It's a pointless debate. Which engine is better? It's like asking which babe has the best rack!

I love my 5.4. I don't understand why people think 5.4s are dogs. 300 HP and 80% of total torque available just off of idle makes a great engine. It tows great and gets as good of fuel mileage as my old 1995 F-150 with a 302.

V-10s are also great, as are the many interations of the Powerstroke. My opinion of what constitutes the "best" engine fits my narrow criteria of what I wanted in a truck.

MRXLH has a different opinion. He's entitles to that opinion. Nothing anyone says is going to change his mind. Nothing he says is going to change mine.

 

 

think of it like this with a 5.4L SD could tow 13,000 with no problem, 6.8L V10 15,000, 7.3L or 6.0L 17,000 its a matter of the weight you are towing or what you want to put up with. there all Work trucks I got a V6 its all I need.

 

Lots of people called the 300 inline 6 a gutless-wonder.

And yet, it moved plenty of F150's and 250's, E-series, etc. through the 70's, 80's and 90's. Towing and hauling all sorts of stuff, up all sorts of inclines, through all sorts of rough conditions.

It wouldn't win any races. But it'd go 200K+ miles without a rebuild, and keep going and going and going.

Just like the 5.4.

OK, we're done.

Anyone want to add anything REAL to this subject?

 

Fellas, I don't know what everyone is worried about, seriously. So the trailer is almost 12,000 lbs. He is definately not Un-Safe - he has the same truck I do except mine has a PSD. My GVWR is 20,000. Take 7,000 lbs off for the truck and you get 13,000 lbs. Same suspension, same brakes - guys, he's not unsafe, just a little underpowered.

The trailer brakes will more than take care of the stopping. I've used electric brakes set to higha dn you can feel the trailer stop harder than the truck.

The tri-axle thing.....they make 7,500 lbs axles, which I'm sure this one has if it weighs that much. Qty isn't everything.

 

Whoohooo!!!!

I stand firm on my decision. I love this place.

Take care.

 

Let's just send this one in to Myth Busters and put an end to it....

 

AGREED!


biz

 

Wow this is a great thread! And just to add another comment out there, if all you need is the 5.4L and you don't tow, why not just get an f-150? I think what everyone means with 5.4 is that is shouldn't be in a f-250, it isent the 5.4 is a bad motor just bad combo with this type of truck. I drove my f-150 with a 5.4 and it pulled the hell out of things, but I would agree that a 5.4 in 250's = whats the point, just buy a f-150. But I would agree this would be a good myth busters episode!!

 

UnSafe: NEED to look at your manual and see the limits of GCW and CVWR. The numbers I list below come from an 2003 Manual so we can assume the 2002 was the same if not lesser.

Specifications from a 2003 F250 with 5.4. Gross Combine Weight limits are 13,500 with 3.73 and 15,000 with 4.10. Maximum weight of truck is 8800 (GVWR). Assume the truck weight only 7000 with people, gas and hitch he only has 1800 to play with. He did quote 1980 pin weight so he is a little over on that (GVWR). But the combine weight of the trailer and truck is 17,385 and up. His max is either 13,500 or 15,000 combined depending on the rear end. SO he is either 4,000 over with 3.73 or 2,500 with 4:10. Either way VERY UNSAFE......

V10 GCW is 17,000 with 3.73 and 20,000 with 4.10. PSD is 20,000. He either needs the V10 with 4.10 or a PSD......

Oh yea love the gasser/diesel debates....

 

Your comparing apples to oranges here. You talk about pin weight, and then you talk about towing weight. You also said he needs a V10 or a PSD, but you forgot to mention he should also be looking at a Dually so the rear axle isn't overloaded. www.motorcraftservice.com This site shows the owners guides for the vehicle but I can't find the GVWR and GAWR that I'm looking for. All the tow rating shows is the different size motors, and axle ratio.

Here's a long list of questions that I don't believe have been answered.

If the 5.4L and PDS have the same axles, and brakes why are the ratings any different?

Why can I take my 150 and register it to tow what ever I want?

Why doesn't the DMV ask about the manufacturers tow rating?

What is needed to find out is how does Ford determine tow ratings?

What are the differences between a 5.4L pickup, a V10 and a PSD?

What are the axle ratings of a PSD?

If the axles are the same from a 5.4 to a PSD, why does a small semi still be able to pull the same as a big semi?

Has anybody ever been scaled in the pickup and been asked for the owners manual so they can look at the manufacturers tow rating?

The problem I have with people saying it's unsafe is they only say the owners manual says so.

Long post I know forgive me since I don't know what axles and brakes are on these vehicles.

 

The limit of your vehicle is on the door jamb. Thats where DMV will look if you have an accident. Unless you have a camper exception then you have a piece of paper in your glovebox..
Brakes are the same on SRW trucks. If you try to pull a heavy load up a big hill with a 5.4 on the highway as in Vermont you will know why its unsafe not to have the power.
You shouldn't go below the minimum speed of 45MPH. I pulled a heavy load with mine one time and it was scary on the highway...No power..
If we had no hills here I would easily tow 15k around like nothing even with my 5.4..



Dick

 

Oh if I were still living in Minot I would tow anything I wanted.....Flat as a pancake everywhere. LOL


Dick

 

That Saftey Compliance sticker only says what the truck itself can weigh, the trailer is not included. Point being the DMV don't care if you have a triple axle trailer behind a Ranger, as long as the GAWR's aren't exceeded, and the registration shows you can have that much weight on.

 

The following is my personal opinion and doesn't reflect any official opinion of this web site.

That 20K rating on the V10 is on a chassis that is exactly the same as his 5.4.

The fact is Ford doesn't WANT you to run that much load with a 5.4. Not that it's unsafe, except for pulling out into traffic.

For instance. My 2001 V10 can tow (like I said) 12,500lbs. No idea about GCWR right now, but let's use that 12.5K. My front springs are "T" - one step up from the bottom. I have the overload springs in the back. Front and back springs were upgraded by the heavy-service suspension option. The original poster has already said he has the overloads, so even with only "S" front springs, he'll still be very close to my V10's capabilities - PLUS his engine is even lighter (by 20%) so the front springs are a non-issue.

There is nothing in the equation ANY different than the gears and the engine between that 20K GCWR V10, my V10, and the original poster's 5.4.

The ratings Ford gives are based on lots of things. What it can really handle (with a very comfortable safety margin), what they want to put it through and still carry the warranty up to 36K (or 100K), and MAYBE how long the truck will last overall and not have to have a tranny or rear end put in every 40K miles.

That said, again, it's almost like some people want to paint that with the "UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED" brush that Nader used on the Corvair (well, that might have been warranted )

If the trailer brakes go out, sure a DRW will help lots, but even the SRW is rated high enough.

Registering it, and the trailer, and being legal in that way, is generally all they look at. The DOT doesn't usually pay attention to what the manual says. They'll get you for operating out-of-class (license-wise) or being overweight (registration-wise).

--

Now, based on insurance, liability, registration, DOT, and everything else, DO NOT EXCEED ANY RATINGS in the manual whatsoever!

That way, if you ever get into trouble, your insurance will cover you (hopefully) and you won't wind up in jail or fined for negligence. Or man-slaughter.