been seeing some nice v8s popping up at nice prices. . seriously how bad can a v8, 4x4 be?

I'm not towing anything major, just need one that's reliable for long and tough ( snow ) journey. If I can only tow a car (~4.5k lbs) then it seems good enough. v8 seems to be more reliable too (winning engine awards).

Is the v8 really too lazy for a giant like the Ex such that it'll be an uphill battle going uphill?

Also, how much cheaper would a v8 be? is there a rule of thumb or ratio of price difference between a v8 and v10?

please share some thoughts/data

thanks

 

I guess the bottom line would come down to how you plan on using the truck. If you only drive it 90% of the time a V8 may be OK. Performance is a highly perspective subject, I have a V10 that is stock and to me performs very well but others say they are pigs and cant get out of their own way. I can see how a V8 could be sluggish just due to the size of the vehicle. My V10 was way cheaper than a diesel ant tows great but is a thirsty beast. I've also seen how much cheaper a V8 is than a V10. In the end I would say go drive one and see how you like it and does it meet your needs. We will all have varying opinions on the subject and we all know what they say about that.

 

When I purchased my 2000 2wd 6.8 Ex new, I was told by my buddy, who owns the dealership, not to purchase the V-8 because of the extra strain due to the weight of the Ex. I compared the average weight for a 2000 F-350 against my Ex and found that My Ex is about 1200 or 1400 (can’t remember the exact figure) lbs heavier. For towing with a V-8, he said “for get about it” with his New York accent. At the time, I had plans to tow a BMW 2002, a Bobcat on occasion and my wife, four (4) boys, with sometimes a couple extra friends, and beach equipment for an annual week long vacation. He suggested the 6.8 for my needs, because getting a diesel was not as affordable and it did not pass my wife’s sniff/smell test.
He said because of this extra weight and additional strain on the engine, I would get worse gas mileage from the V-8.
If you plan on using the EX, as intended, by packing the seat capacity to the max or towing anything, avoid the V-8.

 

Negative on the v8 for towing 4.5k. You won't save jack on pricing between a v8 vs... v10 if you're shopping smart.

Absolutely if you don't want long term Diesel maintenance costs, and don't mind the mileage being nasty on occasions of towing, find a later model v10 Ex (without the 4 thread vs. 8 thread issue), add the 5 star tunes, y-pipe, and if you travel mountain areas frequently, re-gear it.

Tom will be along shortly but if you haven't already (sure would be nice if folks did this FIRST), you really need to go check the 2 million posts about towing with the Ex, and find the answers from all those that 'thought' it'd be ok to tow heavy without addressing many issues, such as:

Front end alignment settings, suspension, brakes, gearing, heat levels and trans cooling, good TT hitch setup, etc etc.

 

I too would also recommend you stray from the 5.4L V8 if at all possible, especially if you are planning on towing. As some other thread responders have mentioned, the Excursion is quite a deal heavier than an F350. I have driven a lot of miles on my 2002 F250 that has a 5.4L V8 and it is pretty sluggish, and hooking up anything to it for towing is very noticeable. Hooking up 5K to my 6.0 Excursion I can't even tell I'm pulling anything. While I always thought a 6.8L V10 Excursion would be a bad option, I now understand why so many have them if they're avoiding a diesel.

 

I believe most of the v8s came with deeper gears than the v10s, 4.10 vs 3.73. If you have your heart set on a v8 then perhaps a gear ratio change would be in order. Around here the v8s are a couple grand less than the 10s I've noticed lately for the few that pop up.

 

A 5.4 4X4 EX should have 4.10 factory gears vs 3.73s for a 5.4 RWD, that says something seeing as how Ford didn't change the standard gearing for V-10 EX between RWD and 4X4, it tells me that maybe the 5.4 is flirting with its limits in the big heavy EX platform.

If the heaviest tow will only be 4500lbs total or maybe a little more and be low profile like a car on a flat open trailer then the 5.4 should get the job done. It won't be exciting or quick but it should get you up every hill (with some downshifting), sometimes even at highway speed . Don't enter into the endeavor expecting anything more than "barely adequate" and you may not be disappointed.

I don't have any comparative data between the 5.4 and 6.8 in the EX to draw any conclusions as to which has proven to be more reliable, but it's generally accepted that these modular engines are pretty reliable no matter if they have right amount of cylinders or only eight.
But keep in mind that newest EX is now at least 16 years old, so how any particular EX has been treated over its life is as important, or more than than how the engine model as a group has fared.

Well, it was the lowest possible engine choice when new with the least amount of power and torque which will require more throttle input to battle that hill than the other higher output engines. The EX is a good bit heavier than the similar year pickups that also saw the 5.4.

No rule of thumb that I am aware of, but I have seen many 5.4 rigs listed for less than comparable V-10 wagons, simple supply and demand here I think. For the typical gasser buyer the 6.8 is more desirable than the 5.4 because it gets the same gas mileage, tows better and enjoys better all around performance, just like how a 4.30 geared V-10 is more favored and higher valued than a 3.73 one. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes longer for a 5.4 EX to sell, which of course would also tend to drive the selling price down some.

I truely love how my tuned, deep geared EX drives and especially tows heavy, the whole reason I bought and modified it was to be our tow rig and it handles our 12K TT very well. A stock 5.4 EX will be a completely different driving and towing experience for sure, but your above mentioned planned usage should fit within its performance envelope, but may leave very little on the table for growth of the towed weight. So long as you are expecting and comfortable with less power you may have a great ownership experience with a 5.4 EX. I'm completely familiar with driving low powered vehicles as my warm weather daily driver is a '94 Geo Metro 3 cylinder 1 liter with only 54 HP and 52 ft/lbs of torque, my Winter daily and year round utility whip is an '01 Suzuki Vitara that scorches the pavement with 127 HP and 134 ft/lbs of TQ (the combined torque of those two vehicles is nearly matched by the EX's required lugnut torque!). The Suzuki handles all of my utility work around the property regularly hauling 5'x8' trailer loads of topsoil, mulch, compost, stone, steel, lumber, appliances, ATVs, etc... It works hard with a loaded trailer on the hitch and requires lots of downshifting on the local hilly roads but always makes it to the top of the hill, sometimes even leading a little parade.... I have remarked many times how driving the tiny Suzuki while towing reminds me of driving heavily (over) loaded International Loadstars years ago. As long as your expectations match the real world loaded performance of a vehicle you should get along just fine, being realistic with those expectations is the key, in other words, will you be perfectly happy long term driving and towing with a slug?

 

by around here, you mean Facebook or craigslist?

from my extensive search last night, the biggest diff is approx 1k, w/ v8 at $4k . As someone above mentioned, I could probably haggle for the v10.. but I would have to be more familiar w the vehicle design first (fuel lines, joints etc).. was trying to justify to myself what a $1.1K saving could get me (roof racks, solar panel? Batteries? Mini fridge?). Also I’ll prolly have to pay to get someone to tune up the car before I ride home.. plan to spend more time to relocate for now.. Either ways I guess I could scout for another week or so..

also the v8s I see are a couple years younger at 2004/5. I know ford patched up some things for later models but I’m not sure if it applies to the v8.

what Does deeper gear mean? More initial torque for the v8 but less power overall? Funny how I read v10s wanting to have 4.10..I don’t mind it being a slouch as I’m more concerned about reliability n main maintenance like engine, transmission n suspension. Tows are periphery

heck I drove a Pathfinder ‘95 60miles/hr all the way from Seattle to California

 

lol at leading the parade. I’ve never truly have that experience before 😂. Perhaps I’ll w/ a v8.

from a meta point of view, I think from the moment I fixed n sold my Dodge Charger n decided to try to invest as much time in nature, was the moment I gave up relishing any raw power.. but I do admire those big, fast and lifted beauties on the highway. Every time I see an Ex on the road my heart skipped a beat.

but you do raise another very important reminder, which is how the car has been cared for the past 15-20 years regardless of the power train specs.

i created this post just to be sure and get direct feedback because I’ve seen how badly the v8 was viewed w/ the Ex. I searched for f250 n v8, the reviews were more positive even thou some mentioned of underpower. But you all did make the point that the ex weighs heavier.

 

yea I guess anymore discussions is kinda moot at this point and I should be preparing more info on surveying and diagnosing and getting a list of the potential repair costs for shopping this weekend to get the feels for the different Ex’s

not many ideal places for DIY repair in my apartment (I did a coolant flush n thermostat change on my charger and I’m not sure if the Ex could even be jacked or fit into the garage), but I guess if it’s nothing serious, I could bring the beauty down to the beach while I patch her up!

 

I would hope that you can haggle a little on any used vehicle purchase, I always add some wiggle room when I list something for sale, its how the game works.
Buying any 16+ year old vehicle you should be expecting to spend some/all of that extra money on getting it "right" for you.
Why pay for a "tune up"? On these gassers you are talking about a simple spark plug change with new boots (new coils if you choose, but if no engine miss they should be good to keep), an oil and filter change and a fresh air filter. That's pretty much it and all very simple to do even with limited tools and experience. I searched for about a year once I decided that an EX was what we wanted, during that time as I learned more I narrowed my search to find what I really wanted, a low optioned 6.8 4X4 that was rust free, so glad I held out until the perfect one came along. Of course your situation is different from mine at that time.

The only "patching up" that I'm aware of was the 6.8 having the thread count for the spark plugs increase for the '03 model and up, not sure what the timeline was for the 5.4 getting the increase in plug threads. All the other small changes were just evolutionary like the digital gauge cluster and fresh grille and bumper in '05.

Deeper gear refers to a higher numerical gear ratio in the axle differential(s). The deeper the gear ratio the greater the torque application to the tires at the ground. So a vehicle with 4.10 (actually 4.10:1, or four and a tenth rotations of the driveshaft to spin the axles/tire's one turn) gears will have more grunt off the line or climbing a grade on the road than the same vehicle with 3.73 gears. If you are reading about V-10 owners wanting 4.10 gears, those owners are setting their sights a little too low..... For best performance and towing the V-10 likes a 4.30 to 4.56 ratio if running stock sized tires (addition tire size effectively lowers the numeric gear ratio lessening applied power to the ground, so bigger tires require even deeper gear ratios to preserve good performance), those deeper gears move the engine RPMs up into where the engine makes closer to its peak outputs thus resulting in improved performance. Yes, 4.10 is better than 3.73 but given the cost of a gear change (double for a 4X4) you get more bang for your buck going a bit deeper than 4.10. And running closer to peak power output makes for more efficient operation, so better performance with minimal, if any MPG loss and better mileage in city driving and towing.
Your concerns about reliability are shared with most owners I'm sure. Since the 5.4 and 6.8 are basically the same engine with just two more cylinders I think the rock solid modular engine reliability is shared between them (and the other modular engine sizes). The 5.4, 6.8 and 7.3 diesel all shared the same basic 4R100 transmissions with small internal differences based on each engine's escalating power/torque outputs, so technically the 5.4 would have the weakest trans internals, but still properly matched to that weaker engine. With exception of front leaf springs being sized (weight rating, physical size the same) based on the increasing weight of each engine offered with the 5.4 being the lightest all other 4X4 EX suspensions are identical no matter the engine or model year.

I would think that a highway trip at 60 MPH would fall solidly within the design envelope of that Nissan. I would not hesitate to drive my '94 Geo Metro from Philly to Seattle (my butt and back might have a different opinion on those cheap thin seats...), it's what these vehicles were designed to do, and with the proper maintenance over time they should easily retain that ability for many, many years.

 

sorry I can’t really quote on my mini iPhone 7+ (small things I’m I right?)

but yea I could see myself do my own maintenance.. I haven yet found/specifically search for the (owner) service manual But as long as I’ve got the tools and steps to follow, I’m good..

just wanna pick your brain somemore.. a kind gentleman as yourself posted a purchase guide for the powerstroke.. are the general things to look out for same for the gas models minus the turbo? I’m looking to do the basic superficial inspection routine first (dipstick, undercarriage, engine bay, driving sensation) and obd2 scan first before I think of unscrewing or jacking anything (with permission). I guess I can dig out the vehicle layouts of both and just investigate what’s on the gas model. But my honest concern is mainly those small detailed investigations like the valves or gauges I have to pull out to inspect and whatever nuts or lugs you guys mentioned here

i understand from some vids, the stichiometric ratio/o2 is probably set across gas cars due to physical nature of chemistry, should there be any readings peculiar to different gas engine capacity? From intuition, i don’t think there’s any because the video I watched made it seem like diagnosing requires looking at relative changes through multiple charts and making deductions as the sensors are engineered to receive inputs and algorithms in the ECU just output readings that the engineers think useful.

what are your thoughts? Perhaps this might not be the appropriate subforum for such question.

 

By the way, I was browsing through the forum again. . does bismic's opinion on purchasing 6.0 diesel apply to the gases too? Like WE3ZS said, everything's pretty much the same just that v10 has 2 more cylinders and diesel uses diesel or has a different engine block build (turbo) right? https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...used-6-0l.html
I'm sure there's prolly a dozen posts on what to look out for for Ex v10/8, but what damage would stick out like a sore thumb? (eg EGR for diesel)
Also, how tight should the steering on the truck be?

i'm I actually able to crawl under the Ex to shake the cat converter like this (1:35)? Or would you guys recommend getting jacks? https://www.ford-trucks.com/specs/20...pecifications/ says 8.1(inches?) which seems to measure lower than I imagine. .

But I might fly out of city within state.. has anyone ever bought and returned equipment (ie jacks, tool set or even coolant analysis kit) to home depot or autozone after inspection?? I think I have the service manual cd somewhere but I may get the Haynes manual on the go too.

 

The 6.0 diesels and not even close to the same animal as the v10 or vs gasses. The 6.0s have their own set of issues by themselves

 

So what particular issues do v10 or v8 have?