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1997 Ford F-Super Duty

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1997 F-Super Duty.

The 1997 Ford F-Super Duty stands as a heavy-duty workhorse in Ford's truck lineup, designed for demanding commercial and towing applications where conventional pickup platforms fall short. Owner feedback compiled for this model year totals 25 complaints, with tires emerging as the most frequently cited issue — a notable data point for anyone evaluating this truck's long-term ownership profile. Three recalls were issued for the 1997 model year, suggesting that while the F-Super Duty was engineered for rugged use, certain components drew enough regulatory attention to warrant manufacturer action. Taken together, these figures place the 1997 F-Super Duty in a moderate reliability bracket for its era, meaning prospective buyers and researchers should weigh tire maintenance and recall-related repairs carefully when assessing this particular model year's standing within the broader F-Super Duty lineage.

Model year1997 1996 1993 1992

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the F-Super Duty of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.3–10.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.30 sec — 1997 F-150 Lariat SuperCab

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1997	F-150 Lariat SuperCab 5.4L V8	8.30 sec	16.40 sec	235 hp	RWD
1997	F-150 XLT Regular Cab 4.6L V8	8.80 sec	16.60 sec	220 hp	RWD
1997	F-150 Lariat Flareside Regular Cab 4.6L V8	8.90 sec	16.70 sec	220 hp	RWD
1997	F-150 Styleside Regular Cab 4.2L V6	9.30 sec	17.20 sec	202 hp	RWD
1997	F-150 XLT SuperCab 4.6L V8	9.90 sec	17.70 sec	220 hp	RWD
1997	F-150 XLT SuperCab 4.6L V8	10.40 sec	17.90 sec	220 hp	4x4
1998	F-150 XLT SuperCab 5.4L V8	8.70 sec	16.70 sec	235 hp	RWD
1998	F-150 XLT SuperCab 5.4L V8	9.40 sec	17.20 sec	235 hp	4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs.

Engine torques

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	45-50 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	212 DI Diesel ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	89 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	75-85 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	35-46 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22-30 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	95-105 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Spark Plug Manufacturer	Motorcraft
Spark Plug Gap	0.042-0.046 in
Spark Plug Torque	10.0-15.0 ft-lbs

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	35-45
RPM	30-45 @ Idle rpm

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

52-53 ft. lbs., Step 2: 80

52–53 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	35-40 ft. lbs.	35–40 ft. lbs
2	56-60

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep First Sequence

1	65 ft. lbs.	65 ft. lbs
2	85 ft. lbs.; Second Sequence	85 ft. lbs
3	105 ft. lbs.	105 ft. lbs
4	105

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	80 ft. lbs.	80 ft. lbs
2	110 ft. lbs.	110 ft. lbs
3	130-140

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

8-12 ft. lbs., step 2: 12-22 ft. lbs., step 3: 22-35

8–12 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

76 ft. lbs., Step 2: 96

76 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 mi	Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Steering Linkage (lubricate) · Suspension System (lubricate) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Filter Water Separator (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Steering Linkage (lubricate) · Suspension System (lubricate) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 12,000 mi	Battery (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Disc Brake Caliper Guide Pin (lubricate) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 20,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Parking Brake System (inspect) · Throttle Body Lever Stud (lubricate) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 50,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 mi	Air Injection System (inspect) · PCV Valve (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F-Super Duty dominate in one area — the tires, 14 of 25 reports (56%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the tires are also the target of recall 97V-187 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the tires pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 25 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Tires14

Engine & Engine Cooling2

Vehicle Speed Control2

Electrical System2

Suspension,Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Engine & Engine Cooling,Tires1

Suspension,Power Train1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Steering1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

97V187000Tires:BeadReported 29/10/1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND CHASSIS. THE TIRES ON THESE VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED DURING MOUNTING ONTO THE WHEELS. ONLY TRUCKS PRODUCED AT THE CUAUTITLAN, MEXICO PLANT BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 1996, AND… Remedy: DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLES AND THIS RECALL AFFECTING ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ONLY, FORD WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT CLAIMS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN.

97V209000Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Gas Recirculation Valve (Egr Valve)Reported 13/11/1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTOR HOME CHASSIS. HOT EXHAUST GASSES CAN LEAK FROM THE EXHAUST GAS RETURN (EGR) TUBE ON THE ENGINE. A HOLE CAN DEVELOP IN THE FLEXIBLE SECTION OF THE TUBE. HEAT DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EGR TUBE.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 96 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
04266	2005-01-01	Power Train	A DRIVELINE CLUNK OR BUMP WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. *TT
03211	2003-10-30	Engine And Engine Cooling	LOSS OF POWER AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP MAY ALSO ILLUMINATE WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE…
03213	2003-10-30	Engine And Engine Cooling	A NO-START OR REDUCED POWER CONDITION MAY OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. *TT
032120	2003-10-30	Engine And Engine Cooling	7.3L DIT GLOW PLUG START-UP ON-TIME DURING COLD TEMPERATURE - SERVICE TIP. *TT
032121	2003-10-30	Engine And Engine Cooling	A HIGH NUMBER OF HIGH PRESSURE REXROTH PUMPS AND INJECTION PRESSURE REGULATORS (IPR) ARE…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific F-Super Duty. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules

Frequently asked

Does the 1997 F-Super Duty have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.