So I think I need to modify my interpretation of 'Preventative Maintenance' lol..my 2007 BF Ford Falcon (which I plan to keep as a sound no fuss family car) is about to click over 200,000 relatively trouble free Km's...under my own normal maintenance regime this means a new serpentine belt, coolant and hose change.
Now thats all fine... but then I start thinking, while I'm doing the belt change, I probably should change the idler pulley and belt tensioner (both changed with last new belt @ 100,000km's), then I think, well if I'm doing that I should probably do the water pump (never changed)..then if I do the water pump, I'll have to take the radiator out, ok lets get a new radiator..while the raditaor's out, I'll have great access to the alternator...well if I changeout the alternator, it would make sense to do the power steering pump...then I know that everything that spins is new (except for the A/C pump) and then seeing as though I've gone this far...lets do battery (6yrs) and alternator..
Now if I can make all this fit the budget, In my mind I'll end up (in theory) a bullet proof ride for another +200K Km's' for maybe a couple of grand...or should I just calm down, find another hobby and follow the 'if it aint broke don't fix it' camp??
Preventative Maintenance -
- Thread starter Kung_Faux
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What’s the reputation on those water pumps? It’s the most work. Everthing sounds fairly reasonable. So your goal is 400,000 km, which is 240,000 miles. Probably a good time to do it. You could stretch it a few more miles but since you are 1/2 way now why not.
SF
You need to factor in difficulty to replace. If it's 30 min to replace an alternator then I would wait until it breaks.
If you had to pull the engine to replace the alternator, then if I had the engine out and the alternator had a lot of miles, then I might consider replacing it.
Buy a mechanics stethoscope. Go around to each accessory bearing area and listen. If they just whir and sound smooth, there is no reason to change them. If they sound rough at all, or whine, or rumble, or squeak, it's time.
There is absolutely no need to change quality OEM parts if they are within spec. If they are bad, yeah sure.
I'd do the battery for sure. While you are there, add a new ground wire from the Bat (-) clamp bolt to the radiator support (any handy bolt), to the alternator mounting bracket, and one to the firewall. I use #8 AGW wire minimum. That's like 4mm conductor, or larger - larger is better - all stranded wire. Crimped and soldered terminals that fit the target bolts. The firewall is usually easy if you have access to the hinge bolts ...
The existing ground paths have age and moisture acting over many years. I'll bet the ground point on the engine has never been touched? So you have crevice corrosion making slight semi-conductor bridges out of every crimp-on only OEM connection. The new grounds will do more than the parts list you have been thinking about 
No need to do a radiator if you have maintained the cooling system? Annual coolant changes(?), and done the hoses every few years ... Water Pump - prolly I'd do it.
I'd for sure do a new thermostat and I'd use a marine SS unit. Quick way to get stuck is to have a thermostat go bad and start engine over-heating. You won't get far ... A pin hole in a radiator can be limped along for days with top-ups.
Gotta think about what will strand you? What kind of ignition? Many Fords over here have an E-core coil that is epoxy potted. Eventually the epoxy breaks down with heat cycles and as the plug gaps grow (age), there is more demand on the coil. They short internally. That'll take out the module. Sometimes that'll take out the distributor pick-up ... Any of this can leave you walking ... 
New spark plugs with factory gaps. I'd use fine wire platinum, but new is good no matter what. Ohm the plug wires. Replace any the read high. Ohm the coil. If less than 3.2~4 ohms or so on the 12v side, time to replace.
Plug and unplug all your major engine connectors and use Fader-Lube on the pins before you plug them back in - refresh those contacts
No need to do a radiator if you have maintained the cooling system? Annual coolant changes(?), and done the hoses every few years ... Water Pump - prolly I'd do it.
I'd for sure do a new thermostat and I'd use a marine SS unit. Quick way to get stuck is to have a thermostat go bad and start engine over-heating. You won't get far ... A pin hole in a radiator can be limped along for days with top-ups.
Gotta think about what will strand you? What kind of ignition? Many Fords over here have an E-core coil that is epoxy potted. Eventually the epoxy breaks down with heat cycles and as the plug gaps grow (age), there is more demand on the coil. They short internally. That'll take out the module. Sometimes that'll take out the distributor pick-up ... Any of this can leave you walking ...
New spark plugs with factory gaps. I'd use fine wire platinum, but new is good no matter what. Ohm the plug wires. Replace any the read high. Ohm the coil. If less than 3.2~4 ohms or so on the 12v side, time to replace.
Plug and unplug all your major engine connectors and use Fader-Lube on the pins before you plug them back in - refresh those contacts
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I have never done all that as preventive.....
Keep good fresh coolant in the engine & you may never have to change the water pump or radiator.
Change the P/S fluid often & you may never have a P/S pump failure.
So on & so forth.....
My 2006 2500HD diesel has the original Radiator, Hoses, Water Pump, P/S Pump, P/S Hoses, Alternator, U-Joints, Carrier Bearing, Front Wheel bearings (Though they do have a little slack in them), Tie-Rods, Ball Joints, Brake Rotors (Turned once), Calipers (New Hardware)
I change the Drive Belt, Idlers & Tensioner every 100,000 miles because one of original Idlers locked up at 110,000 & left me stranded....This is one of those "Being familiar with your vehicle things)
I've had to change the Transmission cooler lines 3 times (High pressure cooler circuit in the Allison), I change a Glow Plug about once a year Again....Know your vehicles quirks!
I change the Engine Oil @ 8,000 mi, P/S Fluid @ 60,000, Trans Fluid @ 60,000, Brake Fluid every 2 years, Coolant every 4 years & Grease the front end every other oil change. Truck has about 380,000 miles on it now & runs as good as it did when I took delivery on 11/23/06. Been to the dealer once for warranty work (Reprogram of the Glow Plug Control Module).
Another caveat that is true as ever......The part your replacing may be BETTER than the New part, Especially when using aftermarket replacement parts!
I do almost none of this preventative maintenance and it' never bit me. The rad in my 99 van is original.
Thats a good maintenance regimen. 380K is over 30K a yr. Thas allotta highway.
what is fader lube?
Originally Posted By: andyd
Thats a good maintenance regimen. 380K is over 30K a yr. Thas allotta highway.
Haha, don’t listen to these guys Kung-Faux. They’ve never been stranded in the middle of the Nullarbor Desert. LOL. Buy the way, check to see if your high pressure hoses for the power steering and transmission oil cooler are weeping at the crimps and replace them if they are. Also, do a transmission fluid and filter change and change the rear differential fluid. Should be good to go.
SF
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Kung_Faux
...just calm down, find another hobby and follow the 'if it aint broke don't fix it' camp??
Gee Whiz Rolla. This man will be driving long distances in the hot Aussie sun. He needs reliability. 
Plus he says he wants to take it to 400,000 km.
SF
Plus he says he wants to take it to 400,000 km.
SF
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Preventive maintenance is a science employed all around the world. Part of it is calculating the odds of failure, the consequences of a failure, and the cost of the maintenance. If your wife is driving down the highway at night and the power steering goes out, what you consider a minor item can turn into a major item for others.
Up to the individual.
No sense in changing all those parts preemptively unless you're planning on taking a very long road trip.
Originally Posted By: das_peikko
No sense in changing all those parts preemptively unless you're planning on taking a very long road trip.
Mate, don't waste your time and money - IF an idler pulley goes out, change it then. You'll get plenty of warning that it's dying. It's literally a couple of minutes to have the fans out and belt off. Same with the waterpump. And the powersteering hoses/pump. 6 year old battery? Change it, get a good quality one. Falcons do lots of strange things when the battery is old.
On a BF, I'd be more concerned with bypassing the transmission heat exchanger and plumbing in an air to air one instead, to eliminiate the chance of coolant taking out the transmission. I did mine a couple of years ago, cost me $200 for the cooler, a pan gasket and oil, and a couple of hours of DIY.
BF's are a good car. Just maintain it, the engine will survive a nuclear war, and fix the inevitable minor issues as and when they crop up
I don't consider some of the stuff you are thinking about as preventative maintenance.
Changing the waterpump and idlers/tensioner at the same time as the belt that runs them is always a good idea, if you replace them with the same quality of parts. No point changing an OE part with a pokr quality Chinese made knock off part.
To me preventative maintenance is more about rust proofing the vehicle and making sure all the fluids are changed and the filters are changed regularly.
I know loads of people that have done 300k miles with little more than scheduled maintenance.
Kestas
Staff member
I just don't see the point, for reasons listed above. After 200,000 km, many things can go wrong. Why stop at just the few items listed by the OP? I could list many of the things I've replaced after 100K, but I'm not going to bore anyone. Many of the part failures were unpredictable. Just replace items as needed.
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