1SlowFormula

OK, this is the first time I am seriously looking into a CTD for purchase, I mean I test drove a 6.7 the last time my truck was in for service, but now I am looking to buy and need to know what to look for. The one I am looking at an 05 with 68K miles, anything I need to know?

Here are some things I picked up by scanning the forums:
•The 05 Autos may be a little weak, so I should check over the tranny
•The end tanks on the IC are plastic on some 05's (is this a super bad thing or just something to keep in mind that I would need to change for better cooling?)
•The control arms should be looked at
•The lift pump may need to be replaced soon (but it sounds like an easy thing to do)

Is there anything else I should look at for this or any CTD truck I am thinking about buying?

Thanks,
John P.

cougar

Maintenance history. Has it been neglected or pampered. Look were people don't normally clean. Tells allot about how it was treated. Check the radio and see what stations are on the pre-sets. Another tattle tail. Look at the tires, are their cuts in the tread, worn on the edges? 70K in 4 years is high usage, typical is 10K per year so that may or may not indicate upcoming maintenance issues. Any claims the seller makes about maintenance must be backed up with receipts or consider it never happened.
Not trying to throw a wet blanket on it but it's BUYER BEWARE!

high bid

The avg person doesn't need a 6.7ctd that is unless you're towing lots of weight every day, mpg's on a 6.7 are not impressive, 18k miles/yr is not that excessive IMO. Check the color/smell of the fluid in the tranny. When I bought my cdt, I tried to find something wrong w/it and used that as a barganing power.

Colo_River_Ram

Late 05 IC end tanks are metal..

Run a car fax

Have a dealer run the VIN #

Like the others posted check it out.. take a creeper with you and look things over good

Check for abnormal belt wear some of the 05's (mine) did not get the overrunning alternator pulley installed on them. This is the cause of the belt chirp / squeal on shutdown..

96_12V

Best bet is to take it to a reputable mechainc and have a buyer's check performed. May be the best $100 you ever spent. It's amazing what you cna find up on a lift that didn't show up on four wheels.

Carfax - even if it's not 100% accurate, I've still found two lemoned trucks, several "rebuilt titles" and many with accident damage reported. If the dealer refuses to do it for you - something's up.

And - can I say this strongly enough - consider a manual transmission. More duragle, better mileage, much less maintance.

Good luck and welcome to DTR!

1SlowFormula

OK, I just got back from looking at this truck and it looks like the previous owner did some mods, so from that is there anything to worry about?

What I saw/found today:
05 2500 QC 4X4 w/68K miles
•All seals and bushings look good
•Truck ran well (more on that later)
•some slight body imperfections (scratches, slight dents, and slightly faded plastic)

So here goes the mods I found traces of:
•I found a barb type thing tapped into the intake track with vacuum line that was plug, I assume for a boost gauge, I also noticed a clip missing on the A-pillar cover so assume they previous owner had the boost gauge or other gauges there
•when under the truck i noticed it didn't have a muffler, just a straight 4-5 inch (didn't actually measure it) pipe welded in, the pipe goes about 2-3 inches past the cab and just stops there under the bed
•Also when under the truck I found exhaust hangers welded into place that looked like they had a dual exhaust setup at some point

Now, onto the test drive...
The truck felt great but I think there was some turbo lag, but not sure since I am not used to CTD's. If I just stomped the throttle from a dead stop there was a delay then it took off like a bat out of hell. If taking off from a stop normally, I felt it too and there was a hell of a pull with about 1/2 throttle. Now why do I say I think there was a lag, well a couple times I couldn't tell if it was spinning the tires or just lag, but under brisk acceleration maybe 3/4 throttle from a stop it felt like it was lagging, but once it was moving it was breaking the tires loose and had some slight wheel hop, so it makes me wonder if instead of lag I was just no moving because the wheels were spinning, but when I put it in 4WD and tried the same thing there was still a delay from hitting the throttle and it start accelerating with the grunt expected. So, is that normal behavior for a truck with no muffler or is there something to look into? This truck once moving felt stronger than any of the other CTD's I tested today. I could never really get this truck under load even steep highway on ramps, to hear how loud the truck may be under load or while towing...

I also tested another 05 QC 4x4 but it had less milage and was a laramie with leather and all that that my wife wasn't into especially for 8K more than the others we were looking at, and honestly this one with the stock exhaust was louder at idle then the one above with the straight pipe, and it felt like the other CTD's I have test driven, and a little less powerful than the one above once moving.

I also looked at an 07 5.9 QC 4x4 truck, but it had more body issues than we wanted to deal with, but it felt like the laramie above.

So I test drove 3 5.9 trucks today, 2 stock looking and feeling ones, and the one that had mods, and felt stronger once moving but had a slight lag, we are leaning towards the one with the mods, but are also wondering if there are anythings to worry about. Any thoughts?

megacabdad

Did the one with no muffler have a stock turbo?

That might explain the lag and reason for the boost gauge...IDK.

It could also indicate a problem with the transmission also.

1SlowFormula

The turbo looked the same as the ones on the stock trucks, after feeling the difference I purposly checked that...

96_12V

I personally avoid modified trucks. If I want to modify later, then I'll do it myself and disclose to the next owner what I did. As for that one, sounds like the transmission is acting up. There's a reason I posted what I did earlier - and why my 1995 4wd AT truck was sold in 6 months. Whereas my manual transmission 1996 is still with me, 8 years later, with over 350k on it now.

Good luck - any '03 or '04's out there you could consider?

1SlowFormula

Thanks for the feedback, there is an 04 SRW shortbed 3500 Laramie I am thinking about going to look at today, but it is about 1.5 hours from my house so I can't really take it to the local shop or spend multiple hours looking at it like the ones yesterday, and all the ones I am finding in my area are autos, I haven't found a manual truck around here, but I can continue to look, were they only available in certain trim packages like the ST, or is it more luck of the draw type of thing?

1SlowFormula

OK, just searching all areas I found a few manual diesel trucks, so I see they were pretty much available in all trim levels, too bad the closest one is 4.5 hours from me in northern CT, I sent that dealer and email for more info, but not sure about buying something that far from home...

HMX-1

There is A LOT to look for when purchasing a used truck. I just did this last year and you have no idea how hard some people will abuse their stuff until you see it on a used car lot.

The obvious ones (already recommended and is some great advice!!!) are running a CarFax, having the dealer run the VIN (even better if you have a buddy in the service department), and making sure all TSB's and maintenance were done at the right times. This stuff I've included is what I checked for before I bought my truck. I drove my wife crazy on the first two visits to the used truck lot, and she swore she will never go with me to look at ANY vehicle ever again.


Fluids
Any burnt smell (oil, ATF, etc.) is bad. I ran across a real nice '05 2500 with ATF that looked and smelled like California after fire season. I asked the salesman if all the fluids had been changed, and of course he says yes. So I took the paper towel with the ATF on it and asked him to smell it, and then I walked. Also check the coolant; globs of white residue in the coolant means there is an internal oil leak (oil leaking into the coolant) and will require some major work.

Aftermarket parts
If it looks like something was changed, thats because it was. The pillar was missing a screw on another truck I looked at and I straight out asked if this truck had any mods done. Of course the dude knew and just bowed his head, then asked me how I knew. I didn't tell him about the screw, but I did show him the messed up stud on the intake manifold. Come to find out he was the GM, and asked me if I wanted a job inspecting all his future used purchases. I guess his own mechanics didn't catch that one, but I can't fault them on it either.

Get in it, and get under it
On automatics, especially the 2500's, look for traces of a fifth wheel being installed or removed. For some reason people think they can be urban cowboys and tow a horse trailer at 80 miles per hour with an auto, but this only ruins the transmission. As long as the horse didn't get hurt I'd be all for some Darwinism with these fools.

You can look for a lift kit delete and while you're under it, also check for wheel scrub up front. This means you might have a case of "death wobble" on your hands in the near future from the previous owner running larger tires on it and not spending the cash to do it right.

I'll share one I don't even tell the dealers about ..... tire residue on the inside of the rear wheel well. Hot rodders like to burn rubber, and this is something a cop (my godfather) taught me. The residue is easily wiped off (a lot of dirty tire film or tiny nodules of rubber) where the sheet metal meets and folds under the bed, near the plastic mud guards. No one cleans there when they detail a vehicle, and this little trick works on all cars and trucks.

The test drive is also a good one. Get it warmed up and get on it hard going uphill if you can. If there is any slippage from the TC and/or tranny you'll know it. High RPM's and slow off the line are key indicators of this.

Do a (small) boost launch. Just hold down the brake and run the RPM's up to around 1000 to 1100 RPM while in gear, and then take off. If there is problem with the turbo or there is a turbo leak you'll know by the slow take off and the color of the exhaust.



I'm sure others will add to this, but I grew up around industrial diesels so I know what to look for when it comes to condition of the fluids, etc.. If you found one online and you're curious about it, post it up and we'll collectively look at it for you.


Kris

megacabdad

If you find a truck that is kinda far away from you that you would like someone to go look at for 'ya...

Start a new thread with a title like, "Anyone around Erie, PA," for example, then ask them if they could go look at it and report back to you!

peobryant

I'll bite. How does a persons musical preference have anything to do with the way they maintain their vehicle?

dieselfreak21

I like rock and contry and drive the crap out of my truck. Have been accused of being a red neck a time or two so I guess it might apply...