All, I'm considering buying an '02 F350, CC, 4x4, V10 with 135k miles, 6-speed manual trans. I've read through the V10 forum on spark plug issues, so am aware of that. What other problem areas should I be aware of with the V10, drivetrain, body, etc? What differential does the F350 use up front and in back? The tranny is a ZF? The xfer case is a Borg Warner? Thanks.

 

Your transfer case is probably the Borg-Warner NV271. Your front axle is a Dana 60 and your rear is a Sterling 10.50 (if it is single rear wheel aka SRW) or a Dana 80 (if it is a duallie aka DRW). Don't know about the gasser engine or the manual tranny issues, but make sure you look at ball joints, tie rod ends (they play into steering slop/wander and can be serious $$$ to replace if you don't do it yourself).

For the SRW, besides the badging (350 instead of 250), you will have heavier coded (stiffer) springs in the back for increased load capacity, the rear spring packs will have an overload spring (option for the 250, standard on the 350) and a 4" lift block over the axle (250 has a 2" block). That's all I know of. The payload capacity is higher because of the springs but the GCVW is the same as the 250. Somebody will chime in if I forgot anything. If you have a DRW, obviously there's some more differences (rear flares, clearance lights, Dana 80 rear axle, etc.).

Make sure the 4x4 works! If it is the manual system, lock the hubs and shift into 4x4 and give 'er a go. Get out and make sure that each front axle is locked (will not spin if you try to turn it from the u-joint/knuckle) and make sure the 4x4 light comes on in the dash. For the ESOF (electronic shift on the fly), click it in 4Hi. You should hear a small clunk as the transfer case engages. Drive for 10-20 feet to make sure the axles should have engaged, then get out and do the front axle spin test again. Now get back in the truck, put it in neutral, step on the brake and click it to 4Lo. You should hear a loud clunk to let you know that you're in 4Lo. Now drive a few feet and make sure that the truck is vvveeerrryyy slow moving forward. Go back to neutral, step on the brake and shift back to 2Hi. You'll hear more clunking (that's normal), then the 4x4 and Low lights will go out. Drive for 10-20 feet and check the front axles again. This time they should spin freely. Now take each hub to "lock" and check that the front axle will not spin, then go back to "auto" and make sure it spins freely (for both sides).

That sounds like a lot, but the ESOF systems during these years can be problematic if not taken care of (and sometimes if you do). I had my truck checked by an independent mechanic that supposedly knew the in's and out's of the Super Duty, but they failed to fully test the 4wd system. I bought the truck never knowing that the 4x4 system worked electonically but not mechanically (hubs never locked). I didn't learn this until my first off-road trip. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't even do what my old F-150 2wd would do! That was a frustrating weekend and another frustrating 2 days in my driveway and nearly $1000 in parts.

If you can afford it and have the time, I would spend $100 and have a reputable 3rd party mechanic (that knows your type of rig) give it a good once over to make sure everything is okay.

Sorry for the rant. I hope this helps...

 

^^^^^^^^ Everything he said. I want to reiterate to have the ball joints checked, preferrably by a shop that does alignments. I would almost guarantee they are worn out at 135k miles unless they were recently replaced, and that is not a cheap repair.

When you drive it, see if you get any vibration when you brake. The rotors are bad about warping on these trucks.

Also, check to make sure the all the power door locks work. They are a common source of issues. There is a do-it-yourself fix for the doorlocks posted on here somewhere, but it is pretty expensive if you get it fixed at a shop. Something to be aware of.

 

That reminds me. Check the key in all the locks. If it's remote locks chances are they key was hardly used, which gums up the locks. When I bought mine, only 1 lock worked. 6 months and a lot of WD-40 later, they worked again (took a gamble and won).

cpdorroh is right, get your ball joints checked. I bought mine and knew they were on the way out (worked that into the negotiation for a lower price), and that was 146K.

 

What's a ballpark figure for replacement of the ball joints? I'm assuming the manual trans and manual-shift xfer case are pretty durable?

Thanks!

 

The manual 4x4 system is very reliable.

IIRC Powerstrokeshop.com sells a ball joint replacement "kit" with Moog joints for just over $200. The labor is extra if you don't do it yourself (I would guess at least another $400 to have somebody else do it). Regardless, you should do both sides. If one is on the way out, the other can't be far behind. Plus you'll want to get an alignment afterwards and this way you only have to do it once.

 

not necessarily. 9 times out of 10 on the ones ive changed the passengers side has been bad and the drivers side has been as tight as it was when new. the reason for this because thats the side that is closest to the edge of the road and it takes the most abuse when people run off the road. as long as theres no signs of wear i would only change the bad one.

 

Interesting...I never thought of it that way. Thanks for the upgrade!

 

Lots of good info so far. I'll add that the sway bar bushings and/or end link bushings are another trouble spot. The super duty clunk is a very common problem.

 

Some follow up questions. The truck drives, steers, and stops real nice. No pulling, unusual vibrations noises, etc. The V10 is a pulling machine!

When letting the clutch out to take off from a stop, I hear, not feel, some chattering. I suspect the t/o bearing may be going out and due for a change, although the clutch still feels strong. Any ideas?

Locked the hubs and engaged 4x4 (manual transfer case) and noticed a clunking from the front end when turning. The front u-joints feel tight, or at least as tight as other 4x4s I've had. Does this sound like bad front u-joints? The axle seals on the stub axle where it goes into the back of the hub are in need of replacement. I've not had to replace these before. How difficult a job is this?

Thanks.

 

Another trouble area is the exhaust mainifold studs rusting away.

 

Big time. That's really an issue on all Ford trucks though.

From my experience with getting a used 2002 250 V10 4x4 back in 08, here is what you should check.

With the ESOF, make sure it shifts, and that you can lock the hubs manually. Even though I had the ability to let the truck do it, I always manually locked my hubs before engaging 4HI.

Check power steering, as the pump is weak on these.

Check the ball joints.

Check the exhaust manifolds.

 

The chatter that you "hear" from a stop is the slip yoke on the driveshaft. All you need to do is lube it and it will go away. It "sounds" like a couple of small clunks and makes it feel like there's a little driveline slop as you take off from a dead (or near-dead) stop. It's a 1/2 hour job and some bearing grease.

When you get the 4x4 clunking while turning, are you turning on a hard or soft surface? The front is an open differential, but when you engage the transfer case it directly links the front and rear driveshafts. When you turn the rear wheel tracks further in thereby traveling a shorter distance. since the front and back wheel are traveling at different speeds (and the driveshafts are linked), you're going to feel a clunk or "pop" as you turn as the front wheel hops to keep in step with the rear when too much differential torque is applied to the shafts (on a hard surface). If you are already in the dirt, then I've got nothing for you except have a mechanic check that out. These are very tough trucks, but when stuff gets old (or breaks) and needs replacing, it is not cheap.

 

Is the clunking steady as you turn, or intermittent as you turn?

The seals ... they go toward the back of the wheelbrg/hub, not into the axle housing, and are outboard of the axle u-joint? If so, you have to go all the way in and remove the hub. The next step after that, is removing the ball joints, so seriously consider changing them if you are in there.

Here is this forum's RacerGuy's guide to getting into the balljoints, which would include changing that seal .... https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...ll-joints.html

 

Relative to the chatter, I guess there's no zerk fitting to lube slip yoke, so that it must be disassembled to lube it?

I engaged the 4x4 on a hard surface parking lot. I don't think the noise was due to the driveline buildup that happens on a hard surface. At least, I've never noticed this type of noise on other 4x4s. The clunking was steady as it turned.

The seal may just be a dust seal. It's located where the front axle goes into the back of front hub. On both sides, it was broken or torn. It appeared to be like a hard plastic rather than a pliable rubber type seal - at least not like all the axle seals I've changed or seen.

Thanks.