I highly dislike the 5.0. Load it down with weight or pull something and I dont care what gears you use its a dog and will rev out like crazy. For work I once had a E250 with 5.0 and 3.55's. It regularly hauled over 2000lbs and complained every single moment I drove it. I do not like pulling out of traffic and making the engine scream nor making it scream so I can pass someone.

On the other hand I owned a 92 F150 with 5 speed and 300 six and 3.55's. No it wasnt fast but it had more available power where it was needed, didnt ever need to drag the rpms out and scream to get power. It hauled anything I ever wanted within reason, never once complained really and to me felt like a better overall truck.

Friend of mine has an 86 carbed bronco 6 with the C6 in it, we cannot kill that truck. It just refuses to die no matter how we mistreat it, has plenty of power and to both of us we just like it.

Not saying the 5.0 is a bad engine, but it just doesnt make the power a v8 should and doesnt belong in a 4000lbb truck.

 

I bought new a 93 F150 RCLB 2wd 302 w/ 3.55LS & now have a 93 F150 RCSB 4x4 300 5spd w/ 3.08. I used both to tow the 18 ft bass boat I've owned for the last 12yrs & hands down, the 302 pulled it way better, got better fuel mileage doing it & would pull the boat up the ramp w/out any problem. The 300 won't get out of it's own way w/ the trailer in tow & I feel like that if I don't lock it in 4wd low when pulling up the ramp, the clutch will burn up. That is my $.02 worth from my experiences.

 

BUT...If the 300 had the 3.55 gears under it, that wouldn't be a issue at all...

 

My combo is a 4.9/m5od with 3.55 gears. My truck has a 4" lift and 33" tires, and I have not had an issue pulling anything. One time I did smoke the clutch a little trying to push a 91 crew cab F350 in a muddy field, but that was my own stupidity.

 

I towed a 21ft boat with my I6 and 302 but the gearing was the other way around , the I6 had 3.55 and the 302 had 3.08 , the 302 was much better period...Lew

 

^^^ highly unlikely.

 

^^^^ but thats the way it was , im not saying the I6 was bad just that the 302 was much better to drive , thats a 95 with the good roller cam and MAF with the 4R70W wide ratio trans , this was when the truck was stock....

 

I tried that. It did tow a little better but gas mileage went way down towing or no. It was so bad, I swapped it back to 3.08. The 302 still did better, mileage & power wise.

 

Here is what I have to say on the subject. The 4.9 liked to lug around so hauling or towing is much easier for it. The 5.0 does not like to lug and takes too many rpm to make torque. I have had both. They are both good engines, but the 5.0 really just isn't a great combination for a truck. The 4.9 with is torque at low revs definitely is better for a work truck.

 

I have a 4.9/m5od/3.08's with 31's. It does 68mph at 2k. Hit a hill and it won't accelerate up it. If I drop it into 4th it runs at 2600 and will climb right up without losing too much speed. I think the 3.55's would put my truck in the sweet spot so I could use 5th and accelerate without having to downshift. So my coworker has a 5.0/a40d/3.55's and 235/75/15's. we drive around 90 miles to the job site. His truck seems to outperform mine. Neither of us push them real hard but his seems to pull the hills better. I think with proper gearing they are both suitable engines. Neither of us would do well pulling anything other than an aluminum boat.

 

The 302 compares fine with other v8 engines besides that joke of a 318 ,but the 4.9 is just abnormal.

 

I am not sure how anyone could say the inline 6 is a better engine then the 5.0... The inline 6 is a pretty good little engine but i have driven both a 93 f150 2wd reg. cab short bed with the inline 6 with the 5 speed manual and also a 95 f150 4x4 reg. cab with the 5.0 (yes i know gears make a a diffrence but once again this is stock vs stock). Stock for stock i felt both engines were fairly close the inline 6 felt alittle bit better getting going but from then on i liked the 5.0. The main reason i say you cant really compare the 4.9 to the 5.0 is the HUGE amount of things you can buy, add, modify on the 5.0 were with the 4.9 your options are extremely limited and other then a full exhaust and i am not even sure they sell longtube headers for the inline 6 your basically stuck with what you got. Once again the inline 6 is a great little engine and defiantly dont have anything bad to say about it but i would go with the 5.0 all day long. The main reason i am adding the fact it is easy to find aftermarket parts and modify the 5.0 is because we all know these trucks are heavly underpowered and anybody that wants more power your opitons with the 5.0 is endless where like i said with the 4.9 your stuck with basically a full exhaust inless you do alot of custom work but by the time you did that you would save alot of time, alot of money and get alot more power with the 5.0. Every little bit of power you can get from these trucks makes a huge difference towing/pulling or even just driving around so you dont have to basically put half the pedal down to get going. Just my .02

 

I started out pulling with a 4.9 5sd and had less problems than our 5.0 and far out done our 5.8 for dependablity. the 4.9 F.I. are the only good ones, if your going to run a carb then go 5.0. To all that hate the 4.9, you just can't drive, I hauled junk cars with them both and got better mpgs with the 4.9

 

gotta "little" 4.9 and love it.........its only .1liter "littler" than a 5.0 c mon now... ne ways love my straight six to death!!! no the frikkin e40d....another story, had a 88 straight 6 with 5 speed, and loved it! shoulda never sold it, imho, straight 6 should be paired up to a manual, where 5.0 it dosent really matter

 

good point, the 4.9 is best with a 5sd