Looking for another truck.

Last truck was a 1992 F-350, 460/Auto, Crew, 2WD, SRW, long bed. Nice truck and loved to work on it. Sold it to a buddy about 8 mos ago and he loves it.

Found a 2003 F-350 Crew Cab, 2WD, V10, SRW, Standard bed, 3.73 LS rear axle.

Has 63K miles. 2nd owner. It was garaged for lost of its life. Appears to be in XLNT cond in and out. New tires.

Price is $12,900 (private party, second owner)

Gotta travel 6 hrs to see it.

Has factory....tow mirrors, dual power front seats, adjustable pedals, running boards, bedliner, hitch in rear and aftermarket hitch in front.

Has a huge payload of approx 3800#....In case I add an overhead camper one day (don't tell my wife...she does not like campers, but I do!)

Would make a perfect Baja truck too!

I don't need 4WD.

Uses....tow a 8K TT on family trips 5-6 times per year and 3500# boat twice per month (10-60 miles one way). Longer 700 mile trips one way in summer. Plus, I just like having a truck for general truck use!

1. What shall I take notice of with this year of V10 and 4R100 trans?

2. Is this the V10 with spark plug issues?

3. Any known issues with this year V10 and trans?

4. Any known issues with this year truck in terms of other mechanical items....AC/Heat, electrical, suspension, or other gremlins?

Thanks!

 

1. They are pretty much bullet proof if you change their fluid and add a 6.0 Powerstroke tranny cooler

2.no and as long as you torque them to 15ft/lb your good

3.none as long as you maintain them

4. No more than what a truck of its age will need.

IMO the price is a bit steep, shop around.

 

The only thing I can pick apart is the gearing - 3.73's is a bit high for towing. You might want to try to get the price down, it does sound a bit high.

Model year 2002 got more plug threads in the heads, so you've got the "better" version less prone to throwing plugs. Still, they need to be maintained.

 

Might be able to get it to $12k. Plus owners just put a new set of BF Goodrich tires that cost about $1000. I think the super low miles and TOP condition keep the price higher than average.

 

Only towing about a 7K TT about 6-8 times per year. My boat is 3500# and I tow it 2x per month between 15 and 75 miles . I believe 3.73 should be about right for this weight and how often I'm towing

 

I thought the upgrade to 8 thread heads was a running change in the 2003 model year.
I'm pretty sure our 2002 has the 4 thread heads.
The 8 thread heads will still blow plugs.
In all cases just be sure to properly torque the plugs.
I change plugs/boots/springs at 50k and check torque (25 ft/lb) one more time at 10k and have had no more problems.
The boots start looking aged at 50k anyway.
That doesn't sound like that bad a deal on such a low mileage truck that has been garaged with new tires.
We pull our 7k TH about as often with 3.73s and they do fine.
Be sure the axle code on the door jamb sticker is C1 if you want limited slip.
Definitely look into upgrading the aux trans cooler in front of the radiator to the 2003 5R110 cooler (Dorman 918-216) which should bolt right in with a couple of hose adapters.

 

axle code is D1 3.73 LS

Definitely going to look into the trans cooler upgrade.

What are the springs when installing new boots and plugs? By boots I assume you mean plug wires?

 

I think all the 2003 V10s have COPs, not plugs wires.
The spring is the conductor wire between the coil and plug which is wound like a spring.
The Denso 671-0001 boots/springs work well and are under $30 for a set of 10.
I add a little JB Weld around the coil connector boss where it can break.

 

All v10's were COP. Although, I do wonder about the early vans.

 

Woops, you are correct. The information I gleaned from a (dismissed) NHTSA complaint:

December 1996 - 4.6L 4V alignment feature added
February 1997 - 4.6L 2V head alignment feature added
September 2000 - WEP (Windsor Engine Plant) 2V head alignment feature modified (4.6/5.4/6.8)
November 2002 - WEP introduced long thread heads on 2V (all)
May 2003 - REP (Romeo Engine Plant) introduced long-thread heads on 4V 4.6 and 5.4
November 2003 - REP introduced long-thread heads on 2V and modified alignment feature

In 1999, and 2001, an interim fix was done for a cross-threading issue.
Original process:

Step 1 - Zero torque spark plug (air tool)
Step 2 - Torque to 16-20Nm final torque (DC Run down), monitor at 6-12Nm, and final torque must be reached within 0-360 degrees.

New process (addressed the possibility of applying installation torque for more than 25 degrees of rotation)
Step 1 - Zero torque spark plug (air tool)
Step 2 - Torque to 16-20Nm final torque (DC Run down) start monitor at 6-12Nm, and final torque must be reached within 3-25 degrees.

Another action to address cross-threading was the addition of an alignment feature to lead the plug into the hole.

 

My 1998 V10 van has COPs.

 

Value will come down to where you are, what you want, and how long & hard you're willing to shop.

The gears will work but might be marginal, the final decision will come down your driving conditions and how it feels to you, nobody can really determine the perfect gear for you. If it turns out to be under-geared it's a few hundred bucks to swap it, but finding the perfect truck is hard to do and I think if all it needs is a re-gear to be perfect for you you're doing ok.

 

update.....purchased the truck described!

Awesome ride, smooth, clean in and out. With 62K miles and the top condition, the price was fair.

R&T...thanks for the image of the COP. Purchased Densos at just under $30!

Krewat...thanks for the info on SP threads. Does my manufacturer date of 10/02 (on door jamb sticker) mean I have the improved 8 thread heads or not? According to your last post, the upgrade did not occur until Nov. '03


Now, onto maintenance and mods!

Thanks to all others for all their input/advice. Much appreciated.

Now, I'll begin more Threads on maintenance and mods!!!

Thanks

 

V10's are made in the Windsor Engine Plant (WEP) so the V10's got the longer threads in November 2002. I suspect that based on that you do NOT have long-thread heads.

But if you ever change the plugs, PLEASE let me know if they are or not.

 

Can the longer threads be determined/verified by the VIN?

How will I know about the longer threads?....I will be replacing in the next week or two.

If it is short threads, does this mean a thread repair kit (I've read about a $300 repair kit) is in my near future?

Is the short thread a really BAD thing?