Ford V-10 life estimate

[RZucker]

Been looking at an '02 F350 with a V10 as a rec vehicle, maybe 10k miles a year pulling camp trailer or boat. Clean rig from a local county road department, good maintenance and light use. But it has 160,000 miles and I'm curious to know how long these can go without problems. I had a '99 V10 but traded it off at 140K miles and zero problems with the engine. Anybody got any experience here? Thanks.

 

[Mark13]

It might have 160k on it but it probably has enough engine hours to justify another 40k+ on it if the road department by you is anything like the ones around here. (fyi, every engine run hour is equal to about 33 miles)

 

[RZucker]

It might have 160k on it but it probably has enough engine hours to justify another 40k+ on it if the road department by you is anything like the ones around here. (fyi, every engine run hour is equal to about 33 miles)

Around here the old joke is "what's red and sleeps 4." a county crewcab.
this one has a good price and if it makes it to 200K in 5-6 years that's all I care about.

 

[Mark13]

Exactly. It might still be a great truck just some people easily over look possible idle hours. It's fun watching people at auctions with municipal trucks on them and their excitement with wanting to buy a truck that's 8yrs old with only 65,000mi on it. They overlook at it might have 10,000hrs on it instead of around 2,000hrs. The stuff should be maintained well but they just see the odometer reading and forget everything else.

 

[RZucker]

the scanner should be able to get an actual hr meter reading from the ecm. I'm just wanting to know how long they can go. I had a '96 Chev Vortec that went 425K til it threw a rod and it wasn't treated well.

 

[390eric]

I have a friend with an 02 f350 v10. I always say that truck was built on a Wednesday. 250,000 and it's never been apart internally. Now exhaust manifolds leaking and spark plugs shooting out of it, that's another story. Kid beats the snot out of it and it keeps on ticking. Plows snow every year and he is tough on it. Always say ford should use it for a commercial cause it's built ford tough

 

[Steve Frazier]

The V10 is the same engine as the 4.6 and 5.4 V8 engines with two more cylinders used in countless Crown Vics as police cars and then repurposed as taxi cabs after retired from their police service. If serviced regularly they will run almost indefinitely. I think you ought to meet your expectations without too much trouble.

 

[PJ The Kid]

I have seen these engine in everything from 3/4 ton to f550 boom truck with power and cable companies. With good maint. they will run upwards of 500k. You can also watch the go-juice gauge drop as you drive it.

 

[hetkind]

However, a buddy of mine got on of these in the Excursion, and burned a valve...which means the heads had to come off, which required the motor coming out of the chassis, which required the body coming off the frame!

Be careful. be very careful...

Howard

 

[lumberjack]

If you pull the body, why do you have to pull the engine to get the head off?

Pulling the body is quick on newer trucks, makes life much easier.

 

[Bumpsteer]

However, a buddy of mine got on of these in the Excursion, and burned a valve...which means the heads had to come off, which required the motor coming out of the chassis, which required the body coming off the frame!

Be careful. be very careful...

Howard

That has been normal for Ford trucks for quite a while now.....

Ed

 

[PJ The Kid]

Coming from being a primary gas engine guy at a dealer, the body does't need to come off. Sent many heads off to the machine shop to get broken manifolds extracted (also did alot myself but the dealer doesn't like the liability). Just like the power strokes, sit back with a cup of coffee and maybe a cig and look it over. Diesel guy I worked with has never had the cab off a truck i his career and has but crank kits in 6.4s, full fuel systems in 6.7s for gas or urea in tanks, head gaskets on all of them and never lifted a cab.

 

[RZucker]

Well... did some research today and this truck turned out to be the county jail truck that followed the inmates around when they were picking trash on the roadside. Idling most of the day running the A/C and strobes. I'll pass on this one.

 

[PJ The Kid]

If you can drop a light in the oil fill and look for sludge under the valve cover, it may still not be bad if they kept up on he maint. Our trucks don't get many miles but alot of hours, so we change them based on engine hours.