c/ford-truck-enthusiasts

Met a guy at a gas station in Flagstaff who swore by his '99 F-250 for hauling firewood.

He told me, 'This old truck has pulled more logs than most new ones will ever see.' Has anyone else had a random chat that made you appreciate your rig more?

My 2018 F-150's cam phaser rattle showed up right at 72,000 miles

It started as a faint knock on cold starts about two months ago, and now it sounds like a bag of rocks for a full 3 seconds every morning. I took it to my local shop in Springfield and they confirmed it, quoting me over $2,800 for the fix. I'm doing the work myself this weekend with a buddy, but it's a huge job. Has anyone else had luck with the aftermarket lockout kits, or should I just stick with the Ford parts?

A guy at a gas station in Boise told me my 5.0 V8 was 'overkill for a daily driver' and for the next 6 months I secretly agreed with him, until I used it to pull his Chevy 2500 out of a ditch during a snowstorm last week.

He handed me a coffee after and just said, 'Guess I was the one who didn't get it,' which finally made me appreciate having the right tool for a job you don't see coming.

Heads up about the new 'performance' fuel at the station on Route 9

Last Tuesday I filled my F-150's 36-gallon tank with that premium 'Xtreme' blend from the QuickFill near the interstate. By Thursday morning, the check engine light was on and it was running rough at idle. My mechanic in Springfield said he's seen three trucks this week with the same issue, all from that batch. He thinks it had some bad additive that gummed up the sensors. Cost me $220 to flush the system and replace a sensor. Has anyone else had problems with that specific gas station recently, or is it just a weird fluke?

The 7.3L Godzilla is a better engine than the old 6.7 Powerstroke, and I'm tired of pretending it's not.

Three years ago I bought a 2021 F-250 with the 7.3L gas engine after my 2016 Powerstroke had its third turbo issue. I've put 60,000 miles on it hauling my 32-foot camper from Phoenix to Colorado every summer without a single check engine light. Why are diesel guys still paying the extra $10,000 when this motor is this reliable?

I called the whole 'truck bed liner as sound deadener' thing a joke until my buddy's F-150 proved me wrong

He drives a 2018 F-150 with the 5.0 and the road noise was pretty bad. He said he sprayed three cans of that rubberized undercoating stuff in the wheel wells and on the back of the cab wall. I laughed and told him he just made a sticky mess. We took it on the highway to Duluth a week later, and I swear the cab was 50% quieter. No more ringing from gravel hits either. He spent maybe 40 bucks total. Has anyone else tried something this cheap that actually worked?

Can we talk about people who think any 5.0L V8 is a 'Coyote' engine? My buddy in Dallas just called his 2004 F-150's motor a Coyote and I had to explain they didn't exist until 2011.

My brother told me to run 87 octane in my 5.0 F-150 for years, and I think he was wrong

My older brother, who has owned a few Fords, always said using premium gas in my 2018 F-150 with the Coyote V8 was a waste of money. He insisted the truck was built for 87 and that's all it needed. For about three years, I listened to him, filling up with regular at the station down the road. The truck ran fine, but I always felt it was a little sluggish pulling my small camper up hills on I-70. Last month, I decided to try a tank of 91 octane just to see, and the difference was real. The engine felt smoother, the throttle response was quicker, and it didn't seem to downshift as much on those same grades. It made me wonder if I've been leaving power and maybe even some fuel economy on the table this whole time. Has anyone else done a long term test with different fuels in their newer gas trucks and seen a clear benefit?

Finally got my 2001 F-150's heater core swapped in my freezing garage last night after three tries and a lot of spilled coolant.

Has anyone else found a trick for getting those lower heater box bolts back in without dropping them into the abyss?

Question about the 10th gen F-150 5.4L spark plug issue

I was hauling a load of lumber near Spokane when my '04 F-150 started running rough and lost power. I pulled over and found cylinder 8 had blown its plug out of the head, stripping the threads. Everyone online said to just use a thread insert kit, but I didn't trust it. I took the head off and had a machine shop weld and re-drill the hole, which cost me $450 and two days. Has anyone else gone this route instead of the quick fix?

Just read that the original F-150 Lightning concept had a 775 horsepower electric motor.

Found that fact in a magazine at the auto shop yesterday. It makes the current production model's power seem almost tame. Did anyone else think the concept was way more wild?

My wife pointed out my truck is basically our second living room now

We were cleaning it out yesterday and she said, 'You know, you spend more time in this cab than you do in your own chair at home.' She was right. I keep my good coffee thermos in there, my work gloves, the dog's leash, and about six different charging cables. The back seat has held everything from bags of mulch to my nephew's soccer gear. It hit different because I always thought of it as just a tool, but she sees it as part of our daily life. I guess I turned it into a mobile base camp without even noticing. Has anyone else's truck just sort of become an extra room for all your stuff?

Trying to find the right door latch for my '96 F-150 took me three whole weekends.

The old one was shot, so I figured it was a simple parts store trip. First one I bought was for the wrong side, even though the box said driver's. Second one fit, but the actuator rod was about an inch too short. Ended up having to go to a salvage yard over in Bakersfield and pull one off a wreck myself. The whole thing should have been a two-hour job. Anyone else have a parts hunt turn into a month-long project?

Vent: I used to think the 6.7 Power Stroke was too much engine for a daily driver.

For years, I drove a 7.3 and thought the newer 6.7 diesels were just for heavy towing or showing off. My mind got changed after a trip to Boise last fall. I borrowed my brother's 2020 F-250 with the 6.7 to haul a trailer loaded with two ATVs. The difference wasn't just power, it was how it drove empty. Coming back with just the truck, I got over 22 miles per gallon on the highway by keeping my foot light, something my old truck could never do. The turbo lag I expected was barely there, and it was quiet inside, almost like a car. It made the 400 mile drive feel easy. I still love the older trucks, but I finally see why people pick the 6.7 for more than just work. Has anyone else been surprised by how usable the newer diesels are for regular driving?

My 2015 F-150's cam phasers gave out on the highway near Toledo

I was driving home from a job site last Tuesday when the engine started making a terrible racket, like marbles in a tin can. The truck, a 2015 F-150 with the 3.5 EcoBoost, had just over 110,000 miles on it. The check engine light flashed and it lost all power. I had to coast to the shoulder of I-75. I called a tow to the nearest dealer, who confirmed it was the cam phasers. They quoted me $2,800 to fix it, saying it's a common issue with that generation. I'm stuck deciding if I should pay for the repair or try to do it myself in my garage, but I've never torn into an engine that deep. Has anyone here tackled a cam phaser replacement on a 3.5, and how bad was it?

Pro tip: My 2018 F-150's blend door actuator took a whole weekend to fix, not an hour.

I followed the common advice that it's a quick job behind the glovebox, but the specific design on my truck with the dual-zone climate meant the whole dash support beam was in the way. It took me about 14 hours over two days to carefully drop the steering column and remove enough trim to get a straight shot at the last bolt. Has anyone else with the newer body style run into this specific access nightmare?

My best week with the truck started with a busted alternator

Honestly, last Tuesday my '97 F-150's alternator died in the Walmart parking lot in Springfield. I called my buddy Jim, who brought his tools and we swapped it right there in the lot, which took about 2 hours. The next day, I used the truck to help three different neighbors move some big stuff, like a fridge and a couch. By Friday, a guy at the gas station even offered to buy it on the spot for $3500. Has anyone else had a rough start turn into a week that just made you love your old truck even more?

My kid asked why my truck is so loud and it made me stop and think

My 8 year old niece was over last weekend. She pointed at my F-150 with the aftermarket exhaust and just said, 'Uncle Julia, why does your truck yell all the time?' I laughed at first. But then she got serious and asked if it was sad or angry. I tried to explain it was for power and sound. She just shrugged and said her friend's dad has a truck that's quiet and can still pull their camper. I've spent maybe $1200 on exhaust stuff over the years, chasing that classic rumble. Her simple question really hit different. Made me wonder if I just got used to the noise. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where a simple comment from a non-enthusiast made you question a mod?

Appreciation post: The $80 bed liner spray kit that saved my tailgate from my dog

My lab jumped out and scratched the heck out of it, but that Herculiner roll-on kit covered everything up and looks decent. Anyone have a good trick for keeping pets from using the truck as a launch pad?

Appreciation post: The time I tried to replace a tail light on my '97 F-250 and it turned into a two-day project

So my driver's side tail light went out on my old F-250. Figured it was a simple bulb swap, maybe 15 minutes tops. Got the new bulb from the auto parts store in town, no problem. The issue was the rusted-in screw holding the whole assembly in place. I tried every trick in the book, from penetrating oil to an impact driver. After about three hours of fighting it, I gave up for the day. Came back the next morning, and my neighbor Larry saw me struggling. He brought over his torch, which I was scared to use, but we gently heated it up. That finally did the trick! What should have been a quick fix took me a full weekend. Anyone else have a simple job on their truck turn into a huge ordeal because of one stubborn part?

My 2005 F-150 just rolled over 300,000 miles on the original engine

I always figured I'd need a rebuild or a new truck by 250k, but I've just kept up with basic oil changes and used good filters. The odometer hit that big number yesterday on my way home from work, and the old 5.4 Triton is still running smooth. What's the highest mileage you've seen on one of these motors without a major rebuild?

Met a guy at a gas station in Flagstaff who only drives F-150s from the 80s

He said he's owned seven of them because 'they're simple, and you can fix anything with a hammer and a crescent wrench.' Anyone else stick to a specific generation like that?

Question about the Ford Performance tune for a 2018 F-150

I dropped about $600 on the Ford Performance calibration kit for my truck. It was a simple plug-in deal, took maybe 20 minutes in my driveway. The power bump is real, especially when towing my camper up hills. I was worried about the warranty, but since it's a Ford part, my dealer said it was fine. The gas mileage did drop a little when I'm heavy on the throttle, though. Has anyone else run this tune long-term and seen any issues?

I finally understood the shift after seeing my old '96 F-150 next to my neighbor's new PowerBoost at the gas station in Tulsa last week.

Back in '96, we just needed a truck to haul feed and pull a flatbed, but now the conversation is all about payload capacity, hybrid systems, and whether the onboard generator can run a jobsite saw, which makes me wonder if the core idea of a simple, tough work truck is getting lost in all the new tech.

Just realized my brother's 2WD F-150 is more useful than my 4x4

He pointed out that in our flat city, he's saved thousands on gas and maintenance over five years, while I've only used my 4WD twice. Are we over-spec'ing our trucks for daily life?