Hi folks,
I just picked up an F250 XLT Lariat 4wd 5.8 liter 4spOD. I've been in Germany for the last 15 years so haven't been around pickups other than street trucks that soldiers bring over with them. If someone could clear up a couple of things, I'd appreciate it.

1) I bought the truck from a German and it was registered as an 89 but the sticker in the doorjam says 10/89 for the date. Does this make it a 1990?

2) Any idea what kind of gas mileage I can expect?

3) About how much weight can I load on it?

4) Just out of curiousity, the sticker in the doorjam is written in English and what looks like some Arabic script. Any idea why?

Thanks.

Dave
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Hi Dave, You should find the GVWR ( gross vehicle weight rating) in the door jab on drivers side. Take this number and minus the vehicle empty weight to get what it can (in the US?) legally haul . The towing capacity of the truck is in the owners handbook and varies with the differential ratios. I don't have my book in hand right now but to give you some idea, my 97 f250HD standard cab 4x4 weighs about 5950lb and has a GVWR of 8600 leaving me about 2600lb to put in the bed. Mine has the 4.10 gears and will tow 7700 if memory serves me. As far as fuel mileage, the worst I have ever got was 10.5 mpg( towing a farm tractor at 75mph or so ) and the best was 16mpg. This is with a five speed. I have owned several full size fords and have found the 5.8 (351w) to be a good engine as far as the typical line up of 300, 302 or 351's go. It is not diesel or big block power but get's a job done if needed. I have no idea about the arabic text on the sticker. By the way the differential ratios can be found on the rears or through the door sticker, I think that someone has been kind enough to post a way of decoding the letters on this site. -Dave

 

The VIN Number tells the year.

 

Thanks. I'm sure I'll have plenty more as time goes on. I don't have an owners manual with it but should be able to scare up one on ebay. It's got the factory radio/cassette in it. Can someone tell me how to adjust the clock?

Thanks again,

Dave

 

Love this truck!!!!!!!! Turned out to be a 1990. Haven't figured the exact payload yet but put 2200 kg of gravel on it and drove home. Tires were OK but it swam a little. Did just fine with 1500 kg though. My wife drives it more than I do though (gotta work on that one). One more question though: Is there a trick to shifting the transfer into low? Either I'm a complete idiot, or it don't work (hoping it's more of the first). Shifts into 4wd just fine, but can't get it back to the low side. I don't have an owners manual to look in. Thanks for the help,



Dave

 

if it's like my 89 f150, put the tranny in neutral and she should shift into 4low just fine. mine doesn't shift into 4low any other way. I think that's probably the way it's supposed to be, but if I'm wrong I hope someone will correct me.

 

to shift the transfer case, you need to follow the diagram on the shifter ****.straight back for 4 hi, up for neutral, and towards the driver door and up for 4 low. to come out of 4 low, you also need to push towards the driver door before pulling back. also, you should be stopped and trans in neutral to shift to 4 low

 

I see the pattern, but I can only move the shifter from 2 to 4 hi. It won't move left or right. Never tried up, but will fool with it this evening.

Thanks, Dave

 

Yeah, the owners manual is good to have. So is the Ford Shop Manual. I have Chiltons, Haynes, and a reprint Shop Manual. And I use all three from time to time. I paid in the $130 range for the shop manual, and it is worth it-it is not perfect-but it was worth it to me.

 

You put 2200kg into the back of it? Wow - that's close to 5000 lbs. No wonder it was a little fishy!

As for the t-case, sometimes the linkage gets bound up from rust. You can sometimes break it free with some penetrating oil (not sure what they sell over there) and some wiggling. You definitely need to be in neutral or park in order to shift it into low range, though.

 

Back again. I think the transfer case thing is rust (things are pretty nasty under there) I've been soaking it weekly with penetrating oil and will start playing when the weather gets a little better. Did these things come with a cover of some kind? We've got some snow and ice now and I'm really missing my jeep. This thing isn't worth a damn unless it's in 4wd. About how much weight do you folks put in the back to make things act right in winter. A buddy of mine has a Toyota pickup that he was able to cut a steel plate to fit the bed and solved his problem. Just like to know what you folks use (how much weight) so I can do some brainstorming. I don't want to give up any space unless I have to.

Thanks,

Dave

 

i have a 1992 4x4 5.8 and mine has same problem with going into low.when under truck the part your spraying had a rubber cover on it at one time and
they will rust up after a while if not used in low.you have to push down on stick towards floor before it will allow you to pull back to low gear.good luck freeing up i heard some guys will pull ball off shifter and smack with hammer to push down to free up but be careful.also 4 high is fine on mine in snow but i run 4 studded tire during winter months here in snow and i plow also .good luck freeing
up low.i let mine alone i figure if i get stuck in 4 wheel high i will only bury it deeper in 4 low and with studded tires i have no problems even plowing in 4 high

 

The penetrating oil finally came through. It took patience but no disassembly. Just have to keep it free now.
Thanks, Dave

 

One more folks. I was in 4wd yesterday and forgot to shift back to 2wd when I was on the road. I was only driving about 20 mph, but when I stopped at an intersection and wanted to make a turn (left in this case), I thought the thing would fall apart. The truck really rocked and groaned like I'd just dropped 10 tons on it. I shifted back to 2wd and everything was fine. If anyone has driven a truck with a sprag unit in the front end, the feeling I got was the same as when those things got really wound up. Is this normal? I had a Jeep with worn out axle ujoints, but this was nothing like that. Any advice other than take it out of 4wd on the street? Just wondering what would happen if I was in a bad spot and needed 4wd and also needed to turn.

Thanks for any help.


Dave

 

it will only do that on the pavement. if you are in soft dirt, sand, or mud, you should not feel the binding.