Hi folks, first post but been lurking for a little while trying to gather as much info as I can. I had been looking for a basic pickup truck for awhile, since I have a bunch of projects and things that need moving which necessitate one. My parents, who live in North Carolina, happened to find a diamond in the rough on craigslist, and my dad volunteered to check it out for me. He ended up plunking down the cash and buying it on the spot for me (I have since insisted that I will pay him back for it, I feel awkward being given a truck! ). Anyway, this truck is still sight-unseen for me, though I have plenty of pictures to go off of. My dad gave me a quick rundown of the things it needed, so I went online and ordered a bunch of parts for it, which he's already installed.

The truck needed a new passenger side inner tie rod, and a new headlight assembly because of a minor front end collision that broke it loose (it also tweaked the passenger front fender just enough to cause the door to not open, but a couple minutes with a prybar fixed that). The truck exhibited no fluid leaks over a 35 mile trip to my folks' house, and now that the tie rod has been replaced, there is less than 1/2" of steering wheel play and the truck tracks straight. All the lights and indicators work, heat blows hot, brakes are rock solid, engine idles and pulls smoothly, plenty of power.

The only issues left with it are a badly cracked windshield which I'm currently getting quotes on to replace, a minor battery drain when the truck is off (which I can troubleshoot when I get the truck home), and a dryrotted fuel filler hose going into the auxilliary fuel tank (the main tank is just fine). I guess my question is, before I make the trip down there to drive it home, are there any other problematic areas for these trucks that I should inspect before putting it through a 500 mile mostly-highway trip? It sat for about 4 years before the previous owner sold it.

It's a '97 F-250 HD extended cab long bed, 2WD, 351W.

Thanks for any insight guys.

edit; I also already have an EEC-IV Ford code reader that I'll bring with me to check for codes just in case; from what I understand these trucks were still OBDI until the Super Duty redesign.

 

Not necessarily........there are OBD-II OBS F250/350 trucks out there. It depends on whether or not it has California emissions. There are a few other states that had stricter emission too. Best bet is to check the VECI label under the hood. You can slo check to see if the data link is under there too. You may be in for a surprise........

Check all the fluid levels and tires for signs of dry rot. If the truck sat with fuel in it then you may have more problems on your hands.

 

The truck has an EEC-IV diagnostic port on the driver's side inner fender well, and no OBDII port under the dash.

The tires are all 265/75R16 (stock size listed on the door jamb plate is 235/85R16), and all four tires are different brands But they're all the same size, have tread and none are dryrotted, so they should be good for the trip home.

I'm not too worried about old fuel, I recently rescued a '93 Taurus SHO that sat for over four years with a full tank, and the fuel system was clean as a whistle. Started up on that 4 year old gas like it just ran the day before. Since this new truck also runs so well, I don't expect any immediate problems with the old gas. The long trip will probably do some good cleaning out the rest of the old stuff. The coolant has also already been flushed and refilled. I'll be doing an oil change on it before taking it home as well.

 

I sincerely hope it works out for you. Four year old fuel makes me cringe.

 

Depending on how much work it is, I might drop the aux tank and replace the fuel filler hose before heading out, which could give me a good indication of how gunked up the main tank is. I might replace the fuel filter as a precaution too.

 

That is probably more work than what you would want to do before a 500 miles trip. It's not that tough to drop a tank but when you are bumping up against a deadline bad things happen. I vote for taking some filters as a CYA.

 

I know what you mean, that's why I've been ordering parts and my dad has been kind enough to install them, before starting the trip. I know all too well that parts break and the wrong replacements always show up right before a deadline.

Once the truck is home, then I can do any remaining maintenance and parts replacement at my liesure, since it won't be a daily driver. I'm still reeling over the cost of registering an 8500GVWR truck in Pennsylvania, though.

At least I'll finally have a vehicle that I don't have to put up on jack stands just to get underneath for inspection.

 

I live in VA and didn't have to register my 97 F250 at that weight. I don't haul/tow anything other than hardware store runs and because I'm not using it as a commercial vehicle I was able to get around it. Might want to ask before you register, I had to call the supervisor over to explain it to her when I was registering the vehicle.

 

I've been looking through the regulations, I don't see anything other than a farm truck or classic/antique exemption, and in either of those cases I can't actually use the truck for what I want.

 

Some states don't care about the intended usage of the truck. In California for instance, all pickups are commercial vehicles, and they pay higher registration fees based on the weight listed on the title. My '92 costs $240 per year to register


@ OP: If you / your dad hasn't done it already, do the usual oil change. I'd change it before the trip and then another after you get home, just to help clear any gunk out of the engine. That 4 year old gas is probably better quality than the stuff out here in CA, but I'd still try and siphon out as much as you can. Carry several fuel filters, along with any tools needed to replace them.

Above all else, give the brake lines a thorough lookover, if they look old / cracked replace them. Take it out for a drive, do some panic stops, make sure no brakes are dragging, etc. Making sure it'll run reliably is important, but even more important is making sure it stops reliably

Also, the obligatory: post some pictures!

 

I'm waiting for my dad to send me some high res photos. He's been running the truck a few times a week, for about 45 minutes at a time, and taking it up and down the block. So far so good. The brake lines are all good, very little underbody rust as it's a southern truck. Way better condition than a similar vintage truck with similar miles from the rust belt, that's for sure. Brake pedal is rock solid, nothing drags with the foot off the pedal and it stops straight with the brakes applied.

 

FYI - read the fine print for your dilemma.

1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks

1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

 

Holy necro thread!

The truck successfully made this trip 7 years ago in early 2015 and has since made several more 500 mile trips, including one while towing a car. 290,000 miles and counting! Hasn't left me stranded yet.