06_inferno_SRT8

Truck is a 1998 FordF150 4.6 Auto. 170K on the clock. 4x4 off road(thats what is on the bed dont know if that means anything)

I am going to be looking at the truck in the next couple of days and trying to see if there is anything i should lookout for thats a sign that the truck was poorly maintained or just abused.

The truck is not lifted but is a 4x4 off road edition. Guy said he has owned it for the past 4 years as his DD.

This will be my first ford product and just trying to get as much knowledge for the truck as i can before i actually go look at it. Thanks for any info that you can share or any pointers to look for on the truck.

Thanks

Luke

Tackle

Common spots for rust are the rockers, bed panels, wheel wells, by the rear bumper, radiator support (driver side, lowest corner). If it has rust that is apparent, you already know.

Other than that, there isn't much for particular issues with these trucks. As with any used vehicle, check for working operation of all functions. Check fluids and ask for maintenance records.

By 170k odds are good all fluids have been changed and suspension components have been replaced.

akdoggie

Also, look under the door itself, and see if there is rust there. That is a place most don't look, and it comes back to haunt them. Also at the radiator support, they like to rust there also, and where Tackle described too.

To the OP. The 4.6 used in 98 comes in 2 versions that require different parts for certain things. W and 6 are the codes. The windsor is the #6 in the serial number. The Romeo is a W in the VIN. The left valve cover on the windsor has 13 bolts, and the Romeo has 11. The cam gears are retained differently between the two models. There are numerous other items, including crank bolts (6 vs 8) but the engines show no difference in power or torgue. This only really matters when you are trying to get engine parts. Especially head gaskets and intake seals. Good luck with your purchase.

Fordfan2006

If it has the slider check for weatherstripping if its gone ford wants you to get new glass also..just my advice because i had to hunt for part trucks to get new weatherstripping. oh and check the tailgate for rust and bed bottom. like where the tailgate is and if it has a drop in bed liner try pulling it up at the bottom to see if they tried covering up a work truck/beater.

06_inferno_SRT8

Thanks for all the info. As it turns out that person doesn't want to seem to sell there truck so I am now looking at another F150


Another 98 4x4 but with the 5.4 188k on the clock. I assume the same things to look out for on the body of the vehicle. It has some cab corner rust and the rear wheel well on the passengers side is starting to bubble. But im not looking for a show truck. This will be my winter car as the SRT does not handle snow at all.


From what I can see the 4.6 and the 5.4 are the work horses of ford just like the LSx for Chevy.


Anything specific on the 5.4 to look out for?


Thanks again for the help and any thing else that can be recommended.

akdoggie

As far as the 4.6 and the 5.4, while both are modular motors, there are big differences in the engines. 98 4.6 has wires and condensed coil for all the cylinders (2 actually). The 5.4 has coil packs on each cylinder. The 5.4 have a tendency to blow out spark plugs, pre-2004, when they finally beefed up the spark plug holes to keep the plugs from blowing out.. It comes down to how many times the plugs have been taken in and out and how they were cared for. Read up on this before buying a high mileage 5.4. I'm a retired Ford partsman/line mechanic and have seen the worst and the best of this engine. I personally love the power and torgue from this engine,. It is all in the care and maintanence if you buy a 5.4, in my opinion.

Anything specific on the 5.4 to look out for?

06_inferno_SRT8

Is the 5.4 more prone to sending the spark plugs flying more than the 4.6? everything I saw is that it was an issue in the two V8s and the V10 also. and from what I can see it was just luck if they didn't blow out. but again new to ford and don't know the best places for info yet on these trucks/engines

Tackle

The 4.6 and 5.4 both have the blow out issues. Millions of miles have been put on without blow outs, but it happens...just as transmissions break, head gaskets leak, and Limited slip wears out. Don't let it deter you from buying. Every vehicle has potential issues, some more common than others. Heck, you drive a dodge...I'm sure you know. Lol.

One thing to do when you're bored is to torque the plugs to 28ft pounds. Whether or not you change them while doing it is up to you. For the $20 it would cost, I'd say go for it.

Another thing to look for would be broken exhaust manifold studs. Hard to see, but can sometimes. Or rusty headers. Not the end of the world.

akdoggie

The 4.6 is much better at keeping the spark plugs in the cylinders than the 5.4 or 6.8. The 6.8 is the worst, of the older modular motors, for blowing out plugs. Ford Warranty did a run down of the modular motors and what problems they had. Of the many many thousands of samples, only 7% were head related on the 4.6, while the 5.4 was 24% and the 6.8 was 47%. That pretty much shows you why Ford revamped the cylinder heads in 2004-5. Cheverolet had a bad bunch of heads in the 2002-2004 range, that were doing the same thing. They were pulling out spark plugs from the inner wheel wells, and even some tires. I was doing GM warranty at that time, and it was funny to see a tire with a spark plug shot into it. It was finally attributed to the weaker aluminum they were using, as was Ford in their early mod motors. All of the main manufacturers have since gone to quality aluminum for engine parts, with the exception of Hyundai and Kia. Note all the problems they were having with their heads. Look it up. It's a was a problem as little as 2 years ago still for them.