how much life does this truck have left?
 

The truck in question is a 1989 D350 flatbed. It belongs to a friend but i'm thinking of buying it. Here's my story

... he loaned it out and the guy dove it hard and with out front bump stops, creating cracks in the front cross members. where the lower arm mounts are. I repaired the cracks and replaced ball joints tie rod ends, brakes wheel bearings etc.

I'm told it has 389k miles but no one is really certain. it smokes white at idle... and has some blow-by out the oil filler. But I'm not sure if this is a big deal. I'm new to the cummins.

it seems to have decent power and it shifts good, although i wouldn't mind if it was a bit more crisp. Its an automatic. The rear transmission seal seems to be leaking but no one has ran it low on fluid.

The rear brakes are shot... metal to metal and wheel cylinders are leaking... however I have a dually 14boltFF with low miles and new brakes and a Detroit locker in it. sitting behind my shop. Would probably be an easy swap?

Looking to use this as my daily driver/tow/ crap hauling truck. I used to daily drive my 6.2 cucv but it keeps having issues and I'm ready to cut the axles out of it and sell off the rest.

All my long winded yapping aside... is there any way I can tell if the motor and tranny will hold up for awhile. I wouldn't mind doing some minor power mods?

I tried to do a blow-by test with a make shift manometer but I'm not convinced that my findings were accurate at all.

Is a leak down test possible?

My friend is asking 3k for the truck and im sure its worth that. but I also don't want to buy a junker when I could wait around and find a better truck. But it seems people are rather attached to their ctds and I can understand why

Cheers.

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Also I wanted to thank all of you for putting up so much great info I have learned a lot lurking here on and off.

doesnt sound like its worth 3k to me. id talk him down to 2k if i were you.

Yea i would offer him $1750 and hopefully get it around $2000!
Doesnt sound like its work 3k to me!
Cummins will last forever though!
Their a strong motor!!! :dang:

hmm yea hes pretty proud of it. I saw him buy 1200 in parts for the front end but we all know you never get your money back out of vehicles. thanks for the replies!

I'm with 93DodgeDiesel on that price. The smoke could be someone playing with the screws or bad injectors, thats a few hundred dollar trip down the road. Is the KDP done?

I'd take it to a real shop before I bought it and have a tech go through it. I imagine you have some dry rot, cracked or worn hoses, belts that need to be replaced. New oil and air filters, oil change, tranny service if your lucky, at 400k your looking at a new one, brakes; if the drums are shot will be a few hundred more. If its blow by no biggie if its blow back, run away, thats piston/ring trouble.

Here's a thread on your blow-by blow by smoke - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum

A 12v is a million mile engine, if you treat it right but if it's been beat to death let it die on him, not you. I can't believe he has treated it to well if he loaned it out to a guy that beat the crap out of it.

I'd look a little more if it was me.