A local person has this 98 up for sale and I might have to go buy it. It has the 5.4 (only drawback) but has low enough miles to make it feasible. It has a bad 8.8 in it in the rear, but I have a new carrier and gears, so the swap out would be minimal. Not bad for 2000 or so. Comments?

 

Odometer can easily be hack.

 

How is the 5.4 a "drawback"?

 

I love my two door with the 5.4. It's a little bit quicker than my supercrew

I'd swap that rear axle for a 9.75 with disks and add some 90's pinstriping and keep her around for those sunny Fridays where you want to be seen in a little rad red truck.

 

I'm a 100% Ford person, but Not a 5.4 or 400M fan. I worked Ford Warranty service for years, and found the 5.4 to be quite problematic. Most of the warranty items were for the 5.4. Rarely was a 4.6 a problem. Just my opinion and the opinion of a lot Ford warranty guys in the business.

 

A 9.75 rear and a lightning blower and that would be one bad ***** truck.

 

This is a first so you going to have to share, even with your credibility lol.

The 4six is definitely a proven engine in the car lines. If you drive your truck like a car, it'll handle that weight.

If you wanted truck with a VERY reliable truck engine, you went with the 5four for good reason. You can wear a little 4six out attempting to keep pace with the 5fours. But yea, any sissy engine will work in a truck if you don't do much with it.

This is about the 2 valve I take it ? Have to be sure...did you hit your head recently ?

Well, don't buy it, specially if you don't what your getting. Just a thought.

 

Number one problem we had with the 97-03 5.4 was crankshafts. We replaced 6 in 9 months. Ford warrantied all of them. Second was head gaskets or intake leaking into the valley. Third and the most irritating was the piston slap. We had numerous complaints and Ford did one engine, and many others got put off. The one that was pulled, had an over of .004-.006 excess. Talk about a noisy engine. Something about the 5.4 that they overbore the cylinders in some cases. This was called within specification, by Ford, along with 7# oil pressure being acceptable. These were all under the 36k b2b warranty/60k engine warranty. I remember that all were under warranty, thus less than 60k on the clock.

Personally I really like the power of the 5.4, and I've seen 500k miles on one, but I've also seen 79k and the motor was gone. It is all in how they are taken care of, but if you should forget, problems can and do arise with this motor. Don't even get me started on the 400M. That square engine (4in bore, 4 in stroke) is a total bust. That is why is only lasted until 82. No oil pressure, weak mains, etc when they get some mileage on them. Not one of Ford's better ideas.

Don't forget, the 05 and up to 12's have a class action suit against Ford for the 5.4. It isn't just the VCT problems, it's about the overall engine. There was one started back in 04 for the earlier engines, but I don't know what happened in that one.

 

Yea, I would just pass on it then. Find one with a car engine. Sounds like that's worked for you.

 

Since it has an 8.8, is that the original engine ?