Rehabbing 95 f150

[letusbuyyourcar]

heck... I drive a '97 F150 everyday and it's sitting at around 205K miles and counting. I will definitely be looking for a new motor before I'm looking for a new truck. Somehow used trucks have turned to gold- I haven't seen any that I thought were worth the money.

Looking forward to hearing some other people's advice and opinions. I checked Summit for a new crate motor. Yeah, $4000 and I'd still need another two grand worth of parts and chemicals. And a bench build on the transmission.

Yeah there just am t any cheap used trucks out there. If you have a good one you better hang on to it. My stepfather bought a Nissan extended cab 4wd new in 91. Since then he put a crate engine in it and clutch kit. He might drive it twice a month . But he still won't sell it to me.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

I get a little rod knock on a cold start, but other than that, mine is still running great. The engine sounds perfectly fine after those first couple seconds.

I've had 2 S10s with 4.3 liters. I don't know what it is but when you start them up every morning they sound like a rod is about to come through the oil pan.But they keep going. Maybe they built them with AK type tolerances.

 

[dial1911]

I've had 2 S10s with 4.3 liters. I don't know what it is but when you start them up every morning they sound like a rod is about to come through the oil pan.But they keep going. Maybe they built them with AK type tolerances.

Ok- I got a good laugh out of "AK tolerances" Thankfully, mine doesn't sound that bad. I've been saving money since about 175K miles for the rebuild. I've got the money for a new engine when that day comes. And my taxes will still be less than $50 a year.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Ok- I got a good laugh out of "AK tolerances" Thankfully, mine doesn't sound that bad. I've been saving money since about 175K miles for the rebuild. I've got the money for a new engine when that day comes. And my taxes will still be less than $50 a year.

Hey I can't criticize the 4.3 on longevity. I had two of them and my wife had one in a 92 Blazer when we met. I CAN criticize them on fuel economy, The 4.3 has a drinking problem worse than mine. Really, it makes you ask yourself why you didn't buy a full s8ze truck every time you buy gas.
But at the same time I'd love to have a Vortec 4.3 in a Chevette or a Vega.

 

[alnen]

Let's start with the easy stuff.
What year is it?
How much are you looking to spend?
Are you planning on doing it all at once or is there a monthly budget?

It's a 95 f150 flareside 4x4. It does have the 302 motor. I'm at 190k. As far as price, I'd like to keep it under $2k for the motor if that is possible. If it's not, what is realistic? The motor portion would be all at once, then the lift/tires would have to be all at once at a different time.

 

[Kyzrsoze]

I have a 94 XLT Lariat 302 automatic with around 260K on all of the original stuff I keep expecting it to die, but it doesn't even smoke and continues to pass it emissions inspection every year. If the engine finally goes I wont bother tearing into it. I'll probably buy a used engine from LKQ and swap it in. From past experience this is much more cost effective than a full rebuild, and you'll likely be ready for another truck bu the time the second engine is worn out. The average cost of most any engine I've looked at from LKQ is around $400, and it's mostly a drop it in, swap over a few accessories, hook up the hoses operation.

 

[roundhouse]

What's wrong with the current engine ?
And are you gonna do the swap or are you gonna pay someone to do it ?

I scored a free one owner 98K miles e-250 van
Pulled the 351W sold the rest for $600

Gonna put it in my 74 Bronco to replace the tired 1990 EFI mustang engine

Its usually cheaper to get the whole vehicle
Pull what you need and sell the rest
And that way you get to hear it run

And as posted
The explorer 5.0 was the best one

You should be able to find a crate engine for a lot less than $4K

 

[alnen]

What's wrong with the current engine ?
And are you gonna do the swap or are you gonna pay someone to do it ?

I scored a free one owner 98K miles e-250 van
Pulled the 351W sold the rest for $600

Gonna put it in my 74 Bronco to replace the tired 1990 EFI mustang engine

Its usually cheaper to get the whole vehicle
Pull what you need and sell the rest
And that way you get to hear it run

And as posted
The explorer 5.0 was the best one

You should be able to find a crate engine for a lot less than $4K

The current engine just seems worn out. Under powered, leaks oil heavily, rattles on acceleration.

I was planning to pay someone to do it. I've never done it before and since it's my daily driver I'm afraid I'll get stuck somehow. Also I don't have some of the tools required (ie engine lift). How much should I pay someone to put in a motor? What about to swap motors from a donor vehicle?

What should I look for in a crate motor if I go that route?

 

[whitmo]

I believe they were called Cobra P heads. And more knowledgeable guys will tell you that it aint worth buying and working those heads over aftermarket heads. And it probably ain't. But aftermarket heads are way expensive. And if you can score a whole motor from an Exp!orer you're kinda ahead of the game .

They are called GT40 and GT40P heads. Here is a link with lots of info on them.
http://www.fiveohinfo.com/performance/gt40-gt40p.html

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

They are called GT40 and GT40P heads. Here is a link with lots of info on them.
http://www.fiveohinfo.com/performance/gt40-gt40p.html

Thanks for the input. Am I wrong or do you agree that the later model Explorer 5.0 would be the way to go?