Posts
359
Joined
1/3/2014
Location
Raleigh, NC
US
Hey folks, been searching for a moto van for the last few weeks. Came across a 2000 E-350 7.3 w/233k miles which is pretty much the only diesel I can find in my price range within a reasonable distance. I got him down to $3500 but I'm still not sure it's worth it with the issues it has:
-rear door handles don't work/cables broken
-cracked windshield
-parking brake doesn't work
-shifter feels loose/indicator misaligned
-steering wheel misaligned
-oil/dirt residue buildup on front of oil pan (pan gasket or main seal?)
Body is 5/10, tires are decent, no major frame rust, seats are good, tranny seemed to shift fine.
I don't think I would have any problem fixing the door handles, parking brake, and shifter myself as I am pretty mechanically inclined but would probably have a shop do the alignment. Eventually I could get the oil leak taken care of when I could get it to my diesel mechanic friend a few hours away (it's not dripping level leaking but there is a grungy buildup).
Thoughts? Is this a reasonable price to pay?
-rear door handles don't work/cables broken
-cracked windshield
-parking brake doesn't work
-shifter feels loose/indicator misaligned
-steering wheel misaligned
-oil/dirt residue buildup on front of oil pan (pan gasket or main seal?)
Body is 5/10, tires are decent, no major frame rust, seats are good, tranny seemed to shift fine.
I don't think I would have any problem fixing the door handles, parking brake, and shifter myself as I am pretty mechanically inclined but would probably have a shop do the alignment. Eventually I could get the oil leak taken care of when I could get it to my diesel mechanic friend a few hours away (it's not dripping level leaking but there is a grungy buildup).
Thoughts? Is this a reasonable price to pay?
Less than $1k in repairs. Do a mild build out for a moto van and you're less than $6k all in.
If you have then you should already know the path you're going down
If you have not to get ready to spend lots of money, time and headaches with old mileage diesel. Especially ford.
I had a 7.3 F350 Diesel with 180k miles. Probably spent 4k on it and I did my own work. Parts are a lot more expensive than their gas counterparts.
Now to the van cosmetic and body stuff is easily repairable. The oil pan ohhh how I hate that fucking thing. These 7.3 Navistar engines are known for having a leaky oil pan. The pan itself is super cheap like 120 bucks. Problem is the engine has to be lifted to be able to remove this fucker. (or go the ratchet way and cut the cross member and weld it back up. I mean you are looking at taking apart all the parts that dress the engine fan, transmission, and engine mounts to be able to lift it at least 5 inches to pull the oil pan off and put the new one on. Transmissions are fairly good on these trucks if they have been driven like a normal person.
They blow crank sensors a lot, and 7.3 have electrical issues because wires are routed near hot areas and tend to short out which will make you break your head.
Working on the vans are a lot harder than on the trucks because space is more limited.
Shocks, rotors, and calipers are trash in any older ford. Be ready to change those.
If you get her running right and make her clean you will have one hell of a van and one that won't lose its value. Everybody loves these engines, after the 7.3 you have the 6.0 (6Blow) and you want to stay far FAR away from these.
Price for a decent 7.3 truck goes around 6k in my area. 3,500 could be a good deal or a bad deal. The best thing to do is go with your homie who is a diesel mechanic and have him inspect that vehicle with a microscope.
Other van option: old news van, gasser with 200k on the clock but could be really cool. Has a non-working Onan generator and compressor (I'm sure I could get them running), ac, heater, lights, and it's extended. Would be great for a weekend at the track!
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I had loose shifter/misaligned gear indicator for a while, had to pull the shifter up for it to start sometimes. one day I came home and tried to turn the key off and the bastard just kept running. I eventually pulled the fuses one at a time till she died. The shifter and ignition have plastic gears inside that are known to wear and eventually break(per mechanic) and after they pulled the steering wheel and column to replace it all it worked like new again but wasn't cheap!
My dad and I both have owned several 7.3s over the years... our favorite vehicles ever. Honestly, they all leak a little, and the bottom of the oil pan is almost always wet with oil on any of them you look underneath. If it isn’t dumping oil, I wouldn’t worry about it. 7.3s are easy to work on, and there’s a lot of them on the road... so parts are available anywhere. Can’t go wrong.
But yes, check ball joints and steering linkage. It's a minimal price to pay, but Fords are know for the "death wobble".
I recommend running TCW3 2 stroke oil in your fuel as well, good lubricity for the fuel system. They can be tuned to be a little bit better and enjoyable to drive but without spending a large amount of money they’re pretty slow, but reliable. Oil is very crucial on these engines in particular so keep up on that and for the cost of a fuel filter, do it every change.
Unless it's already built as a motovan and that's why you're after it, then maybe.
Pit Row
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