Hello all - I am looking for a used F150 or F250, from 1987 to about 1993 or 1994. Besides the usual caveats when buying used, is there anything peculiar to these vehicles that I should watch out for?

For example, if I knew that someone was considering a 1991 Taurus, I'd warn them about the transmission problems these cars have. (I personally know one guy with a '91 Taurus that has 120K miles and is on its 4th transmission. Why he doesn't get rid of it I don't know, but I am getting off the subject). What I want to know is if trucks of this era have any Achille's heels that I should watch for.

I'm one of probably three people living in central Washington state who do not own a boat or 5th wheel, so I don't have anything to tow. However, it would be nice to have the capability to tow something if I need to.

I'll use the truck to haul large items that won't fit in my Explorer, or messy things that I wouldn't want to put in my Explorer (such as bark, fertilizer, gravel). As it wouldn't be my daily driver, fuel economy is not a concern (I only live 3 miles from work anyway). And I don't need 4wd, as my Explorer has that. I do, however, want an extended cab and an extended bed, and it must have air conditioning. It can get up to 115F in the summer here, and hey - I like to be comfortable!

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

Kevin

 

late 80's/early 90's with dual tanks sometimes have a problem with the check valve and the rear tank keeps pumping gas into the front. If the front is full, it can overflow.

 

Go to the towing forum for some recent interesting posts on gross vehicle weight ratings and how truck style and size will affect how much you can load and/or tow within limits. Also, the tech section has (I think) a transmission identification guide.

Don't trust a Ford dealer to be truthful on this. Look yourself at the owners manuals under Loads or Towing to find tables which will show what you can load and/or tow based on what model truck, engine, rearend ratio, moon alignment, and hair color. sorry, got carried away.

Check with your Explorer manual as well...you might find you'll be better off buying a used Big Tex hydraulic dump bed trailer for less than a truck might cost. No extra insurance cost either.

IF you're looking at auto trans you will want to familiarize yourself with which trans's were in which years and how to tell the difference between the AOD and EAOD. The latter is the stronger, but it's computerized. I just spent $1700 getting my AOD rebuilt after 128K (I bought the truck at 100k). Three trans shops swore my 93 f150 4x4 would have an EAOD...but I must've got some kind of orphan truck.

Essentially, I wouldn't buy a used truck of that vintage again unless it had a recent rebuilt trans or I got a steal of a deal. My trans guy told me the stock AOD's last an avg of 130000.

good luck,

Erik

 

Check the FTE classifieds. There are a lot of good vehicals in there mine included. I am partial to the 4.9L because of its towing ability. Fuel mileage is 16-17, I have no problems towing my car trailer 6K or so.

 

The 87-96 trucks have no major mechanical defects to watch out for (no busting trannys or blown motors). All 3 engines have their respective place, all great engines. If you're looking into just a utility truck, I would also consider the trailer like the others suggested. It's easier to load/unload a trailer (dump feature/lower) than it is on a truck.

The fuel tank issue is no big deal, the trucks do all have their own little quirks but what vehicle doesn't. Watch out for rust in the wheel wells and around the bottom edges...those are the first places to rust. Just try to find one that's in good shape and you'll be satisfied with one

 

Hey, thanks for the good advice. I have thought about buying a trailer, but I guess that the truck gene is kicking in....I really want a TRUCK.

Plus, I can't drive a trailer to work when I have the Explorer in pieces!

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

the dual tanks thing isn't really a big deal but it's kind of annoying, i have heard of the overflow thing happening though.

 

Ya we all enjoy having trucks...I had a feeling that would be your response but...figured it was a good option as well (the trailer). I would enjoy a 2nd vehicle but I don't have the money for one.

 

Well, I'd love to go out and buy a new 2005 F150, but I don't want to make payments. You can probably afford a 2nd vehicle if you buy used, especially if you do most of your own repair work, like I do. I've been doing probably 90% of the work on my vehicles since I was 16 (I'm almost 46 now), and over the years, I'm sure that I've saved enough to buy that new truck. But I'm also cheap, and just can't see dropping $30K or more on one vehicle. But it sure is tempting.....

 

Try to go with a 96 with a 4.9L if you can swing it. It is the last year for the 4.9L in the F-150 and the first year I believe with the OBDII computer system. It is really easy to trouble shoot and you can't beat a 4.9L in longevity. My $.02

 

Some 87' & 88' 4x4's came with manual hubs that are hard to replace with aftermarket hubs.

Probably the most annoying thing to me is the Speed Density EFI.

 

Speed density is perfectly fine for a stock vehicle. It interferes with heavy modifications however.

I don't suggest the 96 OBD-II...more engine computer crapola (more sensors) to go wrong.

 

its easy to diagnose obd I stuff. you just have to count beeps/lights