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looking at buying one of the svt's got a question

S

slow-n-low02

New CEG'er
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
18
Location
alton il
welp as i stand back an read some of ure info.. i get more excited about makeing one of these little cars part of my everyday life.. but then i see alot of people talking bout replaceing the motors at low miles.. that tosses me into a few concerns..

are these not to reliable of cars.. i am just curious b4 i venture out an drop x amonut of cash on one.

currently i just drive around the old beater.. which is my 96 tbird 4.6lt... but she is feeling her age an abuse of previous owners an myself.. at 170k on her.

an then my weekend toy is my 02 bagged ranger..
but i am lookin for somthing to replace the bird.. thats y i look towards these cars.

any help would be greatful.

thanks
jd
 
Well just as everything goes in life its all on how its taken care of..My motor went out at 88K some have ran over 200k..Dont be scared to buy one..Take your time looking and find a clean one that you like. 100K isnt a big deal as long as it was taken care of..If you can afford a lower mileage SVT thats great go for it..Welcome to CEG also..Feel free to search the forums and the old forums for alot of your concerns.
Edit:Main reason for the motors going is the Oil starvation that the 2.5L duratec is known for. It can be taken care of but not cured, Run 6.5Qt's of oil and no hard right hand turns. The drain back in the heads doesnt flow enough when under hard acceleration and there for the Lower end goes out over time.IIRC other will chime in and be a bit more of help.
 
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You do realize that you aren't going to necessarily be getting a "newer" vehicle if you are noting the miles on your T-Bird as an indicator of "tiredness." Many SVT's are getting up and over 100K miles by now. While that 4.6L doesn't have the twin cam goodness of the 2.5L, it has probably led a much more leisurely life than many of the SVT engines, plus the mistreatment of the manual transaxle in many cases. That said, any information you seek on the longevity of an SVTC is here and all you have to do is search for it. :idea:
Karl
 
my 95 has over 200K on it and it runs better than my svt with 124K on it. just have to see how the previous owner treated them. the 95 had nothing but mobil 1 at ever 3k miles its whole life and it shows.
 
Theres both a FAQ and a thread at the top with common problems.

Between myself and my brother weve owned 3 contours and none have had major problems with things that have been unmodified. Both my brothers 2000 SVT and my 99 SVT are relatively stock and we have only done regular maintenance to the cars.
 
get one...bout 80k miles on the engine, no probs period!
 
98SVTC said:
You do realize that you aren't going to necessarily be getting a "newer" vehicle if you are noting the miles on your T-Bird as an indicator of "tiredness." Many SVT's are getting up and over 100K miles by now. While that 4.6L doesn't have the twin cam goodness of the 2.5L, it has probably led a much more leisurely life than many of the SVT engines, plus the mistreatment of the manual transaxle in many cases. That said, any information you seek on the longevity of an SVTC is here and all you have to do is search for it. :idea:
Karl
Click to expand...

any vehicle will be newer compared to my tbird. plus one big issue with the bird is the tranny is ready to give in.. an noted fact with most tbirds.
an with the hail damage this thing took on among other things.. i am not willing to pay 2000 for a tranny. i understand that many of these cars are getting above a 100k... i have also foudn many below 60k an thats orlly the ones that i will go after..

thanks for ure time
 
I say go for it! you just have to pick out a car that's been well maintained and it should last you as long as you need/want to drive it!

Besides, this board has more information on trouble shooting, and anything you'd ever need if you were to run across any troubles with the car!
(try looking in the CEG vehicle classifieds, well maintained and recognised cars in there)

ps. Post pics of the bagged ranger! :cool:
 
I just turned 183,000 on my csvt 99 today and shes all oem... If you take care of them they'll last forever. Just change your oil and tune up when you are suppose too... I have always run mobile and now run mobile 5000 in mine I drive it 100 miles a day...
 
From what I seen most cars take better to being driven every day a decent distance than being driven occasionally. My engine is great but I've replaced many a sensor but the previous owner drove it all the time with no problems what so ever. Cars don't do so good just sitting there.
 
l_a67088832a0738ca21234e7cb091c980.jpg
theSCHAFF said:
I say go for it! you just have to pick out a car that's been well maintained and it should last you as long as you need/want to drive it!

Besides, this board has more information on trouble shooting, and anything you'd ever need if you were to run across any troubles with the car!
(try looking in the CEG vehicle classifieds, well maintained and recognised cars in there)

ps. Post pics of the bagged ranger! :cool:
Click to expand...
 
That looks WAY cooler than a similar year bagged S10, and I don't particularly like that model of Ranger... So thumbs up!:cool:

Also, if you get an SVT that still has the stock diff (if the owner doesn't know, then it does!) and you do some power mods, you have a VERY good chance of breaking the diff, which will require a rebuild from Terry Haines in Michigan... About $2000-$2500 depending on the options, but it's a PRO job (he actually had a hand in designing it for Ford), not some backyard mechanic.
 
Big Daddy Kane said:
That looks WAY cooler than a similar year bagged S10, and I don't particularly like that model of Ranger... So thumbs up!:cool:

Also, if you get an SVT that still has the stock diff (if the owner doesn't know, then it does!) and you do some power mods, you have a VERY good chance of breaking the diff, which will require a rebuild from Terry Haines in Michigan... About $2000-$2500 depending on the options, but it's a PRO job (he actually had a hand in designing it for Ford), not some backyard mechanic.
Click to expand...

You dont need that at all. If you just blew the diff, all you need to do is replace it. I have brought many transmissions into my local shop and have had them work on them with no issues at all. I was charged 80 bucks to install the $600 torsen, bearings, and seals. It costed 250 for 3rd gear syrnchro, upgraded shift forks install, bearings, races, and seals. This transmission is very tough and can handle more power then you can put through it. TRicker on the boards here has ran 30+ bottles of a 100 shot on a stock diff without breaking it. After you upgrade the diff, and obviously the clutch, the CV axles will be the next thing to break - not an easy task!

There are very fun cars to drive and own - I hope you can find one that suites your wants/needs.

I never really like many lowered rides, (I'm a 4X4 guy) but I really like your Ranger - tastefully done!
 
True, but you're gonna spend the money to have the tranny pulled out and apart, why not invest the extra couple hundred bucks into making it bullet proof? Another stock diff is going to break just like the first one did... we are already about maxing them out with stock power on an SVT. TRicker (and a few others) are lucky and probly drive the car properly. HOWEVER, I've personally seen way more broken diff complaints than people with high power not breaking stock diffs.

Plus, and this is personal experience btw, what if you get in there, only do the diff and don't replace stuff like the bearings and synchros? My no-go situation was caused by bearings totally going out, which dropped one of the shafts, which didn't allow the gears to mesh anymore. Also, bet you'd feel like a dumbass if your 3rd gear started grinding soon after...

Also, a good idea to replace the clutch on a higher mile car while it's out...

Not trying to be a dick, but it's just preventive maintenance so you don't have to rip it out again in a few thousand miles, which will cost you more in the long run than if you did it properly the first time!

It's just like on a Zetec and just about every other OHC engine with the water pump hidden back there... why not replace everything in there at once, so you don't have to rip the engine halfway out again and tear the front of it off? I think it's an untold rule at [honest] shops to replace as much as possible at once for preventive maintenance reasons.

EDIT: True about the half shafts, but they are not a huge PITA to change...
 
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Big Daddy Kane said:
True, but you're gonna spend the money to have the tranny pulled out and apart, why not invest the extra couple hundred bucks into making it bullet proof? Another stock diff is going to break just like the first one did... we are already about maxing them out with stock power on an SVT.

Plus, and this is personal experience btw, what if you get in there, only do the diff and don't replace stuff like the bearings and synchros? My no-go situation was caused by bearings totally going out, which dropped one of the shafts, which didn't allow the gears to mesh anymore. Also, bet you'd feel like a dumbass if your 3rd gear started grinding soon after...

Also, a good idea to replace the clutch on a higher mile car while it's out...

Not trying to be a dick, but it's just preventive maintenance so you don't have to rip it out again in a few thousand miles, which will cost you more in the long run than if you did it properly the first time!

It's just like on a Zetec and just about every other OHC engine with the water pump hidden back there... why not replace everything in there at once, so you don't have to rip the engine halfway out again and tear the front of it off? I think it's an untold rule at [honest] shops to replace as much as possible at once for preventive maintenance reasons.
Click to expand...

Thats what I said - when then diff goes, it is standard procedure to replace the barings, races and seals. I had a friend's transmission get 3rd syrnchro replaced at the same time - I've done exactly what you suggested. I mentioned replacing it with a $600 torsen barings and seals, as well as upgrading the clutch.

We are on the same page - if you knew me, you would know I dont cut corners or do anything half-assed. Do it right the first time, or dont do it at all! :cool:
 
That's ok... I was under the impression that you were saying to ONLY replace the diff if it goes out.

I thought we were on different planets, I guess :blackeye:
 
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