Hi,
I'm looking into buying a 1995 F150 with the 5ltr V8 lump in it. on the surface the truck looks impeccable with no surface rust or rot. Is there anything i should look out for when going to view the truck? i'm new to the F150 world so would appreciate any advice on buying a used truck.
cheers,
Matt

 

Just check to make sure you have enough money to pick it up.

I think in 95 they beefed up the E4OD tranny so it should be bullet proof. Not really sure if it was mid-year they upgraded it or if it was for the beginning of 95. Either way make sure the transmission is good and solid.
Check tranny fluid and make sure it's OK.
Make sure it had the cruise control recall done to it. They had a tendency of heating up and catching on fire.

If I'm looking at a new vehicle I like to take the oil cap off and see if there's any sludge built up. Just something I do, not really a necessity but I like to just for a piece of mind.

Check for rust ALL over. Just because the body looks good doesn't mean the underside of the truck isn't bad. When I was looking for a car I seen a few that the bodies were in GOOD shape but once I looked underneath it was rust galore.

Then just pretty much the basics. Make sure it drives well, everything works on it, and if there's any strange noise make sure you know what it is/how much it is to fix. Don't really want to spend you're money on a total clunker.

Really there wasn't a lot wrong with the 92-96's. There's tons of them with 200,000+ miles on them. Really reliable truck.
Hope it checks out good!

 

thanks MTM Ford, appreciate the advice.

 

95 with a 302 should be a 4R70W. good trans if taken care of, as said check trans fluid color and level. also check for the obvious leaks and dirt, like where a leak may have been and they power washed it off.

same goes for the engine with the leaks. known for cracking exhaust manifolds, check them out closely. rear spring shackle and brackets like to rot, cross-member rivets, passenger side dash can break its mounting tab so wiggle it, radiator support near the body mounts like to rot, rear wheel wells, cab corners (ext cab), front fender wheel wells, on the bed in front of the bumper are all rot spots...i think thats all the major things without getting real specific like EGR solenoid on bank 8 runs lean, etc...

 

Did any 302's have an E4OD?

 

In the broncos is was a pretty common combination but in the F-150s it wasnt really common. im thinking if it was a towing package or a 4x4 ext cab maybe...not sure. i think the reason for the broncos was the weight of the vheicle, so im going out on a limb and including the ECSB/ESLC 4x4s...

 

Lump? My 87' 302/auto (stock except ignition sys. upgrade) will spin the tires from a dead stop & idle, on dry pavement for 10 feet of rubber. Lump? Do a compression check. Maybe you are buying a "lump"!

 

I have a 95 302 and just about to turn 195,000.
I did just have the tranny rebuilt for the 2nd time (2nd gear went AWOL).
This truck was a company work truck also though and has been beat on pretty hard.

Couple of checks:

-Before starting, pop the radiator cap and look for rust/brown water verses green or red coolant.
-Leave cap off and start up. As it warms up check coolant for continuous bubbles coming up (possible head gasket issue).
-When up to temp look at exhaust color and smell. Be aware of "sweet" smell or large amounts of white smoke that does not dissipate (head gasket or intake gasket issues?)
-After putting rad cap back on (do this before it gets hot), and checking exhaust, go for a 10 minute or longer 55-70 mph drive. Pull oil cap and dipstick and check for creamy thick oil (coolant in engine).
-This would also be a good time to check the ground for coolant, oil, differential, and brake fluid leaks.

Good luck

 

Serously!

I've had six 302's, three in f150's(1988,95 96), two in bronco's(75, 96) and one in a 68 mustang.... they were ALL great motors. The 96 short bed reg cab 4x4 150 with a 4 inch lift was my fav, until a 17 yo girl- first time driver- mistook the gas for the brake and shot out of a Macdonalds drive through, entered traffic and stuffed me (passenger side compartment) across a 4 lane highway and rolled twice. Rolled it back over and drove her home.
I've had my share of other motors....460, 351, 300, 4.6 and 5.4 and all were great, but the good ole 5.0 is my hands down favorite.

 

not to intrude on this thread and change the subject, but what exactly does that mean? ive noticed that in my 94 lately...i thought it was just residue from some liquid aluminum i put in there to stop a leak, but that doesnt really make much sense considering the aluminum is gray...

 

oops-sorry f150 girl..I haven't checked back in a while.
Rusty brown water indicates corrosion going on in the cooling system. Under flow and pressure as coolant circulates this corrosion (scale) is knocked loose and circulates.

If there is enough of it circulating it can plug some of the narrower coolant passages causing overheating and higher pressure. Overheating will cook the oil and kill the bearings as well as warp the heads causing leaks.

When I drained mine it was actually this color. So I flushed it backwards and forwards, and replaced all the hoses before adding antifreeze and distilled water.

The antifreeze prohibits corrosion and lubricates seals, and the pump- making the whole system last longer.

I've used stop leak before (iron tight was the name) and it colored my water gray.

If you're concerned go ahead and flush/refill or have it done.

Hope that helps.

 

stop leak is terrible for the cooling system and is actually worse than the gunk (brown crud) found in the coolant. that **** gets like cement.

 

hmm well im just gettin reddish brown colored water. some of it is thick right at the top where the cap screws in.
did the stop leak clog up your heating system?