replaced their bed due to cracking.
I put a short bed on my 02 F350 DRW.
they seem to do a little better.

make sure you scan it and check the codes before you buy it.
don't want something with major issues, unless the price is right.

 

[fields_mj]

Thanks for all the info, especially on the bed. I'll keep that in mind. The truck is not a dually. I have no use for a dually. I do pull a camper a few times a year, and I have a 10K equipment trailer that I pull once in a while, but that's about it. Two duallys can't pass each other on some of the roads I travel every day. The truck mostly hauls me back and forth to work. If it weren't for the camper, I'd be looking at a car instead of a truck. I'd just keep my existing truck for hauling the trailer, hunting, firewood and such, and get a car for general transportation. Need something a little more reliable for camping though. Stranded on the road with the camper, and the family in the back seat is not my idea of a good vacation

The cost of the injectors for a PSD are concerning, and its one of the things that pushed me towards an IDI to begin with. Even now it has me thinking twice about buying a ford. Everyone is always saying how great these trucks are, and how they run a million miles. Hog wash!!! If I have to dump $2K+ worth of parts into a used engine ever 100K or so to keep it running, that's not a million mile motor. There are plenty of engines out there that will run well over half a million miles if your willing to dump that much $$ into maintaining them.

In order for the truck to meet my requirement as a daily driver, it will HAVE to spend the majority of its life running on "alternative" fuel. I use a water injection system to keep my current injectors clean, and I'm hoping that a similar setup will also work with the PSD. The blended fuel reduces my fuel bill by as much as $3K a year, which puts me on the same fuel budget as a decent used car. Having to run on straight pump fuel all year round would kill the option of buying a truck all together.

 

[79jasper]

Just make sure your WMO/WVO processing is up to par, and it won't be much of a problem.
I'm at 240k miles on stock injectors, far as I know. These injectors will last a long time if you take care of them.
I did replace the hpop, old one wasn't bad, just leaked oil (which I could've fixed) but I decided to upgrade. Turbo I've rebuilt and upgraded.
Replaced the trans (zf5) once. And replaced the tcase like 3 times.
That's about all I've had to do to it.

These so called "million miles motors" aren't any better. At some point they've all had to have work done. Anything under a full overhaul is still considered a million miles motor.
Honestly if you want something with power that will take the abuse easily, get a Cummins with a 5 speed.


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[fields_mj]

Just make sure your WMO/WVO processing is up to par, and it won't be much of a problem.
I'm at 240k miles on stock injectors, far as I know. These injectors will last a long time if you take care of them.
I did replace the hpop, old one wasn't bad, just leaked oil (which I could've fixed) but I decided to upgrade. Turbo I've rebuilt and upgraded.
Replaced the trans (zf5) once. And replaced the tcase like 3 times.
That's about all I've had to do to it.

These so called "million miles motors" aren't any better. At some point they've all had to have work done. Anything under a full overhaul is still considered a million miles motor.
Honestly if you want something with power that will take the abuse easily, get a Cummins with a 5 speed.

I settle all of mine for quite a while (6 to 18 months) in 275 gal IBC totes. I pull 40 gal at a time off the top and cut with 5 gal of D2, then run it through a centrifuge (DIY Po-Boy design) at +100deg F. That drains into a 55ga drum that gets 5 gal RUG added. From there I pull it into a 20 gal portable air tank, which gets wheeled out to the vehicle as needed for fill up. The air tank has a pair of goldenrods (1 reg filter, 1 water block) on it.

Wow, replaced the transfer case 3 times?!?!? That seams like a lot! I have +280K on my IDI (ZF5). I spent many frozen a day jerking 5,000 lb oak tree tops out of ravines for firewood with half a ton already in the bed, and I've yet to touch my transfer case. Having said that, that's why I'm going to keep the old IDI

Yes, I know they don't consider it worn out until it needs a total rebuild. It's just one of my pet peeves. Insurance can total the vehicle if damage exceeds 50% of book value, but the cost to repair a breakdown is irrelevant even compared to a repower. It only matters what components need "maintained". I'd love to be able buy/build a late(er) model Fumins, especially if it involved a 12V 6BT. Unfortunately I don't have the time, facilities, knowledge, or $$ to do so.

I don't really care much about the power. My NA IDI does the job currently, but it would be nice to have a little more when pulling the camper down the highway. 220 hp would be gobs plenty for me. My bigger need is a truck and drivetrain that will take a decade or more of neglect and abuse.

 

[79jasper]

Yeah, not sure what's up with the tcases. But no telling how many miles are on them, I've been getting the from lkq. Lol
Every time, it's the high/low range shift fork bushings that fall off.

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[fields_mj]

Yeah, not sure what's up with the tcases. But no telling how many miles are on them, I've been getting the from lkq. Lol
Every time, it's the high/low range shift fork bushings that fall off.

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So how expensive are the parts, and how difficult is the repair? Can the bad cases be rebuilt? Keep in mind that I do all my work in a gravel driveway. On the other hand, I can swap out my starter in a parking lot at night in less than 30 min Practice makes perfect.....

 

[79jasper]

30 minutes? Takes me about 5 in the autozone parking lot. Lol
Yeah, the cases could be rebuilt. Not too big a deal. The cases are about 75-100 lbs. No Jack needed.
It's not a normal thing to go through them that often. And a 00 uses a different tcase than the bw1356.

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[fields_mj]

30 minutes? Takes me about 5 in the autozone parking lot. Lol

Well to be completely honest, it actually took me 45 min. But that included the time to walk across the Menards parking lot to O'reillys, buy a starter, walking back across the parking lot with the new starter, getting the tools out, doing the swap while trying to keep from ruining one of my better work shirts, starting the truck, and then getting everything cleaned up and put away afterward. I only know the time because I called the wife to tell her I was going to be a lot later than planned before heading to get the starter, and then I had to check my time again to reset my clock before I pulled out of the parking lot. It's only take about 8 or 10 trys to get the process ironed out, but I feel pretty confident with it at this point

 

[IDIoit]

remember to only buy motorcraft sensors, that's where the big wallet hit was for me.

took me 3 dorman CPS to finally buy a motorcraft lol