I'd like to upgrade from my 05 5.4 to a truck with a little more power and possibly better fuel economy. I do some pulling (5-10,000 trailer weight) occasioinally and the rest of the time it is my daily driver and hauler. The 5.4 is just kinda a dog on the hills bc of the truck weighing 6700+ pounds.

I think if I get a diesel I am going to try and get a 7.3 because i keep hearing all these bad things about the 6.0. Thoughts on this???

I've heard that the V10 can perform almost as well as a diesel so that's why I'm also looking at that option. Any help will be great, thanks in advance.

 

You don't need a diesel to do what you're describing, 7.3's tend to be better on the reliability side. Plenty of good 6.0's out there, they're not as bad as most think. IMO, get a V10 if you can deal with the mpg's.

 

Since you now own an '05, I think you are really going to hate the front leaf springs, huge turning radius, inferior brakes, and older interior, of any pre '05 truck. So to me, that rules out a 7.3.

The '05 and up 3 valve V-10 would be a better choice IMO.

The '05 and up 6.0 can have some problems that need to be worked through, but it will beat the snot out of any V-10 and do it with much better fuel mileage. But make no mistake, there is a good chance you will have to put some money into it. Less if you learn to work on it yourself. Over all, in your situation, the diesel will cost more to own and operate. Probably not worth it if you are not pulling loads frequently.

JMO, and trying to be objective, while not starting another D vs G thread.

 

Do some searching on the forum this topic has been covered a ton. There is quite a few things that go into it. How long is your daily commute, diesels don't like short drives it hard on them. How often do you pull? Maint is more with a diesel and has to be followed closely. I love my 7.3. No emissions to deal with and proven realiability. The problem is it is getting harder and harder to find a 7.3 with lower miles and in good shape the. Newest ones are still 9 yrs old.
The v-10 is a great motor. My dad has a 2000 with 260,000 miles and is still running strong. It's starting to show its age but has been a great truck. If you go v-10 I would get the newest version possible, they have more comforts and more power. 2010 was the last year for the v-10 in the superdutys. Will get about the same mileage as the 5.4 or possible a little better. All depends on what you want. Short daily trips more then hauling I say v-10, heavy pulling and longer commutes I saw 7.3 all the way. Just remember the sound of a turbo is a awesome sound

 

You want power and economy, if you add in how much money you're willing to spend you can have any two of those and lose on one. Get a V10 and you get power at a lower overall cost than a diesel, but economy is worse than where you are now. Get a diesel and get power and better economy but with significantly higher maintenance costs. Regear the truck you have to get power and save money by not getting a different truck, but lose some economy with it, thought probably not as bad as going to a V10.

Gears are a lot cheaper than a new truck. Put some 4.10s or 4.30s in, just like a V10 needs to get the real pulling power out of it. You have to really spool the modulars up, so if you have 3.73s then swap gears and use the skinny pedal more.

And I'm with Bill in that going backwards into an older truck won't help your satisfaction issues. Plus if you get a 7.3L , I imagine you'd think it was a dog too because it's a beast to tow with but it's not a dragster winning any races off the line or uphill versus other unloaded SDs. The 6.0L is a little better at moving just because of it's higher HP numbers, but any diesel shines while towing and not just putting around empty.

 

Get a diesel. Not only for the power and milage but for the longevity of the engine and the resale value. Nobody buys a gas truck with over 100,000 miles but they do buy diesels. I wish for your sake that one of the big 3 would offer a smaller diesel which would be perfect for you.

 

Get a V-10, 2003 or newer. Do not get a diesel made by International they are POS, If you get a 6.0 or 6.4 you will regret it.. Get a ford built 7.3 or 6.7.

 

 

Seriously? Triton engines, with proper care, will easily run over 250k miles. The 100k miles myth is left over from the 1950s.

 

I would go V10, but the diesels are coming down in my price around my area. I saw a 08 regular cab xlt with 70k for 22,000. I did just see a v10 regular cab for 19k and it only had like 30k on it.

 

Ford built the 7.3...?? Man, you learn something new everyday...

 

Remedial history lesson for the under-informed:
Navistar T444E engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I still say that for daily unloaded use and infrequent towing, the OP already HAS the truck he needs, it just needs gears. Why blow 10 grand on trading out to a possibly older and more used truck when he can put 2k into the drivetrain and get what he's looking for. 5.4 hate is as unjustified as 6.0 hate.

 

if you don't mind rolling the dice on reaching your destination, go with the 6.blow. if you don't mind being towed back to the dealership on a regular basis, go with the 6leaker
just an fyi for you sir, my cousins 07, 4x4, CCLB has been back to the dealer with warranty work reaching $10K on this last visit, and the truck has less than 65K on the odometer. 6 months prior, i think it was $6K, get the extended warranty my friend....

 

Replace your "100,000" with "200,000" and yeah....I'd have to agree with you. I'm assuming that this was a trolling attempt though...as well thought out as your post was (note the sarcasm).

 

I'm with Texastech and Redford...

Unless you're putting a LOT of miles on the truck, (like 25K+ per year), you will never recoup the difference in purchase price delta and maintenance costs of a diesel.

But do keep your eyes and ears open for a rippin' deal on a V10. Seem to be getting harder to find now that the average consumer is realizing just how good (and reliable) they are, but you can still occaisionally find deals. Especially if you live in place with lots of folks living in the past...