97 hoe

[bebop]

Hey there, new to this forum. I've been looking through it and there is some great info on here. I have a couple questions. I'm looking at buying a 97 4 door, 4x4, lt. The only mod is a flowmaster. Maintenence has been performed and condition is good for its age, 128k. The 4x4 is a floor mounted shifter instead of the electronic push button. Does this usually indicate a different transmission? I have not been able to find out too much about that particular option. THe owner says it's a heavy duty tranny but is not totally sure. He is the 2nd owner. Also, he said nothing has needed replacing yet. I asked about the fuel pump and he said as long as it is 1/4 full, it stays cool. He said you can hear it start humming when it is below 1/4. It makes sense to me, but would like a little more input on that. Other than that, is there anything particular I should be looking for besides the normal leaks and noises?

 

[blk87brd]

Welcome. First off, the 4 wheel drive shifter on the floor is simply an option, the transmission and transfer case are the same. The transmission would be a 4l60e and I have never heard of a factory installed heavy duty version. There are a large number of after market conversions for the transmission but they are prone to letting go around 125 to 150 k, although ones that are regularly serviced and not abused last a lot longer. The 5.7 has a history of intake manifold leaks however, not a big job to fix if you are mechanically inclined. The fuel pump tends to go on a regular bases and only take a couple of hours to replace. Over all they are exceptional vehicles as I am sure you have read in other postes on this forum.

 

[east302]

The intake manifold replacement is common like blk87brd said. If it hasn't already been done once I'd be surprised. It's not cheap because it is labor intensive...I want to say it was around $800 on my 98 truck but may be wrong.

The owner is right, those fuel pumps will get pretty loud but it's hit or miss if they go out. You can't really predict it's failure but keeping a decent level of fuel helps cooling.

Take the truck to a dealer, pay them for an hour's labor and have them go over it. They can advise you on what may need attention and the costs associated. Leaking oil cooler lines, leaking front axle seals are somewhat common on the 4x4s but they can spot those pretty quickly.