Alright I was just wondering what else I should be doing for good overall maintenece. Its an 03' Crew Cab SB 4x4 V10 Auto with ESOF and a LS rear end.

I currently change oil at 2,000-2,500 miles (since that's 3 months or more of driving for me) with either mobile 7500 5w-20 or motor craft 5w-20 along with a motorcraft filter. I changed the fuel filter 13 months ago and 7000 miles ago with a wix filter which I have another sitting in my shop. The same goes for the air filter although I have blowin it out twice and niether time anything came out, it's also a wix filter. I waxed the truck last spring, clean it on a fairly regular basis. Wipe the motor down twice a year (did that just last saturday) I also drained the antifreeze and filled with new and some distilled water. I do this every fall instead of getting it flushed every 3-5 years and my coolant always looks nice and clean keeps a good freeze value. I also try and use the ESOF once a month even if I don't need it, and I also turn the hubs a dozen times each month to keep them working properly. The truck has 28,000 miles on the clock and is an 03' model. The truck had a new trans installed at 21,000 miles so the trany fluid is only a year and a half old with 7000 miles on it.

I was thinking the transfer case fluid and or the rear and front ends should be changed pretty soon (like next year around that 34-36k mile range). I also take off my fender trim twice a year and clean and wax behind them, its amazing the silt and garbage that collects back there, its a rusty fender waiting to happen. If you have them and have never cleaned them I would highly recomend it. I'm thinking of getting few cans of rubberized undercoating and doing some of the underbody stuff that has the all so commen nonappealing surface rust. Can you guys think of anything else???????????

 

The only time they say to change the diff fluids is if they are "submerged" in water.

I recently changed mine at 21K miles anyway, to go with synthetics all around, including the transfer case. The transfer case fluid was a little "dingy" - the rest of the stuff looked fine.

Do it anyway, it can't hurt, and gives you the chance to look things over ...

Everything else, well, what can I say, except "let me know when you want to sell it"

 

YEh, my ol man makes fun of me for how **** I am with my pickup and how my work car has lasted 270k miles with the cheapest crap and average maintence at best. I just figure that I can afford to spend a $200 bucks or so a year to keep my $30k truck in good condition for many years to come. The synthetic lubericant is the main reason i would change the transfer case and as far as the diffs I figure If I do it once every 30k or so thats only once every 4-5 years, I believe ford specs synthetic for teh diffs anyway!!! I do use it for towing, launching and laoding the boat but the diff never gets anywhere near the water, the ramp is plenty steep if ya know what I mean!!

 

Steve, I would changeout the crappy little 90 deg Ell that attaches to the throttle body (and pulls vac on the PCV valve). That thing is so nasty it'll fall apart on you - maybe get sucked into the engine - it sucks anyway.

I can't think of anything other than what you've mentioned. I have almost 103K on my rig and the only thing I have trouble with now is the headliner falling a little, the hood cylinders getting weak and the dually inner fenders drooping. Overall its lived up to the Ford Tough stuff.

 

Synthetic only for the Sterling 10.5" - it says it right on the tag held on by one of the cover bolts

The front Dana 50/60 can use standard hypoid stuff. But I still put Mobil 1 in it anyway - I do a lot of high-speed driving in the snow ... we've been getting a decent bit of snow here lately on Long Island.

The transfer case uses regular Dexron ATF - so I put Castrol Syntec in there. They have a planetary gear in there for the 4x4LOW gear reduction - so it's only logical to use ATF.

My Sterling got Amzoil - so Mobil 1 in front, Syntec in the middle, and Amzoil in the back. And the engine recently got Syntec too...

Like you said, you're going to have a NICE truck for a LONG TIME - same thing I'm tryin' to do - 3.5 years since I leased it, it was manufactured in 10/00 and if I wash it, it still looks brand new I plan on buying it at the end of the lease (buyback is WAY LOW because it's an unlimited mileage lease), and everything I see so far, I'm going to keep this thing forever.

 

SLE, Good post and thanks for the tip on cleaning behind the fender flares. I can see these things holding road salts behind them, Take care.

 

[QUOTE=krewat]" ... we've been getting a decent bit of snow here lately on Long Island."

Already? Gosh, I wish things here were moving towards fall. Been 99/103* the last week or so in S. TX.
Dove season opened last weekend, and even they mustof found some AC, cause they wern't flyin in this heat.

 

I have blowin it out twice and niether time anything came out

super bad idea there. never blow it out you force the small particles inward. which defeats the purpose of a air filter. i if looks clean enough run it or just swap it out if it is dirty but never blow them out.

 

You're being sarcastic, right?

Being almost 40 years old, "getting a decent bit of snow here lately" means in the last few YEARS...

 

Yes.
And being over 50, doesn't seem to help.