I'm considering a 1995 F150 4x4 I6 5 speed longbed (manual hubs, air, tow package) that has 179K on it. The price is very attractive, but the mileage is somewhat high to go with it. I fully expect to need to maintain it - I have some experience with that after 11 years of driving a 1987 1-ton crew-cab 4WD, but maintenence costs at 18 years old are finally becoming more than makes sense, I'm not using it to capacity, and gas prices...ugh. So I want something less rusty, slightly newer, with modern amenities like airbags and ABS, that drinks less fuel. Air conditioning will be nice after the summer we've been having, too.

I would like to know if there are any particular things or areas I should check (ie, known usual trouble spots) when I go look at this truck in a few days. My general understanding is that the I6 is a long-life engine, though I seem to recall the one in my dad's 1976 F150 having some major life-ending event around 1986, but I don't recall what. Engine life is rarely the limiting factor here with the salt on the roads - rust and the side effects of rust tend to do things in. I expect with that much mileage I may have some suspension and drivetrain stuff to consider - what are likely items based on your experiences as these trucks go from 175-200K? What is a "towing package" on a 6 with a manual going to consist of?

How much of a bear to get at are the front u-joints on the 4WD? - current owner reports one going bad, price low enough that this is not a pre-inspection deal killer, but if they are especially difficult to access it might become a point of negotiation, and if they are easy, it might not be anything to worry about.

Thanks for any help/input/advice you can offer.

 

You don't need to worry about engine longevity it has a few hundred thousand miles left in it if it was reasonably maintained. Look at the rear leaf spring brackets, they usually rust out and break after about 10 winters. Ford dealers usually stock them and they only run about $28 a piece so it wouldn't prevent me from buying the truck. Don't expect good fuel economy from the I6 though. It may only be a six cylinder but its a big 6 cylinder, don't expect more that 15 miles per gallon.

-Jon

 

Pay attention to how it shifts, and look around the tranny for signs of fluid leaking from higher up near the shifter. Check the air injection tube and see if it's solid. They rust out easily, and aren't cheap, and are a pain, to replace. See how it idles, and if it has and problems with acceleration from a stop, or cruising at 35 mph. That engine often gets pinhole vacuum leaks at the intake which create a lean miss at idle, and they have crappy injectors that clog, and a common sign is a chugging sensation off the line and at a slow cruising speed.

It really is a great truck. I had to really think for a few minutes of the few issues I've had with mine over the past 9 years, but I think that about covers it.

 

Ford4Ever, I am presently running a long-term average of 10.776MPG with a high of 13.1 (once in the last 2 years). I might have gotten 14 on the highway with a tailwind some years ago, but I have not got the gas records from that time in the computer. Present truck hauls loads in bed impressively, but being 20 feet long and weighing 6000 lbs empty puts some limits on possible mileage - at least it's not a big-block.

I went all over in considering replacements, given that I have less times per year when I load it anywhere near capacity than I used to, and felt that a 1/2 ton that was still full-sized bed was the best option. Trucks of less than full size are bad when needing to move plywood, etc, don't cost much less than full-sized used, and seem to fall apart a lot faster. A trailer and a car might offer the best mileage, but due to mud conditions on the road to my house, 4WD is pretty much a requirement, and that makes for cars that cost as much or more used than trucks, few of which haul all that well - plus I've never been a particularly comfortable tow-er, and the trailer would be an additional expense.

Present owner claims 15-17MPG on the truck I'm considering. That looks like "better" from where I sit now.

Any input on replacing 4wd front-axle u-Joints on this truck? They were a pain on the "other maker" 4WD 1ton I have.

In doing some general background research, I see that the I6 is listed as being "gaseous fuel compatible" - ie, if one were to run an engine on CNG or LPG this would apparently be the engine that Ford would suggest you use. Anyone have a dual-fuel setup, or converted to one? Ballpark costs associated? I think it's a bit cheaper than gasoline at present...

 

That 4.9 I6 is crazy. You could basicly run that thing without oil and it wouldnt give you a problem. I had one in my old 95 XL F-150. What a great engine. If you take care of it it could last a lot longer.

 

The Dana 44 TTB is kind of a pain to work on, but unless there are major steering / 4x4 problems, you should be good. The tranny should shift firm but smooth, and not require forcing to go into gear.

That is a bulletproof truck, and if the price is right, jump on it.

Adrianspeeder

 

Now we see how much it _really_ costs me, and if the seller was telling the truth. In the ideal work all such things would be sorted out before the sale, in practice sometimes I just need to make a guess and go with it. Looked a whole lot better than an F250 at 3x the price I looked at the day before, and leaves considerable budget for getting it up to snuff.

I gather the towing package consisted of extra cooling and the "19" 3.55 non-LS diffs, along with a receiver hitch and wiring. Not much tow capacity (3500), but I don't/have not done much with that anyway.

Has a broken LR spring (1/2 of 2 leaves missing). Temperature gauge does not work. Occasionally makes nasty noises from 2 into 3, have read here that this is common - will change out the ATF in the tranny shortly. Seller claimed intermittent check engine was O2 sensor. I await a call from my mechanic.

Point of curiousity - is the oil pressure gauge on these "real" or one of those "factory gauge that is really an idiot light" setups where the gauge sits in the middle until the switch that would trigger the idiot light trips? I want to add a tach and ammeter anyway. Before I delve in to the aftermarket, would it be easy or hard to grab a tach-containing instrument panel at the junkyard and plug that in? (ie, is it just the panel, or are there differences in the rest of the truck? I assume that the computer knows how fast the motor is turning, and tells the tach what to display, so I'd expect the wiring harness, etc to be the same for "basic" and "with tach", but I could be wrong...

Will need tires soon - has worn-out 10.5x31-15 on it, evidently never had the VSS recalibrated for those, as the speedo is a bit optmistic. Given primarily on-road use, looking at Toyo A/T, wondering if I can get a smaller size on the rims I have (hmm, bad way to ask this question, since I have not sorted out what size those rims are just yet), since I'm not really in need of Big Tires for any of my expected use (roads, some dirt, sometimes with mud, dirt driveway with snow, rarely plowed - generally just driven over in 4wd). Looked at some lovely mud tires, but didn't care to think of the noise or wear from running them on the highway.

 

COOL! Gotta love a new truck!

Get fresh ATF in there and that M5OD should shift tight and right. You got it on the idiot oil gauge. Doesn't really tell anything.

I love the Michelin LTX ATs. Handle the trucks and broncos very well with over 70k on the 97 150. I do exactly what you do from your driving descriptions with the exception of lots of snow driving for me. Only disadvantage is the $$$.

Got a digi cam?

Adrianspeeder

 

Nice truck! Welcome! I have the 5 spd but the 302. I like it better than the automatic although the towing capacity is less.

I've run several brands and sizes of tires on my '95 4x4. Generals came on it - garbage. Nothing more than larger lousy car tires. I then upsized to the larger tires and got Firestone Wilderness - same as the "rollover" tires on the Exploder, but mine were P265 not P235, so recall didn't apply. Can't recommend them. I then had the Michelin's that adrianspeeder has. Very nice tires. Nice on the highway too. Now, I have the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo on it. They're slightly less costly than the Michelins in my area (but not by much), but I feel they give me the best wet, snow & dry traction of all the tires I've ever owned. They, like the Michelins, have a fairly aggressive tread pattern but don't have considerable road noise. By the way, I did have my speedo recalibrated when I oversized from stock. I'll be honest, I like the way the slightly larger tires fill in the wheelwells on the 4x4. The P235 stock units just look too small.

 

I have Bridgestone Dueler A/T 31x10.5R15's on my 2x4, and love them. I don't think passenger car tires should be on a truck anyway. lol.

 

Well, it's back from a nice long visit with my mechanic. Probably could have saved some money by doing some things myself, but it's done, and some of them I've done on other trucks and don't want to do again myself, given a choice; other either require toys I don't own or are much, much easier with same...and I'm trying to get other stuff done with what time I have right now.

An O2 sensor was loose (now tight), but the only code in the computer was a temp sensor (which fixed the check engine light). The coolant was disgusting, so I had him flush it, and we tried a new sensor on the temp gauge, which did not fix that. While reaching in to fiddle with that sensor with the truck up on the lift, my mechanic got lucky - he was missed by the passenger side coil spring leaving the truck. It was cracked (with considerable rust on the crack, so an old one) up near the top, on the backside where neither he nor I spotted it while inspecting. So I have new front springs now...also replaced shocks, front brake pads, tires, 2 leaves in left side rear spring, thermostat, and drained/filled tranny and transfer case. Tranny was disgusting, but not low. Oil looks pretty recent, and fits in the "I can stand to do that" category pretty well. I'll probably do the tranny in the future, but right now I wanted it done, not waiting for me to get to it. Should be good for getting to 200K now, with regular fluid checks.

Passed inspection, including emissions, but HCs are awfully close to the limit (my old truck, for all it's rusty crustitude, was always an excellent pass on the emissions tests - never near any limits). I'm bit concerned with this one being that near the limit when the computer is claiming it's all happy, but I'm good for another year or two. Some sort of buildup from running with a broken temp sensor (and perhaps loose O2 sensor) for several years? Bad or poisoned cat? Given that HCs strike me as probably being unburned fuel, I'd have to think that this is not helping the mileage any.

Do I gather that some peple on here have "unlimited carfax subscriptions" or something like that? Obviously I bought the thing already without resorting to that, but my curiosity (if it's no trouble/expense) would appreciate seeing such a thing.

I'm moving my stuff over. Any tips on removing the factory radio? Le Manual de Useless de Chilton shows some other year entirely with a very diferent radio setup - I gather one sticks 4 nails (or similar) in the front and prys in some interesting fashion, but I have not gotten it to budge yet, and don't want to break anything. A new one from some nice place like Crutchfeild with all the specific vehicle instuctions and adaptors got removed from the near-term list due to the costs of real things needing repair, but I do have my old tape deck from my old truck with my old tapes - it's a DIN radio - wondering if that will slot right in, or if the Ford size is similar but slightly different. Suppose I can try to tolerate what passes for radio these days.

The old truck goes on to its reward Monday.

 

Radio:
Easiest way is spend $5 for the radio removal tool at Pep Boys, but you can also do it yourself with a coat hanger and a little patience. You need two U shaped sections of the coat hanger, about 7" from end to end (if straightened) each. Bend the very tips (the top of the U) in just slightly. Stick one in each side of the radio in the given holes, and slide them in an inch or so, maybe two, and apply pressure so the bent tips are pushed in to the sides of the radio, and slide them in and out until you feel the clip release. Then pull the radio out with the coat hanger tools.


Emissions:
You probably need a new cat. Unburned fuel clogs cats quickly, and a bad cat will fail you. Odds are if you put a new cat on it, it would run cleaner than your last truck. FYI: Always get the driveline as hot as you can, without boiling over, just prior to having your emissions tested! The hotter the cats get, the better they work.