There is a truck I am interested in, an F150 to be exact It's a 97 model with 160,075 miles. It's got a 4.6L V8.

I am wondering how long do these engines typically last (consdering its age). Is there any major things I should be aware of or look out for?

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks

FL

 

howdy sis!

theres lots of things to look over when looking at a used car. First, maintence records. Do they have proof of regular maintence? Check all the fluids on the truck, see if the fluids look clean and non-gritty. Check the air filter--is it clean? Pull a plug wire and look down at the plugs. Do they look new(er) and not all rusty? How does it drive, nice straight and tight, or does it wander and feel as if it needs shocks/alignments/tire balanceing, etc. Look under the truck, is there much rust, or does it look pretty good? Look for any obvious leaks from the transmission, engine oil, and raidiator. Check the bottoms of the doors, any rust? Do all the lights, etc work, windshield wipers, etc. How does it drive? Can you feel any hesitation, pinging, skipping, slipping, engine knocking, other odd noises?


Overall, make sure you -know- exactly what your buying, THEN you can start talking price.


the 4.6 has typically been the most reliable motor in these new pickups. The 97/98 models have 210 hp, which is adequate for these trucks. Do a search on the Engines forum about 'high milage' or '100,000 mile club' and youll have more than enough to read. Some 4.6's make it over 350,000....

Good luck!

 

If you buy a truck with 160K on the clock, you should not be surprised to replace ANY mechanical part in the near future.

 

These trucks do seem to last very well. My 97 4.6 has almost 273,000 miles on it. There have been a few little problems. The only thing close to major was the carrier bearings in the rear diff. (at 200,000miles) and u joints at close to the same time. If fixed both myself for less than $150, and that's the thing about high mileage vehicles IMO. To make it worth while, you have to fix it yourself. The diff. repair at the dealer would have been $500+ and the u-joint would have been a few hundred more.

My main concerns on that truck if it has had reasonable maintance would be:

exhaust- As these trucks age, they are very prone to exhaust manifold problems. The y-pipe studs seem to rust out and the manifold to head studs seem to break. This is mostly found at the rear of the engine. Someone here was quoted $2000 to fix both sides at the dealer. If I recall, he had a local shop do it for about $500. I have both problems on mine. I fixed the y pipe studs and the driver myself. Both manifolds have broken head studs. The passenger side is noisey until the manifold gets hot.

suspension- these trucks are prone to ball joint problems, and the tie rods are questionable even when new. I made it to 269,000 miles before I did any front end work. The drivers lower ball joint was very worn out and was squeeking. So, I changed it and the upper. In the spring I will change the other side and probably the tie rods. The tie rods are still tight, but there is some history of these tie rods passing inspection then failing. Take the truck to an alighnment shop, and have them check it out for you before you buy. It would be easy to sink $500 into the front end. My truck still drove tight with worn ball joints. You probably can't tell if it has front end problems from just a test drive.

Good luck

 

Thank you all for the advice...I went and read up about the 4.6's compared to the 5.4's and correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like the 4.6's are very dependable and can go for many many miles (in the 250k range) and are good for driving around town or easy things, but the 5.4 is more for towing and will do a better job than the 4.6 in that aspect. I used to prefer the 5.4 over the 4.6 but now I am quite partial to the 4.6. Always a V8, though

If I had experience on mechanical work on cars I would gladly fix my own instead of paying top dollar at a shop.

I ran a Carfax report on the truck; its record came out pretty clean but as far as regular maintenance the owner would have to supply proof. The only thing that really stood out in the Carfax report was that it was registered as a fleet vehicle and was used for leasing. I read the definitions but what does that actually mean? It also had 3 owners (one which is the current owner). Is that something to avoid, etc? I guess it all depends on the nature of the truck itself.

Do you think it would be a bad choice or investment if I purchased the truck? Would it be worth it?

Thanks

FL

 

well, if it was a fleet vehicle, it has more than likely seen regular maintence, which is a definite good. Does the truck look like its been used alot? (dings,scratches,conditoin of the inside of the bed, etc) Sounds like you have a good candidate here if the truck checks out clean. Id go for it, but like someone said above, dont be surprised to have to replace anything within a short period down the road. Dont just think about the price of the truck, think about if you could drop 300 bucks for something like a starter or 500 for ball joints....

 

Good point about it being a good candidate if it was a fleet vehicle. There are some minor scratches on the paint, the kind that look like they're underneath the clearcoat (although I didn't feel it). I did notice one knick in the paint; unlevel at the surface. It's got a lot of swirls but they can be buffed out properly. You're right about buying parts for it too. Something to think about... I feel like it's calling my name but then again I do have my doubts.

 

Well, i have a 1997 F150 lariat, mine only had 50k miles, but i love my truck, and from what i hear the 4.6s have the least amount of issues. Something with the 5.4s that lead to blown spark plugs out of the head (which is still an issue with the 4.6, but i havent heard even 10% of the majority with that motor over the 5.4 which seems to hold about 90% of it lol) but yeah, i would definately check the plugs... if you can, see if you can stick a spark plug socket into some of the plug cylinders, and see how tight they are... dont wrench at em! just try to tighten them with a little bit of pressure, and if they move... i would question the integrity of the threads.. if not? they should be good other than that? trucks are always built with much more care than cars... which is why they are priced so much higher... its a higher end auto so take that into consideration, and also that trucks are built to handle extreme conditions for a long period of time due to many people buying them for serious work use. So if the truck is maintained, and driven nicely i cant see why it wouldnt last forever

 

I am going to have to copy all this information down because I sure as heck won't remember it Now I really want that truck. I really hope it checks out A-ok. I can see myself in it, I can see myself driving it and being so thrilled and proud of it. You have to ask yourself, though, is this the right one? Has anyone felt like this before?

 

FL,
When I bought my truck, we didnt pull a carfax on it until after we bought it (great idea right?). Mine was also listed as a fleet vehicle, and I think it came from up north (can you say salt rust?).

The only ongoing "problem" I have with mine is a squeaky pitman arm, and thats because I just have never gotten around to greasing the sucker (it's not hard to do or anything...I dont know why I havent done it yet).

OTherwise I've put more than 25,000 miles on it with no problems.

I would recommend you take it to a mechanic you trust, have him take a good look at the drivetrain (engine, tranny, rearend, etc) and see if everything is in good shape. You might have to spend a little money on checking it out, but it will be well worth the security of having a better idea of what you are getting (or in some cases what you wont buy)

As for if the truck is the right one, thats really up to you? When I got my truck, I wanted black with the flareside bed. All the ones I found in that color and style had way more miles, and were in much worse shape. We were leaving the lot and my mom spotted my truck. It cost more than the others we had looked at, but it was in very good shape and it was a good deal considering it had the 5.4L, 4x4, lariat, 6-CD, etc...compared to the other trucks we had looked at (HUGE dents, multiple flats, AC not working, CELs on, high miles) it was a great deal IMO and I was willing to not get the exact color and style I wanted.

But even though I think I might like a black truck better, everyday when I get out of my truck and I am walking into the house I cant help but turn around and stare at my truck and think to myself "damn what a good lookin truck"


You need to tell us more about the truck, what color is it? What trim package what options...give us some more details

 

Aw thanks for replying John I feel a little more at ease about the type of truck it is (it not being my 'color' or everything I want down to a T). Although flareside is a must!! How many miles are on your truck? How is the leather on your seats? Any cracks?

There is a good mechanic my family and I go to; he's done some work to my car in the past no problem. I have a question though, if I don't buy the truck yet, and I tell the owner I would like to get it checked out by a mechanic, well what are the rules on that? It just seems kind of odd to take someone else's truck to get it inspected without some kind of...err....Do you know what I mean? lol

Was paying for your truck any sort of problem for you? How did you manage? Or how are you managing?

The truck is red and is an XLT. Here is two pictures... essentially they are the same. The 'For Sale' sign is on the driver's side window.




It's got a diamond plate tool box, bed rails, bug deflector, rain deflectors, aftermarket cd player, new tires, new rotors, new shocks, it's 2wd, and from the looks of it its never seen a quality detailing job (which I can gladly take care of) :-D

 

FL,

My truck had 96k miles on it when we bought it, Im about to hit 122k within a few weeks.

We got my truck for 10,500. It was my graduation/going away to college gift, so I dont make the payments (although I do pay for most of the maintenance out of my own pocket). I think my dad makes $220 monthly payments on it (I should be out of college by the time it is paid off ).
You'll have to talk to the seller to see how he wants to do the sale, but the easiest would be to try and pay for it all at once (IMO).

Also, just ask him about the mechanic, most sellers should let you take it to one, the seller may have a certain way he wants to handle it.

Good lookin truck BTW.

 

It would be nice to pay it in full but I definitely don't have all the money.

 

Yeah, that would be the easiest best way, but you should be able to work out some sort of payment plan with him.

 

looks like a decent truck....Id probley go for it