Hi all,I found your site while doing research on the 94 7.3L non-turbo which is in a F-350 dually I am going to look at tomorrow to possibly purchase in the near future.It is the cleanest 94 I have ever seen,2wd,5 speed crew,even tho im handy in a mechanics tool box,I am more a hydraulic and electrical,gas engine fellow,so,any input would be appreciated on what to look for when I giver a test run outside of oil in rad.,milkshake in the oil pan. Thanks
Hello and what to look for
- Thread starter fordtuff
- Start date
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
Ask the owner if they used any sca in the radiator. Are any of he return line caps wet. Is the motor cold when you try to start it. Does it have Motorcraft Beru glow plugs... If it has any other glow plugs its best to get those changed out. Champion and Autolites are the worst and burn out, then drop off into the motor. No room between the piston and head so they crush into the piston tops. Makes a terrible noise....
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Ouch. That's a little far to make tomorrow( that's about 3 hours out) Wish I could drop by, but that's a little far at the spur of the moment.
I have some nifty goodies like a combustion gas leak detector that is real handy for checking out used vehicles ( you can pick one of these up at napa or the snap on truck for $50-65 and can save you from an expensive mistake ), coolant UV leak kit, and freon sniffer and other goodies like that.
Remember first rule of diesel shopping Contact the owner and make sure he doesn't start the thing before you get there. Put your hand on the engine to make sure it is ice cold before starting the thing. You want to see how it starts first fire of the day. On the 7.3 if the light is out, you hit the starter right after the battery gauge starts swinging and you hear clicking( anywhere from 8-15 seconds, if the guy tells you to hold it longer , something is wrong)
Fire it and warm it up to temp thoroughly, short drive. Stop let sit 15 minutes, check oil. Then take an extended test drive. If he's uncomfortable, have him drive, but run for at least a half hour , fill the guys tank, get back let sit15 minutes again and check the oil again. If the oil or coolant has gone down any in that short a time, RUN!
I forgot to add, if you get there and the engine is warm after telling them not to start it, turn and walk away. They always have some excuse, :had to get the mower out, had to take mama to the store, had to donate a kidney, whatever they are all excuses to cover up the fact that they had to have a buddy come over and drag the thing three blocks on a chain to get it to fire when cold and when you get it home, it will never fire again because the glow plugs and the rings are all completely shot.
Ok,I gave it a 2 hr check over,Checked coolant and oil, Engine was dead cold,glow plug light took about 8 sec to go off,didn't start on first burst but I only held key for about 3 sec. 2nd crank over fired right off and only thinly puffed grayish black smoke for an instant,let it idle for 15 minutes almost smooth as my Gasser,no smoke,shut it off,rechecked fluid,no change,restarted after 5 or so minutes,fired right off with even less smoke puff.Ezed down the road,tranny shifted smooth,no ruff engagement,no grind,no slip or lug.Then I commenced to drive the s... out of it,Little black smoke at top end of 3rd,4th hammering on it,run it up to about 80mph in OD for a bit,stopped,shut it off for a couple min.,started right up and off we went.Fluids looked good at end of drive,no body rattles or squeaks,no visible rust or damage,rear fender flares intact w/no cracks,one fuel return looked damp,engine temp never got to half on gauge,I'd say about a 1/3 way up,tach must have a short in it.steering had slight mush to it but not bad,electric window worked as all other interior stuff did,two knicks in the dash over the radio,seats and carpet with no rips but a couple small cig burns....So what yall think? 1994 F-350,7.3L,202000 miles,chrome rims and lugs,chrome big bell exhaust tips,no body damage,tires on rear fair,front new,16" tires, $2,300
ameristar1
The One Blue Thing
Sounds like it passed all the tests. Is it a crew, extended or regular cab?
ameristar1
The One Blue Thing
Come with 2000.00, offer 1800.00 and see what happens. At 202k, the injection system needs to be freshened up, if it hasn't had it done already. At least make mention of it. Put it into the budget when you get the truck.
HAd the owner been using SCA's in the cooling system( supplimental coolant additives)? Sorry, we should have been more specific on that, you can call and ask, best to get some test strips and check it, A diesel parts place or Napa will have them little PH type test strip you dip in and they change colour and you chek the colour against a chart on the box or tube to see if the additives are up to *****. If theyare not kept up , the liners are prone to cavitation( bad, i.e. rust holes that eat through from the cooling jacket to the combustion chamber) and head gasket erosion.
Other than that *IF*, the thing sounds pretty good. The loose steering could be anything from a worn rag joint , to over inflated tires to worn bushings or ball joints or loose bearings, any one of which is no real big deal.
Other than that *IF*, the thing sounds pretty good. The loose steering could be anything from a worn rag joint , to over inflated tires to worn bushings or ball joints or loose bearings, any one of which is no real big deal.
Well, Its at a car lot and as far as the coolant additive, dont know,he does know that its not the orginal engine,it a reman that has approx 65,000 and as I forgot to mention, has a new radiator,lines,ect.on it.
Some pics and a video:
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i hope you bought the truck. At that price I can live with quite a few issues.
btw, don't be suprised the motor is a replacement. there's a fipl switch mounted on the side of your injection pump that belongs to a E4DOA trans.
btw, don't be suprised the motor is a replacement. there's a fipl switch mounted on the side of your injection pump that belongs to a E4DOA trans.
ameristar1
The One Blue Thing
She's gorgeous, go get her. If nothing else, we'll get you hooked up on whatever you need to keep her going. Nice truck.
With a truck that nice, pick up a front end kit from Kanter or PST with fresh bushings (front and rear), get the undercarriage done completely. Add a turbo system and drive it til you decide to sell it to me.;p
With a truck that nice, pick up a front end kit from Kanter or PST with fresh bushings (front and rear), get the undercarriage done completely. Add a turbo system and drive it til you decide to sell it to me.;p
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