We're looking at "C"s and have Questions.
We have just started traveling to dealers and owners to see a variety of Class C's. My wife had thought that we should go smaller and I very wisely let her drag me to look at a number of short C's an...
Forum Discussion
Ford has made improvements to the engine and transmission over the years. The early V10s in particular (through around 2001-2002, I think) are somewhat notorious for a propensity to have spark plugs pop out and strip the holes in the head due to having insufficient threads for them to fit into. It's not a problem that completely destroys the engine, but it can be costly and intrusive to fix. That said, many of these older engines are working fine without problems, and awareness to take care to make sure the spark plugs are properly installed with a torque wrench (and not overtorqued) goes a long way towards preventing the problem.
I think maybe around 2005 or so the transmission was upgraded from the four speed to the five speed unit. This can be determined pretty easily by looking at the button in the end of the shifter. If it's labeled "O/D Off", it's a four speed transmission and the button locks out overderive. If it's labeled "Tow/Haul", it's a newer transmission, and the button engages tow/haul mode, which does not lock out overdrive but changes the shift logic and shift points and has some automatic downshifting when descending grades. The newer transmission is definitely an improvement (sturdier, and better behaved programming). Very recent (new) models have a six speed transmission.
There have been other changes to the drivetrain design, too, resulting in occasional bumps in power and so forth. From pretty much any year it's a fairly solid and reliable package when given proper routine maintenance and basic care.
I think maybe around 2005 or so the transmission was upgraded from the four speed to the five speed unit. This can be determined pretty easily by looking at the button in the end of the shifter. If it's labeled "O/D Off", it's a four speed transmission and the button locks out overderive. If it's labeled "Tow/Haul", it's a newer transmission, and the button engages tow/haul mode, which does not lock out overdrive but changes the shift logic and shift points and has some automatic downshifting when descending grades. The newer transmission is definitely an improvement (sturdier, and better behaved programming). Very recent (new) models have a six speed transmission.
There have been other changes to the drivetrain design, too, resulting in occasional bumps in power and so forth. From pretty much any year it's a fairly solid and reliable package when given proper routine maintenance and basic care.
