Wow, thanks labnerd. Apparently the value of trucks down in Texas is much lower than here! Look at what they want for this '06 here with 50k more miles. No very far off from that truck. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...09668157&Log=0

Keep in mind both the truck you showed me and the one above are only 2wd. Unfortunately i really need 4wd here. How difficult is it to find a truck with 4wd in texas?

 

I would buy a 03 model but im really looking to buy something just in general newer than '03. I haven't ever owned a DD newer than 02. Plus, i cant stand the body style of those years.

What is the best way for me to differentiate the 2 or 3 valve in the 4.6 or 5.4?

 

There are tons of 4x4's in Texas and unless they've been driven a lot on the beach, are likely to have very little corrosion. I would suggest going on eBay and looking there for some Southern trucks -- you may be surprised what you can find out there!

 

I traded my 97 F150 with the 5.4 that I owned since 2001 with over 255,000 miles on it for my 13 F150 with the Eco in it...

Hated to have to trade that 97... It never let me down and still looked damn good and still ran as good as it always did...

I've had the Eco since 2/14 with 54 miles on it and now with 25,800 miles on it and 2 towing seasons under it's belt, I couldn't be happier...

I miss the old 97, but this 13 Eco just blows it away with power, economy and just plain drive ability..

Anyway, getting any vehicle of any make is a crap shoot, so who can say if you get this one or another one, will it live up to your expectations??

Due diligence and knowing what you are getting makes a lot of difference in the end..

Good luck!

Mitch

 

2 valve 4.6 was 2004 to 2008, All 5.4 from 04 to 2010 are 3 valves.

09 and 10 model 4.6 3 valves came with the 6 speed transmission. 4.6 2v still used the 4 speed transmission

 

Your link above is for a dealer in RI so I'm guessing you're from that area. Based on that info look into trucks in SC, GA, AL and parts of TN away from the coast. These are the closest trucks away from salt and snow. In AR the only rusty cars have northern tags on them. It *might* snow once a year. The rest of the time it's rain so the bottom of vehicles stays rust free. Colorado is another gold mine for clean cars. They banned salt 40 odd years ago and it's mostly desert like conditions there. If you're looking for a 4x4 or AWD car that's a really good place.

I know a lot of people talk about the cam phasers going bad but I *think* it mostly just makes noise when it does. My 2005 truck had really noisy phasers but other than a sound at low RPM and throttle it was a non-issue. The truck ran great with 155,000 on it at trade in.


Otherwise once you make the switch understand your tools will be lonely. Fords don't break near as much as GM junk does. If it wasn't for my brother's S-10 my toolbox wouldn't see near the use. I have to replace the spider hose this weekend once I tow it back. Their cobbed together fuel injection system failed and hydrolocked the motor. Luckily it didn't start and blow the thing.

 

I really hope that's the case, the only thing I notice about fords in General is that they seem to age faster? The bodies and exterior pieces including wheels seem to fade or just look tired compared to other vehicles.

As for the spider injection system, it's not so bad. The spider system comes as one piece which is expensive but once you get the plenum off it's simple.

Make sure your fuel pump isn't actually the issue. Use a fuel pressure gauge to send pressure to the rail then shut it off to see how the pressure holds.

I have 02 Sonoma now and almost made the leap into it again because I was getting long cranks, and sometimes no starts but it was my fuel pump. Check the relay for the pump to!

 

Good friend of mine just had to replace the spider in his 03 S-10, it was leaking like a sieve. He's already on his 2nd engine, a Jasper reman. The 4.3 hasn't treated him all that well.

 

Any truck you buy, check the carfax. A lot of dealers in the south are buying northern cars at auctions because they are cheaper and passing them off to southerners who don't check.

 

I always check the carfax.

As for the 4.3, I have had two and never issues. Plenty of torque but really lacks every where else. The spider injection is the ony thing that sucks.

I enjoy the 4.3 more than the 3.5 I had in my Colorado.

With that said, I'm hoping the 4.6 in the f150 will give me a long run.

 

The Ford 4.6 2 valve was built from 1991 through 2014, and always had true port fuel injection with 8 injectors. No throttle body injection or spider. You still see a ton of them around in cars, trucks, SUV's, and vans. Every Crown Vic police car you see has one.

 

Don't be afraid of the ecoboost. It did have a couple issues when it came out, but nothing really serious and what new technology doesn't. The biggest issue I've heard of is poor economy. Often the problem there is, it's normally a used truck. The engine learns your driving technique and if the previous owner stomped it, it will be less efficient until you either disconnect the battery or it learns your style. Another economy related issue is people thinking they can drive a bit more aggressive and still get good economy. There wee a few first owners who had poor economy out of the box, but I think that was figured out.

I can understand your reluctance to buying a turbo engine for a truck, but just understand the reliability of the turbos is much better than they used to be. These engines have been tested and abused. I read recently that of all of the F-150 something like 60% have the ecoboost engine. With that many engines out there. If there was a major issue with them, you wouldn't be able to find a garage to get any car fixed. They will be filled up with F-150s.

 

I'm positive his spider has gone kaput, his crankcase is full of gas and the starter can't turn the engine over. I'll and this time to the list of things I've fixed on it. As it stands, new intake manifold gaskets, new heater core, new radiator (x2, one was his fault), water pump (x2, one failed the other new pump was a bad casting and blew gaskets), water pump gaskets (x3), all the top end gaskets replaced because they were leaking, new oil cooler, a bunch of broken el cheapo plastic trim pieces and all the regular maintenance items like plugs etc. All on a truck with 110,000 miles.

Meanwhile my 155,000 F150 needed a set of plugs, a serpentine belt and a bunch of oil changes. My driving style is exponentially more aggressive than his too. The only way I'll ever own another GM anything is if they repay all their giverment loans (really repay not write them of like they did), repay me for all the parts and labor I have had to put into their inferior products and fix all the scars on my hands from working on their poorly designed junk. In complete honestly, I'd rather ride my bike to work than drive a new GM truck.

 

I checked around the local area. Like I say, we don't have rusty trucks here. Jeez, we haven't seen snow in probably 20 years. Best I could come up with is at this linky. I know these guys personally and they generally don't keep any used crap or rode hard and put away wet kinda trucks and cars. More than likely, this unit saw nothing but hiway miles and was used in the oil field industry and probably by a sight developer as the bed isn't beat to shreds. It basically would have been used to haul somebodys hiney around and not much else. That's an assumption on my part and no guarantee. I'd just about bet the ranch that you could make him an 18 grand offer and it'd be yers.
http://chapfordsales.com/San-Antonio...ruck/44375771/