Hi! I am new to this site and have a few v10 questions. I am contemplating buying a v10 and was wondering in you guy's opinion what is the best year to get. What year did the 3V come out and also the five speed transmission? And is the torqshift the same as the 5 seed or is that a totally different animal? And finally what year do you have to get to to avoid the blown spark plug issue? I guess if I get one I would like to get to the year that doesn't have any characteristic problems. Also any other things to look for when buying a truck? Pros or cons etc? I am also curious if any of you made the jump from GM to Ford and the reasons why if you did? I guess admittedly I have always been a GM man so it is a little scary jumping to a different brand. But I know both brands have good trucks. So any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. And thanks for putting up with all the newbie questions. I greatly appreciate it!

 

Welcome to the site.

'05 - 10' best bang for the buck, 3v engines, bigger brakes, torque shift trans all around bullet proof design.

Read through this it might help some...https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ch-folder.html

 

I agree with scraprat. Not to mention the newer interiors of the 08-10. If you want something newer the 11-current SD's have a nice 6.2 V8 which is a good motor.

Make the leap, you wont regret it.

 

Agreed. My 3V can pull down a house, haul whatever I throw at it, and still not break anything in the process. The Torqshift is the BEST transmission in my mind. Let the V10 scream and shell do fine. I suggest at minimum 4.10 gears. If you plan on just towing, or towing more than empty get the 4.30 gears. The 4.10s work excellent for me.

 

I made the jump from GM, no issues with GM I have owned several 1/2 ton and one 3/4 ton Duramax. After the Duramax, any 1/2 ton I drove felt like I was just driving a big car. The only reason I got away from the Duramax was that it was almost out of warranty, and the thought of having to pay for diesel repairs was terrifying. The 08-10 V10's have the one piece plugs so they are the latest revision. They also have the the upgraded frame as well. Mine is a 2008 Lariat 4X4 and I love it!

 

Good evening all!! Thank you for your posts and information so far. I really appreciate all the helpful information!! So I guess I have a few more questions regarding the v10. I guess I have read on here that the v10 likes to run some higher RPMs and that is where they make their power. So how high of RPMs do the v10's usually run when pulling? I guess I always get a little nervous on engines that run higher RPMs because it always seems to me like it is hard on the engine. But that may just be a misconception on my part. Also can anybody give me the quick ins and outs of the torq shift transmission. I am assuming that it is the 5 speed in the later model trucks correct? Is there anything special about it. Also when you guys pull do you leave the tranny in 5th or do most of you guys pull in 4th? Also I am assuming that there is a tow/haul mode on the transmission right? And finally if a guy is running empty and driving decent what can you expect for mileage? As always thank you for your time and patience with a newbie.

 

MRTQv10 I was just curious if you had ever looked at the GM 8.1 before you decided to switch to the Ford v10? Like I say I was just curious as I have also been looking at the 8.1 and hear it is a beast as well.

 

The 2v v10 liked to rev but the 3v is another beast as far I'm concerned. grossing 30,000.+ with my 06 I never turned more than 4k getting up to speed and averaged 2.9k holding 55mph.

 

05-10 V10 with more hp/tq and the 5 speed is the best option in my opinion. dont get me wrong i love my 2V v10 but more power is always better! they are as reliable as the sun and will get you down the road just fine.

 

I did for a little bit, but I wanted 4X4 with a live axel. I did not like the independent front suspension setup GM uses. Plus it was nearly impossible for me to find a clean optioned out GM with the 8100 in it. Also they stopped selling them when they came out with the new (now old) body style. If you are looking for MPG you will have to get back into 1/2 ton trucks, for now my truck is a daily driver, and I average about 11-12 MPG (4.10 Gears), I would not trade it for the world though. To answer some of your other questions, the Torqshift 5 speed you will find behind the later model V-10's is tough, it shifts beautifully every time and does what I ask it to. Lets put it this way, as far as I know this is the same V-10 engine and transmission that they use in 21,000# motor homes that are rated to pull a 4100# vehicle behind them, and if it can do that all day long, I don't think I will ever ask to much of it.

 

The Torqshift has tow/haul mode. Depending on what and where your towing, it will choose what gear is best. Mike @ 5 star tuning can custom tune his tuners to not run 5th, but its not necessary. If your going to tow a lot I suggest getting an Auto Enginuity or Scangauge II. You can monitor gauges better than the factory idiot lights.

 

Good evening again guys! As always thanks for all the great information. It will definitely help me make an educated purchase when I get to that point. With that being said I guess I still have a few questions yet. First off MRTQV 10, I was wondering what you meant when you said you were looking for a live axle? Is that like a solid front axle or does that refer to the rear? Some other questions are in regards to rearend ratios. Would a guy notice alot of difference between the 4:10 and 4:30 rear axle? I guess from reading on this site I am gathering the deeper the rearend the better when towing with the v10. I guess I would probably use the truck mostly for towing but probably some just regular daily driving as well. I do have a 1/2 ton truck that I use as a daily driver so gas mileage probably wouldn't be the most important issue. So that being said would the 4:30 rearend be the best option for my application? Also is it hard to find a truck with the 4:30 rearend? Also from reading on this site a hear alot of talk about the 5 star tune etc. Is that something that is a must and are most guys with the v10's running it or is a totally stock setup fine? And finally is there any difference between the F250 and F350 other than the number of leaf springs in the back? I really like the idea of an F350 but I know there seem to be alot more F250's around. Do any of you guys with the F250's run air bags in the back to help with payload? I guess I am looking for a CC shortbox 4x4 truck if possible. Thanks again for all your patience with all my questions. I am not an impulse buyer so I try and do my homework ahead so hopefully I can find just the truck I want and one that will serve me for a long time.

 

The differences between a F250 and 350 is the 4" block over the rear springs in the 350 and 2" block in the 250. The F350 has a higher rated carrying capacity of around 1000lbs depending on model (notice the sticker on the door pillar). This comes into play if you live in a area that does weight checks at the drop of a hat. Towing capacity would be the same between a 250 and 350. As far as gears, I would have nothing but 4:30's. If you find a truck with different gearing just set aside about 2k to install new gears and a locker if you want one.

 

I have the standard 4.10 rear in my '08 and it pulls like a champ, especially with Mike's 5 Star on 89 tow/performance mode. Like was said above, the V-10 is in more Class C and Class A gas motor homes than all the other gas engines combined. There is a reason for that, dependability and tow ability, can't beat a V-10.

 

Yes, the solid front axel is what I was after, way more dependable than IFS. I have a BW fifth wheel setup and firestone airbags on mine, unfortunately I have not had a chance to use them yet.