what is there to expect from a 1996 ford e4od? how long will it last before major problems? what is towing capacity with a 4.9 and e4od with 2wd and 3.55 gears on a regular cab? will it tow a 5500 travel trailer 1000 miles at a time?

 

Heres a 1995 ford towing guide. 6 cylinder trucks are usually not used for towing. Find a f150 with a 351 or a f250/f350 if youre going to be towing long distances.
The truck youre looking at is 30 years old. Auto manufacturers design vehicles to last 7-10 years. So its gunna have problems. 1996 was the unique year for the f-series vehicles because it was the first and last year of the 9th gen trucks with obd-ii with extra sensors for emissions. When these sensors or ecu fail, theyre difficult or impossible to replace. This usually isnt a problem unless you live in a state with mandatory smog checks.
Expect oil leaks from the oil pan and rear main seal. Expect the power steering system to be leaking hydraulic fluid. And the door panel fasteners are gunna be broken from slamming the door 5,000 times. The rubber plugs in the electric window regulators disintegrate and will need replacement. And the drivers side door hinge will be worn out.

 

so the truck i found that I am looking to buy is a 1996 f150 regular cab long bed with 161000 miles. it has the 3.55 gears and the e4od transmission. the current owner who is selling it has taken very good care of it. I realize that its a 30 year old truck and with age comes problems or even worn down parts. but atleast its a ford and most parts are inexpensive and can easily be found

 

That truck will very easily tow 5500 lbs. Especially on flat land of Florida. Not just a thousand miles at a time, but if you had two drivers, taking turns, you could tow that from coast to coast, non stop if you wanted too. The 300-6 is a legendary engine. Well known for it's longevity, bested only by diesel engines, and even then has outlasted many. No power monster by today's standards but it will tow about anything, just not fast on the inclines.
How long a 30 year old truck will last you, depends on it's current condition, mileage and how well it was cared for, and how you plan to care for it from here. Look at the trucks condition. How did it fair for it's first 30 years? If you think it's done well thus far, then I guess it can be expected to last at least 30 years. You'll have to be the judge if you think it has another 30 in it, or if it will be worth another 30 years of replacing parts and still be worth it (compared to buying a new truck, it more than likely will be.)

 

I just used the 1000 miles towing as an example. I would probably only do small trips of 100-200 miles towing a 5400 lbs travel trailer.

 

Absolutely effortless in Florida. You'd have to head up north to find some hills so the 300 could eat something.

 

1996 was the most up to date version of the E4OD. The transmission is the only major thing left on my 1996 F150 that I haven't rebuilt or replaced, with ~382,000 miles behind a 5.8L. I have changed the fluid & filter and hammered out the dents in the pan. It is just now starting to leak a little from the front pump seal. I've probably been a bit lucky but I bought a '96 for a reason.

That trailer doesn't sound fun to tow with one of these trucks to me, but then again I live at high elevation in the mountains, so even my 5.8L feels underpowered towing. Don't be in a hurry.

 

1997 takes that title by a hair. Any '95+ is very, very good.

 

Ah right, I sometimes forget about 1997 since there were no OBS half tons that year. Were there material differences introduced in 1997 model E4OD's?

 

You can find all the E4OD updates in a pdf file here:

How To Reman The E4OD/4R100 - Complete Video Walkthrough

 

As someone who owns a 300 and e4od 2wd, you should think of a few things.
1) FLUID AND FILTER. Replace and get the synthetic in there. factory torque converter has a drain plug. So 13+ quarts easily.

2) AFTERMARKET AUXILLARY TRANSMISSION COOLER. This is BIG. if you have a factory aux cooler, thats cool, but i highly suggest getting additional surface area to cool the fluid esp if you have AC.

3) Use OBD2 scan tool to monitor the engine and Trans temps. just a good idea. shouldnt be a overheat for hte engine at all. If its hot where you live, bypass the heater core hoses into eachother. they make a valve thats vacuum controlled, use the same vacuum source as the MAX AC door in the engine bay to keep the heater core heat from the cabin. even if the AC didnt work, run it off manifold vacuum so it doesnt add heat.
4) Tires. What kind of tires you got and include specs/pics

5) BRAKES. The trailer NEEDS brakes.

i noticed in high hill terrain, my truck struggled at 70mph to keep up but thats up and down and up and down. If youre flat, then shouldnt be a worry. Learn how and when to use the OVERDRIVE OFF switch on the shifter. You should disable OD when your transmission would otherwise up and down shift frequently. Plus smart to use it to encourage engine braking on decels. My truck has 3.08, hwy gears. Increcibly pulling a load i ihad used very little gas, but 3.55 youll burn more gas for sure. but youll have more off the line power which is desperately needed compared to my truck

 

i havent bought the truck yet. the tire size is 295/50/15. kind of looks lowered but not sure. i have included a pic down below

 

Sharp truck.. .cant imagine that would ride well with that tire size. Realize those look like P rated tires. i would NOT feel good recommending you tow with P rated tires. You should have LT Load range D or P metric with the highest load rating, which i imagine those arent setup to do. You could buy a set of wheels ( maybe tires) locally if you look for 5x5.5 wheels , get some better equipped tire for the job.