Bosshawg600

Ok guys I found a great truck in my price range but it is a 24v and I must say I don't know that much about them compared to a 12v. It's a 1999 2500 ext cab lwb, 10" lift with 38" swampers, 165,000 with 30k on rebuilt trans. They are askinf 11,900 for it. The thing is they say it leaks 1qt of oil every 1500 mi. Would this be a 53 block or just a worn out gasket? When I called they said that they found the leak at the powerstearing pump. They are not sure if it is power stearing fluid or oil. What could all of this be? They do have bigger injectors, intake, 4" exaust, most likely a chip or programmer. The lift does kind of worry me would this kill my MPG or could I still expect 16 or so? Also would I have to worry abut the trans going out again. It was just a basic rebuild, stock parts. Which trans. is in it? Any info would be good.
Here is a link to the ad.

jd4030

I wouldn't touch it, "leaks a lot of oil" does it for me. That's a lot of mileage.

99 cummins

If it is the 5 speed tranny I would wanna know how they fixed it to hold the torq on that truck. It's not a hard thing to do but to many people take the cheap shortcut's. It is not unusual for these truck to leak power steering fluid at that mileage or leak oil out of the vaccuum pump seal, I got this going on right now. If it is the 53 block problem it would be leaking antifreeze I do beleive. Just make sure that the oil leak is not the KDP problem. I'm not a fan of the big lifts on these trucks, IMO these deisels were made to work and pull, the big lifts make them useless for that. If you want a toy, save alot of money and buy a gasser. From the picture it looks good and the price is about average.

Dr. Evil

Thats a lot of milage? I dont think so - Ii know a guy that had well over a MILLION MILES on a 98 12V before he sold it. 165 is NOT a lot of miles on a CTD.

Yes, the oil leak a big concern...but it could be something very simple and easy/cheap to fix. Could be the vacume pump. Its pretty hard to tell someone if its a good buy or not without actually seeing it.

I would also be concerned about the tranny. Big, heavy tires like that are hard on front end parts as well as trannys. As well, it is a definite possibility to be a #53 and yes, the 53's leak antifreeze not oil.

Stamey

Check for the 53 before you buy. If it has a 53 and you decide to buy anyway, be aware that it can cost 4K to 12K to fix the block when it cracks, depending on how many of the wrenches you turn and where you get the parts.
As far as 165K, that's hardly broke in. My 96 is getting ready to turn over 200K in a few days. It doesn't leak anything and starts right up as soon as you bump the starter, every morning.
I agree about the KDP, but if they found the PS seal leaking (and they should be able to tell if it's oil or PS fluid), that may be the entire oil leak.
You want to check the fuel pressure, if it doesn't already have a gauge. Low fuel pressure hints at an injector pump to come, depending on how long it has had low fuel pressure. If you do buy it the single wisest thing you can do to that truck is install a fuel pressure gauge. Check out other threads on here. Some new owners listened, others didn't. You'll find the ones who didn't crying in the VP44 threads.

Chris

displacedtexan

How can they not be sure? Which one are they having to top off? Oil or PS?

I say they have no clue about their truck... And that would make me nervous.

99 cummins

Mine has leaked oil all over the place for 30,000 or so. So far nobody has been able to pinpoint where. I'm not losing oil or power steering fluid, just by level checks. The general consensus has been the vaccuum pump seal, but that's just the most common guess so far. It is a hard trace cause it coats everything and runs everywhere while your trying to follow it. If 165,000 is alot of miles I'm in trouble, I'm at 200,000 on mine and it better have a long ways to go. I would tell them that your afraid it's the KDP leaking oil and your worried about drive train damage caused by the big tires and lift and negotioate the price. People usually find out pretty quick those things don't help the sale price. Either way they would be the first things I would get rid of if you get it.

Bosshawg600

Ya I will go look at it sometime this week. I will wipe as much of the oil off the timming cover and then test drive the truck and see if that is where it is comming from. It is a truck sales place so they might not know eventhig about it but I will see when I get there. 165000 is around the amout I am looking for. Keeps the price down and not realy that much on the cummins. 99 cummins does yours leak 1 quart every 1500 miles or is it less? They said it has a bunch of after market parts on it so I will def. look over the drive train. I will try to sell the lift and tires or trade them for 5" lift and 35's during or after the summer. I realy don't tow that much (have a f700 that can do it for me) so reliability and longevity is what I am looking foir. Not to mention this thing is mean looking! I think it is just like Phox's but a long bed. Anyone know thew MPG 16 city 18 highway is good for me ( better than the v-6 gasser I drive now)

Anyone Have pics of a CTD like this one with 35-38 or even 40" tires? I want to see how it looks. Maybe with someone standing beside it to see how tall it realy is.

99 cummins

By checking fluid levels you would not even know mine leaks, I don't lose any levels. That has been the source of more than one of my threads. I leave puddles everywhere but no fluid levels go down, and it's not fuel. I'm at a loss. I would also wonder as to the validity of this 1500 mile thing if it is at a dealer, how many miles has a dealer put on this truck to know this to be the case. I just wonder if they are looking at the puddle under the truck and guessing at that. Like I said my truck leaves a mess to look at, but it doesn't amount to anything lost. As mentioned here before the only things I would really worry about is KDP and fuel pressure, and if you like to do your own work I wouldn't let them stop a sale if I otherwise like the truck, just be a cause to re-negotiate price.

Buckshotmckee

I would definetly PASS. 10'in lift, oil leak, and it's BOMBed. Probably "53" block, what about the fuel pressure? It's probably going to need a Vp now or soon. I would keep looking. Just my $.02

Tye

torquefan

I would make very sure that the oil isn't coming out of the road-draft tube and coating everything underneath. If it is, it's blow-by, and the engine's been abused to death. And there's no cheap fix for it either.

99 cummins

What creates Blow By that will be so hard to fix? This is an honest question that nobody has answered on 24V.

skinny_9

i'm new to the site and trying to learn as much about the cummings before i buy one hear they are great, but sounds like you guys work on them quite a bit, which worries me ? also if the truck you are looking at to buy does not have a fuel gauge, how do you test the pressure before you buy it? sorry don't know alot about these yet. you guys are great

99 cummins

A $30 pressure guage, few fittings and a 3' length of high pressure hose is all you need to test the truck. Pull one of the brass screws out of the top of the fuel filter housing, there's two, for this it really doesn't matter which you use. Run the hose under the hood up on top of the cowling in front of the windsheild so it sits in fron of your windsheild wiper and take your test drive. Your just making sure it never falls below 8 pounds of pressure. Every truck on the market has their inherint weakness, the stock Pusher Pump and Injector pump just happens to be the main one for these trucks. As far as working on them alot, ya we do. But, I think most people that are on this board are here because they like to tinker and enough is never good enough. I know people that have drove these trucks for years and never fixed anything and never have problems, once you catch the bug from being on here though it bites hard and you just can't leave em alone. 2ND GENERATION, BEST TRUCKS ON THE ROAD.

Timberman

Whoa! That might be what I've got. Is the road-draft tube located on the front drivers side of the block, and points straight down to the road, and is open ended? And if so, it is a bad thing to have some oil/fluid coming out? Holy crap, I hope not. Thought that was normal. Come on, no bad news today!