In a word...HUH????

The 300 I6 has more power (torque) than the v6 off the line, if anything making it better for around town driving. Where it suffers is in the upper RPM's, higher speeds etc.

That is why my family has used i6's for around town delivery trucks for many years (will be sorry to see the last of them go) You efinately do not feel like you are going to get run over...even with a load of furniture.

Unless perhaps driving in your town is usually over 65mph (some seem to be)


Jim

 

So from what Ive gathered from all this info is that I6's are better for town driving and towing and dont do so hot on the highway? Im lookin for a truck and I want an I6 but if I cant cruise highway speeds (mostly what Im on) then should I go V6? I do do some hauling, rocks, dirt, sand, manure (yes manure lol). I dont tow trailers but I do use the bed.

 

Actually, mine has the 3.08 in it with an e40d (2wd). 75 is no problem, but long hills do drag/cancel the cruise control. I generally have about 800-900 lbs in the bed.

I get about 18 MPG on cruise. So certainly you can cruise highway.

If you find a good deal on an inline...go for it. I don't think I would use it if you were doing daily highway hauling 2000+lbs....but for the occasional hauling (even manure) I would not be concerned.

Jim

 

Inline sixes are extremely durable I had a 280ZX TURBO with over 200K on it and it ran like a champ... no problems at all. (8PSI boost) I had to sell it for the F150 but just as far as longevity is concerned, inline engines can't be beat.

 

There has been alot of remarks made on this thread about how inline 6's make their torque at lower rpm than v-6's and 8's, this how ever has nothing to do with it. Either engines are be tuned for low end torque or high rpm hp. Most inline sixes are tuned for strong rpm torque as they where used primarily in trucks. Although there has been some nice inline 6's made they do have some strong disadvantages too such as their long lenth, wieght,less block regitiy and bad crankshaft wobbling at high rpm (hence why they are rarely used for high rpm applications). Inline 6's also take longer for oil to reach the main bearings during a cold start hence why it is usually in the worst shape if you examine it at overhaul time.

 

I agree with you on the torque vs rpm calgary, that has more to do with cam duration and overlap than what cylinder configuration you use. With the right, or wrong, cam and adjustable ignition and valve train timing, I could put the max hp and torque anywhere I wanted it in my rpm range. I don't agree though with the info on those disadvantages... I know there are some... but block "regitiy"? If that's block rigidity... and that translates to durability... then tell that to my 300 that's been overheated (seized T-stat) and "under heated" to the point of popping it's freeze plugs... and it's still going without a re-build and is no worse for wear. I've never had an engine pop its freeze plugs that didn't crack, but the 300 didn't. Crank shaft wobble at high rpm? How high? I guess if I managed to push my 300 to 8000 rpm's it might fly apart... but the BMW I-6 does it with ease... it all depends on how the engine was built and what it was built for. Length... ha, I like telling people that my engine is longer than theirs...lol Weight? As compared to what? And the main bearing oilers... on what engine? the 300? I've never heard of anyone having that problem, I've re-built several 300's and never noticed any irregular main bearing wear due to lack of oiling. My bronco was from up north, colder climates, and its stock motor laid down after 174,000 trouble free miles when my wife blew the heater hose and drove it to my work overheating. It spun a bearing and really chewed up the crank... so I dropped the pan and put in a 10 under bearing in place of the damaged one... just a band aid till I could fix it right. That engine ran for 6 months like that before the knocking came back and I decided to fix it right.

Ward's 10 best engines for 2004

Engine type: 5.9L OHV inline 6-cyl. turbo diesel
Displacement (cc): 5,883
Block/head material: cast iron/cast iron
Bore × stroke (mm): 102.1 × 119.9
Horsepower (SAE net): 325 @ 2,900 rpm
Torque: 600 lb.-ft. (813 Nm) @ 1,600 rpm
Specific output: 55 hp/L
Compression ratio: 17.2:1
Application tested: Dodge Ram Heavy Duty
Fuel economy for tested vehicle (EPA city/highway mpg): N/A

Engine type: 3.2L DOHC inline 6-cyl.
Displacement (cc): 3,246
Block/head material: cast iron/aluminum
Bore × stroke (mm): 87 × 91
Horsepower (SAE net): 333 @ 7,900 rpm
Torque: 262 lb.-ft. (355 Nm) @ 4,900 rpm
Specific output: 103 hp/L
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Application tested: BMW M3
Fuel economy for tested vehicle (EPA city/highway mpg): 16/24

Engine type: 4.2L DOHC I-6
Displacement (cc): 4,160
Block/head material: aluminum/aluminum
Bore × stroke (mm): 93 × 102
Horsepower (SAE net): 275 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 275 lb.-ft. (373 Nm) @ 3,600 rpm
Specific output: 65 hp/L
Compression ratio: 10:1
Application tested: GMC Envoy 4WD
Fuel economy for tested vehicle (EPA city/highway mpg):

The I-6's took 3 of the top spots, and two of those are in trucks/suv's. There were two V-6's in the top 10, both imports and both in cars, two Inline 4 cyl engines, and the rest were V-8's. From a hot-rod BMW to a Dodge Ram Heavy Duty, the I-6 still proves its value as a stable and dependable engine platform.

 

(I was hopeing there would be a salute smilie on here but gusse not )

 

i have an I6 in a 84 f150 4 speed, its halls **** up to about 40 then your done for, theres plenty of torque for pulling and it gets good mileage, it can also powerbrake in 2nd gear, that tells you the I6 has plenty of torque, it also has 212,000 miles on it all original and never been touched.

 

my dad had a 70 something with the 300 and it ran 14s at the track and still was a daily driver. as far as power take my buddies 96 300I6 hook it to the bumper of my dads 00 f-150 4.6L and see wich one moves first(both 2wd). i have driven both trucks and i have pulled stumps and trailers that were three times longer than my buddies -96 f-150 with no problem. i think the "new " f-150 would break just looking at the work day we put the 96 through.

 

V-6, I-6, Calgary has it right. It's how the motor is built with respect to valve timing/duration, fuel delivery, etc etc.

We already have I-6 examples in the BMW vs. Ford 300. Someone mentioned an upper rev limit on an I-6--I seem to recall it is somewhere in the 7500 RPM or so range, due to the harmonics in the crank. I think there is a big risk of the crank breaking itself at higher speeds--this may or may not still hold true due to improvements in materials and harmonic balancers etc.

How about a big, truck-tuned, slow turning V6? How about the GMC Gas V6's of the early '60's? These motors were only offered for a few years, unlike the Ford I-6, but I'm not sure of the reason. Maybe because they were no better than the V8s for fuel with less power. And they must have shook. I knew a guy with one, but we weren't really focused on NVH and all that high brow automotive analysis that is done today. (We were in a band, so we were focused on making noise and trying to put twice pipes on everything)

As far as the other end, I think you can run a V6 up to 10 grand or better if the parts hold together.

All told, the I6 probably has it, especially with EFI to eliminate fuel delivery issues. (lean on the ends, fat in the middle with a single carb) That would be because of the inherent near perfect balance of the engine without the need for balance shafts, split journals and other V6 nonsense.

I have a 300 in my E150, and just wish I could find an economically priced, straight bolt in, durable 7 speed manual tranny to replace my "RUG" toploader 4 speed manual OD, with the Grand Canyon between 2nd and 3rd.

Just a few random observations.

 

I found a clarke five speed but I haven't been able to talk the guy into selling it, and the newer six speeds won't bolt up to the 300s and there are no bell housings. and IF its a four by four like mine there are transfer case compatability issues and if you install one of the newer transmissions and xfer cases you need new drive lines.
I found a small six cylinder diesel in a wrecked truck, I won't mention what make, complete with turbo and transmission and I must admit its tempting to buy it and try installing it in my old 150, it looks doable and four by four is available.

 

The 300 runs like a diesel, pulls like a diesel, lasts like a diesel... wish it got fuel milage like a diesel.

 

Yes, it [the 04 F150] is better technically and it is stronger than the earlier (97-03) version, but that design is still wanting - the high beltline makes it look like an old man with his pants pulled up to his armpits! And the dash instrumentation just does not say "truck".

Viva la Super Duties & classic trucks!

imho...

dn.

 

mmmmmmmmmmmm....diesel. Ive thought about getting a diesel but it seems hard to find one that has less than 200K miles on it for the price Ill be able to afford.

 

Well, I guess I'll throw my hat into the ring....
I have driven several different I6 Ford trucks and true, they are great motors. I have never owned one but have always thought them to be a great small displacement truck motor.
I now own a 2000 F-150 w/ the 4.2 with the 5 speed, and some of what I have read puzzles me.
Agreed, the 4.2 doesn't have the low end grunt that a I6 does, but that is about all that is missing. Does this shortfall makes it any less of a viable option in a full size truck? I think not.
Some folks seem to want to define a truck as nothing less than anything capable of pulling a 100 box car train, with 1000 lbs of sand in the bed, uphill into a stiff head wind. The real world is not everybody NEEDS or even WANTS a pint size Euclid.
My truck has pulled a 22 foot boat on the Interstate in hilly terrain at 65-70 mph. It seemed to do just fine. It has hauled me and 3 adults, plus 12 kids in the bed, plus camping gear, plus paint ball gear, plus who know what else, back into and out of the woods, and it did great.
It will burn rubber if I want it to. (I don't -tires cost $$$!)
It has 126,000 miles on it and has been as reliable as a block of cement (Only problem came at 124,500 miles - had to have radiator rotted out).
It will cruise with EASE at 80-85 mph all day long.
It does all this and averages 17 mpg city / hiway.

The weakpoint: don't let the rpm's drop below 2,300 - 2,400 in OD and try to pull a long hill. You'll end up getting passed by some kid on his bike. Drop one gear, RPM's jump and you can pass other folks.

So, in summary: (IMO) the I6 was a good motor. The V6 is a good motor.
You don't buy a V6 fullsize truck if you have a 30 ft Fifth wheel, a wife, 3 kids and a dog.
You buy a V6 fullsize truck if you are like ME. I need a truck. I wanted an inexpensive ($16,500 new in 200) reliable fullsize Ford truck. I got EXACTLY what I wanted, and arguably better.
Fuel injected, Electronic Ignition, fail safe cooling, nice ride, respectable mpg, and superb relaibility.

Is the V6 for everybody? No.
Is it for some of us? Yes.
Is it a good motor? Here are some who think so.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=209186

Thanks all!