HeatherB1685

Ok, I need help. I am a woman who loves her truck and wants to do the stuff to it myself. I bought my 94 f150 5.8 XLT 4x4 earlier this year. It has been a great truck and has done whatever I asked it to do. She is my baby and I have even named her Fiona Ford. To make a long story short, she came from Ohio and I live in Tennessee. She has MAJOR rust issues and I want to start getting these things taken care of on the mechanical side. I am not too concerned with the cosmetics right now as I just want to make sure she can do whatever it is for however long I need and do it GREAT! I need direction on what to replace, what to worry about first...things of that nature. Im really asking you all with F150 experience to help guide me in making her better. I do want to mention that Im in the process of removing the catalytic converter and exhaust back due to clogged Cat.. she cant breathe and I cant afford to replace it right this minute. I do however want to eventually get Flowmaster 40 series but dont know if i need to go true duel or if it matters on sound. That advice would be helpful too!!

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

Ill add some pictures so you guys will know what Im working with and have something to go on also...

Warlockk

Welcome to the board. What makes you say the cat is clogged? There are a few simple tests to verify this if you are unsure. I'm not a tree hugger but I do know that there is a major difference in emissions without a cat and they can be expensive. If your in a no smog area you can pick up a high flow pretty cheap. As for dual its a matter if opinion. You won't see any performance gain over a large single but it may sound a little different. I chose a 3 " single outlet before the rear tire for clearance and good sound. If you do use dual don't go too big or you will lose torque. Also make sure you have a crossover x or h pipe. If you have rust issues the first thing I would do is have someone qualified take a look at the frame and suspension. If the frame isn't strong you may want to try another truck. Next go over the brakes. If you can't stop it doesn't matter how fast you can go and winter is coming. Check the computer for error codes. There is a sticky on the sight to tell you how to do it. Check and replace all fluids. Test your battery and charging/ starting system. Pick up a vacuum gauge and do a series if vacuum checks on the engine. You can get a gauge cheap at harbor freight. It can tell you a lot about the condition of your motor. Check your spark plugs wires cap rotor and timing. Finally (this should actually be the first thing you do along with checking the frame ) buy a Hayes or Chiltons manual for tour truck. It will tell you how to do everything I mentioned and more. Its how most mechanics learned to work on their first car. I have at least one for every vehicle I've ever owned. Hope that gets you started if you need any more specific help just ask and someone will jump on it.