96 ford diesel..yes or no

cburgin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
statesville/boone NC
Found a 96 Ford diesel. Just wondering the pros and cons of this year. Its got 160k on the clock, has the powerstroke decals, but I know nothing about these. Its a single cab long bed 5spd but the price seems right...Any Input? What should I look for?
 
96 is definitely a Powerstroke, 7.3, direct injection, turbodiesel. I think thats also the first or second year they were intercooled. The 96 and 97 models are pretty popular because the have the good motor with plenty of power, but still have the older body style.

Also, the ZF 5 speeds used in these trucks are very stout, geared pretty well, and shouldn't give you any problems if you treat it decent. The only weird thing about them is the integrated bellhousing.
 
I have a 96 w 385K on it,very good truck.No intercooler til the body style change in 98 and like Shawn said get 4wd if you can.Mines 2wd and gets stuck pretty easy.You might wanna ask if the flywheel has been replaced,not a deal breaker but it will save you some cash down the road.Mine made it to 305K before I had to replace it.If you keep it long enuf you will have to replace it.
 
1-tonmudder said:
You might wanna ask if the flywheel has been replaced,not a deal breaker but it will save you some cash down the road.Mine made it to 305K before I had to replace it.If you keep it long enuf you will have to replace it.
Click to expand...

x2 The stocker is called a dual-mass flywheel which will fly apart sooner or later, just a good thing to check on.
 
They last forever, mine has 200+ on it and had another with 350+. They dont make the power of new body style trucks (99+) but with a CAI and exh/chip they make enough power to satisfy you easily! Intercooler isnt much of a deal breaker, its easy to swap the 99+ setup into the OBS trucks ( old body style ) Honestly you will never know you dont have an IC unless your beating the piss out of it pulling a trailer on your chips extreme setting or something! EGT's will be plenty low on a stock injector mildly tuned truck!!
 
I have a 97 as well with 191,xxx on the clock. best powerstroke, truck IMO. have had a early 99 (98.5 as there known) and a 2004 with a 6.0l (a very problem free 6 oh so far, needs and alternator right now though) OBS trucks Has just what you need and everything you don't.

mine is rated @225 BHP at the flywheel and with a chip/intake/exhaust it put down 225 at the wheels.it came with an E40D auto which I liked but I swapped in a ZF-5 when it died. it now has some synchros going bad in 3rd and reverse.

I'd definitely get exhaust, gained a few MPGS and about 5 lbs of boost when I lost the pancaked down pipe. I'd recommend a chip if you want to keep up with a stock superduty truck and an intake as well (mines just a DIY intake) don't need an inter-cooler as these trucks aren't extremely powerful with that combo but they wont disappoint.
 
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