any know issues ?

going to look at a late '90's F150 4.7L ( 100K Mi) (auto 4x4)

any know issues that would make me want to run the other way ?

yea. wrong engine.

I wouldn't buy a first or second year new design.

oops .... had my mind on another I'd looked at ... it's hell getting old

meant the the 4.6L

By 98 they had most of the issues figured out, first year was 97, then there was a minor redesign for 99. My April 98 built 98 y/m was a mix of 97-98 and 99 wiring, which confused the alarm installer somewhat. The 4.6 wasn't bad, just not amazing, especially for towing as the power is up higher in the range than the previous 5.0. In 01 or so, both motors got a bump in power, iirc the 4.6 went to 260 and the 5.4 to 300. Easy way to tell if the truck has the towing package (extra trans cooler and 3.31 or 3.55 ? Gears) is the non towing 4.6 trucks got the 8.8 reared and the tow package trucks got the 9.75. The 8.8 has a roundish pumpkin and the 9.75 has an assymetrical shape. I think the tow package trucks might have gotten the e40d over the 4r70w. All 5.4 equipped trucks got the 9.75 rear and e40d trans.

Oh, and pretty much all I those years suffered door cracks caused by the power windows flexing the door skin when the window hits the top of its travel. There is virtually no way to prevent this, the only fix ford did was to repair the skin and weld in a reinforcement to slow the metal fatigue, it never was solved afaik. Look for them at the bottom rear of the window sill at the top of where it curves upward.

I had a 98 with the 4.6L. It was an absolute workhorse. It was slow, but I abused the hell outta that thing for 235k miles and it wouldn't burn oil, leak oil, or break anything. I towed a flatbed car trailer from L.A. to Rochester and back to L.A. (one way with a car on it) the whole way in Drive (so as to not mess up the tranny) and it was just screaming. My buddy and I did it in one week and 4 cases of Corona - and we took in two days of Spring Carlisle.

He loved it so much he bought a 99.

Think of it like a 6.2L chevy diesel. It won't go anywhere fast, and its not exciting, but its a very reliable design.

Later 4.6L and 5.4L used a COP (coil-on-plug) design that is a pain in the anus. They constantly fail, and some of them (not sure which one) is known for consistently having spark plugs that get welded in the heads and break very easily.

The ONLY reason I sold mine was because I needed a diesel van. It was a really sweet truck and I miss it.

Fwiw: I rode in a turbo 5spd 4.6 02 once that was an absolute beast. That thing loved the boost, I think he was planning on 400 at the wheels with that setup.

thanks

don't know yet if this one has the towing package ... supposedly it's "cherry" ... we'll see .. the only "tough" towing it'll see is the 8 % 6 mi climb up to my home ( last 10 mi of the trip ) or when returning from Road Atlanta .... longer and steeper .... all the rest of the towing will be relatively flat

we'll see

I love it when even the off topic part of the board has discussions on cars where someone asks a question and multiple people have knowledge and respond in a helpful way.

The door sills and door bottoms like to rust on those trucks if they saw much of the salt around here and weren't washed off well. We have a few at work with they 5.4 they aren't really quick but I would imagine the 4.6 would tow your car fine especially with brakes on the trailer.

no trailer ( no way to turn it around at my house , no place to store it at my house, and probably can't get it up my driveway... steep enough to drag at the bottom )... it'll be a tow dolly .... probably this one

http://www.hitchsource.com/tow-it-tow-dolly-without-surge-brakes-free-shipping-p-29212.html

unless I can find a really good one used

Strizzo wrote: and the 9.75 has an asymmetrical shape.

it has the asymmetrical ... now we just have to come together on price