I'm considering buying a 1999 F-350 Crew cab SRW 4x4. It has 135,000 miles on it. The concern I have is that it has a V10 in it and I have never owned one or really talked to any one that has. Any advice...Pros/Cons? Thanks for any info.

 

The V10 is a strong motor. 135k is slightly high, but on a well maintained truck that number is nothing to be alarmed about. The only think I am aware of on these is the spark plug issue, and seeing as it is an early model I would check to see if it has been fixed.

 

Also the exhaust manifold studs tend to snap off over time...possibly due to the multiple heating and cooling cycles of starting and shutting off the engine. Not 100% positive that is the cause.

Don't let that discourage you. This is one of the best engines Ford ever made.

 

I think exhaust manifold studs are gonna be a pain on any motor, JMO.

 

'99 has 275hp V10. 135k is actually under average mileage. If you're going to tow with it, ensure you have the 4.30 ratio or you'll be changing it later. 3.73 gears are downright disappointing. Start the engine from cold and listen to the top of the engine. If you hear a ticking that sounds like its coming from either the valve cover or the intake, a spark plug is about to blow out of the head. Tell the dealer that they must change/retorque the spark plugs to 14 ft.lbs. If you hear the ticking coming from the front wheel well, you have an exhaust manifold leak and can cost you between $30 to $1500 to fix (depending on if you do it yourself or not). Look at the back of the headliner near the rubber seal for the rear window for water stains. If it is stained, the roof lights are leaking. Plug a scanner into it and see if there are any pending or hard codes for "random misfire". If there is, expect to have coil over plug problems. The problem can either be a plug, plug boot or a coil. All of which are easy to replace and cheap. Shift on the fly can be a problem if it doesn't work from the start so ensure the 4wd is actually working (not just light being on).

You'll like the power of the v10. Even though its 275 hp it's still 405 ft.lbs of torque. Mileage isn't so great but there are some things you can do to help a little. Most of which is learning how to drive the truck with economy in mind. Its real easy to get into the habit of punching it all the time. Gears are the single best upgrade you can make. If you tow and the truck is constantly hunting for the appropriate gear to drive in, you need gears. Headers work, as does test piping the cat and replacing the stock muffler with a performance one. Tuners will allow you to change shift patterns and whatnot but without a custom tune, they are nearly worthless. Throttle body spacers are expensive paper weights. K&N filters are for race cars, not trucks. They let too much dirt pass into the engine so just save your money on that.