So i have been looking for a good 5.4 motor to drop in to my 97 4.6 5spd. I have found one that is being sold through auction near me. It only has 37,000 miles and is a 2003. Im thinking i can get the whole truck for about $500-$600.

Now for the bad.

I pulled the carfax for it and it doesn't show any records past 2007. No registration, no claims, no nothing after 2007. If i do the math 37000/4 years of use+ 8500 miles a year which is a little below average unless its a second vehicle. So im guessing its been sitting since 2008 or so.

The truck looks like its in decent shape with a little rust showing in some of the holes drilled in the bed for fasteners and what not. Motor looks dusty. Company says it runs and drives but that it needs an alternator. Im trying to have a buddy i served in Iraq look at it because its in his town and hes been a mechanic for 20 plus years. But i dont know if he will be able to make the time to do it and do to the Holiday weekend i wont be able to look at it either so im going kind of blind. Thats ok to me if the price is right. Who knows though.

Either way, it might run just fine but im worried about what i might need to replace/ watch for.

I was going to put it on my stand and dig into the surface of her. Pull the pan and see if the crank was forged or cast. Look at the bottom end. Compression test it. You know the usual.

 

Since they claim it runs and drives, I would assume that they have the engine running. I would also be prepared to freshen up the rings and just basic overhaul stuff without the need for any machine work. If you can buy the entire truck for the 5-600 bucks, you're getting a lot more than just engine. There's the transmission and wiring harness too and any other component that may be tired on the old 4.6 truck. If it doesn't require any overhaul work, you got lucky. Personally, I'd buy it. More than likely you'll be able to get what you want out of it, part out the rest of it and make money. A windshield for 100 bucks would be a steal, as an example.

 

The motor is the only thing thats going to be used from it. Its going to get mated to a ZF6 i bought last weekend and its going to be a project getting that trans to fit in the tunnel of my f150. I was thinking about cutting the tunnel and then welding plate back in when all said an done.

I was thinking i could just sell the truck for 400 or 500 to someone looking for a trans or that had a motor sitting there. Either way i will more then likely not be out to much to give it a try and see whats up. Problem is it is a 2wd truck and those are not that common up in Montana....... So finding someone looking for it might take a while.

Would there be any reason to replace head gaskets or intake gaskets? Those are my big worries. I would hate to put it in and find out that it would need them 6 months later. But on the flip side i really dont want to tear apart it very much if its a good running motor.

I have never been in a situation like this. A motor thats been sitting in a barn for 20 years and a guy would tear it all down. No questions.

I remember the ford dealership in my town went bankrupt in 2002. And he still had innovatory sitting on the lot. The owner was kind of crazy and would just sell a truck every year or so to pay some costs. In 2013 my father tried to buy one and he wanted almost 22000 for a 2002 screw with 12 miles on it. I laughed. Figured it would need all new belts and hoses all the way around and that would be the start. Battery, fluids, and tons of little stuff like wipers were probably bad. Plus it came with no warranty or anything from ford. I thought he was crazy for trying to buy that "new" truck then. And here i am in a similar situation.

 

Big difference your paying 600. I wouldnt worry to much about the engine. Sitting isnt really a problem for just the engine. I've seen deal like this before and the engines are always just fine. Other stuff on the truck would be questionable for sure. Fuel systems dont like sitting for a decade and such. The engine will be fine.