is there any diference between the two? I found two decent ones around the same price and mileage. 1 is 97 the other a 98. both 4.6 4x4 auto's supercab, cloth, etc.

What do i look for to make a better choice.

 

not totally sure on this one, but i'd say go for the 98 since the 97 was the 1st model year of that design, and in that years time they could have worked out a lot of bugs with the newer model

goodluck

 

Trust me, I speak from experience, DON'T BUY A 97! You'll regret it. Don't even get an early 98, late model year 98 might be ok.

 

i second that. . dont buy 97 or early 98. I bought a late 98 used and ive pretty much floored it many many times daily for the past 16000 miles. Its still running great and my compressions and all check out nicely so it seems to be alright.

 

So what's a good range for build dates to look for?

 

I've got a 97 w/ the 4.6 Romeo and only issue I have is with the door crack.

To put this in perspective though there is only 23,000 miles on it. Still no rough idle, no leaking head gasket, tramsmission shudder, launched spark plugs, pinging/ detonation, .......... etc. I run regular gas and the computer code is TBL2, which is a California emissions code.

So far so good is all I can tell you.

Good luck.

 

I have a '98 that I bought in March of 1998 and it has been a great truck. Almost 5 years old and has almost 50,000 miles on it.

I have the 4.6 and the only problem has been teh cheap factory plug wires. Had them and the plugs replaced 4,000 miles ago and it is running strong!

 

Similar truck to mine. Mine is a 97 with a 4.6L Romero engine with the 4R70W auto tranny. Mine though was built 01/96 so mine was one of the first off the assembly line, so that could be the root of some of my problems. Anyhow heres my carnage list

4 Alternators
2 Fan clutchs
1 Belt Tensioner
1 Water Pump
10 new wheel studs on the rear axle
2 New front wheel bearing assemblies
1 Transmission rebuild job (at 62000 miles)

And mine now has a VERY bad ping if I ever run regular unleaded. Its not too bad if I run ethanol (89 octane), and its usually pretty decent if I run Premium, but can't afford premium all the time. Funny thing is I didn't have ANY problems the 1st year I owned this thing. It all started with a front bearing assembly. If you add everything up it comes out to about $3500 in about a year and a half or so.

 

my 98 4.6 Windsor with auto was made in 1/98 and no probs here other then door crack and pinging which i fix every now and then but comes back(im convinced its the K*N filter) My trucks got 52,000 miles

 

my mom had a 97 (bought in late 96 I beleive) Expy with the 5.4 and 4x4, had no problems other than a few warrenty items.

 

My '97 has 156,000 miles on it, the only major problem was a broken tie rod end at 112,000 miles. A leaky diff and rusting bumpers were replaced under the regualr warranty. It does have the door cracks. Thats it. No other problems. It was made in October of 96. You'll find those who would stay away from the '97s since it was the first year (although they were manufactured for TWO years - 96 and 97), and you'll find a ton of sataisfied '97 owners too.

Note that powerstroke 73's truck has 35's and I know that he off roads with it (at least did in the past before he got his ranger!) before one starts to judge the carnage!

 

I would think if the trucks are the same and the mileage being equal, that the newest vehicle would be the better deal

 

I HAVE A 1997 4.6 WINDSOR ENGINE 91,000 MILES. NO PROBLEMS. just the door crack MADE IN 1/?/97. I WOULD PICK THE 1998 MODEL only because of being newer. no many differences in the 2 model years. 1 that i know of is the radio plug ins are different on later 1998 models wheich update to todays standards if you want to update the radio to cd power.

 

I have 115K miles on my 1997. I have never had any problems with it except for having to replace the starter. It was my fault because I though I could be superman and drive through 3 feet of water Well a few hundred bucks later it was running great again. It is a 4.6 V8.

On my 98 I have close to 50k miles. The truck runs great. Havent had any problems yet. It is a 4.2 V6.

Good luck. Dont worry about getting a 98+ truck. 97s were the exact same thing!

 

got a 98 - 2 alternators (both changed under warranty) Door crack on driver side and that's it.

I think some of the problems that I read about are less to do with the build of the truck and more to do with how one drives and treats their truck.

Green_98

I agree with you about the K&N and the pinging.
Have you tried going back to a regular filter? If so, did it improve anything?