My wife and I bought a 2003 F450 V10 crew cab lwb, DRW (still waiting delivery) for pulling a 5th wheel travel trailer. I was under the impression that a diesel had better engine braking capability then the gas, but thought I read in here that the gas engines arfe actually better. We bought the V10 not wanting to have to deal with thenoise and all else of a diesel. Was just interested to know if this was true. Thanks

 

I can't comment on the PSD engine braking characteristics and your gearing is gonna play a large role in your v10 engine braking, as you probably know. On a side note however you may want to look up the thread re the Cyclone power fan. It allegedly provides an excellent engine braking function if you turn it on when decending.

 

Diesel engines have very little engine braking because they don't have a throttle plate like a gas engine does and "pump" freely when you let your foot off of the accelerator.

 

you would need to add and exhaust brake to get good braking from a PSD. A gas motor b/c of the lower compression and throttle body does not respond to an exhaust brake very well.

 

>My wife and I bought a 2003 F450 V10 crew cab lwb, DRW
>(still waiting delivery) for pulling a 5th wheel travel
>trailer. I was under the impression that a diesel had better
>engine braking capability then the gas, but thought I read
>in here that the gas engines arfe actually better. We bought
>the V10 not wanting to have to deal with thenoise and all
>else of a diesel. Was just interested to know if this was
>true. Thanks

Technically even gas motors don't have true compression braking, it's more vacuum braking. The diesels in the over the road-type tractors have Jake, or compression brakes that are really, true, compression brakes. Because diesels run basically a wide-open type intake system, with no type of butterfly in the intake, like gas motors do, they have almost zero engine braking capabilities. So the hot set-up is exhaust brakes on light-duty diesels like the Power-Stroke, the Cummins and the GM/Izuzu Duramax diesel that's just out which replaced GM's 6.6 liter diesel that was famous for burning the #8 piston. The hot set-up now for gas engine braking is to lock up the torque converter so you get direct drive while off the gas/engine braking. But, given both engines just off the factory line, the gas engine has way more engine braking capabilities than the diesel. Good luck with your new tow rig, I'm sure you will come to love and admire your V-10 just as most of us here have. I've had every Ford/Navistar diesel made, and while there are benefits to the diesel, I just love that smooth, torquey, quiet gas V-10.

Ken 98 E-350 V-10 XLT ClubWagon.

 

To go off on a tangent; there is also a big difference in engine braking between an auto and a manual transmission. The manual transmission will allow far more engine braking than the auto and the difference in engine braking provided by the manual vs. auto is considerably greater than the difference between the gas and the diesel. My 460 5spd combo provides great engine breaking and makes symphonic noises when it does so.

 

It is my understanding that only the pre-turbo diesels have no engine braking. We have a Banks turbo 7.3 diesel/auto that brakes surprisingly well. It does not have an exhaust brake on it either. In comparison with our Club Wagon V10/auto the diesel brakes much better. This may be because of the Banks transcommand but could also be because of the higher compression? correct me if I'm wrong here. My thoughts. Benjamin