Hi y'all,


I'm looking at buying at 2002 F250 Super Duty V10 and I was wondering if there was anything I should look out for with these motors and if there is any problems with them.


Also too, what is the average gas mileage with these trucks?

 

My 99 averages 9-11.5 mpg.

What's the current mileage?
Plugs changed?
Front end feel good going down the road?

The 02+ is a better Engine than the earlier versions for a couple reasons.
-More spark plug threads
-More horsepower
-Dana 60 front
-OTW Transmission cooler

 

Only major problem with mine is broken exhaust manifold studs. Replaced them once then went to headers and stainless bolts.

 

I thought the long thread heads weren't introduced until Nov 2002, so most 2002s will have the 4 thread heads.
Just change or retorque the plugs at 50k and there shouldn't be a problem.

 

I went down the same road when I bought my '02 in 2015. What I have learned since acquiring it is:

Don't buy it if you are looking for decent gas mileage! That just is not going to happen.

When was the last time the plugs were changed? If you can get the seller to install new plugs, do so, as a couple of them are a royal PITA to reach!

In what condition are the COPs and spark plug boots? Plug boots are relatively inexpensive but cracked or torn boots can cause firing problems. COP units are costly.

Make sure the interior electric (power mirrors, power door locks, etc.) all work as they should. Repair is expensive!

Pull all the codes with an OBDII Code Reader to get an idea of what has been going on with the engine.

Do make sure all the exhaust manifold studs are present and holding.

Have the seller clean the MAF sensor.

Make sure all vacuum hoses/lines are in good condition and that there are no vacuum leaks.

High mileage in itself is not a cause for concern/worry. It is not at all uncommon for these trucks to rack up 200K + miles.

That is my two cents on the subject. These trucks are durable work horses, but it is
critical that you know what you are getting when you purchase. Good luck!

 

I could be wrong about the spark plug threads, I do know the 2000+ trucks had Performance Improved which is where the power increase came from. Whomever mentioned the exhaust manifold studs is correct, common well documented issue. COP's were also mentioned I use the DENSO COP's from Rock-auto at $23 a piece, they're the Motorcraft with a sticker over top, anything else is a scam.

When the plugs are done over torque them to around 25 ft-lbs, also look for the Gearwrench spark plug socket extension set. Stick with Motorcraft oil filter and 5w30 oil, 5w20 is know for being consumed/burned faster.

 

The driver's side is not too bad, but the back two on the passenger side are a pain.
The vacuum/coolant lines were looking old so I replaced/rerouted them and now the passenger side is easier to service than the driver's.

 

3 months into my v-10 experience. Biggest complaint is the coolant doesn't completely shut off from the heater when the climate control is set on cold. Have to run the a/c or nothing at all as slightly warm air comes out of the vents with no a/c. I suspect the a/c could be colder also if this was corrected. Don't know if this is a v-10 thing or across all super duties? I'm looking to install a manual cutoff under the hood myself.

 

There is a thread/video of a guy that lives in Tx that replaced the shutoff valve under the hood to stop the flow of coolant to the core. I have thought about doing myself. Only possible downfall is that the heater core could become clogged from lack of flow thru it.

 

I would have guessed the Super Dutys would have come with the heater valve.
Our Excursion and Expedition came with the heater shutoff valve.
The valve will shutoff flow completely, but some heat is still conducted thru the water from the return side.
Clogging of the heater core isn't normally a problem.
It can easily be added, but the vacuum controlled valve requires a vacuum source when the A/C is in Max.
There are vacuum switches available that mount next to a duct control arm that might work.

 

Considering we're talking about a 15 year old Super Duty, you should just go ahead and assume that the exhaust studs are rotted. If they're all still present on the engine, very likely they'll break off sometime soon. For consolation, it'll give you a good excuse to get some headers!

 

Most of the crew cabs do have the vacuum controlled valve. On my old truck I put a ball valve in it since it didn't have the vacuum one it worked Greg expect for the few times I needed heat and it was still closed. My truck now has the valve for the factory but like you said it only works in max a/c it would be nice if it closed any time the temp **** was all the way cold though.

 

This is what I've done on all of my 5.4's and never had any issues with the plugs. The plugs probably have another 50k of life left in them, but they are cheap amd easy compared to a blown plug.