I bought a 2001 f250 V10 CCSB 2WD Auto with 277k miles. The truck has been mildy abused but runs well and seems to just need normal types of maintenance, such as new brakes, ball joints, front hubs and some fluids changed.

i have done this since buying the truck
AC compressor
10 plugs
flushed and replaced coolant
changed engine oil numerous times ( was extremely black and looked gross)


now here's where I"m stumped
it has 277k miles on the odo and the transmission shifts great. being its unknown on the status of the fluid in the transmission, what should I do?
the fluid is pink and not black at all. The TC locks up right around 40ish mph and will stay nice and locked until you lift the gas and it will unlock to coast ( assume to help with MPG) but but your foot back into it and it will lock right up.

I get about 14 MPG on freeway doing about 65 mph, the front end is pretty bad so I bet it'd get better with new tires and redoing the front end, but I assume it runs pretty strong for having 277k on the odo, but my first V10.


things I have planned
New calipers front and rear, new pads and rotors too, brake fluid and rubber lines
new front end (ball joints and tie rod ends)
new bearings for front AKA rotors

should I change the trans fluid? what else should i Do?

 

I added an aftermarket trans filter between the cooler and transmission on the return side after I lost the torque converter. Has a built in magnet. I use synthetic fluid. I also change the Power Steering fluid at the same time (same oil) If you don't know when it was changed last best to do it so you can start the clock fresh.

At 227K Diff oil should have been changed I believe, I'd do it.

 

I would drop the pan and change the oil. If the oil looks new you can hope it was maintained and not just flushed before you got it. Dropping the pan you can assure the filter is new and good and then just change or flush oil again in 50,000 miles.

 

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" If fluid is good in terms of color/smell and trans working as should, I suspect the fluid is not what was put in at the factory 277,000 miles/15 years ago.

 

Ok, so pull the pan and change fluid, sounds good.

I have burned about .75 quarts per 1500 miles of oil, based on miles, i assume thats ok. I changed the PCV valve and the hose that runs into the intake, haven't driven much since.

what would I do to de sludge the motor? I've been changing oil frequently and using the detergents in the normal oil to clean out the motor, should I do anything more?

I bought the truck for $800 and drove it home so, I say even after doing all of this stuff, I am still ahead.

 

I wouldn't do anything more than normal oil changes. using cleaners could do more harm than good, IMO. I'd probably just do 3,000 mile oil changes, or 5,000 if you do a ton of highway driving, until the oil stops looking black when you change it. Cutting open the oil filters would give piece of mind that the filter hasn't been "blinded" with sludge. if you find one caked full of sludge, shorten up your changes, or do more frequent filter changes. a dirty filter cleans better than a new filter, but a plugged one filters nothing.


I'd look at changing the power steering (as above) and probably the brake fluid just to be safe. I'd check the transfer case as that is often forgotten and change it if it is anything other than new looking fluid. Front and rear diff as mentioned above should be checked as well.


your mileage and oil consumption sound very good for the miles.


I'd just do the basics and enjoy driving it.

 

DO NOT do an engine clean or any type of cleaner that you spray into the intake system.... Ask me how I know. Basically what happens is it DOES clean all the carbon out of the intake but then it places all that carbon on the top of your pistons.

Most people believe this carbon will now get pushed out of the exhaust manifolds and clean your system properly... THIS IS NOT TRUE. I ripped open my engine and I had a good solid 1/8" of carbon sitting on the tops of my pistons. Due to the way ford designs their engine on the V10 engines and I believe all modular motors, the pistons have a good 1/8" below the deck of the block at TDC. Carbon created heat on the pistons and then caused my engine to ping/detonate more often. It eventually caused me to spit a plug out of my head, I ended up pulling the engine to diagnose and I was able to directly correlate the intake/engine cleaner on a high mileage engine to its demise.

If you run good gas in your truck (chevron) you should never need a cleaner ever. This has been proven by many vehicles I have owned in the past as well after doing rebuilds on them as they were race cars.

I was talked into using BG products on my high mileage engine by a friend with a local shop that I used to work for a long time ago and it was the most expensive and only engine vac I have ever done. I would never recommend an engine vac on an engine ever again.

If you KNEW your engines piston traveled all the way up the cylinder wall and stopped almost right at the deck of the block, then using an engine vac/cleaner type system "may" work... However with the way ford designs their stroke/piston combo I would HIGHLY recommend against any additional cleaners as it can and more than lilkely WILL cause more damage than harm.

 

I guess I am a bit confused here with regard to the look of oil at the time of change.

In my 3 score plus 10 years every time I have changed the oil in my vehicles it looked black?

 

different oils behave differently, in my experience.


usually when I'm changing it, the oil is a dark brown and very far from black.


I just had the oil changed on my 2010 f150 work truck, and even after 4,000 miles the oil was only slightly darker than when new.


there are many different theories about the color of the oil at the end of its use, and some say that color means nothing at all. however, if I find that my oil is very black when I change it, I find a different brand of oil - for the vehicles I know are not sludged up.


in particular, my old Massey Harris tractor turns the oil very black very quickly, but I know for a fact that there is a ton of sludge build up in the motor. to me, this indicates that the new oil is doing what it can to clean the crud out of the engine, and there's nothing you can do that is going to keep the oil from turning black.


but on my vehicles, which I know were all well maintained and are not full of sludge, if I find a oil that is very dark when it comes time to change, I simply switch brands. some may say that's non-sense, but that's just me.

 

alright, update on the truck.


Stainless brake lines
new calipers (front and rear)
new pads
new rotors
new front bearings
new rear bearings
new backing plates/dust shields front and rear
new parking brake assemblies and cables
new rear diff cover
new ball joints


I think I'm ready to roll, I have to do a drive shaft carrier bearing and Tires


What tires are everyone using? I have been told Michelin LTX's or similar Michelin tires are the way to go


What brake pad bedding process do you guys believe in?

 

That motor has significant challenges with spark plugs - use ONLY MOTORCRAFT spark plugs. Do not use anti-seize.

If you are getting 14mpg 2wd then you are doing well, there is no way to improve upon that consumption other than your right foot.

Consuming oil, feed it and drive it.

 

Wondering as to the rationale behind the "do not use anti-seize" recommendation? Given the, as you say, "significant challenges with spark plugs." I thought use of anti-seize was in fact recommended?

 

This confused me too? Thought nickel based anti seize was a must do? And don't forget a trans case oil change! Its a cheap and easy one with only 2 quarts of oil.

 

The OPs truck is 2wd, so no transfer case.

 

I have had the misfortune of owning multiple of these V10s. There are maybe four threads in the head to hold the spark plug. If you do enough research you'll find that they used a slightly off thread pitch, so only the Motorcraft is a fit. The Motorcraft also have the Nickle unobtainium coating and the right seal angle. With any other brand of plug they will eventually work free and blow out of the head. The service bulletins explicitly say no anti-seize, as well as the only authorized repair tool says no anti-seize, I still have the $400 Time-Sert tool set to repair the plug hole in my chest.

My last V10 blew out a plug shortly after I bought it, I had just received new plugs but had not installed them yet. The plug hole had been repaired previously and the replacement collar broke into multiple pieces and dropped in - instantly grenaded the cylinder. It seems to be more of a problem on the 6.8, though the 5.4 and the 4.6 also have the same four threads. I think they finally corrected the heads in 2005 with the 3v and the long two piece plug design.