Is the 5.4 in the 09 the same engine as the 04-08 trucks got?

 

Mostly yes, the big changes from 04 to 08 to the 09 were the sheet metal,transmission and the new dash, 09 was also last year for flareside trucks as well.

 

The engine is the same. However, later in the 04-08 gen 5.4's, the spark plug issues were worked out and I believe the cam phaser issues were pretty much worked out.

In 2009, the 5.4 is mated to a six speed transmission vs. the four speed from the 04-08 gen. This made a huge difference in the truck's ability to tow heavy loads.

 

Tim and j.grif are correct, the big difference is the transmission. The 6R80 is a HUGE improvement compared to the old 4R75E; my dad's 2010 F150 with the 4.6L V8 tows better than my '07 5.4L truck.

 

10 more horse power and electric fans were also added, with a more open muffler as well.

 

I drive an 09 5.4L. The plug issue was resolved prior to the 09. I changed my plugs with no issues whatsoever. As for towing, I feel it does a good job pulling our 26' camper that weighs in at 6800#. I ahven't had any issues with it.

 

The 09-10 5.4 trucks pull much better. The 6 speed was what that engine needed.

 

I believe the E-fans were added for 2010; the '09 F150s had engine driven fans.

 

thanks for the replies guys

I have read the 5.0 and eb are night and day when compared to the 5.4, all i haul is firewood, or the toys (sled/quad). Do you guys think a 09 or 10 f150 would be the best bet for me?......I know a couple guys with the older 5.4s (04 and 07) I felt they had good power.

BTW currently I have a 93 f250 with a n/a 7.3. Id roughly estimate 16 mpgs, with a 6speed instead of a 4 would it be safe to assume the newer f150s with the 5.4 are more fuel efficient than the 04-08s?

 

^^^ I would say only marginally depending on axle ratios. The six speed is allowing us to run the same power with a taller axle ratio (numerically smaller).

 

I would agree with Tim, there certainly would be an improvement but it wouldn't be huge. The newer transmission design is more efficient as well as having more ratios will improve it's ability to keep the engine RPMs low when the power isn't needed.

But after towing with both transmissions I would argue that the 6R80 offers a far better driving experience. The shorter first gear allows for much easier starting from a stop, and when hitting a hill the more available ratios always puts the engine closer to where it needs to be.

 

One thing that would scare me about buying another 09 (I own one already), is that was the first your for the 6R80......so you might end up getting someones problems.

 

Ok, so to sum it up the 5.4 in the 09+10 will not have the spark plugs not wanting to come out issue (and whatever else) BUT the 09 could have tranny issues?

The way i see it is the 5.4 gets almost the same amount of mpgs as the egoboost and 5.0 (please correct me if im wrong), however the hp and tq isnt there in the 5.4.That being said I think the 5.4 would more than satisfy my needs as far as hp and torque go (with cold air and a straight pipe ofcourse) And the truck itself would be cheaper to buy than the eb or 5.0.......am i right ?

 

I love mine, no doubt about it. You might be surprised just how much torque the 5.4 has....this is coming from somebody who started pulling 30k lb loads when he was 17 years of age. I traded my cummins in on this truck so I could have something nice to drive around in, I'm an engineer so goin around in a farm truck just isn't really an option at times. My old dodge had well over 800 ft lbs of torque and thats a safe guess. The ecoboost is great, but if your looking to get into something a whole lot cheaper I'd look at an 09-10. I was in the same boat car shopping, I got my truck for 27k minus 4k for the Dodge. So no huge depreciation worries there for me, and I can probably keep this truck on the road (especially since I just came from the Dodge.....lots of wrench time). A few years ago our 6.0 PS was down and we needed to move our lull (approx. 30k + 8k trailer) and we used a truck with the 5.4 in it, not safe at all but it moved it at around 30 mph. That same truck pulls tractors, skidsteers, a mini ex when it needs to, etc. That being said, there are some additional perks that come with the 11'+ models, but don't buy into this "5.4 is trash" bs. Hope alittle real world stories make ya feel better

 

I certainly hope that no one here is trashing the 5.4. The 5.4 was the base engine in the superduty trucks for over a decade. It's been the only engine available in the Expedition since 2005, it's a great engine and Ford relied heavily on it since the 1997 gen trucks came out.

Eventually the current engine line-up will be old news and Ford will improve on these as well. As I understand it, the second gen ecoboost is coming out with the all 2015 F-150.

If the truck meets your needs then get it and have peace with your purchase.