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Old 07-26-2019, 09:39 AM   #21
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@JeMoore: If this one is available for a reasonable price, I would definitely consider it. We all watched MGMetalWorks' build thread when he designed and built it. I have not seen it in person, but from following the thread, it is a truly impressive creation by a truly impressive builder:

Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty View Post
4BT? No sir, Michael's van has a new 6.7l Cummins matched with an Allison. It's quite a piece of work, supposedly the only one in existence.


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2002 E350 ext.; 160K; 7.3L; 4R100 (w/4x4 deep pan & filter); 4x4 conv. w/2007 F250/F350 coil frnt axle (oppos. dual Bilstein press. shocks cured DW) diff chg from 3.55 to 3.73 (bad!); BW1356 t.c. (bad!); LT265/70R17/E Michelin LTX M/S2; Engel MT60 Combi Fridge-Freezer; 4 BP 380J pv panels; Auragen 5kw AC gen. in top alt. position; Webasto Dual-Top; Voyager top. 1995 5.8L EB Bronco, bone stock.
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Old 07-26-2019, 10:06 AM   #22
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!0 lbs sledge!
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Old 07-26-2019, 11:05 AM   #23
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Now he’s dropped the price to $55k! The deal keeps getting better!
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Old 07-26-2019, 12:01 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by JeMoore View Post
what other questions should I be asking of the seller? What red flags should I be looking for?
My two cents as another high mileage 7.3 purchaser:

I would ask to see receipts on all the new and rebuilt stuff he has listed, as well as whatever warranty is on them, who installed it all, etc, so you can see if it is legitimate and also be able to claim the warranty if needed. I bought a van with supposed "new" injectors and then had to replace them all within 6-months because they were crap and the seller went silent on me.

I'd look to see what manufacturer and model CPS he installed. I've had terrible luck with off brands, and the first two Motorcraft versions were hit or miss. Have what is supposedly newest version in now (F4TZ-12K073-C, it has a purple tint to it) and haven't had an issue.

May also want to review what manufacturer the new parts are from, a guy I work with bought an off brand water pump and it blew up within weeks, then found a new International OEM pump for it and has been fine ever since.

Did he install new injector cups with the injectors?

When was the fuel filter last serviced? The factory fuel filter I think is a PITA with the factory intake and resonator, but don't know how bad it would be with whatever his custom intake looks like

What DP Tuner Programmer is he running/tunes available? My DP Tune didn't even work, caused it to shift from 3-4 at over 60mph, and didn't feel like I got great support trying to resolve the issue. Some have said they've gotten very high EGT's from it. Others report fantastic results with it, so it's all over the map. Just something to consider and ask about.

Has he been performing engine oil and transmission oil analysis and have trend data he can share to help show you the health of the engine? Any other long term maintenance logs?

Also, is he saying all the stuff listed after "Engine Maintenance done at 250K" is what was done at that time? If so, I'd be wondering if it was maintained along the way or if he just threw a bunch of money at it recently for some reason. I agree these engines can go a long time, but they do require regular preventative maintenance, not reactive.

If possible, pull out the drivers side plastic step and pull back the floor mat to see if there is evidence of a leak and water pooling where the drivers feet would be. Several people (including me) have had issues with body seam leaks that is mostly undetected, and it is a real pain in the rear to fix. This is not a windshield leak, but that also happens.

I do think he's asking way to much, I've seen much lower mileage options for what he's asking and not have to go to Alaska to get it, although the drive back could be pretty cool. Not sure what that trailer would be worth; it wouldn't be worth anything to me personally.

My 7.3 has 311k on it now, and with a 6" U-Joint 4x4 conversion running 4:10's on 35's I average around 14-15 mpg on the highway, 13-14 in the city.
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Old 07-26-2019, 12:58 PM   #25
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I don't know if Jeff Moore will ever come back to view this thread. But to add to the knowledge pool here, I will post what I said to him in his thread by the same name at Ford-Trucks.com:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...estions-2.html

"Have him send you a video starting it cold showing the exhaust pipe and revving the engine. And a video of the oil cap on the oil tube but not screwed in at all with the engine idling then revved. Replace the fuel tank if you buy it. Post your exact thread over here too:

4x4 - Sportsmobile Forum"

"Jeff, good for you! You posted at Sportsmobile!

I just had a dealer send me video via phone "starting it cold showing the exhaust pipe and revving the engine. And a video of the oil cap on the oil tube but not screwed in at all with the engine idling then revved."

These will show "Blow by" which IMHO is the sin qua non* test of the health of a 7.3L PSD engine. Especially in a van which is known for having an absolutely poor air filter housing which lets dirty air into the engine. BTW, did you notice that the seller lists that he installed a "Custom Cold Air Intake"? In Alaska he doesn't need cold air, but he needs clean air. The Custom Cold Air Intake is good. The question is did he install it after he "dusted" the turbo wheel and the engine's valves (like I did), or was he smarter than me and did it before?

You won't know without the blow by test. And you won't know how to interpret the blow by test videos. But the guys on this forum will know. And they will help you. If you do your part by obtaining and posting up the videos. (For a quick read about a 2002 7.3 van which did not make it past 166,000 miles due to my poor maintenance see my thread at:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-results.html

Please do yourself and your marriage a $10,000-$15,000 favor and do not buy it until you get those videos and post them up here...

It may be the perfect van to buy! But you simply don't know enough about the health of the engine yet.

As my now second favorite in-my-lifetime President said in a similarly risky situation: "Trust but Verify..."

Another approach would be to find a 2000-2003 7.3 Sportsmobile with a blown motor and have it rebuild for $15,000 like FordTruckNoob did.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ed-advice.html

I have absolutely no problem with that approach as long as the seller takes $20K off the asking price.

* something absolutely indispensable or essential


Added: I was going to send this in a PM to Jeff, because I wanted to explain that I don't want to rain on his parade. I want him to have a great parade. So, I decided to just post it up publicly instead.

Why am I so direct? I don't mean to offend. I mean to help. I love my Sportsmobile type van. I see your vision. Because I share your vision.

I bought my van new for $40K. I spent another $15K on converting mine to 4x4. I love it and will spend another $15K on another 7.3 engine if need be to get it going again.

Just the ability to leave the passenger seat to go back to the toilet while driving makes my wife happy and, thus, makes the camper van far superior to the camper over truck arrangement.

So I get you. I get your dream. It is a good dream. We have driven ours all over the Western States.

But buying a 20 year old vehicle must be done with eyes wide open because a 7.3 is both the best diesel engine that Ford ever made AND a worn out money suck depending how it was maintained.

A friend of mine just purchased a completely outfitted brand new Mercedes-Benz 4x4 diesel "Revel" for $130K. She loves it. For $65K you may want to consider at least the base version:

https://winnebagoind.com/products/cl...revel/overview

But I doubt it will tow a boat as well as my 2002 E350 7.3 PSD.

So, regardless of cost, I will keep, maintain and drive my van.

Get the videos and these guys here will help educate you as to whether or not it is your perfect van."

Edit: Copied links were not working, so I directly inserted all links
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2002 E350 ext.; 160K; 7.3L; 4R100 (w/4x4 deep pan & filter); 4x4 conv. w/2007 F250/F350 coil frnt axle (oppos. dual Bilstein press. shocks cured DW) diff chg from 3.55 to 3.73 (bad!); BW1356 t.c. (bad!); LT265/70R17/E Michelin LTX M/S2; Engel MT60 Combi Fridge-Freezer; 4 BP 380J pv panels; Auragen 5kw AC gen. in top alt. position; Webasto Dual-Top; Voyager top. 1995 5.8L EB Bronco, bone stock.
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Old 07-27-2019, 09:44 AM   #26
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Hey E350, none of your links came up when I clicked on them! Just checking to see if it is just me or are they not working?
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