Include

[osufireman]

First thing it to make sure you have SCA (supplimental coolant additives) in your cooling system. These engines have relatively thin cylinder walls and have a tendency to cavitate over time. There are tons of posts on this forum about the topic. GP's, definately get some Motorcraft glow pluges, they will be ZD-9's, and will say Beru on them. Autolites/Bosch/ or other generic brands tend to go bad quickly and can even swell on the tip and get stuck in the cylinder meaning pulling the head, or crushing the piston if you try to pass it. If you ever need head gaskets done, don't have the heads shaved, they are already at their limit from the factory.

As for the motor turning slowly when starting, make sure all contacts on batteries, starter, and the relay (should be above the passenger wheel well in the engine compartment) are good and clean. Make sure the batteries are well charged and I think either 850 or 880 CCA is recommended for these trucks. If that doesn't solve it then you may need a new starter, they get tired some times, and if you can count the revolutions as its cranking then it aint fast enough.

Make sure the WTS light comes on for the glow plugs when its cold, should be about 10-15 sec. Before you buy it ask to come over and start it when its COLD, not ran over night, that will give you a good idea how it behaves in the mornings.

Air intrusion is quite common from what I have seen here on the forum, and usually is a problem with the return lines to the fuel tank, there is a return fuel line kit to solve that problem.

I've also heard people using the oil filter from a PSD instead of the regular one for our pigs. It takes an extra quart of oil in the system but gives you more filter media.

Those are some of the basics that I know. Congrats on buying a reliable diesel as your workhorse! It won't smoke a PSD or Cummins off the line, but it will keep you running on the road for a long time, plus its easy and relatively cheep to work on. Mine has 214K on the original motor and it's still strong.

Good luck, Brandon