problem
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problem
Hey, I am new to the ford world, but I found some deals that I do not think I can pass up. I am in a national touring band whose van just decided to kick the bucket. We Have found two vans at really good deals and I was looking for some help on which one to buy.
Option #1: 1995 Ford f-350 club wagon 15 passenger with 5.4 v8 going on 220,000 miles. The motor was rebuilt at 140,000. It has some rust but image has nothing to to with the purchase.
Option #2: 1996 Ford f-150 Econoline Cargo Van with 4.9 going on 165,000 miles.
We are selling our trailer because it is just a huge inconvenience so they will not be pulling anything. The one downfall to the cargo van is A, it is shorter which gives us less room to live since this will be home 4 months out of the year. And B, no windows but that can be changed.
Basically I am just looking at the reliability factor. So which vehicle will be best to put an insain amount of miles on?
Thank you!
Option #1: 1995 Ford f-350 club wagon 15 passenger with 5.4 v8 going on 220,000 miles. The motor was rebuilt at 140,000. It has some rust but image has nothing to to with the purchase.
Option #2: 1996 Ford f-150 Econoline Cargo Van with 4.9 going on 165,000 miles.
We are selling our trailer because it is just a huge inconvenience so they will not be pulling anything. The one downfall to the cargo van is A, it is shorter which gives us less room to live since this will be home 4 months out of the year. And B, no windows but that can be changed.
Basically I am just looking at the reliability factor. So which vehicle will be best to put an insain amount of miles on?
Thank you!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Bothers me why the 5.4 was rebuilt. I am old school and prefer pushrods, so the inline six is a no brainer for me. Now if one had the 351 V8 (5.8L?) I would definitely go for that engine in the van.
You sure the passenger van is a 5.4? I thought the '95 would maybe still have the 351 pushrod engine.
You sure the passenger van is a 5.4? I thought the '95 would maybe still have the 351 pushrod engine.
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if going to putting, mixers, amps, PA's, keyboards, computers, guitars, mics, etc etc AND carry the rest of yr band, the club wagon would be better, however, I would question why the motor was rebuilt.
The 4.9L 300 I6 can take a beating, but yr 1/2 ton might not last as long when u start throwing in gear/crew due to the fact that it is only a 1/2 ton. the one ton would also have a harder ride and be much more difficult to drive in winter. as fas a reliability.... both motors are good motors and are reliable, as long as you take care of them and maintain them.
The 4.9L 300 I6 can take a beating, but yr 1/2 ton might not last as long when u start throwing in gear/crew due to the fact that it is only a 1/2 ton. the one ton would also have a harder ride and be much more difficult to drive in winter. as fas a reliability.... both motors are good motors and are reliable, as long as you take care of them and maintain them.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
I assume both are auto trannies. Yes, it's a tossup between the engines. Both are great. The 5.8 certainly has more power and torque. Ideal would be E250, so you have to go too light or too heavy. Will you be doing a lot of miles? If not, probl the E350 which has other advantages inc size and windows.
If engine properly rebuilt, no problem, but wonder about other components. DId the abuse/use that did in the old engine also put undue wear and tear on the tranny? That would be main concern.
My F150 inline six had 58K on it when I bought it. The prev owner must have towed heavy trailers as there were holes for a big hitch and the clutch was really messed up. Shortly after the rear pinion went out. Otherwise it is a great truck and the engine runs like a champ. No tranny problems after that presumed abuse, and that is a lot for a M5OD manual.
A good tranny shop can evaluate the tranny.
Yeah, I am leaning towards the E350 Club Wagon.
If engine properly rebuilt, no problem, but wonder about other components. DId the abuse/use that did in the old engine also put undue wear and tear on the tranny? That would be main concern.
My F150 inline six had 58K on it when I bought it. The prev owner must have towed heavy trailers as there were holes for a big hitch and the clutch was really messed up. Shortly after the rear pinion went out. Otherwise it is a great truck and the engine runs like a champ. No tranny problems after that presumed abuse, and that is a lot for a M5OD manual.
A good tranny shop can evaluate the tranny.
Yeah, I am leaning towards the E350 Club Wagon.
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yeah the amount of miles we will be putting on will be rigorous. We usually do about 300-600 miles a day. So fuel economy plays a nice role in it too. I do not know what the v8 does the but inline is rated at 17 mpg. That will be a giant upgrade compared to the 10 we got with our chevy 350 with a trailor. I agree the space would be so nice and we will be carrying around 800 pounds of gear directly on the rear axle. I just wish there was a way I could find out how the motor was damaged before. Maybe I can get lucky and they did it just for maintenance huh? haha doubtful. THe big kicker is we can trade our trailer for the inline strait up. The club wagon is only 2000 dollars though. But thanks for your help and advice.
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Austin, TX
I would personally take the 4.9. It is still plenty powerful. Plus, with only 165,000 miles, it still has a lot of life left. Plus it gets better mileage than the 5.8 - it is really an all around great motor with the best of both worlds.
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Post Fiend
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From: Lost
You really need to determine the total weight of the gear and people that will be normally hauled in this rig, to find out if the E150 is even up to the task. Not only do you need to be thinking about the axle, but you also must consider the tires, along with the brakes. It's not worth saving a few bucks now, if the tires and brakes cannot handle the weight. The actual cost could be measured in lives. That's a pretty steep cost, if ya ask me........
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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FWIW: There was a guy in my part of town that hauled scrap metal he garbage picked to the recyclers in a step bed F150. Put too much weight in (way more that you likely would put in) and broke the rear axle. My mechanic at the time installed a rear axle assembly (whole thing, pumpkin, tubes, axles etc) from an F250 and the junk man went on his way. Never heard any more about it.
Post Fiend
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Come to think of it, maybe they also installed the F250 springs. Would make sense anyway. Actually the guy had probably already added extra springs before the axle broke.
If I am not mistaken, a half ton (150) has all the vehicle weight on the axle shaft. A one ton (350) has full floating axle, which means the vehicle weight is born by the housing and you can actually unbolt those big hubs and pull the shaft out and the truck will sit there on it's tire like nothing happened (but won't go of course). A 3/4 ton (250) has the semi-floating axle and I am not sure what that means.
If I am not mistaken, a half ton (150) has all the vehicle weight on the axle shaft. A one ton (350) has full floating axle, which means the vehicle weight is born by the housing and you can actually unbolt those big hubs and pull the shaft out and the truck will sit there on it's tire like nothing happened (but won't go of course). A 3/4 ton (250) has the semi-floating axle and I am not sure what that means.
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I'd pass on both and look for something newer. I have a 300 and with 600-800 lbs, it will pull, but it will pull S L O W.
The other one has rust and too many miles.
There are tons of these around, don't settle on the first ones you see.
BUT if you must, go with the F350.
The other one has rust and too many miles.
There are tons of these around, don't settle on the first ones you see.
BUT if you must, go with the F350.
Post Fiend
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From: Lost
Originally Posted by TallPaul
If I am not mistaken, a half ton (150) has all the vehicle weight on the axle shaft. A one ton (350) has full floating axle, which means the vehicle weight is born by the housing and you can actually unbolt those big hubs and pull the shaft out and the truck will sit there on it's tire like nothing happened (but won't go of course). A 3/4 ton (250) has the semi-floating axle and I am not sure what that means.
E/F150 and light duty E/F250 use semi floating, while the heavy duty 250 and above use full floating.
I also agree with the above post that neither of these 2 would be the best choice, without further looking around. I feel the 150 is not up to the task, and the 350 may be a major money pit due to the number of miles it has seen.
Making a quick decision without looking at other options, usually leads to regrets.