is this 1993 F350 7.3 IDI turbo a good deal?

[StillOldSchool]

New to the forum (or any forum for that matter, always just trolled). Thanks in advance for any insights.

Background on me, I like to work on trucks/engines but given I've got 4 kids ranging from one week to 11 years and a full time job I don't have a lot of spare time for a "hobby truck." I don't mind maintenance, but I need it to start every time.

This past fall we bought a 23 foot wakeboard boat (I figure pushing 6k lbs including trailer and gear) that I'm afraid is a bit heavy for my 2009 suburban 1500 with 190k miles. I've been considering doing a rebuild with a displacement on demand delete kit and adding a new camshaft to beef it up a bit, but before I drop a few thousand into that vehicle I thought I'd at least look at what was out there that will pull the boat and fit the family.

That brings me to this truck that I found. I think 11k is too much for it, but I know people pay that. Is this a truck that will get me in trouble if I haul off and buy it?

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Again, thanks for any insights and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[Noiseydiesel]

***** don't facebook.
"...rebuild with a displacement on demand delete kit and adding a new camshaft to beef it up a bit..."
Demand delete kit?
A hole in the piston?
Smarter people on here than I, They might chime in.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

The price seems a little on the high side to me, but since it's listed in Plano, TX, it may not be too far out of line for the area. It looks pretty clean, but for that price, I'd want to look it over really closely. Since it also has the bucket seats, which do look nice, I think that you may be a little cramped in there with six people trying to crowd inside. Personally, I don't care for the automatic hubs, but they can be changed out with manual ones.

 

[TNBrett]

There’s a lot to talk about here. First thing is price. That truck is what I would consider to be the most desirable configuration for an OBS & IDI. It’s got a lot of miles, but I don’t think the seller is far off the mark on price.

Next, your requirements are that it can pull your boat, and fit the family. As an avid boater, and someone who has owned a few Suburbans, I think you would regret moving into a crew cab truck. I have three kids. I sold my last Suburban after my oldest moved out of the house. There are still times I miss the extra seats. That crew cab doesn’t have enough seats for everyone as is, and taking two vehicles to the lake is a pain.

Depending on the boat, I think your estimate of 6k could be light, so I agree with your desire to upgrade your tow vehicle. I would not however spend the money upgrading a 1/2 ton truck for towing. Sell your current suburban and buy a Ford Excursion or a Suburban 2500. In the Excursion I would look for a 7.3 psd or a 6.8 v10. For a Suburban, You can get a ‘01-‘06 with the 8.1 and the Allison. The 6.0 in those same years came with the 4l80e which was a great transmission, but the 6 speed available ‘07 and up helps a lot with the weight.

 

[StillOldSchool]

Thank you for responses.

A few clarifications:

Noiseydiesel, regarding Displacement on demand, The vortec engines in most GM vehicles, for fuel efficiency purposes, shut off 4 of the cylinders when not under load. This is a great concept but unfortunately wears out some of the parts. My 2009 suburban has the lifters going out, so while I'm in there I'm going to "delete" the displacement on demand and change out the cam. As I understand it, this can significantly improve performance. Enough to pull the boat easily, well I guess that's TBD...

Tnbrett, you are correct about captains chairs. I was already researching a new front seat. You are also correct that a truck wont be nearly as comfortable compared to an SUV. my tentative plan was to buy a truck (similar to the one I posted) that I could use to pull the truck to and from the lake (45 min or less drive) and keep the suburban for road trips.

Expanding a bit, In addition to my full time job I do a fair amount of blue collar work on the side, so I need a truck that is good for working out of (long bed is a must). That basically eliminates all newer half ton trucks. I currently have a 1995 f150 with a straight 6 that I use, but it's not beefy enough to pull the boat and it won't fit family anyway (regular cab). So, selling that and my Honda pilot and buying one of these 3/4 or 1 ton trucks is on my list. I can work out of it and fit the family when I need to but then the wife has the nicer suburban to drive daily.

Regarding boat weight, I believe dry weight is 3900, I figured roughly 1k for trailer and 1k for gear.

I would love an excursion or a 2500 suburban, but to get one with lower mileage to be my wife's daily driver, I'm looking at a minimum of 30k. 11k for this truck is much easier on the budget.

All That said, if I could swing the 11k (or get him down a bit), what do you think of the durability of that model truck?

I've heard those IDI trucks are highly durable and easy to work on compared to the electronic monsters that the newer PSDs are. If I did buy it, I'd probably immediately break it down and replace glow plugs, pumps, gaskets, general in depth tune up. One thing that is appealing is that I hear those parts are all very cheap.

And yes, I would check over the truck itself very closely. I've also heard the truck will fall apart way before the engine does.

Thanks again guys, enjoy your evening.

 

[YJMike92]

It looks pretty good. That's a lot of miles even for an IDI. You sure want to check for blowby before purchase. If it's a rust free Texas truck that would be a plus.

 

[JAKRANCH]

Not so many miles i'd be scared of it. More than I'd want to pay but the markets nuts right now. It'll handle that weight very well if it's healthy. Upgrade it a little and you won't know the boats there

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Since you're already planning to upgrade, then it would be worth looking into. Even priced a little on the high side these trucks don't last for long so hopefully, it will still be available.

 

[SirRea63l]

I bought my 94 with more miles than that, it is normal to put a lot of highway miles on a truck in Texas it doesn't mean it is worn out. That one looks really clean and well taken care of. A few things stand out, the addition of an intercooler is great but it makes me wonder how much, if any, the fueling has been increased and with no extra gauges visible like a pyro it adds uncertainty. He claims no blowby, B.S. these trucks had blowby right off the assembly line , with 311k it has blowby, not the end of the world. No leaks, also B.S. The lack of engine compartment pics is a poor way to list a diesel truck for sale, you can tell a lot about a truck from the engine bay.

In this market he will get close to his asking price, especially with the added intercooler and really nice interior. I would not be afraid of it as long as you have the ability to work on it yourself. You should be aware that these trucks have the turning radius of a train and are about 20' long, that makes it fun in the city. They also ride like a lumber wagon but that can be corrected. I would go look at it and drive it, you will know quickly if you want it, my guess is you will.

 

[StillOldSchool]

Engine compartment pic

 

[SirRea63l]

That is about what I expected for a 311k mile truck but not a $11k truck. I would still go look at and drive it. It would not be worth 11k to me but to be honest I have more than that into my 94 so if the condition is something you can live with and it drives good it may be worth it.

 

[Farmer Rock]

I wouldn't be scared of the miles either, and unfortunately that is about the average price for a truck like it around here. There aren't many in that configuration and condition.
That truck will do anything you ask of it...... except park,lol.
Like was already mentioned, if you plan on daily driving this truck in town or a city, you may want to keep one of the other vehicles for that purpose, because the turning radius is quite ridiculous. I have the same truck, and It's not bad once you're used to it, but I would never want to daily drive it. The turning radius doesn't really matter to me, because I expected it, but it's worth noting.



Rock

 

[StillOldSchool]

I hear ya, but I dont mind the turning radius and I figure the turning radius combined with it being a stick shift means I can leave the keys in it all the time cause no one that would steal a car would know how to drive it...

Regarding engine pic, any thought about how beat up underside of hood is? I'm assuming the material has just worn out but wasn't sure if that was maybe a sign of excessive heat coming off the engine?

Regarding blow by, there are a million videos out there but I really don't believe anything I see on the internet (I recognize the irony that I'm on internet asking for advice, but I digress). How do you guys check for blow by? Set oil cap on and see if it blows off?

Regarding leaks, I've read I should check coolant. Suggestion how to do that?

Anything else if I go look?

And if this one doesn't work out, I will be saving this info for future. I may not get this one, but I will eventually get one.

Thanks everyone!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

The "see if the oil cap blows off" trick for checking blow by only works for the 83-86 6.9 engines. The 87 6.9 and the 7.3s all have an oil fill that is at an angle and the oil cap probably wouldn't sit on it even if the engine isn't running. The underhood insulation looking like that wasn't exactly a rare sight even 20 years ago. It really means next to nothing. To check the coolant level, just pull off the radiator cap.

 

[YJMike92]

The underside of the hood looks perfectly normal. I've had several of these trucks the one currently driveable is a 1993 with supposed low miles and has no visible blowby with the oil cap off at idle. The truck in my avatar had very noticeable blowby with the oil cap off at idle and it is currently parked due to very low compression on the number seven cylinder.