Looking at this tow vehicle tonight, what to look for?

http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/3119126692.html

1997 Suburban 2500 diesel. My current tow vehicle is a Land Rover DiscoII, which has been good to me in the 6+ years I have owned it, but I do a lot more towing now than I did when I bought it. It seems that half the time I drive it it is towing a lemons car, and while it does it, it has to work hard. that's why when this popped up a mile from me, I'm taking a look.

Use would be wintertime occasional DD (when it is too crappy to drive the M coupe), towing to 4+ lemons races a year up to 500 miles away, open trailer with a Honda. The rest of the time would be just useful homeowner truck stuff. I do like the third row of seating as I do use it in the Disco from time to time, so I'd prefer this to a pickup.

I've read about the injection pump and pmd and whatnot. Anything else I should know?

I looked at those before, so from memory you want to check:

• Lift pump (around the frame rails near the driver's door) should make an audible sound, if you can't hear it run chances are it's busted and if you don't do anything about that really quickly, you might break the injection pump, too
• Check the harmonic balancer - they only last about 100k and if it breaks, the crank follows very shortly afterwards. They're not that expensive to change
• They don't like having the boost turned up much as the engines are pretty high compression already. Moar Boost = Moar Breakage
• Check that the vacuum actuator for the wastegate works, if it doesn't it's usually failed open though
• Check if it has the dual thermostat - IIRC they changed that in '97. Also make sure it's running at least at 180 so the cold start enrichment is fully turned off. Also make sure it doesn't go above 210 either, that's the other expensive end
• It should not smoke, smoke doesn't do these engines any good at all
• Relocated PMD with heatsink or PMD with heatsink in the stock location with the plastic cover removed good, as is the uprated downpipe that some specialists sell - you get the turbo spooling up a little earlier and it reduces EGT.

Same basic chassis as my pickup just diesel and 4wd. My truck barely notices a 3,000 pound trailer with a 2,000 pound car on it. The only thing effected is stopping distance. It's a GREAT tow rig and has been stupid reliable for as much as I've neglected it. Gas mileage is terrible for me but the diesel will help a lot with that. Almost no load in the world will slow this vehicle down. It should be far more satisfying to tow with than the Disco!!

If the ride is wallowy and sloppy, a new set of HD shocks will do wonders. A few touch up things here and there and it's almost a civilized vehicle. It's never going to be as comfy as the Disco, though. It's the epitome of nailed together 90's GM "Good Enough!" trucks, which has its good and bad points.

Actually forgot to mention - check the tow rating, some of the GM diesels of that age have fairly lamentable tow ratings. IIRC the one ton 4x4 Dually Diesel has a tow rating of something like 6000lbs...

Damn, seller just called to say it was sold. Oh well.