Need some advice from the Pros

[ihochad]

Hello,

I am new to this forum; I am in need of some advice from you guys. I have done some searching and could not find the answers that I need. I am currently looking at a 92 F superduty, sort of the f450 before there was one. It has a 15k payload, 2wheel drive, 7.3(obviously) has banks turbo a gearvendors under/overdrive on it, custom exhaust, Centurion package, Alco Aluminum wheels, and few other little doodads here and there. It is in really nice shape, no damage or known problems. It had a long block done a little over 25k ago. I have been looking and researching PSDs for some time and basically had settled on finding one until this truck popped up. The questions I have are the following.

1. What can expect in pulling power? In other words I have a 11'6" cab over camper that tips the scales at around 3400lbs dry, so figure gear and everything 4400lbs and I want to tow a trailer with my IH Scout around 8500lbs. I know the GVW is fine but I will be towing hills and high grades quite a lot. I am not interested in doing this at 30mph. Do you guys think this truck will do better than that. With out sending the EGT's or turbo into fits? Or can it even do it?
2. Lack of an exhaust brake concerns me as well, I have read that some people think it is not an issue to run one while others say to absolutely not do it. Any info either way?
3. Before I tell you guys what I can get this truck for I would like to know what your opinions are on a reasonable price. Understand I am in California where everything costs a little more.
4. The transmission worries me, the current owner states that both he and PO have had it serviced and have run hydraulic fluid in it. He states that this was recommended and helps in both prolonging the life of the tranny and helps it run cooler and operate more smoothly.

Any other opinions would be great. Like I said I had all but decided on a PSD but when I saw this truck and the price it really got me thinking. Not having a payment really appeals to me. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[69oiler]

i ran an 89 F-Superduty with the 7.3 NA and a 5 speed for a few years. it had 5.13 gears out back and it pulled well. if yours has a turbo and an OD you should be fine. a turbo IDI can run with a Stock PSD fairly well.

what part of the country will you be pulling in? with a turbo i'm sure you can manage better than 30 mph but you wont keep up with the new diesels.

you didnt say if the trans was an auto or manual.

 

[ihochad]

Sorry, it is a auto, hence the fluid question, it does have the GearVendors over under which is nice. I will be draggin this thing all over the country. I am planning a trip all the way through Colorado this summer so some pretty serious grades up to and including the continental devide. That is my concern right there, all of these mods on this truck and it "might" keep up with a stock PSD.

 

[69oiler]

that's the way it is. they'll run good but they're old technology. that said, i wouldn't hesitate to own another IDI. they are cheap to own and very reliable.

i dunno about the tranny fluid. i have always heard to use Mercon fluid in the Ford automatics.

check this out. this is the hottest running IDI i've seen vs. my stock '99 7.3 PSD. you will notice the IDI does better off the line while the PSD has better top end. even my old NA 6.9 has more grunt down low than my PSD. but there again the PSD has only gotten more powerful since '99.

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[RLDSL]

Sounds like a nice rig. I pull a 10klb 5er with mine no problem, and I've taken it over some real steep hills just to see what it would do, no worries. Mine used to get a bit warm on long pulls,( not overheat, but enough to make me take my foot out of it ) but a custom radiator took care of that. With the rear gears on a SD, I doubt that would be an issue.

You don't need an exhaust brake, just drive it like a truck and not a sports car and you'll be fine, just remember, go down the hill in the same gear you'd go up it and you won't have a problem. These things have great compression braking if you're in the proper gear going down a mountain. I rarely have to touch the brakes going down hill when towing.

---Robert

 

[KR69IDI]

Sorry, it is a auto, hence the fluid question, it does have the GearVendors over under which is nice. I will be draggin this thing all over the country. I am planning a trip all the way through Colorado this summer so some pretty serious grades up to and including the continental devide. That is my concern right there, all of these mods on this truck and it "might" keep up with a stock PSD.

I've heard of some people that swear by running hyd fluid in auto's. I cannot personally comment about it as I have never done it myself. Even heard that dumping ATF in a brand new vehicle and switching over to Hyd for the lifetime of the vehicle is the only way to go. I would like to hear if anybody else has heard these comments as well. I'm too chicken to try in in my own vehicle, but in the case of the 450 that your looking at, I wouldn't run away just on that concern. BTW, I don't know if I would want to run a F-superduty across the country. I've ran a '92 a few miles and that truck was so rough it would put a guy to the chiropractor real quick. GOOD LUCK

 

[ihochad]

I've heard of some people that swear by running hyd fluid in auto's. I cannot personally comment about it as I have never done it myself. Even heard that dumping ATF in a brand new vehicle and switching over to Hyd for the lifetime of the vehicle is the only way to go. I would like to hear if anybody else has heard these comments as well. I'm too chicken to try in in my own vehicle, but in the case of the 450 that your looking at, I wouldn't run away just on that concern. BTW, I don't know if I would want to run a F-superduty across the country. I've ran a '92 a few miles and that truck was so rough it would put a guy to the chiropractor real quick. GOOD LUCK

I was actually siprised by the ride, maybe because it is the Centurion package and has really plush seats, even the back seat is really nice. It is actually as comfortable and more quite than my fathers 05 Duramax. I will say that I drove it up the steepest grade that we have locally and it accelerated quite well, it has a tranny temp gauge in it and it never got over 120, not sure how accurate that is but I was impressed.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

The F-Superduty's are geared low to pull heavy. Really if you have the coin for a F-350 DRW with a PSD you will get better mileage and better performance.

IMO you don't need the F-SD's heavy load capacity just to pull a trailer. They are more suited for applications that carry the weight on the axles, say a dump truck or tow truck.

I guess it all depends on how much cheaper this truck is than a PSD.

 

[towcat]

throw a IC on it and EGT worries go away.
I've driven a NA f450 for the last ten years all over the western and southern states and it is undoubtedly slow but it will get you there. It lived with 10k tare, 17k avg gross and 21k gross infrequently. With the turbo and IC in my '92 f350 you not only get there but you get there in reasonably quick time too. Oh yea, my '92 easily beats up stock PSD's and midly modded PSD's too

 

[ihochad]

The F-Superduty's are geared low to pull heavy. Really if you have the coin for a F-350 DRW with a PSD you will get better mileage and better performance.

IMO you don't need the F-SD's heavy load capacity just to pull a trailer. They are more suited for applications that carry the weight on the axles, say a dump truck or tow truck.

I guess it all depends on how much cheaper this truck is than a PSD.

Well I will be putting at least 4klbs over the axles in way of the cabover camper. As far as the price goes, the guys is asking 5800 for it probably can get it for 5 as he has had it for sale for a while, where as the PSD that I am looking at is a 00 for 16k. BIG difference however the PSD is already equiped with everything I want, I am pretty much decided on passing on the IDI but the price keeps me intrigued.

 

[RLDSL]

If you're going to set 2 ton in the bed, that SD would definitely do the trick. Keep in mind that a PSD is not only more money to buy, but a whole lot more to keep on the road, and the IDI is easily repaired anywhere, while power strokes that break down somewhere that's not near a real live PSD guru, have a habit of being left to die, or having $90 an hour diagnostic fees racked up until they talk you into trading up. That includes anywhere in this state.

You could get a drop in engine shipped in for an IDI for about the same price or less than the cost of a set of injectors and a HPOP for a PSD.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Hello,

I am new to this forum; I am in need of some advice from you guys.
Not having a payment really appeals to me.

If the money is right, I would jump on it.

Centurion luxury package.

Genuine F-450 with a REAL straight front axle and REAL front leaf-springs.

Big ten-bolt pattern making room for bigger wheel-bearings.

Factory installed stop-on-a-dime HYDRO-BOOST brakes.

Only deal killer = automatic.


Were I in your position, I would buy the truck and make the best of it as is.

When I recuperated from the initial purchase, I would then buy a donor truck and swap in a mechanical-Cummins/manual-transmission and then you could run with the big boys.


You seem to like the truck and good deals don't just fall out of the sky every day; you don't want to buy a different truck and always be saying "I should have bought that F-450", someone else will buy it and the chance will have passed you by.

 

[Agnem]

Sounds like it has double overdrive with at least a 4.10 rear. Should do resonably well milage and speed wise. The price must be right, as that Gearvendors unit is a $2500 option alone.

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

I would go with the 450, much heavier suspension,etc. solid axle, real parking brake, hyra boost, and better price
although a lightly modded PSD will pull better than an IDI.
BTW the wheel brgs are not any bigger than a 350.

 

[aaklingler]

Is that a c6 or E4od trans? Sounds like a good truck.