I'm still looking for a truck since i totaled my 97 F150 earlier this month.(still such a huge bummer)
I found a 97 F250 but know absolutely nothing about this type of truck. It is a completely different engine than i'm used to reading about here on F150online.com, so i was wondering if anybody could give me some opinions on the truck/truck's engine.
Seems like a clean truck and i viewed the carfax report on it; it was serviced every 3k for oil change and chassis lubrication. It's got 100K miles but that should be ok for F250's right?

i tried to directly post pictures, but i didn't see the "?" symbol next to the pictures, so here's the link to my gallery of the truck if anybody wants to see it.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?num=12968

thanks for all thoughts and opinions guys, i really appreciate all help!!
John

 

100k is nothing. But with that 460 under the hood your mileage is gonna be alot worse than the 150, prob in the low teens on the highway. If you care about that lol. They are tough trucks and will run forever.

 

so probably lookin at mpg that are similar to ford Excursions?
i found an excursion i could get and love, but its a V10 and i read those things are killer on gas. i was hopin maybe this F250 would be a little friendlier than the V10. are these engines controlled by computers? i've got the xcallII, maybe that would help the mpg on it?

thanks for your reply 89Lariat!

John

 

Ya they are comp controlled fuel injected engines. The 250 may get slightly better mileage than the Excursion, but remember the 250 is a 3/4 ton built for hauling and severe duty. Meaning it will go forever but designed for work not your typical DD

 

The V-10 is a 6.8L. The 460 V-8 is a 7.5L. You do the math. But seriously, that truck looks beautiful. How much are they asking? If it was a short bed, I'd be all over it.

 

It will get 10mpg & have far less HP then you think. Unless you simply have to have it, there really is no reason to get old truck with an old tech engine. You can a newer truck with the same or some cases more HP. To put it into perspective, a 1995 Chevy 454/7.4 has 230HP. The current Chevy 4.8 makes 290hp. Torque is another issue altogether. Of course the big blocks will make a great deal more torque but they are ALWAYS in a 3/4 or bigger so they weigh sometimes more than 1000lb more. In the end, it kinda equals out.

KC-10 FE out...

 

Nice looking truck. Don't find many that clean these days!

IMO, there should be a law against anyone mentioning fuel economy when talking about 3/4-ton (and higher) trucks. You should only buy these trucks because you need one. If you just "want" it, then you have to suck it up and buy the gas it takes to play.

But, since you asked, the 6.8L V10 has more power and gets better mileage than the 7.5L V8. Depending on the gearing, you can expect around 13-15 MPG empty on the highway with either engine. The reason for the same MPG is that the Excursion is much heavier than the '97 F250.

The 460 CID engine is awesome. My '97 had almost 200,000 miles on it when I sold it last year and it was running great. The engine is computer controlled, but it's OBD-I... so you can forget about using your tuner. It has some old-school emissions technology that really robs the power (reducing economy). If you buy the truck, make sure all of that stuff is in proper working order. Some people tend to just hack that stuff off and do more harm than good.

The E4OD transmission in that '97 isn't so great and it's about at the time when it's going to need a rebuild. It might last a while longer, but if you're keeping the truck forever, plan on that expense.

You'll also want to check out the suspension as the front springs are likely weak & sagging. That makes for a somewhat rougher ride and some interesting bump-steer. Be sure to check the steering components while you're looking at the springs.

Last thing to check (other than the normal stuff) is the fuel pressure. The in-tank pumps weren't the best to start with so they (dual tanks?) could be getting weak.

 

FWIW my old 79 150 w/302 got 13 mpg, my 85 250 w/460 got 13 mpg, my 89 150 w/300 got 13 mpg, my 92 250 w/460 got 13 mpg, my 97 w/5.4 gets 13 mpg. I don't see the big deal about all the new technology or argument about engine size.
The only difference in any of them was while towing: the bigger engines got better mileage.
Now I do all my heavy towing with diesels and don't worry about economy

 

hey everbody,

Thanks for all the opinons and information.

After reading nomo's review particularly,
"You should only buy these trucks because you need one. If you just "want" it, then you have to suck it up and buy the gas it takes to play"

I've decided against looking into purchasing the truck. I definitely don't tow anything and dont "haul" enough to justify buying a F250. even though it is a great looking truck. the mpg are a little concerning also, but hey these are trucks. Still, i think i'd like to find something i'm alittle more familiar with i guess. unfortantely i never calculated what my original truck got for mpg so i have nothing to compare against.

Zaairman - the truck asking price is $8,999. i'm sure it could go a few hundred lower with negotiation.
thanks again for all your help and input guys, it really helped alot!!

John

 

Comeon down to the basement where we have lots of fun with these kinds of motors.

Pushrods forever!

Anyway, looks like a clean truck.

Adrianspeeder