Hello all, always fun to ask the experts here as I know I can get good info. I've searched here for info and the net.

Looking at a interim truck until i can bite the bullet on a crew cab. 2009 F250, ext cab, long box 4x4, 5.4L. 3.73 rear axle. 247,000 km's(Canadian boy here) aprox 154,000 miles.

Couple questions regarding the 5.4L.

My dad has a 05 F150 with the 5.4L and 3.73. It struggles to pull my mid 80's 24 ft camping trailer in anything but ideal conditions. Add wind or hills and its all it can do, foot to the floor with nothing left in some instances. Seeing they are identical drive-lines, hence my fear of buying this 2009 with a 5.4L. Couple things i seen on my net search, maybe we can confirm here?

1. 2009 5.4L is rated at 320 hp & 390 ft lbs of torque. Dads 05 is rated 300 hp & 365 ft lbs of torque. Seems to me the slight increase won't make much of a difference when pulling.

2. Cam Phazer issues, by 2009 has Ford got this handled?

3. It will get an inspection if i decide to pursue it, but if taken to a Ford dealer for an inspection, would a Ford mechanic be able to tell if there is Cam Phazer issues coming?

4. Do tuners really help with adding hp and transmission shift points on a 5.4L?

Owner says he has never had an issue or taken it in for any major work. He is a salesman with lots of territory and needs to keep a dependable vehicle so I believe him.

If i buy, i would not be swapping out to a better gear ratio as it would be a interim truck until things change and I can look for a crew cab again.

As always, I appreciate the feedback and look forward to the real world replies from other users.

Ed

 

Ed,
as for your dads 05' ....no it shouldn't struggle to hard with a 24' TT ( unless there is a lot of added weight inside. Like a over sized water tanks or packed full of extra camping gear, point being stuff adds up. BUT, they (ford) had injector issues for that year , which can wipe out cats, so it might be better to check into that. And yes if the TT is towed often, the 4:10 gears will improve the towing & presuming that the "tow button" is in use!! New gears will bring a sacrifice of economy on the road without the TT. I would also make sure the truck and trailer are up to snuff mechanically too, making sure there is no brakes that are hanging up causing extra drag or wheel bearings that need replacing, etc etc.

As for the potential purchase of the 09'.... as long as it has had good maintenance, its probably is fine. Its temporary anyways until ya spring for new one right? I would make sure the spark plugs are changed before adding it to the fleet. If your worried about phasers and tensioners, just plan on it & get a upgraded oil pump too with a stiffer backing plate. It will add life expectancy to the engine and probably value for when you do trade it in. This would be for either 05' or the 09' https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...l+pump+upgrade

As for the tuner....yes they can help with towing and overall performance for either one, the 05' or the 09'. I would get something that is "upgradable", so if you do get those gears changed or you change out the exhaust or tire size, the tuner can accommodate for it. Many of the more "economical tuners" run canned tunes that can't or won't adjust for fore-mentioned changes. Places like 5star can dial up what your needing & give you better options for when you are towing or do happen to change things.