My handle's been Slim for some years now, and i've been a lurker here a while, just about as long as i've owned my '96 long bed 2wd 'sport' package - 4.9l, M5OD, 3.55s out back, 113k on the clock.

I've had my share of fiddly little problems that should come as no surprise to fans of this combo - window and lock switches that require bi-annual cleanings, a hunger for ball joints, a leak at the radiator side tanks (still can't find it), a slave cylinder that popped on the coldest day of the year, and most recently a buzzing (per tsb 97-1-14) upstream air check valve, broken #1 and #2 air injection manifold tubes, a spotty idle air control and a least 1 buzzy fuel pump.

That said, this truck's been a peach to drive. I get about 14.5 - 15.5 mpg year round in mixed cycle driving, service parts are cheap and readily avaliable, the 300 pulls like a tractor and can still hold 75 all day, the AC's cold and the heater's better than any other i've ever used. The inside of the tailpipe is so clean you could eat out of it, the non-limited slip diff and BFG long trails grip plenty well in snow, my alpine stereo sounds great in it, and the bed fits everything i need it to.

Here's hoping I can help out folks here where my knowledge might be useful - living in the city, without a garage I admittedly don't wrench as much as i'd like to, but i take pride in knowing my truck.

Thanks,
Slim from MN

 

Welcome Slim!

Good to see that you have signed up!
Sounds like a good rig you have there! Make sure you check out the MN chapter, and the 87-96 truck forum

Fred