Didn't want this to have the goose egg, so anyone else want to say anything about their early diesls? I have my 86 6.9, the my dad's 2 84 6.9's...

I'd have to say that the early diesels are some of the best built, may not pull as much as quick as thier boosted counterparts but do well by most standards.

Love my '86.

With the right setup, they can pull as much, just maybe not as fast, but then, if you really want to go to town, they can even be made to match up with the newer motors, but that takes a bit more doing... I have no intention of getting a newer truck, just going to rebuild these. My dad essentially retired the first 84, extended cab 4x4, main downside is the slushbox. The cab actually is pretty solid, just needs cab corners, and a lot of interior work.

I've got the 4 spd in mine, have plans to swap in a ZF because I want to keep the factory 4.10s. oddly enough, my cab is in near perfect shape structuraly but my bed is about to fall apart, have to have a ratchet strap between the sides just to close the gate.

I used to drive a couple of the old IDI 7.3s and they are good trucks. My last one was a 1991 model F250 with 7.3L 5spd standard cab with 4x4 and 4.10s. Worst pull I ever made was from KC to Bethany MO up I 35 with a 34' gooseneck flatbed loaded with about 20,000lbs. The on-ramp to I670 is all uphill and pretty steep and I had to hold 1st gear all the way to the top. The 2 1/4" duals with 18" glass packs and 3 1/2" tips were really howling. Had a fresh injection pump and had it turned up a bit. I had to run 4th gear most of the way to Bethany and keep it pinned to the floor to hold 60-65 mph and on a few downhill runs I got into 5th and broke 70 mph. Its only bout a 95-100 mile trip but I used almost all of both tanks in that distance....not good economy....I think I may have gotten 6 mpg at best. Good truck though and I still miss it.

I picked up my dad's current runner, an 84 6.9 out by Albany, which is west of Bethany... Blew the block heater out doing it too... was stuck on the ice, just about getting going, when a cloud of steam from under the hood billows out, get under and see the heater hanging out on top of the starter. Had to be the coldest night of the season to top it off, and a Saturday night as well... Thankfully, the people I picked the truck up from were kind enough to put me up for the night, and take me to town for parts the next day. My 86 did the haul, didn't do too bad either. Of course, it has been a lot heavier than that...

Not my truck, but I'm gonna brag anyway...

Friend of mine scrimped and saved his pennies, bought his dream F-350 in '95. PSD, CC, LB, 5-speed, 4x4 (manual shift), 4.10 gears. Takes great care of it, but works it like it was meant for.

Dunno what the heaviest he ever hauled with it was, but at about 200k, he moved about 1000 miles, across the Rockies, with a a whole LOT of stuff (farming stuff, construction stuff, etc.). Made a trip or two with the trailer around 17k, and I think on one of 'em, he had the truck close to 13k.

Then a couple summers ago, he and I had hauled a trailer load of stuff from Denver to western CO. Maybe close to 15k. Rolling out of Denver for Wolf Creek Pass, loaded like that, 105*, when she turned over 300k. (Did I mention the only non-original drivetrain component is the clutch?) Radiator was plugged real bad (didn't show up 'till we hooked up the trailer ) so the poor old girl was running so hot smoke was rolling up out of the gearshift boot, but she held together, and we made it back.

*You know it's gonna get interesting when a long-time professional driver puts the truck in bottom gear and says "I think we're kinda heavy" as you start down a 10,000 foot pass...

Truck looked just about brand new up until a semi backed into it that winter, crunched the bumper, grille, and dented the hood and fender. Still drives like it's got under 100k on it, too.

I used to have about the same truck. 1997 F350 standard cab white with 5spd. 4.10s and a PSD. Had a SCT tuner on it with a Banks 3" stainless downpipe and an AFE Stage 2 intake. Also had strait pipe with no cat.

Fellro sound familliar. Welcome

Yea I'd take the 97 down over a new on any day. Tow well more reliable,better MPG Need I say more?