Hello, I'm buying a high mileage 97 PSD here today, am new to diesels, and was wondering if you may be able to help me out. I've been doing all the reading I can but there's a steep learning curve to all the quirks and mods to a new vehicle. Believe me, I've been building Jeeps for 12 years now and we have SO many acronyms, and I'm finding the same with the Fords. OSBs, HPOPs, IDMs, E4ODs, ICps, etc. I know what all those are now.


What I need to know are the major maintenance stuff that I can look at and take care of right away. It seems to run pretty damn good for 260k. Says it smokes on cold startup. Seems a but underpowered to me, but I also have a Mopar 360 in my Jeep. The auto trans also seems to hesitate slightly when you hit the gas or on shifting. Not really a slip, just like it thinks for a second before it goes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

change the oil, fuel filter, antifreeze, and change the tranny fluid and that might smooth out the trans. I bought my 97 with 271,000 miles on it and now it has 340,000 with no problems. Oil is really important on the 7.3 PSD due to its design so make sure you do oil changes on time.

 

Copy. It's had some work done already: fluids and he said the ATF was not burnt), ball joints, some injector work and maybe a pump, alternator, starter, etc.

Does yours have the auto? I'm a little worried about the trans, I plan on towing the Jeep alot. I don't have any Ford experience, but that seems like a shitload on a trans that's never been gone through.

I'm told I can pull the valve covers and see if the injectors are firing by looking at the oil? Am I looking for it to be pumping out?

 

mine is a manual but the autos will shift differntly if they are low on fluid, just check the fluid level. Its probably time for a tranny rebuild with that many miles but i think you will be fine as long as you are easy on it. If your gonna pull the valve covers you might as well do the glow plugs and yes you can see if the injectors are working, there is a little aluminum deflector spout on the injector by were the wires plug into it. With the valve covers off, start the truck and you will see oil pumping out each of those spouts. My factory injectors lasted 330,000 miles so there is a good chance your injectors are still working