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Thread: new to HD trucks and a question...

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    new to HD trucks and a question...

    So sunday im going to florida to look at an 02HD. it looks like its been very well taken care of in the pics. my question is, is there anything in particular I should look for or check out specific to these trucks? im very mechanically inclined but just looking for specific things I should be looking out for on the 02 HD's. earlier this year he replaced both heads, timing chain, and full tune up. the truck has 140k miles. Also what is a fair deal for one with that type of mileage? thanks
    Last edited by Blowthisracing; 12-16-2016 at 01:23 PM.

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    I'd probe the owner as to why the heads needed to be replaced. Replacing the heads is a red flag to me that indicates two possibilities:
    -either the truck was modded and didn't get the proper supporting mods which caused internal damage
    -or it was neglected in general.

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    his son was driving it and it overheated due to a cracked radiator

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    How many previous owners of the truck?

    Have you inquired about any current or past mods to the truck by the current or any previous owners? If so, what are/were the mods?

    For me the owner's story raises a red flag. I don't deny that parts fail but I've been around these trucks and very active in various L/HD forums over the years and radiator failure is an issue I've rarely heard mentioned. What I have seen countless times over the years is preventable (and sometime unforeseeable) engine damage and engine failures caused owners and their family members.

    Its common for people to beat the piss out of these trucks when they borrow them from friends and family members because they are "performance" oriented trucks. The problem is that they don't know the nuances of these trucks, especially if the trucks have been modded. Case and point... from the factory these truck MUST have fuel with a minimum octane of 91 octane. Many "average" owners probably don't know this and run lower octane fuel as a means to save cost at the pump. You can be assured most family and friends aren't filling up with the proper octane. Poor fuel quality and wide-open-throttle (WOT) results in detonation. The plug bosses on the PI heads used in these motors are very susceptible to detonation. As these trucks are modded fuel quality, tuning, and supporting mods become increasingly important to prevent engine damage/engine failure.

    I won't say that the owner is lying to you but I do question the legitimacy of what he's telling you. Its possible that the truth lies somewhere between what he's telling you and what really happened, and its possible that the owner doesn't even know the real truth of the matter. Based on my experience I'd be more inclined to say that the son was racing/beating the piss out of the truck which contributed to the head damage. If the truck is/was modded at the time than the likelihood of that is much higher.

    This is all absolute speculation on my part, but its worth consideration and discussion with the owner.

    Replacement of the timing components isn't a concern, especially at 140,000 miles. Its common for the timing components in these trucks to need replacement after 100,000 miles. Hopefully all of the timing components (chains, tensioners, chain guides) were replaced at the same time.

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    Yea all timing components were changed not just the chain. He is the second owner of the truck, he has owned it for 10 years. It is bone stock other than exhaust. You could be right, the son could have pullied it and blew it up. There's just no sure fire way to tell if he had aftermarket parts on then pulled them and put it back stock. He actually gave me the number to the mechanic that did all the work but that doesn't mean he didn't put a bug in his ear before I actually called. But when I asked for the number, he did respond to my text rather quickly so he may or may not have had time to call him before I did. The mechanic had the same story as his about the radiator and gave a run down of parts that were replaced. I looked the phone number up on google after the call and it was a ligit auto repair shop. The pics looked like the truck was very well taken car of inside and out, but we will see when I actually get there what it looks like. I can always just walk away from the deal, there are other HD's out there. But if the truck checks out, what do you think would be a fair price?

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    I always reference Kelly Blue Book and NADA when buying a vehicle to give me ballpark figure of what to expect for vehicles o varying mileage and condition. KBB is a better reference for private party buying/selling whereas NADA is what dealership use. Without looking I have no idea what a 2002 HD with 140,000 miles is valued at, but I suspect $8k at a minimum if its in good condition. My HD is an 02 with 140,000 on the odometer that's in decent condition, I'm confident I could get $8k without too much effort.

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    How much are you looking to spend on a HD truck? Agree with that has been said above. There are others available that likely have less drama/history to have to worry about.

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    I know where there's a clean, low mileage 03 Shamu up for grabs and the truck's history is fully verifyable. Its just a matter of your budget. PM me if you prefer to keep your budget confidential.

    If it wasn't for the fact that I just paid off my HD on Thursday and that I'm looking forward to having no truck payment for a while I would buy the truck I'm talking about, sight unseen.

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    My biggest problem is myself. I hate the shamus and I don't want a black one. The only one I really like is the 02 grey ones in which they only made in 02 with the SC. So I'm very limited to what is available to me within a reasonable driving distance.

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    So I end up buying the truck. The body is super straight and the truck feels good. From lookin for one of these trucks for the last 3 months it is nearly impossible to find a 02-03 that hasn't been modded. This one followed suit as it had intake, headers, exhaust, and was pullied. But it did make a 5 hour trip back to Georgia without a hiccup with all types of driving involved in the rain(stop and go, constant 40-60 speeds and 75-80 on interstate). Also had a few extras on it that I liked ( spray in bed liner, damn near new tires, tow package with 7pin hook up, and a add a leaf for towing). Also the interior was in outstanding condition! I've owned nothing but used cars my entire life and the interior in this truck looked like it was a 2-3 year old vehicle. Very well taken care of. Made me feel like if they took care of the interior this well, why would they completely thrash the truck? To me it made the overheating/ cracked radiator story more believable. He also had receipts for the work that was performed. I paid 10k for it and felt I got a fair deal. From what I have seen the charcoal grey HD's typically go for a little more. Maybe because they were only produced with the SC in 02? It only had 131,000 miles on it( seller fat fingered the text) anyways, I really like the truck, oh yea and I got 13.8 MPG coming home but I stayed out the petal. That's better than my 2000 f150 5.4 4x4!

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    '03 Shamu/Build #04441
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    So lets see her!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blowthisracing View Post
    My biggest problem is myself. I hate the shamus and I don't want a black one. The only one I really like is the 02 grey ones in which they only made in 02 with the SC. So I'm very limited to what is available to me within a reasonable driving distance.
    You don't have to explain yourself to me, my last several vehicles have been DSG or a similar color.
    -2003 Honda CBR 954RR (Titanium/Black)
    -2003 Lightning (Dark Shadow Grey) - Sold in 2009, re-purchased in 2011
    -2003 Super Duty F-350 Power Stroke, Crew Cab, long bed, 4x4 (Dark Shadow Grey)
    -2002 HD (Dark Shadow Grey)

    I've always loved the Shamu but opted for a DSG HD to have a matching pair of trucks. In retrospect I wish I would have went with a Shamu.



    Quote Originally Posted by Blowthisracing View Post
    So I end up buying the truck... From lookin for one of these trucks for the last 3 months it is nearly impossible to find a 02-03 that hasn't been modded. This one followed suit as it had intake, headers, exhaust, and was pullied. But it did make a 5 hour trip back to Georgia without a hiccup with all types of driving involved in the rain(stop and go, constant 40-60 speeds and 75-80 on interstate). Also had a few extras on it that I liked ( spray in bed liner, damn near new tires, tow package with 7pin hook up, and a add a leaf for towing).... Made me feel like if they took care of the interior this well, why would they completely thrash the truck? To me it made the overheating/ cracked radiator story more believable. He also had receipts for the work that was performed.
    Congrats on the new truck and welcome to the brotherhood . What's the number on the build plate in the center console? Some owners have been able to learn more about the history of their truck because a previous owner was a forum member. Check out the NHTOC 2002 HD Info thread and the Lightning Rodder HD F-150 Build Number thread.

    When modded, even extensively, these trucks can be very reliable. My Lightning is far from stock and was my daily driver for 80,000 and into the 11 Second Club with the factory long block. My efforts to learn these trucks inside and out and to learn all of the pros, cons, benefits, pitfalls and shortcomings of modding these trucks (both the L and the HD) is why I was able to gain entrance into the "Stock Block 11 Second Club" with my Lightning and that same knowledge is why the truck is still running strong on the stock block.

    I'm sure your new toy is a solid, reliable truck but I'm still am a little suspicious of the root cause of the head damage. Knowing that the truck has been modified lends creedence to my suspicion that modification factored into the damage. The most well kept interior gives no indication of the previous owners' mechanical aptitude, their knowledge of these trucks, or how well informed their modding choices were. Its amazing how many owners make poorly informed modding choices. Something as simple as a faulty IC pump or as unpreventable as getting a bad tank of fuel can wreak havoc on these motors. These dangers increase as the performance envelop is pushed.

    As I mentioned in a previous reply, likelihood of internal damage increases significantly with modification, especially when using pulley to increase boost. You would be surprised how many people are unaware of critical supporting mods that must accompany an increase in boost. These mods include but are not limited to:
    -cooler range spark plugs
    -tune
    -MAF
    -fuel pumps
    -injectors

    Welcome to the brotherhood, I highly recommend taking the time to read this thread:

    Lightning and HD Modding 101

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    Yea I get it. I just have to see what I'm working with as far as upgrades to see what I need to upgrade to be able to support the extra boost. Injectors are stock green top 42's I do know that. I will have to check the size of the maf out but I do know the intake is a c&L. I just have to do some digging and inspecting to see what I'm actually working with then go from there. And I need to hook my wideband out of my mustang up to it. That will tell me A good bit of info about my supporting air/fuel mods. Also need to pull a plug and look at it as well. Bad thing is I have surgery on my shoulder Thursday. I'll post a pic of truck and number sometime today. And of course I'll have more questions to come soon. ThAnks fellas

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    Thanks for the links throttlejockey! Wealth of knowledge on them! Hopefully I'll have some good finds while inspecting what I have

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    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    WELCOME to NHTOC!



    Let's see some pics of the truck.

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