Hello from Gig Harbor WA and an interesting purchase!
01-14-2017, 10:15 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello from Gig Harbor WA and an interesting purchase!
I have been lurking here awhile but now it's time to join.
I have a 2000 F150 4x4 Supercab with the 5.4 engine. I was shopping for a truck a year ago and this one showed up at a used car lot for $1500. It had a straight body and only 138,000 miles. Book value was about $5800. The salesman said that it ran but the engine was really loud but they were remodeling the service department and hadn't had a chance to check it out. I drove over and took a look and it did run and was really loud. I found this rubber gizmo laying in the engine compartment which I thought was some sort of vacuum line connector. I worked a deal with the salesman where I could run down to O'Reillys and get the parts to see if I could fix the truck and I would buy it for the $1500.
When I walked in with that gizmo the counter man at O'Reillys said immediately, "you need a spark plug boot". I got a quick education right there and he said the problem was a blown out plug. About $70 later I have the COP and a spark plug socket, ratchet and extension (of course I didn't bring any tools).
Back at the dealer the agreement changed to I had to buy the truck first and then I can work on it off the property and around the corner. I was making a big gamble but did it. After that the salesman was really helpful and even lent me a step stool. I had that repair done in about 20 minutes. The new plug threaded right in there and the engine ran damn near perfect. I drove back to the dealer to return the ladder and everyone was amazed that that was all it needed. I got a really clean and straight low mileage truck for about a quarter of the price! It doesn't leak or use any oil and everything works.
The truck ran almost perfect (it always idled just a little rough) for about 6 months and then steam was coming out of the engine. It was that dreaded intake manifold and what was that cooling line even doing in there? With lotsa help from this and other sites and especially the YouTube vid I did that myself. I also changed the plugs while I was in there. That replacement for that blown out plug just screwed right in there but the back one on the drivers side needed an insert. I was real proud that I did that entire job myself and it started right up when I was done.
So now I got a fuel issue and I'll post a new thread on that.
Anyway, that's my story and hello everyone.
Bobber
I have a 2000 F150 4x4 Supercab with the 5.4 engine. I was shopping for a truck a year ago and this one showed up at a used car lot for $1500. It had a straight body and only 138,000 miles. Book value was about $5800. The salesman said that it ran but the engine was really loud but they were remodeling the service department and hadn't had a chance to check it out. I drove over and took a look and it did run and was really loud. I found this rubber gizmo laying in the engine compartment which I thought was some sort of vacuum line connector. I worked a deal with the salesman where I could run down to O'Reillys and get the parts to see if I could fix the truck and I would buy it for the $1500.
When I walked in with that gizmo the counter man at O'Reillys said immediately, "you need a spark plug boot". I got a quick education right there and he said the problem was a blown out plug. About $70 later I have the COP and a spark plug socket, ratchet and extension (of course I didn't bring any tools).
Back at the dealer the agreement changed to I had to buy the truck first and then I can work on it off the property and around the corner. I was making a big gamble but did it. After that the salesman was really helpful and even lent me a step stool. I had that repair done in about 20 minutes. The new plug threaded right in there and the engine ran damn near perfect. I drove back to the dealer to return the ladder and everyone was amazed that that was all it needed. I got a really clean and straight low mileage truck for about a quarter of the price! It doesn't leak or use any oil and everything works.
The truck ran almost perfect (it always idled just a little rough) for about 6 months and then steam was coming out of the engine. It was that dreaded intake manifold and what was that cooling line even doing in there? With lotsa help from this and other sites and especially the YouTube vid I did that myself. I also changed the plugs while I was in there. That replacement for that blown out plug just screwed right in there but the back one on the drivers side needed an insert. I was real proud that I did that entire job myself and it started right up when I was done.
So now I got a fuel issue and I'll post a new thread on that.
Anyway, that's my story and hello everyone.
Bobber
