Hi guys (and Gals) I am looking at possibly buying a 98 f-150 xl. 6 cyl, 5-speed, 3 door. It is real straight, super clean interior and ice cold a/c ( I'm in AZ.) Truck runs real good, has no odd noises or leaks that I was able to see. The mileage has me wondering though, it has 160,000 on it. The seller is the second owner (5 Years) and has only done belt, brakes and oil changes. No receipts from original owner. I'm use to '60's era cars that needed a rebuild around 70k, so I am a little concerned about the high miles. He wants $3900, and is firm on the price. Does it sound like a good deal?Anything I should be concerned about as far as common mechanical issues? I just found this forum so I have a lot of exploring to do. Last thing... does this motor have a timing belt or chain? I'm guessing chain, but you never know any more. Thanks in advance.

 

I have a 97 F-150 4x4, 4.6l V8 which I bought new and it currently has 227k mi on it. Best truck I've ever owned. Besides wear and tear parts the only other thing I've had done to the truck is to rebuild the rear end. The price sounds resonable but maybe a tad high. I believe it has a timing chain.

 

The 4.2 does have a timing chain. It is an overhear valve engine compared to the overhead cam engines of the v8s. One well known problem with these v6 motors is the intake gaskets leaking coolant into the cylinders and causing lots of problems. Decent engine when all is running right that is not great on power but the 5 speed will help.

 

As Fordmerc has indicated the 4.2 V6 does have a timing chain, 160,000 miles is not a lot of mileage for that engine as long as it has had routine maintenance, I have a 97 with the 4.2 and it is a reliable engine and pulls real well, I haul a Kubota B7500 tractor with FEL around on a 14 ft trailer and the truck has sufficient power to do the job, The V6 is not a tire smoking fast accelerating engine but will lug and pull adequately depending on the load and gears, I average around 18-19 mpg without a load and around 16-17 pulling the trailer with tractor, As mentioned some of these engines had gasket problems so I would want to do a compression test on the cylinders and a pressure test on the coolant system before committing to purchase, The pressure test can help pinpoint intake and head gasket leakage as well as heater core problems , To be honest I would rather have to replace the intake or head gaskets than have to pull the dash off to replace the heater core. You have not mentioned if this is 2wd or 4 wd,In my area (Southern New Jersey) $3900 sounds a bit high for a 2wd vehicle but not bad for a 4 wd truck.

Val