v8440

Hi all,

I need your general opinion about this deal, as well as what to check for on the truck. It's an '02 4wd extended cab dually with the 5 speed manual trans. It has 258,000 miles on it. Things that I've been told over the phone are wrong are: Driver's seat worn/torn, a few dents and dings, the valve that directs climate control air is bad (A/C works, just doesn't come out where you want it to), and a tierod end is bad. He told me he was literally in the process of replacing the tierod end Sunday when the hurricane rain let loose. He's going to meet me at his house this afternoon and finish up the few minutes of work needed to get the tierod back together so I can drive the truck. According to him, the truck was used to haul hay, which is why there's so many miles on it. Makes sense to me. Finally, the price. He wants $7500 for it. What should I be looking out for on this truck? One final question-will the 5 speed put up with bombing?


*Edit* I forgot to mention, he said there's an oil leak at the front of the engine that he thinks is probably the front main seal.

Moose10

5th gear nut on the 5 spd? I know there has been issues with that.
Also, that oil leak depending on where at the front he's talking about could be the Vacuum pump seal...where it connects to the power steering pump shaft....easy and cheap ($7-$8) fix with a Cummins kit.
I believe the "53" blocks were not a problem for '02.
I'd probably go for it...maybe offer $7k ?

nitrousn

[*Edit* I forgot to mention, he said there's an oil leak at the front of the engine that he thinks is probably the front main seal.]


the leak also could be comming from the blow by bottle that many owners dont know about or regularly service.

v8440

That's true-I've never heard of it! Where is the blowby bottle and how do I service it?

nitrousn

if its stock just look at the front of the motor. there is a round plastic cover for access to the ip pumps gear attachment bolt. off of this plastic plug there will be a hose which drops down to the bottle. the bottle sits just left of the crank damper.

Moose10

And if you do get the truck....locate that bottle (to the right of the crank dampner)...remove the 10mm (I think) nut that holds it on, pull the bottle off and throw it in the trash. Stick a 3/4" hose coupler in there, and put some more hose on to extend the tube down behind the front axle. Make sure it's continuously going in a downward direction. 3' or 4' should be plenty...trim as needed. Mine hangs about three inches below the axle. Check it periodicall to make sure it's not collapsed or pluged.
Then you need to look down at the front of the radiator and see if it's all gummed up. Mine was after it was only 28,000 miles old. The dirt and junk was in a perfect circle matching the fan. I pulled the rad this past weekend and cleaned it all up.
I'll post some pics once I get 'em off the camera.

v8440

Boy am I embarrassed! Somehow I got that truck mixed up with another, and I incorrectly stated here that it's an '02. It is in fact a 12 valve '98. I went and drove it today, and here's what I found: Despite having a tierod replaced, the steering is still very loose-like maybe 1/8th turn play kind of loose. It has the 5 speed trans, or 4 with granny low if you wanna look at it that way. Third gear (second if you don't use granny low) is kinda funky-you have to push the clutch pedal ALL the way down to the floor to get into it without grinding. Downshifting back into it does not seem to be nearly as sensitive-it won't grind easily when downshifting. Other than those two things, it seems to be mechanically sound. Despite the mileage, starting the motor does not yield even a puff of smoke. It rattles like hell of course, being a 12 valve non-CR motor. The interior is filthy. Just dirty filthy, not like stuff is rotting in there filthy. The outside of the driver's seat is foam-there's no cloth covering it. The seat is a definite replacement candidate. The A/C does work, though as I stated earlier, it blows from wherever it wants to. The actuator valve to the right of the accelerator pedal is broken-it got kicked or something. It is getting vacuum, so I think just replacing the actuator will do the trick.

I'm not sure this truck is worth what he's asking. He's asking $7500, and says that's what he paid for the truck. I haven't tried to bargain with him yet-I may do that tomorrow. In the meantime, I may have a line on a 2wd '98 dually with about 300,000 miles on it. They want about $6000, but the engine has been replaced. Decisions, decisions.

bmoeller

How long has he had it, and why is he selling it?

If it has hauled hay, I'm sure it got worked hard. Not suprised that it needs cleaned. I have a hard time keeping mine clean also, being as I work on a 3000 acre farm.

Does it have much blow-by?

The steering box can be adjusted, but if it is original, it may be time to replace it.

Since it is an '98, it may have the "53" block. May also need to have the KDP taken care of. Mine did.

I wouldn't have a problem paying $6-8k, depending on what kind of maintanance it has had over the years.

Being a 12v, that is the icing on the cake.

v8440

The original owner hauled hay, then sold it to this guy. He bought it and only drove it about 120 miles. He wanted to fix it up and just keep it, but he and his wife decided to build a house, so he's selling it, an '49 chevy, and a boat.

I have no idea. How do I check?
I forgot to check for the infamous 53 block. I'd certainly do that before buying it. Also, how much does a steering box cost?


Why is a 12v better than a 24? I've heard that before, but I don't understand why having less airflow potential is an advantage.

mkubacak

Steering boxes are here: http://www.offroadsteering.com/

12 valve is better because no electrical problems, ie. fuel pumps and such. Also, initial power upgrades are much cheaper. I have heard many 24 valve guys wich they had a 12 valve, but never a 12 vavle guy wish he had a 24 valve.

Someone else will have to address the rest.

thumper 549

Run Forest run !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!