I'm in the market for a pick up and found a 2002 F150 XL 8' bed with the 4.2 V-6 and automatic transmission. The truck has 182K miles and the owner claims to have kept up on maintenance. Oil changes every 4500 miles, trans service, etc. It won't be a daily driver just something to have around to do truck things. It will haul a load of firewood a couple of times a year, spring stuff (mulch, small trees, flowers, etc), yard trash to the dump and trips to my favorite place "Home Depot". I haven't had a 6cyl engine in a vehicle since the 50 Chevy I had in high school. I was wonder if the 4.2 up to the task of hauling a load of firewood and how reliable are they? Any problem areas to look for? The high mileage doesn't scare me, especially if it has had regular maintenace as the owner indicates.

 

How much $$$$??

The v6 is less durable than the v8 by that mileage.

It will struggle to pull a full load of firewood, and I can really feel it in my v8 going up hills. So the v6 is going to be painfull.

 

Got him down to $2100. Price is decent and its a clean looking truck, but I don't want something that will come up short on grunt when its needed.

 

i have a 2000 f150 with the 4.2L ext cab it has 220,000 miles and i take off road all the time its not once let me down its got good power (yes compared to a v8 its lacking) it gets good gas mileage, i tow my mustang with it on my trailer never has it felt like it didnt have enough power to get the job done.

 

I have put a million miles on three 4.2s since 98. The only repairs I have HAD to make are battery and fuel pump. I did have to put a trans tail-shaft housing gasket on the 98. My current 2003 has over 300k miles and is pretty good. I have the the notorious P1071 & P1074 code situation going on now. I did replace the vent hose and grommet that runs under the coil pack because there was oil seeping & collecting dirt by the grommet. I was also hoping it would affect the lean condition. It did not. The lean condition is intermittent and only occurs when ambient temp is cold. I know it is the intake isolator bolts but I have no drive-ability issues so I keep turning off the MIL. I have an Innova code reader/reset tool. The overhead temp/compass circuit board went out on my 2003 and I found a replacement on eBay.

 

Yeah it will do a load of firewood but doesn't have grunt like a V8. I had a 4.2L V6 for 5 years and 110,000 miles and it was a great truck I actually kind of miss it. I pulled trailers with it about once a year and it did fine. It did pretty darn good for a V6.