Tired Straight 6

Try doing or getting a tune up done (new spark plugs and wires). Replace the fuel filter, air filter (if it has been a while since it was replace). Also if it needs it, change the oil. I would also run a bottle of Lucas fuel treatment through a tank of gas to help clean the injectors. This is all regular maintance stuff that should keep the truck running right. One of my friends has a 95 with the same set up with orginal motor with over 170k and his runs great.

Run some seafoam in the tank a whole bottle and then put half a bottle in the oil or as the bottle says depending on the amount the straight six holds and they vary in years on how much they hold. A new motor with old tranny is not a bad thing but i recommend u check the gear lube level in the tranny or change it if you are goin to put a new motor in, this will help the gears in the tranny hold up to the torque of a newer straight six but and this parts big check your gear ratio i have scattered a tranny before cause a buddy told me if i hooked them up it'd be fine but the newer six had more than stock torque which i was not told so i found a warner T-18 4spd and boltted it up and works great but also after your first rear main seal it'll go out ever ten thousand after that.

Do the tune up,replace the fuel filter also,have the timeing checked to,it could be a little off with the milage,also change the pcv valve.DONT listen to this jake jokester,what he post is pure BS.if you are concedering a new engine,dont worrie,you wont explode the tranny,tourk and hp in a new one well be the same as when you bought the truck new,these,s are great engines and with regular service you will get at least,500,000 miles out of it.

Papa is right. Don't listen to jake. Hell if you want to save some time, Don't buy a new motor. Just rebuild this one. Rebore it, restroke, new valves, heads, intake, all that fun stuff. Very simple, but very time consuming too.

check the compression

I have a '96 Eddie Baur, Reg Cab, Long Bed and it has 129,000 miles. I'm having the same issues as well. I'm getting 10-12 MPG and it seems to slightly studder when excellerating. I changed the wires, plugs, rotor, distributor cap. I also ran a can of Sea Foam in the Fuel tanks and oil and the second can on the vacuum hose. I guess I now need to check the Cat and the 02 sensor. I also heard some guys telling me about a restricter plate that goes on the EGR Valve that helps smooth out the motor and makes it run like brand new. There must be 10-20 different ways to improve milage and performance on these. The problem is which one to go with.

Saw a tech bulletin online that came straight from Ford, think it was in '96. Said the throttle bottle gasket would start to distort and begin to pull back in to throttle body itself. Causes small vac leak