Ford Super Duty - Continued IV

bobh12

Based on my experience: 97 F-150 5.4L 4X4, 98 Expedtion 5.4L 4x4, and Y2K F-150 5.4L 4X4, the overdrive on all of them has kicked in about 43-44 mph. (I know they are not Super Duties, but the point I offer for consideration is I believe Ford sets all of the automatics to go into overdrive at that speed regardless of application). Like John, I can get mine to come in earlier, but it takes a really light foot.
Bob

wildside1

Yesterday, my wife said she had to re-do her behive hairdooo for Christmas so I told her she ought to try the new Walmart SUPERCENTER in Norman, OK. Told her she could have her nails done too. Seeings I sold my old pickumup yesterday at noon and don't have wheels until mine comes in, I am at her mercy (been that way for 26 years) for getting around. So she left me off at Reynolds Ford so I could drool over the superduties on the lot. As I was looking around I spotted one that looked just like mine (yours) on the lot and figured I might just as well drive it home. When I got closer, I noticed it didn't have 4x4, then when I looked inside, it had a 6-speed, and it had a diesel. Oh, well.... Then a salesman came up to me and asked if he could help ..... I told him I was there to pick up my pickup. After some dooins ... he figured out I was just kidding around with him. Have you talked much with the Sales manager ... Larry? He is a super nice guy.
Anyway, I did see another older grey haired gentleman (pc=experienced) drooling over the SD's in the lot. Guess that was you .... I should have said more than Hi and that I was there to just drool. If you ever see a heavy guy with grey hair, short grey beard, and wonder how in the heck could that guy ever get up into a 4x4, that is me. VOPC still says mine is to be delivered week of 12/25 .... When was yours to be delivered? I might have lied about the behive hairdooo.

Brutus

My OD kicks in around 40ish (4.30 V-10 dually).

We got about 15 inches of snow yesterday, which suits me fine. Unfortunately, it warmed up and was raining like it was summer at my house this morning. Roads are getting nasty. Saw a nice white Superduty practicing his ditch diving last night on the way home. The good news is that the truck didn't look damaged (only the driver's pride).

The days start getting longer tomorrow. The official daylight hours today are 5 hours and 28 minutes (sunrise-10:14am, sunset-3:43pm). Now we start gaining until we get around 19 1/2 hours at the end of June. Northpole, what's your daylight today?

sunscreen

I really hate the gas cap on my 2000 SD. Since it is attached to a plastic "wire", I can't really remove the cap when I'm filling gas. the problem is that the gas moisture might fade the paint around the area over time.

I would like to get an aftermarket gas cap. Will this void the warranty. The Ford manual said it "might". What can I do?

bobh12

I think you may have concern about a non-problem.
The reason I say this is, I had a Black 97 F-150,
31,000 + miles with the same type of cap and never noticed any fading. One possible way of prevention is a couple of coats of good wax applied in that area on a regular basis.
Bob

sdman

Down here in "sunny" Seattle (actually, it is sunny today), our winter solstice sunrise and sunset times are 7:55am/4:20PM (8hr-25min). At the summer solstice, we will be enjoying 16 hours of sunlight (5:11am/9:11pm).

All I can think about is how come June I'll be cruising in my F250SD with the windows down and the stereo up...

F250SD, Lariat, 4X4, PSD, auto, Toreador Red
Ordered: 12/8/99
DORA: 12/10/99, build date of 1/24/00

oturner1

Nope that wasn't me. I do go by at least twice a day to see what has come in. My ETA is the week of 12/19 (Sunday?). I hope that means it will be in this week. Did you know about the road behind Reynolds? The carriers come in behind Reynolds Mazda (I think its Mazda) that is just south of Reynolds Ford. That is where all the new vehicles come in and are prepped. If you want to see if your truck is in, make sure to check this lot. Just drive down the street behind the mile of cars. It isn't often used but if you turn off of
SW 24th at the Sonic you can wind your way over there.

northpole1

Brutus: Officially, we have sunrise at 10:52 and sunset at 2:40. It's been snowing like the dickens here as well, without the rain (thank goodness).

Still no change on my F350...no DORA yet. I'm kind of concerned about the reported shortage of V-10s though. Dealer still promising late Feb delivery.

Merry Christmas, all.

tdevil1

Hey guys just would like to know what exactly the power takeoff provision is? Is it mainly for hauling heavy loads? Will this option eat more gas? All input appreated.
Thanks for all the postings
Merry Christmas & New Year

pistolero

The PTO provision gives you an access plate and mounting ability for an aftermarket PTO to drive accesories such as hydraulic pumps, compressors etc. It won't affect gas mileage and is just there for your covenience if you decide to install a PTO. I guess it could slightly affect mileage if they added an idler gear or two to facilitate this, but even then without anything hooked up the affect would be minimal..

Brutus

sdman,

Come June, I'll be hanging out on a river bank with my truck camper in the bed and a sore throat from yelling "fish on" so often. Last June, I reeled in a 48 pound king salmon. Not as big as the ones they catch further south on the Kenai River, but bigger than the Pacific Salmon they pull out of the Sound.

FYI, my sister lives just south of Tacoma and I've got a good friend that I e-mail regularly who works for SBA in Seattle. Too much rain in the Pacific NW for my preference. I'd take Montana or Idaho, though.

sdman

Brutus:

48 Lb. King Salmon! Fish on! I love it!

Unfortunately, around here we rarely see salmon that big in Puget Sound. I really enjoy trout fishing myself, and can't wait to throw my gear in the back of my new SD, and head up into the North Cascades. There are a few silvers living up there that have my name on them, and I intend to make a personal dent in the population!

Yes, it does rain a lot here, but that just makes the summers better...and after growing up in Northern Illinois, I can do without the snow (unless I choose to drive to it - it's about an hour east and 4000 ft. higher).

Before I ordered my SD, I test drove one in the rain to make sure that the windshield wipers were up to snuff. An important consideration here in soggy Seattle.

Have a great Christmas! Hope Santa brings everyone a new Super Duty for X-mas!

Brutus

Funny you should mention windshield wipers. When I picked up my truck, I didn't test them and they didn't work. Turned out that it was a problem with the wiring in the steering column. Fixed under warranty, of course. Naturally, I didn't know I had a problem until I was in the middle of a Dallas rainstorm. Fortunately, I caught it at home before I left for work, rather than stuck in traffic at rush hour.

adubahbi

Finally, thanks to lots of good input from the group, my dream truck is ordered. Now the waiting begins....y2k F250SD CC 4x4 LB Lariat V10,auto 3.73LS LT265s, Green/Gold...yahoo!!
got it for $500 over dealer invoice in NJ. Expect copy of DORA within 10days. Dealer expects ~8 weeks to get....we will see about that.
Happy Holidays to All!

smithrl1

Whiling away the week, wondering if my SD will be built today (supposed to be built the week of 12/20, per the VOPC) and it struck me: I don't know how many cubic inches in a V10. It's been a while since I took algebra, and the formula escapes me. I've driven Chevy's for years, and the 305/350 CI was just something I knew. Any clues, anyone??
Also, there's something strange going on with my VIN. The salesman keeps telling me it's not on the system yet, and I thought I was getting a runaround. Called the Ford 800 number for customers (not VOPC) and they were mystified as well. Recommended I call the regional sales manager. Has anyone heard of this before?
Finally, for the sunlight impaired, here in Atlanta sunrise was 7:38 a.m., sunset 5:32 p.m. However, photons/sq meter was probably lower than Anchorage. Didn't see the sun all day. . .

lilelmo

I'm not a mathematician or engineer, butI remember from my motorcycle days that a 1000 cc (1 liter) bike had 61 cubic inches diplacement for that 1000 Cubic centimeters and 1000cc = 1 liter displacement. (don't you love the metric system for dummies like me?) So.... if that one liter = 61 cubic inches per liter, then 6.8 L X 61 Cubic Inches per liter =414.8 Cubic inches for the V10. You might round it off to 415 C.I. Following the same formula, 5.4L X 61 Cubic inches= 329.4 or about 330 Cubic inches.

I had a salesman explain to me that the 5.4 was the replacement for the 5.8 (old 351) so the 6.8 would be replacing the 429 and/or 460. That makes the 4.6 a replacement for the 302. Not exactly straight up replacements, I guess, just marketing.

Dumb question for the group: Does the V-10 have a cast iron block or is it aluminum? Thanks.

Merry Christmas to all!

If you keep messing around with the math, you'll see that each cylinder in the 5.4 & 6.8 is .675L (5.4L/8cylinders= .675L/cylinder) (calculated).
8 cyl X .675L/cyl.= 5.4L engine
10 cyl X .675L/cyl.= 6.75L or a rounded 6.8L engine

Voila! Remember how the old 5.0 was really a 4.9? Cubes sell.

Modularity lives at Ford!!

KEH4x4

I think the V-10 is 415 cubic inches, give or take a few. Not really that huge considering the terrible gas mileage. But more smaller cylinders make it run smoother than fewer larger cylinders. Thats why these babies purr so smoothly reguardless of RPM or load.

Brutus

Since the 415cc V-10 produces more torque and hp, gets better mpg, and will require less maintenance than the 460 it replaces, isn't it safe to say that technology has made it possible to produce a smaller displacement engine that is more powerful and efficient than the older bigger cc engines? Diesels are headed the same way. The new PSD is suppose to be a 6.0L that will crank out 305hp and 550 torque vs the current 7.3L with 235/500. It will also be a couple hundred pounds lighter. Heck, one day, they should be able to put an engine on a computer chip. Never say never....

mimsbs

ADUBAHBI, Where did you buy in NJ for $500 over invoice?

jraske

If you are so concerned about damage from your gas cap why don't you just cut off the wire so you can remove it just like a after market type gas cap?
John

Brutus

You know whats funny about the gas cap issue is that when I occasionally drive another vehicle that doesn't have the wire, I often tend to forget it's not there and end up dropping the cap on the ground. I agree with jraske, just cut the wire and use it like a normal cap.

So much for the 15+ inches of snow that fell. A very high percentage of it is gone. The temp when I pulled into the parking lot this morning (according to my trip computer, which tends to be pretty close) was 51 degrees! That is in Anchorage Alaska, three days before Christmas.

snowey

I'm about to order F350 4wd SC 7.3D SRW 3.73LS LB Lariat 6sp. camper and tow pkgs, AT tires etc. Truck will be driven every day, multi-purpose with +50% job of pulling 4 horsetrailer (8-9k lb loaded)in mtns. I've lived all these years without 4wd, so don't expect to use it very often.

Planning to hold my ceiling at $500 over invoice. Saw the CA note about Farm Bureau members getting $500 kickback through Ford if 30day member by purchase date. Can any one tell me more about that. National offer (I'm in WA)? Is purchase date the day you pick it up or when?

What pro's/con's can you tell me about the shift-on-the-fly option?

Also, planned that if I found stability problems with camper/trailer during heavy use in summers I'd probably go to 10" rear wheels then and stud the factory 7" for winter use. I have 10" AT rears on my 74 F350 2WD 3.73 LS rearend Super Camper Special which dampen all trailer sway and I still get 60k miles to a set (Les Schwab) without rotation.

Also any advice on dealer undercoating? My dealer for $500 offers undercoating, paint and interior treatments that would go with warranty.

On warranties. Any reason to go with the extended warranty now versus waiting a year or two? Either case, any recommendations of non-dealer sources and pros/cons.

smithw1

The 6.8 V10 has Aluminum heads and a cast iron Head per 2000 Commercial Vehicle catalog.

smithw1

I meant cast Iron Block

northpole1

I had read posts concerning a possible V-10 shortage due to the factory fire, etc, so I called my salesman. He said there is a shortage of PSDs going into Excursions, but the SDs are having no problems getting their V-10s.

It probably has something to do with either dealer allocations or how many V-10s are already in the pipeline destined for SDs, or maybe both.

Hey Brutus...You guys under water down there?

Brutus

Just watched a Dodge 1/2 ton pull out of the parking lot a little agressively. He appeared to be trying to fishtail it a tad, but forgot out icy the side streets are and overdid it a tad. His right rear hit the snow bank, just barely, but he couldn't move. He jumped out of the truck, so I was guessing that he had manual hubs that he was going to lock out. Wrong. No 4wd and no limited slip. The only tire spinning was the one in the snow bank. I thought about offering to pull or push him out with my Ford. But we had more fun watching him dig a little and then getting splashed as he pushed and someone else drove. He got out. There just isn't any way I'd own a pickup without 4wd up here.

snowey, I have ESOF and it works great. I use it extensively up here in Alaska. I'm constantly going in and out of 4wd on the fly. I've had no problems with it and I've used it in temps cooler than -30.

I'm pretty sure Ford offers a rust warranty for 100,000 miles. I wouldn't get one from the dealer. They have a pretty healthy markup and don't do as good of a job as an aftermarket company. Personally, I wouldn't even do one after market. If you do go with an aftermarket warranty, be advised that it sometimes voids the factory rust warranty.

oturner1

I went by Reynold's this afternoon. They were taking my SD off the carrier just as I got there. I saw a 4 digit number written on the rear window that matched my VIN. Had my son check it out and they confirmed that it was mine!!!!!!! Said that it could be PDIed this evening or tomorrow AM. I told them to take their time and I will pick it up in the morning. No since rushing now after I've waited this long. I want everything to be right. Already have an appointment with the Line-X people for a bed liner tomorrow. K&N air filter and Husky Liner floor mats arrived in yesterday's mail. I'm going to have a great Christmas!!!!!!! By the way, it arrived the same week as the ETA. Hope yours is right behind mine.

mthm

I talked with my Ford Dealer about the Farm Bureau Membership rebate of $500 when you purchase a Ford Pick-up. He told me that the rebate expired in October of 1999 and was no longer available. Has anyone heard different?

handgunhunter

ESOF works great as others have stated if your main 4X4 use is on roads. For serious offroad 4X4 use, go with the manual hubs and shift stick. I've had that set-up for years (old Ford Ranger, old F-150, now F250 SD)and simply lock in the hubs when winter sets in (usually mid-Oct) and unlock them when spring arrives(usually April). I have never had a front end problem. I have had friends with ESOF tag along on some serious 4X4 off road trips that blew their electronic 4X4 out, it is just not meant for extended heavy duty 4X4 low usage.

My windshield wipers "worked" when I picked up my dark red beast last week. At least the cheap pieces of rubber went back and forth like they were supposed to. Anyway, during the mini-blizzard Brutus has mentioned, I quickly discovered that the factory wipers don't keep a windshield very slush-free. A quick stop at Shucks Auto Supply solved that problem!

`00 F250 SD CC XLT V8 4.1 LS 4X4 442 miles to date, 13.8 mpg/all city miles in snow, ice, slush with lots of stop and go. Thinking about installing a transom and dropping a 140 HP Yamaha outboard on the tailgate! Happy Holidays to all, and for those of you waiting, it is well worth it.

lilelmo

Thanks for the info on the block.

Had "she who must be obeyed in all things" at the dealer, Jacky Jones Ford in Cleveland today. We test drove a 00 CC in green like the red one I've got on order, with the whole family. They all wanted that one, today! I was so pleased. But... I'll wait on the red one.

I don't understand why Ford dropped the stick shift fwd with the self locking hubs. My 150 has been used fairly regularly for 6 years. No electronics, no getting out. Just back up 10'.

gtt1

'00 V10 cc 4wd 3.73ls: 16.8 mpg trip computer reset at 55 mph and cruise on for about 45 miles. Average is 11.5 for 225 miles with 50% in town. Anybody have any real experiance with K&N filters or any other milage/performance enhancing stuff (that does not require super unleaded). Also regarding the ESOF my salesman said its ok to go from 2wd to 4wd and back up to 55mph even on dry pavement, is this for real? I love my truck!!

wildside1

Congratulations on getting your much awaited Super Duty .......... My wife had some business in Norman again today so I went with her just to check out new deliveries and I saw yours sitting there about 2-3 pm today. After a guy gets to a certain age, it's hard to get impressed by a lot of things .......BUT....... your truck looked awsome.

We live in Yukon ... home of Garth. I had Line-X on my last pickup and just loved it. Will get it on my new SD. Be sure to tell the Line-X guys that Mary Lynch (my wife) of Mary Lynch Advertising sent you. She has been selling them plastic plates that they put in the bed with their name on it. Anyway, we had Line-X on the bed before she started doing business with them and loved it. We haul a lot of rock, dirt, etc. for personal landscaping.

Good luck and keep in touch!

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2000 to everyone in this Super Duty Group.

gossamar

...I think your salesmans' elevator does not go to the top floor. Under no circumstances should you drive in 4x4 range, HI or LOW on dry pavement for any length of time. This causes undo stress on all parts of the drivetrain...especially the u-joints. The u-joints are usually the weakest link in the drivetrain and are the first to break. Without getting into to much technical jargon..a four-wheel drive truck requires there to be a certain amount of 'slippage' in order to reduce the strain on the drivetrain. Wet roads, ice, snow, mud..all allow for this 'slippage' to occur. Take for example the new 'full-time 4x4' systems, they employ some sort of center differential to allow for slippage within the drivetrain as not to create to much pressure that would break parts.
You can drive in 4-wheel drive HI at almost any given speed if the road conditions warrant it, taking into consideration safety of course. If the road is snow packed in spots, I usually leave the 4x4 system engaged unless there is an extended dry patch. I have had my old ranger 4x4 many a time doing 70mph going down a snowy road.
Pick up any 4x4 magazine, or call your local transmission shop and they should tell you the same thing.
I have added some performance goodies to my truck as posted in earlier messages, but here is a quick review. I have a 00 250 xlt 4x4 sc v-10 auto, 3:73-ls. I have added BORLA cat-back exhaust, K/N filter, and JET Performance Chip upgrade. I do almost exclusively in-town driving and get a consistant 10-mpg, with heavy foot. Did take a trip to wisconsin and got about 14mpg, cruising 75-mph. I don't really have anything to compare it to as most goodies were on before the 1st tank of gas was empty. But the BORLA sounds GREAT and for a 6800# truck, it does move right along!! Hope the info helps......

slos

Just talked with a friend today at lunch that just got a '00 4x4 V-10 and he said that the manual for his truck stated to use 89 octane. I looked in my manual for my 99 V-10 and it says 87 octane minimum. Has anyone else seen this? Maybe this is where the extra horses came from, with a little extra advance too?

lilelmo

gossamer's right about the hard surfaces.4X2 only. We don't have much snow, but I've always thought hard packed, clean dirt roads(red clay around here in Georgia, is like rock in summer) are not smart either.

gtt1

Thanks, I figured as much. Maybe if it had a fluid coupling in the tranfer case it would work. With the chip can you run 87 octane fuel?

porky

After reading SLOS post #349 I had to go out and retrieve my owners manual from the truck. I thought I had read that 87 octane was "OK". Sure enough, on page #248, under "filling station information" it says required fuel -- Unleaded fuel only - 87 octane. I purchased a 00 V-10 F-250 and received delivery Dec. 11th. I am a very HAPPY CAMPER!!!! Waited 22 weeks but it was well worth it. To all : Happy Holidays!!!!

ff55

I have to agree with the folks above. Having worked at an performance atfermatket store for 5 years, I wish I had a dollar for every set of manual lockers I sold to someone with blown out auto's. Unless you only use your vehicle for getting groceries an such, get the manuals. If you forget to lock them before you go someplace you might get stuck, you deserve the dirty, wet shoes you'll be wearing when you climb back inside. Have a happy!

porky

From manual: Shift into 4x4 HI at speeds "UP TO" 55mph and should be done only when moving.

I will agree with Gossamar -- NO dry pavement with 4x4!!! It's a good way to tear things up in a hurry!!! But -- maybe the salesman is smarter than we think -- he gets a kick back from the shop for all the poor 4x4 souls he can send their way.

Also you might want to check your hubs periodically to make sure someone hasn't turned them from "auto" to "manual". A friend at work had someone do it to his Ford and drove it several miles before he figured out what was wrong. ( a practical joke I guess ) He was not to happy.

wildside1

When I saw your SD yesterday, I noticed the christmas lights you ordered were all the same color ..... you'd think Ford could put some red and green lamps with the amber. Hope you are enjoying the new arrival.

todlake

After a year of roaming this site, I've got to say that this is one of the most informative, level-headed sites regarding SDs I've found. My beast is now 9 months old, 13.5K, and I still get a thrill driving it! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Great 2000 to all!

ptridge

have had numerous problems with my 99. Vacuum problems resulting in HVAC not working, as well as
4x4 hubs engaging. Drive line problems. Has anyone
had brake problems. 13,000 miles and think I should have bought a Chevy.

tracyo

If you think you should have bought a chevy,and don't like your superduty you are at the wrong site. I think the only one here you might have something in common with is viperle.
Merry Christmas to all, I really enjoy this topic as I really enjoy my superduty!

shotgun1

00 4x4 SRW 5.4l Auto 4:10LS LB SC 950 miles. 11.01 MPG at this fillup. Mostly around town. Saw a post of 13.8 with same setup,and under 500 miles on truck, all around town! For real??? Merry X-mas to all

crazyelvis

Just hoping all of you have a great christmas and a better new year!!! I will be in my underground bunker awaiting Y2K!!! Pistachio ice cream, peanut butter and nana sandwiches and pork rinds!!! Enough for everyone!!!!!
SEEEEEEEEEEE YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa!!!!!!!

ibsmurf

Just discovered this forum. After reading most of these posts, glad to see I made the right truck choice. Ordered Y2K 4X4 SC SB V10 5spd wedgewood blue/silver on 10/27. Last check with the dealer (this morning) says scheduled for production 12/20 w/ delivery 1/10. Can't wait to get it. Can somebody give me the vopc #. This is the first I've heard of being able to check the status w/o calling the dealer and waiting 3 days for the salesman to call back. Thanks, and Happy Holidays!!!!!!!

adubahbi

I ordered mine at Loman Ford in Parsippany. Ask for Bob Joseph. I've bought two other cars there. Good service dept.
Good Luck.

gossamar

They recomend 93 octane with the chip, but I use AMOCO 89-octane in the monster and it seems to do fine...no pinging under 'aggressive' acceleration...just the sweeeet sound of the V-10 through the BORLA. If interested in purchasing some aftermarket goodies, let me know...I have a good contact at one of the mail order places...VERY good prices!!
...We are MAYBE suppose to get 2" of snow tonight..might finally get to "LOCK & LOAD" the 4x4 system for the 1st time!!!!! Only thing we have got so far is maybe .5 inch, just enough to coat some parking lots, side streets...although the LS axle makes it easy to turn around!!

bess

The VOPC procedures are well documented at www.ford-diesel.com faq section 2.2. (This is better than repeating it all here.)

porky

Got a chuckle but had to wonder if your UNDERGROUND BUNKER had an OVERSIZED door!!!!!!! Pistachio ice cream, peanut butter & nana sandwiches with pork rinds -- you forgot goo goo cluster ice cream with a can of almond roca candy covered in one gallon of hot fudge and marshmallows!!!! B/4 you hibernate you should probably retrofit your opening with an 8ft garage door!!! Have a happy Y2K!!!!