Im looking to buy a (new to me) truck and I have been looking at a few V10s but I know nothing at all about them. Do they hold mileage well? I found one that had 203,000 miles but was scared of it. How many miles are to many? What kind of problems am I likely to see with one? Any certain years to stay away from? Is there a big differance from the V10 and a 5.8 V8 as far as pulling? I pull a race car trailer everyweekend through the spring,summer,and fall. Any info would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

If you pull a race car then you probably either race or build race cars. Right? Either way you should have access to test equipment.

To determine the true health one thing you should do it a leak-down & compression test. Some engines, if not cared for, can go to pot in 70K, some 300K. It really depends. The V10 has a design life before rebuild of somewhere in the 250-300K range.

The truck with 203K, depending on the year, may have a solid engine but other things are on their way out. The price would be the magical deciding factor. How much were they asking?

The V10 will outpull the 5.8? (really? not even close!) V8 due to its additional power output.

What is your price range and what year are you looking for?

 

Depending on your budget, I would look at model years 2005 and up. The newer Torqshift transmission is a significant improvement over model years 2004 and under. Dont get me wrong all model years will do a great job pulling large loads. I just think this is the best upgrade Ford has made to the V10's of all the upgrades done over the years.

Just for reference; our 05 V10 has around 110k miles on it, runs great.

Mike

 

My good friend has a F-350 that he tows with regularly.
It now has over 350,000 kms and runs great.

I think 350,000 kms is about 220,000 miles or so.

 

The V10 I was looking at with 203,000 miles looked real nice and well maintaned but he was only asking $4700 for it. We have a little carlot here in town that everyone calls "High Mileage Hill" he buys alot of high mileage cars and sells them for just a lil over what he paid for them and he has been getting several V10s through there lately. So Im thinking I might just buy one from him because they are so cheap but I also dont want to have to start replacing a tranny,rearend, or engine right after I get it either.Should I stay away from the high mileage hill? As far as years Im wanting I will take any as long as its ext cab or 4 door,short bed, 4x4. If I dont find a V10 I like Ill just buy a decent 1973-1979 4x4.

 

If you are looking at models that are less than 10 years old, go to the OASIS request thread in the SD forum, and ask for an OASIS report on any trucks you find (get the VIN number).

The report will tell you what has been done to the truck, warranty stuff, recalls, just about everything that was done through the dealer.

 

Monsta and Krewat made some great points. There are other things to look at on high mileage vehicles that will indicate how it was used and what kind of care was taken with it.

A quick walk around the outside will reveal if it has or had a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch.

Bolt holes on top of the bed rails will indicate if it had tool boxes or a shell on it. I like used truck with a shell because it usually was owned by on older guy or had very little loaded in the bed.

A bed with lots of dents in it and the floor bowed between the supports indicates that it was used to haul bricks, rocks or other heavy bulk items that are loose.

Look underneath for evidence of fluid/oil leaks, rusted out or poorly modified exhaust, obviously worn or broken suspension components and dried mud packed into frame rails and spring hangers.

Open the hood and look for excessive oil on the engine. Broken or missing underhood components like relay covers air filter boxes etc. Look to see if the wiring harnesses have been hacked into and if odd wires are running around the engine compartment. Look at the battery to determine it's age and if it's a good quality one with the proper corrosion free terminals. Check the radiator and hoses to see if there is eveidence of leaks. Check the dipstick. You would not believe how many used cars/trucks I've looked at where the oil was well over a quart low.

Now open the drivers door and look inside. Is the seat broken down and torn up? is the carpet stained badly or worn through? Check to see if the steering wheel has the padding worn off or is bent. Look for holes in the dash and floor in front of the seat, an indication of radio or other equipment mounted inside. Is the factory radio there or is it a poorly installed aftermarket unit? Check all of the doors to see if they open and close smoothly with out the door dropping when opened or needing excessive force to close. Does it smell musty or mildew like inside? Check for evedence of leaks around windows and doors. Make sure all the locks work and that all the windows go up and down (don't ask me how I know about that one).

Walk around the truck again. Look at the tires. Are they quality tires in good condtion? Are the wheels stock or aftermarket? Look closely at the body panels from the front and back corners of the truck to see that there is no indication of poorly repaired collision damage. Look for obvious overspray on window rubber and molding pieces, an indication of a hastily or poorly painted vehicle.

If everything looks good, chances are better that it will run and drive good. If you're really tempted but aren't sure what you're looking at, an hour at an independant mechanic can save you thousands of dollars in unexpected repair bills.

Also, ask yourself if you would rather invest x amount of dollars repairing or modifying the truck you are looking at or spend x amount of dollars on a newer/lower mileage truck that needs little or no extra money put into it (except for the thing you want).