Greetings,

I'm thinking of buying a '92 F250 with a stock 7.3L diesel engine
(non-turbo) with ~196K miles on the engine and have a couple of ?:

1)  I noticed a coouple of times during my test drive that when
stopped (stoplight, traffic, etc.) there was some white-colored smoke
coming out of the exhaust.The smoke was intermittent and did not occur
at any time other than at idle. Is this normal?

2) Given the mileage, is putting an aftermarket turbo on this motor
(e.g. Banks or ATS) an option? I don't know that I really need a turbo
(I plan to use the truck mostly for local hauling and towing my 23'
5th wheel trailer on short-to-medium length camping trips in the
Cascade Mountains and over to the Oregon Coast) but I might do it if
it seemed worthwhile. Is this something that someone with
intermediate-level mechanic skills can do?

3) I've always heard that diesel engines are very reliable and
long-lived. How many miles should I expect this engine, given that
it's been reasonably well-maintained, to last? What are some "warning
signs" that I should look for when a diesel engine starts having major
internal problems?

The performance of the truck, except for the lack of a turbo, was
otherwise OK and it seems a good bargain for the price the guy's
asking. It has been reasonably well-maintained, including the recent
installation of a rebuilt automatic transmission.

TIA for your responses :-).

Brad