Your thoughts on my reliability problems

[captain720]

Currently my choices for a daily at the moment are a 1987 F250 6.9 4x4 or the 1997 F250 7.3 OBS PSD 4x4.

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Both are high mileage worked hard trucks and I love them both. The 6.9 is likely my favorite but it started off in the ground and the last owner took it skydiving twice. I use them both for work purposes and they are both sufficient although the PSD is nicer. The problem I have is I have to work on both of them A LOT to keep driving to work and I only have shop access on the weekends so major repairs are a problem. The main issue is between the two of them it’s eating basically all my weekends and I can’t focus on making things nice when I am always facing mechanical emergencies.

I know with time it will get better and they will get more reliable and the 6.9 especially is infinitely better than it was. It’s just the trucks are taking up all of my family and weekend time and constant emergency wrenching is getting old. It seems I may have to let one go and get a daily of some kind or long term store one while I work on the other and still get a daily. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on ideas other than getting rid of one because I like them both.

 

[BlindAmbition]

What are you using them for when you say work purposes? Might be good to get a beater truck in the meantime until one of your two is solid, then sell the beater.

I personally drive a lifted Scion XB which handles all my needs while I get my 86 running, it also gets abused for hauling cargo and I can tow a small trailer with it while still getting 25+mpg. Snow is a rarity in SoCal so I doubt that works for you.

 

[captain720]

Towing 5,000+ and hauling steel in the bed. I also use them for weekend dirtbike hauling, the other challenge I have is I only have street parking available so everything has to run unless I store it far away at relatives.

 

[Nero]

Both will have their pros and cons both labor wise and cost wise of fixing. I'd put some serious thought into which one you'd like to keep, considering comfort mostly. The psd will usually cost more to fix, such as if the turbo or an injector goes out, whereas it'll outperform an idi in most cases. Not looking to strike up a debate about that, just trying to help guide your decision.

Me personally I'd stick with the idi, but that's just because I can't afford doing injectors in a psd, especially with how little I drive mine. But with how you work yours, psd might be the way to go, it's already intercooled and setup for harder work.

 

[hacked89]

I’ve had and worked on IDIs to exotics. Your choice is what are you most comfortable with and prepared tools wise to diagnose and troubleshoot? What emergencies have you had so far with each?

I take an old vehicle and then daily drive it until the bugs are out. The 65 Cadillac had to tow it home 3 times, now I take it on 4 hour trips.

I took a parts truck IDI and fixed it in one weekend and drove it 6 hours. If I had to choose one…use the IDI. There’s only a handful of things that can go wrong compared to the PS. You need much less diagnostic capability as well.

 

[Black dawg]

What kind of problems are you having with them? Both of those trucks with a good going over should be very dependable.

 

[CalIDI]

I agree with Hacked89, IDI simply for the simplicity of the machine. You sacrifice a bit of power power, but there are way less things to go wrong, and they are easier to limp along when you have to. If hauling lotsa weight at 75mph is what you absolutely need, I would choose the PSD, but if it was me, I'd use the IDI. If you want to keep both, I would limp along one and perfect the other...

I look forward to reading other people's opinions.

I hope you find the right truck!
-CalIDI

 

[catbird7]

Both can be very reliable. The powerstroke looks nice however appearance doesn't necessarily translate to "reliable". Another trend to consider is fewer and fewer people do their own maintenance, therefore very often good vehicles are sold at reasonable prices when the owner is faced with a high repair estimate simply because they are paying someone to do the work. Example, over 100,000 miles and nearly 10 years ago I bought an S10 Blazer from the original owner for $300 because it needed a transmission, still daily driving it. Obviously you do your own wreching so perhaps it's something to consider.

 

[Clb]

Just like debt
Knock out the smallest/easier. List first.
Only work on the one untill you can only need to,,,, Rather WANT TO do fun stuff.
Now it's dependable, start on the other.
Or buy a beater and split yer time 3 ways...

 

[IDIBRONCO]

psd might be the way to go, it's already intercooled and setup for harder work.

Yes for the 99+, but the 94-97 PSDs weren't intercooled from the factory.

 

[captain720]

As far as diagnostics go I have access to pretty much everything including snap ons fancy scanner, I personally prefer the IDI platform and a manual trans but the 6.9 I have was ABUSED hard including two skydiving trips and I mostly bought it to get into diesels and figure out what I was doing.

Between the two of them it’s been glow plugs, batteries, starters, wiring gremlins, cooling and almost everything else you can do except engines and transmissions which are likely in the future.

PSD injectors are about $2,000 and a reputable injectors and pump for IDI are about $1800 so apples to oranges in my opinion.

I think the PSD might be the winner not because I like it better but because it is in so much better condition.

 

[Nero]

Well I'm glad we were able to help steer you into the direction that will suit you better.
I do have to ask though... What do you mean by skydiving? Did they drop the truck from a plane?

 

[captain720]

Well I'm glad we were able to help steer you into the direction that will suit you better.
I do have to ask though... What do you mean by skydiving? Did they drop the truck from a plane?

No it got stuck in the mud and picked up and dropped from things like excavators and a front loader with a 16 foot bucket. That’s why I have to keep welding it back together.

 

[captain720]

Another thing worth mention is it always looks darkest right before the storm ends and I have put massive amounts of work into both of these. As my wife said “we might be almost there” as far as two reliable trucks goes. It’s just hard to know. With the market being so bad for selling things right now keeping both might be the option.

I’m not sure yet I will need to think on it a little longer but I really appreciate your thoughts and allowing me to ask a random question like this.

 

[Clb]

If the idi is bent, Fix the stroke