Buying a $500 1998 3.6L now what?
10-28-2017, 10:53 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 2
Buying a $500 1998 3.6L now what?
Hello there forum, as the title states I'm buying a 1998 automatic stang with the 3.6L engine. My cousin has owned it for over 10 years. She parked it at a relatives house about 2 years ago because it had a "howling" noise from the rear end, and it's been sitting there since. The motor runs when ether is sprayed into it but I believe the fuel pump is gummed up from sitting so long without being properly maintained.
I've worked on a number of vehicles myself, mostly backyard repairs, but I have zero experience with a mustang. When she asked me if I'd buy it for $500 I jumped on it. I know once the fuel system is cleaned and the tank cleaned it will run and drive. Aside from that, what are some crucial things I should know about the 3.6L engine amd Mustangs in general? Does my new stang have a specific model? Any help is appreciated. Also, are there any facebook pages that might be useful?
I've worked on a number of vehicles myself, mostly backyard repairs, but I have zero experience with a mustang. When she asked me if I'd buy it for $500 I jumped on it. I know once the fuel system is cleaned and the tank cleaned it will run and drive. Aside from that, what are some crucial things I should know about the 3.6L engine amd Mustangs in general? Does my new stang have a specific model? Any help is appreciated. Also, are there any facebook pages that might be useful?
10-29-2017, 12:09 AM
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 2
Hello there forum, as the title states I'm buying a 1998 automatic stang with the 3.6L engine. My cousin has owned it for over 10 years. She parked it at a relatives house about 2 years ago because it had a "howling" noise from the rear end, and it's been sitting there since. The motor runs when ether is sprayed into it but I believe the fuel pump is gummed up from sitting so long without being properly maintained.
I've worked on a number of vehicles myself, mostly backyard repairs, but I have zero experience with a mustang. When she asked me if I'd buy it for $500 I jumped on it. I know once the fuel system is cleaned and the tank cleaned it will run and drive. Aside from that, what are some crucial things I should know about the 3.6L engine amd Mustangs in general? Does my new stang have a specific model? Any help is appreciated. Also, are there any facebook pages that might be useful?
I've worked on a number of vehicles myself, mostly backyard repairs, but I have zero experience with a mustang. When she asked me if I'd buy it for $500 I jumped on it. I know once the fuel system is cleaned and the tank cleaned it will run and drive. Aside from that, what are some crucial things I should know about the 3.6L engine amd Mustangs in general? Does my new stang have a specific model? Any help is appreciated. Also, are there any facebook pages that might be useful?
10-29-2017, 11:57 AM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 939
Welcome! Sounds like you're off to a good start with the fuel system (don't forget a new filter!).
3.8L is the "base model" engine, and also identifies the car as having a 7.5" rear axle (unless it's been modified by a previous owner). If the "howling" is coming from a wheel bearing or the diff, you may want to consider replacing the entire axle assembly with a good 8.8" unit from a salvage yard.
Some of the earlier 3.8s had head-gasket issues, and I'm not sure what the cut-off year is for that. At some point, Ford finally got their act together. I've read that there were issues up through '95 model years, but I've also read that issues lingered up through '96, or '98 models. Not really sure what to believe regarding that. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
3.8L is the "base model" engine, and also identifies the car as having a 7.5" rear axle (unless it's been modified by a previous owner). If the "howling" is coming from a wheel bearing or the diff, you may want to consider replacing the entire axle assembly with a good 8.8" unit from a salvage yard.
Some of the earlier 3.8s had head-gasket issues, and I'm not sure what the cut-off year is for that. At some point, Ford finally got their act together. I've read that there were issues up through '95 model years, but I've also read that issues lingered up through '96, or '98 models. Not really sure what to believe regarding that. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
Last edited by Urambo Tauro; 10-29-2017 at 12:02 PM.
11-20-2017, 09:54 PM
#5
As stated you will need to replace the head gaskets as a large majority of 98 models had this issue. The howling from the back would likely be from the rear differential or some fluke failure in the rear axels.
11-26-2017, 11:49 PM
#6
