I have owned Ford trucks for a long time now I have had v-10's. Its time for another truck,there is a 09 truck I'm looking at but it has a 5.4 I do a lot of towing stock trailer and a 34 foot camper. It being a three valve I know about the spark plugs breaking when you go to take them out. I just am leery of problems and I won't be happy the way it pulls. I love my V-10's they work so good will I be happy with the 5.4

Thanks

 

Kinda depends on how much you intend to tow (pounds wise). Your camper probably will be pushing the limit once you get it loaded with supplies. Unless you don't go that far with it? Or the 09' is rated for the maximum tow capacity available. The spark plug issue was corrected with on piece replacements. I would make sure that sparkplugs are replace before taking over ownership. Over all the 5.4 is going to be very similar on maintenance as your v10.

If you tow that often and tend to tip the scales a bit on the heavy side....maybe consider getting f250 or f350....heavier transmissions suspensions & way better tow and cargo rating.

If your still curious ....ask if you can hook up to your camper and take test drive with it. This way you'll have a much better Idea of how well it will work

 

The 09 is a F-350 we do long distance travel with the camper and will be towing 5 to 6 Dairy heifers around all summer to different shows and fairs. We are planning a trip to Pa for a national show.

 

my apologies....I had it in my head, dare I say it...presumed it was a f150.

No matter, If the principle chore of this truck is towing. I'd still ask to hook up a trailer to it and see how it performs>>>for you. Are you trying to steer clear of diesel engine? the diesels would bring a pretty good economy to the table not to mention better low end grunt.

 

My options are open wouldn't be afraid of getting a diesel this truck seems to be a pretty good deal that is why I'm asking about a 5.4. I was also wondering how dependable they are. My 6.8's have been very dependable but the body on my 350 is rusting apart.

 

I have over 400,000 on my 5.4 and towed a loaded 3 axle 5th wheel toy hauler up a long, steep hill in 'passing gear' just fine, meaning no pinging or overheating while accelerating. Great fuel mileage 2nd to the 6.7 i would say. If your worried about the plugs you could buy the fix it kit from the parts store and put the new inserts in. If I was personally worried about the plugs I would remove them all with the engine cold then replace them with Motorcraft single platinums with a little anti seize on the threads, torque them to specs. Just be careful about cross threading. I think that's what a lot of guys are doing. If you do suspected one was cross threaded while removing, just use the thread insert and you won't have to worry about it. It's not that hard to do since it uses the spark plug tube to center itself. The kit comes with everything to do 1 cylinder. You can use the drill bit and tap over, you just need another insert. I think they might be forged steel?

 

Probably not, there is a noticeable difference in HP and torque between the two engines when pulling a heavy load.

 

Not just worried about the spark plugs just over all dependability. If the right deal or a truck I really like and it has a 5.4 in it should I still consider it.

 

Overall I'm sure you'll be happy. The issue I see is when you're pulling your 34' camper. The uphill climbs or a strong headwind will be much more of a strain with the V8 vs. the V10. On the plus side, when you're just doing your normal driving around you should save on the fuel bill.

 

I had the 5.4 in my super crew F-150 4X4 and it pulled my 24' travel trailer just fine but struggled on long steep grades. We had an F-250 4X4 with the 5.4L at work and it was a gutless wonder. If it were me I would stick with the V-10 in your situation.