Well guys, bought my first diesel the other day, used to own a 97 F-150 and it was a decent truck, my daily is a 2012 ecoboost, but i want this truck for making trips to the mountains either towing a sled or if i get a deck for it

Its a 1996 Ext Cab XLT 4x4 Automatic 360,000km(223,000 miles)
has a Magnaflow 4 inch straight to 5 inch tip
has ford high idle kit installed and brake controller

my concerns

-it has a creak type sound coming from where the door/fender/hood meet on both sides when going over bumps, much worse when cold, anyone know what this is?
-the doors sag a bit so i know i need to do door pins, maybe the other noise is in relation to this?

what kind of tune can i get to optimize fuel delivery and economy, i don't need extra power.

all i know about the truck is what the previous owner told me

he said he checked ball joints and they were good, he did tie rod ends did both wheel bearings and front and carrier bearings? also did front u joints? not sure which ones.
said he changed vacuum pump and flushed rad,tranny and front axle

anyways i need to know everything to look for and get done before i make some trips, just to cover my *** so i don't break things on the long haul.

also how are these trannys suppose to shift? mine seems very smooth, unless i am really gunnin on her and then the 2nd-3rd is pretty rough, any ideas?

other thing is it rides very rough, i understand its a 3/4 ton and solid axle so i expect it to ride rough, but how could i see if i need suspension work or not?

anything else i should know?

the day i picked her up


Thanks.
Dustin

 

For the creaking sound, check the two fender bolts that go down through the top of the fender inside the engine compartment. They tend to loosen up and cause that creaking noise. They are part 3A in this picture (top and center).



As far as preventative maintenance goes, here is the bare minimum I would do:
Change the Oil using a good quality motor oil rated for a diesel application (I prefer Shell Rotella T)
Use a good quality oil filter when you do the change (Motorcraft FL1995 is a good filter, and doesn't cost a ton.)
Check the coolant levels using diesel coolant test strips, and change the coolant if it looks less than clean.
Check all the rest of the fluid levels and top off where needed-- front diff, rear diff, transmission, power steering, transmission, transfer case.
Check the air filter box assembly. If it has bolts with square hoels in it, it is a recalled part and should be replaced. If it is bolts with slotted heads, you're good.
Check the air filter and replace if it is dirty (more on this in a moment).
Grease all chassis lube points that you can grease (tie rod ends, etc)

As an upgrade to these things, you may want to just bite the bullet and change all the fluids. It might seem like it will cost you a lot, but it's hard to tell how long those fluids have been in there and the peace of mind that comes with knowing they are all fresh is worth what you will spend on them. The first modification that anyone should do to their truck in my opinion, is to install a 6637 air filter and scrap the stock air box. Riffraff diesel sells a very nice kit for this purpose and it costs less than $100. Here is a link.

That's about it that I can think of right now, but I am sure others will chime in shortly with a list of things I have neglected.

Oh, and welcome to "the dark side"! You're going to like that truck.

 

Yep, these pesky little bolts ...

 

What's all that white stuff on the ground?

Richard
Arizona

 

haha i wish there was more of it? then i wouldn't have to buy a truck just to head west to the mountains with the sleds!

 

Nice truck.

This is a guide for buying a truck but it will give you a clue as to what to check out hope it helps.


You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.

Airbox:
Check the two bolts holding down the airbox lid. If they are plastic with a square recess, it is a recalled part. The recall is expired, but without the updated lid the risk of dirt infiltration is greater, the lid was updated with more supports and the updated bolts are metal with a straight slot. If it is the old style, you spend around $80 to update it.

Tranny:
If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.

Rear Gear Ratio:
4:10 will pull better, get slightly lower mpg�s and run a higher RPM compared to 3:55.

Coolant:
Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0. Also, see if it has a block heater (it was an option on 97's).

Front end:
Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)

Oil:
The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.

Aftermarket stuff:
Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.

Glow Plugs/Relay:
Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed (http://forums.ford-diesel.com/cgi-bi...&f=21&t=005210), and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.

Injector o-rings:
The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar � it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.

Leaks and Drips:
You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.

VIN number:
If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history.

 

Thanks everyone!

and thanks for the tips on the bolts, they were loose for sure. i tightened them all up, driver side creaking stopped, passenger still ha some, one bolt looks like it wore the hole out though, so maybe i will go with a larger one? haven't looked at it to close.

checked my air box, it has the metal bolts and straight slots, i never took it apart to check my air cleaner, going to go do that after this post. should i buy a new air filter? or just spring and get the 6637 kit?

as for the tranny, not sure how to tell if its been looked after? i am going to maybe drain it and replace with AMSoil ATF. i also found a engine and tranny out of a E series van i could snag for about $700 Ford Fuel Injected 351 CI with E40D tranny with only 160,000km - Alberta Engine, Engine Parts For Sale - Kijiji Alberta Canada.

is it worth picking up to have a spare tranny?

my rear gear ratio is 3:55, which i am happy about, i don't need tons of speed or pulling power as i am just pulling sleds, unless i end up getting a huge enclosed trailer. the fuel mileage is more beneficial to me right now.

i am going to go buy coolant strips and test that today as well when i pick up new door pins.

oil was done 6,000km ago according to the window sticker, i am going to flush and replace with AMSoil 15W40 today.

truck has no aftermarket down pipe unfortunately, is this worth changing for fuel eco? or just power? since i already have a straight pipe.

Glow plug stuff, i am going to have to leave for another day.

Injector o rings i will have to leave for a another day as well.

as for the valley of the engine, it doesn't seem wet but is very dirty greasy, whats the best way to clean this all up? my bay is filthy. Just some engine degreaser and a pressure washer??

Other questions now that i fixed my creak i still have a bit of a thud going over bumps, i looked at my leaf springs and there is a gap between where the "ball sit and slides on the spring, is this normal? i know my trailer looks like this just not sure if my truck should.

Anyways thanks all!

 

Diesel trannys have a different case... so that tranny will not work... but the internals will....

Richard

 

NO pressure washer in the valley, just use some simple green and maybe some water to rinse it out being careful of the electrical connections. Plastic bag over the alternator, etc., just be careful.

As far as the intake, get a 6637 kit from clay if you can, its not expensive at all and well worth the investment for your motor. Change that downpipe also if you can, then your intake and exhaust will be just right. Turbo will spool better, engine will breathe better in and out. Slight mileage and power increase, maybe not real noticeable but your truck will like you better for it.

 

what down pipe do you recommend? and where to get it, is clay riffraff?

i will prolly get both of those right away and do more work later, is my stock inter cooler ok? up pipes?

where are the additional tranny coolers mounted on these? i got what appears to be one in front of my rad on top left corner, or is that an oil cooler?

Thanks.
Dustin

 

I recommend anything but mbrp. Heard of too many with fitment issues. I don't know what size of exhaust you have but you can get a dp that is 3" all the way down, 3-3 1/2" at the bottom, or 3-4" at the bottom. Dale at tymar sells a good dp, that is what I have. Clay also sells a good one too, and I'm sure you could get the different sizes with him also.

These trucks don't have a stock intercooler so if you have one its already been added. Uppipes unless they are leaking don't mess with them. The original tranny cooler is small and located at top passenger side of radiator on outside iirc. I eliminated the stock one all together when I put a big one on. No cooling problems at all.