Thoughts on this van? Ford E350 extended high top.

[One Awesome Inch]

I am on the verge on buying a new-to-me van. Its a 1999 High Top Extended E350 Triton V8. 125,000 km or 78,000 miles.

The extended van with a high top would be great in terms of roominess but I can't help but wonder what mpg I would get with it with it being the E350 and everything.

Any idea of the mpg it would get?

 

[BC Guy]

You need to know the size of the engine to get the mpg.
I guess it is this van.
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/ctd/5294653402.html
I could not see your picture.
Since it is a work van, it may smell of oil, etc.

 

[wagoneer]

Parts are easy they used the same body design for over 10 years and most are white, I have a window version but wanted a diesel, so milage does vary 26 gallon tank I get 500 plus miles per refill depending on terrain the high top is heavy double wall fiberglass but does pay for itself in comfort.
It has shown it,s weakness but not all at once so I had a financial break between. I would recommend this platform, with the gas moter not so much.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

I believe it's a 5.4 litre triton v8.

 

[karenishere]

My new one is a 1994 Dodge 350 5.9L V8 gas engine with a not-so-high-top. Not sure but I think that should be somewhat comparable? Hope to pick it up and road test the mpg on the way home within a couple of days, I'll post it.

 

[Gary68]

a couple things to note

that top lets the light in because it is thin,you being urban it shouldn't matter much

its for sale at a dealer,posted 2 months ago,if its a large new car dealer then they do not want this at the lot any more and will be headed to auction pretty soon, i would start at $3000 cash on the table and stand firm,keep saying "do you want the cash or the old work van"

if its at a small used car dealer then they wont move that much,down to 5 or so

 

[eDJ_]

Ford's Triton Engines have had some spark plug issues you may want to read about before you purchase this Van.

Why Do Spark Plugs Eject From Ford's Engines?


http://www.fordproblems.com/trends/triton-engine/spark-plug-ejection.shtml




Way back in my high school years when I was learning to work on cars,  I was taught never to
install a plug with a longer "reach" than what was specified.  (or one with a shorter one for that matter)

But Ford has been doing this with miserable results.   What happens is that the exposed threads that extend into the combustion chamber become clogged with baked on deposits which makes them nearly impossible to
remove.  This is where you hear about plugs breaking when they try to remove them.  Also you hear owners
grumbling about how the plugs have very few threads in the cylinder head to hold the plug in place and when those under engineered threads fatigue the plugs are blown through the hood of the vehicle.

As a teen I would visit the local Drag Strip and watch the "AA class Blown Gassers" run.  Often blowing their plugs when launching off the starting line.  These were massive 392 Chrysler HEMI's that made as much noise
as you would expect if you stood next to the Space Shuttle on take off.  (cranking out 1200 to 1400 hp)
But those were racing motors that ran a quarter mile in the blink of an eye. 

These Triton's are service motors which should be dependable and last for years.  (and haven't too well)

If I were going to turn some wrenches on these Triton's,  I'd put a water injector on the engine and run it for
a month to decarbonize the combustion chamber.   Then......maybe the plugs could be removed without much trouble.  I would probably try to back the plug out a turn, if it would, and then hit the base of the plug
with a shot of PB Glaster or brake fluid and then tighten it up a turn.  Then see if the penetration would allow
for removing the plug. (this may require three or four efforts over a weeks time) 

Then I'd look to see if there wasn't a better plug with appropriate reach for this application, so this wouldn't be an ongoing problem. 

But this is the most basic problem I've heard of with these Triton engines.  I've seen these V10's in Vans.  I can imagine nursing 10 plugs out of one of these V 10 Triton's and getting them all out without breaking one.

 

[East]

Yeah I have a 5.4l with no history of plug ejection. Only buy a 5.4 with service records to show that plug ejection hasn't been an issue, or avoid the engine completely if you'd rather not even think of that weakness. Just want to say many owners never encounter plug ejection, including the million mile van guy that had one and people I've known over the years. The only thing I've changed since owning this engine is having my spark plugs done at the dealership. If anything goes wrong they're fishing it out, not me. There are other options out there though so keep looking, it really is hit or miss on these and you could get the lemon. If you don't have the funds to remedy an issue like this stay away regardless.

 

[karenishere]

Ok ... wow ... this may be a fluke, but driving back from Phoenix I put in 135 miles, and when I filled up again at home, I'd used 8.63 gallons of gas. That's 15.6 mpg, all highway.

 

[Canine]

KARENISHERE,maybe some new plugs would help.Also check that the tire pressure is up.

 

[karenishere]

lol Bob, I will, but I was actually surprised and reasonably pleased with 15.6, someone had said to expect 10-ish.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yeah I have a 5.4l with no history of plug ejection. Only buy a 5.4 with service records to show that plug ejection hasn't been an issue, or avoid the engine completely if you'd rather not even think of that weakness. Just want to say many owners never encounter plug ejection, including the million mile van guy that had one and people I've known over the years. The only thing I've changed since owning this engine is having my spark plugs done at the dealership. If anything goes wrong they're fishing it out, not me. There are other options out there though so keep looking, it really is hit or miss on these and you could get the lemon. If you don't have the funds to remedy an issue like this stay away regardless.

So if the dealership does the plugs and the Sparkplug gets stuck etc... they are on the hook for the labour costs And to remedy the situation? I assume that they should be but those dealerships can be real sleazy.

 

[East]

I just bring it up, they know full well that this can be an issue with the 5.4l because of the plug design. While I've never had an issue having them break off when changed I'm clear with them about my expectation that they cover additional labor in the event of something like that happening before I even agree to have it done. The fact is that Ford actually made a specific tool to extract the bottom part of the plug if this happens, and all of the dealers have it on hand. It's a pretty crummy thing to deal with on your own which is why I wouldn't recommend doing them yourself. Extraction with the tool takes roughly 10 minutes, it's not a super long process for any dealership in the event it does happen, so being charged a huge premium for it would definitely be super sleazy. It's hard to recommend the engine because of some of the shortfalls, but I want to say again not everyone has these issues, but the ones that do are rightly upset. There's a certain level of risk you'd assume buying a 5.4l, if you have better options take them. I personally love mine and have driven with it long enough to feel like I'm not gambling with it, but going into one there's definitely that risk of the lemon. But I guess that is the case with most vehicles regardless.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Great info... thanks so much. ☺

 

[akrvbob]

I have a friend with the 5.4 and had 220,000 on it, never a problem with the plugs. Christmas eve it pukes a plug in the middle of nowhere. I don't think it's a matter if you get past the risk. My GUESS is, the higher the mileage the greater the risk.

Until they finally fixed the 5.4, I don't understand why anybody buys a Ford. At the same time they had the 5.4 gas they had the 6 diesel. Both were terribly flawed and Ford refused to take responsibility or make it right. They simply cheated all those customers.

Just after Ford produced that mess of a 5.4, Chevy came out with the 5.3. It was as flawless as the 5.4 is flawed. Somehow they got it right and it's simply a great motor, much more power than the 350/5.7 and much better MPG and trouble-free. It also has a better transimission.

I don't know why anybody would buy a Ford.
Bob

 

[speedhighway46]

I bought a Ford in 2003 because of the 7.3 liter diesel, widely agreed to be one of the best diesels ever made; along with the C15 Cat. Not a single problem in 156,000 miles; with at least 200,000 more to come!

Due diligence requires checking the history and reliability of any vehicle you are intending to buy; every manufacturer makes good stuff, and junk. Buyer beware.

 

[coultergeist]

My vehicle is actually pretty similar.  Its an E350 extended former handicap patient hauler.  Its high top is actually a bit taller than that one.  So far I've been really happy with it.  With good planning you can make an awesome home out of it.  I don't have any experience with that engine.  Mine has a 460 in it.  Currently sitting at 228,000 miles and going strong.  Great power and no problems other than very minor things like replacing battery cables and one freeze plug.  I would envy 15.6 mpg though.  That's the only down side I have.  I average about 12 mpg or so on the highway, closer to 10 mpg in city driving.

 

[highdesertranger]

well they all have their problems, Ford's engine problems have been an on going problem since the phased out the 7.3 diesel and went to aluminum heads on their gassers. not to mention other issues. GM got rid of their solid front axle in 91 and lost a large percentage of their work truck market. let's face it people who want simplicity don't want an independent 4x4 and then their the ignition switch problem led to a host of issues. then you have Dodge, while the Cummins and the 318 gasser are great engines. their trannies have problems, their unibodies have problems. fleet owners I know say the motors run great but the truck falls apart around the great motor. so pick your poison. let's face it no one makes a basically simple heavy duty truck any more. they are all city trucks or pavement trucks if you prefer. that is what the maketeers say will sell for the highest profit margin. highdesertranger

 

[East]

I agree with that sentiment definitely, seems like a lot of what's on the market isn't up to snuff these days. I think when I buy again (whenever that time comes) I'm going to go specifically for something with the 7.3L, even if it is older. But until then this will have to do.

I did a lot of digging on google tonight to try to get this sorted for me and make sure nothing I said was wrong (I don't want to put poor information out there, honestly).

What I found was that the 5.4L in this vehicle, along with mine (any 2V 5.4L, mostly pre mid 2003) has a chance of experiencing spark plug ejection issues. The consensus seems to be that the pre 2003 2V variation have less threads for plugs to bite into than is traditionally found. The plugs torqued at their factory specifications is extremely important, having a shop do it that won't abide by this will easily result in damaged threading, more so than on other engines due to the small number of threads. This ultimately leads to plug ejection. Using any kind of seizing agent on the plugs can lead to this issue as well. The plugs should ideally be platinum coated 1x or 2x to help with the aluminum heads heating/cooling and that kind of contraction. Beyond this there isn't much to be done to abate the issue.

Ford attempted to remedy the issue around 2003. The 5.4L 3V (not 2V) started being used on a lot of vehicles, these typically had 8 threads rather than the initial 4. This introduced another problem while stopping ejection issues found in the 2V. The longer spark plugs had the potential of getting stuck in carbon buildup and breaking into up to 3 pieces, so Ford released a tool for the extraction of said pieces which I mentioned earlier. Both of these issues should have had recalls, if you ask me. I hope the engineers that thought up either of these designs got a new career.

But in conclusion I was mistaken, spark plugs breaking should NOT be an issue on this vehicle, or mine, just ejection (which is still pretty serious). Breaking issues are mainly with 3V 5.4L variations found past 2003.

New heads are rarely pursued and instead Time-Sert after market repair kits are used to repair ejected plugs, which are still pricey but much less than replacement heads. I'm curious, what repair approach did they end up taking Bob? Or did they just get rid of it and call it a day at 220K?

Anyways safe travels everyone. As speedhighway has said, buyer beware.

 

[akrvbob]

East, she just had a mechanic re-sleeve the plug. It's so common any shop can do it. I'm not sure of the price because she had other things done, I think between $200-$500.

HDR, yeah, I'm just talking about vans not cars and trucks. I really haven't kept up with either of those. Even with the front axle I'd still buy a Chevy truck, any one old enough I can afford, Chevy simply has better engines and transmissions.
Bob