I am thinking of buying a 1999 F150 with a 4.6 115K miles. I can get a really good deal on this like 5.5K. But I have a few conserns about the stick. I have heard and seen first hand the damage caused by one going bad the thing was melted to the front of the tranny and caused the front seal to go bad.
My question is how often do they go bad.. this guy had his replaced 2x because it went bad first at 80K miles and next at 140K. He was only pulling a pop-up camper.
I plan to pull a 6x12 trailer 2400 miles and really dont want to have any issues.
Also is there a good aftermarket / heavy duty / high performance one that would not melt and last longer than stock.

If I get the truck I really am thinking about changing it since I do not think it has been replaced. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

The "Clutch Slave Cylinder" is not so much affected by pulling a trailer. They usually fail prematurely when subjected to excess stop & go driving, where they spend an inordinant amount of time w/driver's foot holding pedal down.

Also the size of a trailer is far less important than the total weight. Towing heavy trailers may shorten clutch disc life. The common complaint about these clutch slaves is their location inside the bellhousing, which makes replacement a costly chore.

By "5.5K" did you mean $5,500 is "a really good deal"? Doesn't sound like much of a bargain to me. Keep in mind most who regularly tow heavy trailers strongly recommend automatics.

 

If you plan on towing anything you are MUCH better off just getting a f-150 with a automatic... the manuals in these trucks are weak.

 

well the trailer that I plan to pull is only a 6x12 enclosed single axle so I dont think weight will be a problem. plus a bike in the back of the truck. I would expect the trailer to weight no more that 4000 LBS.

Yes I did mean $5,500. For this area its not that bad. I really like sticks over automatics so my real question is is there a replacement slave cylinder that is not prone to the early failure like the stock unit.

I was looking at dorman CS360016 from summit. I was thinking about seeing if I could get the truck for $5000 and then just change the slave cylinder before my trip. plus give me a chance to look at the clutch and see how that looks was thinking of putting in a centerforce.

Why did ford quit making good sticks anyway. my old 82 with the manual clutch was just perfect.

 

I'm not sure why his slave would keep going out. I drove mine for 4 years in stop and go, highway, and towing. I had 175k when I changed my clutch and slave. Also keep in mind if you go with a centerforce, make sure the rest of your driveline can handle it.
99 came with a 10.5" clutch, just get a 11" one.

 

If ya want to inspect it by teardown, I'd just buy a complete clutch kit and swap the whole thing. They're cheap enough (be sure to get a clutch kit with the U-shaped line disconnect tool!). If I drop a tranny on a truck I own, it gets a new clutch because my time is worth more than than a clutch kit (with new pilot and throwout bearings of course.)

I'd make SURE I bled the system thoroughly.

I drag all sorts of stuff with my F150 (150K miles) and it's AFAIK on its original clutch. I replaced the shifter bushings (per the ******.com article) to tighten up the shifting but the clutch is fine.