I drove my bosses trucks a 2004 ford f150 with the 5.4 with a trailer loaded about 6k and i was really impressed how the truck handled and felt smooth and solid and pulled off the line.. I am intending to replace both of my vehicles next spring because they are just plain worn out (1986 Gmc 2500 350,000 miles 1995 ford escort 305,000) i personally felt that it was enough power for my needs i do landscaping for a company and a 10500 towing capacity would be more than enough but the way its talked about everwhere u would expect it to be a pos but i was remakarbly suprised

 

the only time i heard bad about it is in the over weight superduty. and when compared to the v10 in terms of power and mpg, the 5.4 just doesn't seem to great.

i personnly think the 5.4 shouldn't be offered in the superduty at all.

but we are talking f150 here, its a great motor for it.

 

Mine is a complete DOG! Its a 2005 Expedition 5.4 4wd. The MPG sucks worse than my 65 f250 390and my 72 chevy C20 468! No power,and ford says its just fine. Never buy another one!

 

Here's my take on the 5.4L:

1. It's an excellent truck motor. Lots of usable low end torque, a nice low rev limit for durability. Well designed, well sealed, for years of dependable service. In a working truck, it's about as close to perfection as you can get.

2. In today's market it's underpowered. That's ok considering #1. But for buyers looking performance there should be another alternative. Although it does seem to get out of it's own way nicely in an F150, it's not going to win any races without aftermarket help.

3. The mileage is sub-par considering what the GM is getting in their comparable motors. This I cannot explain, as it is more technologically advanced than GM's motors, and SHOULD be getting better mileage. I suspect Ford needs to fine tune their, um, tuning. Or it could be the trucks that it's in. The current F150 is no lightweight. I will say the flex-fuel 5.4L seems to get better mileage when running E85 than GM's motors running E85.

I could go into comparisons with older motors, but I really dont want to hijack another thread.

 

The 5.4 is not a high performance race motor. It's a truck motor for hauling and towing heavy loads. It does an excellent job of doing what it was designed for but does not make a good hot rod powerplant. If you want to play, get a high performance car and if you want to work, get a truck.

 

Considering a blower and little else makes the Lightning a Hot Rod and basically different heads make the 5.4 a screamer in the 2000 Cobra R.....let's not forget internal dimensions are identical concerning the Ford GT and Shelby 500.....I totally disagree with your statement.


Meanwhile, I do agree that Ford very much underutilizes whatever advantages OHC may have over pushrod motors. On the other hand, GM and Dodge have shown larger bore, pushrod motors are far from dead.

 

After years of driving cammers, it is such a joy to drive my GM LS1 pushrodder. That low end grunt is something that I missed.

 

We loved our 5.4 In our 2002 F250, When my dad bought a 150 back in 99 the first couple miles it blew up but we got a new one put in. I guess the 99 modles where bad but yet that was the very first year for having them in trucks. Id say they came a long ways, look at the GT40. BAAD! I was always wondering why they dont use them. I heard rummors of putting the new 5.4s in the stock Gt's. That would be cool

 

yea i personally believe its a good motor but the guy who owns it complains of it being a weak truck (he owned a Gmc Z71 dont ask the year) he said it felt like it had more power than the ford he said it cant haul the kind of trailers he wants it to haul but i told him it was his own damn fault for buying a used truck that wasnt equipped to haul the maxium capacity by the way its an 04 supercrew 4*4

 

I don't know about 5.4L, but I have 4.6L and man that engine is sooo underpowered. Ranger with 2.3L feels more powerful than F-150 with 4.6L.

 

I have a 99 4.6L, yea its a little underpowered but its a respectable motor. I've outran plenty of Dodge 5.2Ls. Also its got 152K and still tickin, no problems.

 

I believe the 5.4 V8 to be a reliable and smooth running motor, but the complaints I experience and hear all the time are the same.

1. Doesn't have enough power when put in the Super Duty pickups.

2. Poor gas mileage compared to Chevy's equal V8's.

These are both true but with a very simple reason.....WEIGHT!

The Ford Super Duty trucks are much heavier than GM's heavy duties and that extra weight takes it's toll of fuel economy and performance. These 5.4's should have nothing less than 4.10 gears behind them and some of the complaining would quiet down.

 

Rengaw, I think you nailed it. Even the F-150 weighs more empty than a comparable Silverado/Sierra (but maybe not the 2007's). That combined with Ford undergearing most trucks make for doggish performance and economy. My 1994 F-150 had the same problem, 3.55 gears instead of the 4.10's it needed, poor power and mileage. I also rented an SD with 5.4 from Home Depot to take home some lumber and was shocked at how fast the gas gauge needle moved.

Jim

 

I really like my 5.4. I need a crew cab with an 8' bed. I don't need to tow a D8 Cat or go 0-60 in 3 seconds. I had an '01 F150 Supercrew, it was very nice. But you put 2 large dog crates in the back and its full. I need more room. Sure it needed a muffler and a new intake, but I would have done that anyway. Dodge has a crew cab but it isn't nearly as big in the back seat as the SD. (yeah like I'd ever have a dodge in my driveway)
Y'all can bash the 5.4 all you want, but for an O.G. like me it fits the bill nicely.
gw

 

[QUOTE=jimandmandy]Rengaw, I think you nailed it. Even the F-150 weighs more empty than a comparable Silverado/Sierra (but maybe not the 2007's). That combined with Ford undergearing most trucks make for doggish performance and economy. My 1994 F-150 had the same problem, 3.55 gears instead of the 4.10's it needed, poor power and mileage. I also rented an SD with 5.4 from Home Depot to take home some lumber and was shocked at how fast the gas gauge needle moved.

Yes Sir, My 1996 Ford F150 with a 302 and 3.55 gears was good for one thing......running empty or light loads. Put 4.10's in it and can now pull a 4500 lb trailer in overdrive and get the same overall gas mileage that I got with the 3.55 gears