The glow plugs on a 97 are under the valve covers and typically guys also replace the injector wiring harness since your already there. The valve cover gaskets are reuseable. It is typical for that year to smoke for about 3 min on a start up, but the smoke has nothing to do with glow plugs. The smoke should clear up. If its auto make sure the over drive light doesnt blink, that could mean a bad cam sensor or a trans problem. Cam sensors are common and cheap. If its a manuel make sure it goes into gear easy. They have a 2 peice flywheel that often goes bad and is expensive to replace. I have a 96 F-350 Powerstroke with banks stiger plus kit w/ 24psi boost. It rolls pretty good for a 6500 lb vehicle.

its a manual, it runs good and goes into gear easily. The truck used to be the owners, and I think he said its chipped or programmed, cause he used to drive it, he said he could tell me all about it, so Ill ask him next time I see him. hopefully I can get it for cheap.

alright update FML the KBB on a 97 250 with 171k is still 6k and thats prob what hes gonna want for it, Im not gonna pay 6k for a beater truck. I was thinking more along the lines of 3k. I know its a solid truck and all just didnt know they held value that well.

6k is nothing compared to what it cost new, however that is still a good value for a truck of that age...but diesels aernt event broken in at 250k!!!!

It's a Ford. The rest of the truck was toast at 20k.:mrgreen: