Back to trucks after a 27 year hiatus.
looking to buy an F150 4x4 stepside locally. Most are the 88 to mid 90's versions with the 351W engine.

after perusing several forums including this one there seems to be a lot of automatic transmissions issues with these newer trans that we did not have back in the day.

so:

EOD
E4OD
M50D
???

if anybody could educate me on the following I would be grateful.

which are the most expensive to repair
where are the codes in the vin or the body to determine which is which, and who has a list of the codes?

Now before anybody starts to scream use the search button, I did, (thats how how i found out about some of the issues), I need more of a down and dirty avoid this automatic over this one and how to tell them apart.

Thanks

Ken

 

There are no '88-'91 stepsides. M5OD is a manual.

 

no offense intended but my original post specified up to mid nineties, not early nineties

The one I looked at yesterday was 1FTEX14H3RKB17984 call it a stepside, call it a flare side BDIIK but it is a 94 according to its VIN, and it has a short box with indentations before and after the rear wheel with a flaredout portion that covers the wheel, hence stepside to me anyways maybe you have a different name, or Ford called them something else. If so what are they called in the states now?

 

During that era, Ford referred to them as Flaresides. I had this '94 x-cab Flareside 4x4 with the 351. It was a fun truck.

 

Thanks,

that would be the truck, albeit the one I am looking at is not modded in any form. what kind of issues did you have with it?

Ken

 

You said you were looking at stepsides which were '88 to mid '90s and 351s, and I informed you Ford did not build any stepsides from '88-'91.

 

i sold it about 12 years ago, but IIRC, I never had any problems with it. I bought it stock, modded it and drove it for about 4-5 years, and racked up about 60-65,000 miles. It was a good, clean truck.

 

If this truck is an automatic it is most likely an E4OD which is a great auto. I have one in my hd f150 backing a 5.8 also. My truck tows and hauls regularly and no issues from it at all.

 

would you stop saying you have an HD F150.... they never made one, it was not an option, all you have is a spring up-grade, a "tow package" at most, this does not make it a heavy duty, the axles are the same, ONLY ONE TRUCK CAME WITH A HEAVY DUTY 8.8 axle, it was the lightning,