I'm buying a '92 F150 XLT 4x4. It's got the 5.0 engine with a 5 spd manual tranny. I was wondering if there were any known issues to watch out for. I'm getting rid of my 2000 F150 supercab 2WD that I know like the back of my hand, but I don't know much about the earlier models. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

92 was the last year for vacuum cruise, so that's a negative. It was the first year for that body, which is a positive. No airbags, EEC-IV engine management: good. That transmission is known to leak, and it's VERY sensitive to fluid level/quality, so get it changed immediately. There are other known problems, but I'd expect most of them to have been fixed by now. Read through this thread for some of them.

 

Find out what motor is under the hood. Could be the 4.9L straight six, or could be the 5.8L V8. Both were good motors, but the I-6 is almost legendary for it's reliability and high torque.

The Mazda tranny is great when you keep it happy, meaning fluid at exactly the right place and of the right type. Put anything else in or too much/too little, and you'll get problems all day long. Leaks, grinding, stuck gears, hard shifts, ect. When it's working, it's working great.

Vacuum cruise blows. Doesn't work well and breaks easily. I would use it only if absolutely necessary, which IMO is never. People got along without cruise for decades.

If the t-case wasn't used regularly expect it to be essentially a brick. The linkage and "barrel" part of the shifter rust and get coated in road grime, they might as well be welded together. Takes a bit of work to get it going again.

Automatic or manual hubs? I'd guess auto, which isn't bad, but not really good either. They were vacuum powered and tended to stick if the 4wd wasn't engaged at least semi-regularly. The hubs dry out of lube and don't lock/unlock right. They're also somewhat complex to disassemble and repair($$$ and hard to find parts), and don't take a whole lot to break. Not for any serious off-roading by any means.

 

No, they're not. Click my signature link & look in the Brakes & Hubs album, and then check the TSB album for the one about "Motoring Torque".Like anything else, it works if it's maintained, and it's not difficult to repair. There's a TSB in that same album showing exactly how. It's biggest problems are that it's susceptible to low vacuum (worn engine & high load), and it doesn't have the 1-MPH increments that the electronic servo does.