New guy trying to get into 6.9 world, Is this a good buy?

[dreadedboost]

Hello all, I'm in the AF stationed at Minot ND. My boss has a truck for sale and I thought I'd see what you guys thought of it before I make a move on it. The price listed isn't what I would pay, he told me 6k. Its in immaculate condition inside/out but has a slight hesitation at idle and surges sometimes, also the turbo is the APS I believe. Here is the link to his ad for it.



http://www.minotads.com/getListing.php?tcat=2&cat=11&p=2&

 

[dreadedboost]

http://www.minotads.com/getListing.php?tcat=2&cat=11&p=2&a=350978

Just realized that link wasn't working, new one provided.

 

[DeepRoots]

that truck.... I'd pay maybe $3000 for it if it is really nice.
You need to keep an eye on ebay for a month or two to see what these trucks actually sell for.

For $8000 I'd think it would have to be a hell of a vehicle.

 

[RLDSL]

Even with the new gear vendors 6 grand is a bit high. That thing would have to be completely cherry to be worth that. Now if it is, Might be a good deal, but I have good reason to be cautious..21 MPG, what's he been smokin' He's stretching the truth here a bit, OK a lot bit With a 6.9 that means he''s got a t19 4 speed tranny and that overdrive only gives a single over. 21 mpg is a stretch, makes you wonder what else he's fibbing about. I'd get it checked over carefully with a compression test and a combustion gas leak test at the very least before spending that kind of money.

 

[dreadedboost]

Yeah he quoted that 21 mpg going 65 after the O/D install. I'll ask him to get those tests done for it. It is actually in immaculate condition, I've driven it a good bit lately.

 

[Diesel JD]

6K still seems a bit high. Have the head gaskets ever been changed? If not they may well need to be soon. The mileage is very low and that GV is a VERY expensive new part. I don't know how much of a stretch the 21mpg is, it seems like a bit of one though. My 6.9 has a 4 speed manual with no OD and in town I see 13-16mpg never been on the highway enough to check there but I would imagine its around 17 on the hwy on average. A reg cab will do a bit better. Is the GV worth an extra 3-4mpg? I'm not sure. Also it already seems to be having some fuel system problems, with the slight miss at idle.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

For what it's worth, about every time I take a looong road trip on flat ground (cruise at 60 mph, turning at 2000 rpms) my truck averages 20 mpg tank after tank till weather goes bad or I hit hills. I'd imagine a 6.9 SRW truck would be able to squeeze out that extra 1 mpg...

 

[RLDSL]

Yeah he quoted that 21 mpg going 65 after the O/D install. I'll ask him to get those tests done for it. It is actually in immaculate condition, I've driven it a good bit lately.

You also want to get some supplimental coolant additive test strips from Napa or a big truck parts place and test the coolant to see if the additives have been kept up, otherwise even with low mileage, they can still suffer from liner and head gasket erosion from cavitation.

Granted that gear vendors only having 5000 miles on it does up the price a bit. It for sure cost him all of $2500 and probably more to have that thing put in. BUT ...Find out if the warranty for the GV is still good ( only one year warranty on a gv in a manual trans installation ) and if still valid if it is transferrable , otherwise the issue is moot, it's just another used part on the truck bearing going used value of about $1000-1300 ( what they usually go for on evilbay ) in addition to the value of the base truck.

 

[dreadedboost]

Do headgaskets go out any general time on these 6.9s? Or just after so long they just require it? The surge is funny, when you roll into it there is not really a big surge of tq but then it just kinda comes on all at once. Had the injector pump rebuilt when he did the turbo kit also I'm told.

 

[RLDSL]

Do headgaskets go out any general time on these 6.9s? Or just after so long they just require it? The surge is funny, when you roll into it there is not really a big surge of tq but then it just kinda comes on all at once. Had the injector pump rebuilt when he did the turbo kit also I'm told.

Are you sure there/s a surge, or are you just feeling the turbo spool up and the boost kick in ?

 

[dreadedboost]

Yeah, it feels very uneven when the turbo is spooling up and the power seems a bit down too.

 

[david85]

It looks like a very nice truck with all the proper upgrades T19 and GV overdrive is about as bullet proof as you can possibly get. YES, you can get 21 MPG @ 65 MPH. I've averaged anywhere from 19-23 once on a 4 tank average (so no goofy outliners to skew the results).

Is it $6000-8000 nice? Actually, I think the answer is yes, IF and this is a BIG IF, the truck is exactly as claimed.

Is it actually 94000 original miles, and it is indeed COMPLETELY rust free? Check the lower door edges, front lower fender corners, and crawl underneath to look for any signs of rust.

If this is indeed a factory original perfectly mint truck, then I think the price is good. Considering what it costs to get a truck like this back in good condition and upgrade it, I think its fair since this one is already there. No rust repairs ever last as long as the original body. Its just the nature of the beast.

Also look for wear on the clutch and brake pedals. if any metal is showing through, then you will know that it has been rolled over 100,000 at least once.

 

[RLDSL]

Yeah, it feels very uneven when the turbo is spooling up and the power seems a bit down too.

It could be something as simple as a bad batch of fuel or a clogged filter, but considering the mileage, and the fact the he's alredy replaced teh pump, chances are it's due for a set of new injectors, which would not be a deal killer, not too expensive, under $300 for a set new with an install kit, or the lift pump might be going out feeding irregular pressure to the IP. Or the new IP might be a bum rebuild

 

[Diesel JD]

Or the timing may be off or the dreaded fuel pickup may be sucking air if its near or below 1/4 tank. Personally I think the surge/misfire needs to be traced out and you need to prepare yourself that the head gaskets could go at any time, that's before I would throw down that kind of money for it. The number that came to mind was 4500 as to what its worth but I doubt you can talk him down that much. You have to know you could have a headgasket overhaul which would run you over 2 grand at a shop or several hundred in parts if you do it yourself
2XHeadgasket..... around $100-130
Valley pan........ $70.00
Pressure check and magnaflux heads $ local market price
New ARP studs (optional but recommended) ..... 250.00
Oil cooler set.....(optional but highly recommended) about $40-70
Labor ..... how long it takes you or 16 hrs of shop labor $ 40-100/hr

Don't sweat the injectors they're pretty cheap, disposable parts you can get a brand new matched set for between 200-300 from Russ or Mel. Return kit also.
The above is just to give you an idea of what could happen even if he's being 100% honest about the truck's condition.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

I dunno, a brand new GV is over $2500. More like $3200 +install. So if You deduct $3K for the GV, You'd be paying $3000 for what looks to be a pretty nice, solid truck.

That price seems pretty fair?