V10 questions?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,176
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From: Western Central NV
V10 questions?
I'm again looking to upgrade my 1986 F250 4x4. What year was the first V10? What seem to be the better years for them. I'm not interested in new.
For those that have owned say 1994-97
460 4x4 F250s, how does the V10 stack up in a similar truck. I pull a 10,000# travel trailer, that would be its main job. But I also want a little better mileage than my present 460. 8-10 MPG. 5.5-6.5 towing. Can someone give me some input as to what the V10 gets empty & towing.
Any input would be appreciated. The thing is I really like the 1996-97 F250s the best but 460s were the only BIG engine option in those years.
I really want to stay Ford. The only other option IMHO is the 6.0L V-8 Chevy with 300 HP & 375 FT/LBS or torque. The guys I have talked to with those are getting 14-16 MPG empty & around 10 MPG towing in 2500 4x4s. But it is a Chevy with a flim-Flam front end.
For those that have owned say 1994-97
460 4x4 F250s, how does the V10 stack up in a similar truck. I pull a 10,000# travel trailer, that would be its main job. But I also want a little better mileage than my present 460. 8-10 MPG. 5.5-6.5 towing. Can someone give me some input as to what the V10 gets empty & towing.Any input would be appreciated. The thing is I really like the 1996-97 F250s the best but 460s were the only BIG engine option in those years.
I really want to stay Ford. The only other option IMHO is the 6.0L V-8 Chevy with 300 HP & 375 FT/LBS or torque. The guys I have talked to with those are getting 14-16 MPG empty & around 10 MPG towing in 2500 4x4s. But it is a Chevy with a flim-Flam front end.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,643
Likes: 8
From: NE Texas
Like Mark said, the SD came out in '99 with it.
You can get 13 empty and 9 loaded with that trailer.
BTW - the guy that told you he was getting up to 16 with a 2500 Chevy was pulling your leg. I do think he can bump 14 on a good day.
The newer models might do better, but the 2500 4WD, 6 liter Chevy gets about 14 max.
Maybe with a 1500 2wd...maybe.
I owned a '77 model F350 and a '79 model F350, both with 460 engines and the V10 is much better, but it's also a different setup made to handle higher RPMs.
You can get 13 empty and 9 loaded with that trailer.
BTW - the guy that told you he was getting up to 16 with a 2500 Chevy was pulling your leg. I do think he can bump 14 on a good day.
The newer models might do better, but the 2500 4WD, 6 liter Chevy gets about 14 max.
Maybe with a 1500 2wd...maybe.
I owned a '77 model F350 and a '79 model F350, both with 460 engines and the V10 is much better, but it's also a different setup made to handle higher RPMs.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 113
Likes: 1
I would think that the "Chevy Guys" you have talked to are stretching the truth a little. We have almost 200 of the 6.0L trucks in our fleet at work and the good drivers will get 12mpg. The guys who drive hard are in the 9-10mpg without any towing involved (less if they let them idle too much). Some of the safety hands that drive 55mph might see 14mpg with a tail wind on the hwy. But if they are driving combined hwy and city they are around 12mpg max.
I have a V-10 and can get to 12mpg on a good day but will average around 10-11mpg. If I drive like an old man... If i drive hard it goes to 8-9mpg easily.
I have 35" tires and 4.5" lift which pulled the numbers down 1-2mpg
I think the first year of the v-10 was 99. 2v until 2004 and then for 2005 they changed to the 3v model.
Nice torque for a gas engine but when you use it mpg suffers.
Hope this helps.
I have a V-10 and can get to 12mpg on a good day but will average around 10-11mpg. If I drive like an old man... If i drive hard it goes to 8-9mpg easily.
I have 35" tires and 4.5" lift which pulled the numbers down 1-2mpg
I think the first year of the v-10 was 99. 2v until 2004 and then for 2005 they changed to the 3v model.
Nice torque for a gas engine but when you use it mpg suffers.
Hope this helps.
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 69
Likes: 1
From: Missouri
Hey kermmydog,
I have an 03 v10 (see sig). When I got it I pulled side by side with my brother who had a 02 2500HD with the 6.0l gas. Performance was not much different at all. If you wanted to drag race them with a load behind them they would run close enough that you could not brag on either one. If you wanted to run them down the interstate loaded and pull the hills they would both hold 75 mph on most hills even long inclines. Neither one would pull away from the other. One will do anything the other will do. The difference is that the V10 will do it at 1000-1500rpm less. The chevy has to really wind up to keep pulling were the V10 makes it's power lower on the tach.
Each year we take the fifth wheel (32ft. approx 9800# loaded) out to Colorado for our hunting trip. In the fall of '02 we took his truck and coming back from Gunnison on hwy 50 we go through monarch pass. That is a long winding grade of about 10 miles ( I think about 6%). I personally drove his truck almost 5 miles at between 4800-5100rpm. We had to hold it rapped out in 1st gear to hold about 40mph. If it shifted to 2cd it dropped to about 3500rpm and started loosing speed. This was the 4-speed auto. I think we averaged between 7 and 7.5mpg for the trip there and back towing the entire time. Almost 2000miles total. He also had 4:10 rearend.
In '03 we took my truck with the same camper to the same place loaded with the same stuff. I came up the backside of monarch pass at about 40-45mph(that's all the faster we would want to go.) in 3rd gear(4 out of 6 on the 6-speed)at about 25-2600rpm. She just chugged on up and I could gain speed slowly if I wanted to step into it. My truck averaged 8-8.5mpg for the trip.
On the flats and rolling hills across Kansas we ran about 75mph. The chevy would barely hold speed on the flat in O.D. and my truck didn't like it. If you hit any hill at all the Chevy dropped to 3rd and my truck would really work to hold speed if it didn't start dropping slowly. Most of the time we just let the chevy run in 3rd at about 3400 rpm and it would downshift to 2cd on bigger or longer inclines and jump to about 4800rpm I believe. We also found that it worked better just to leave my truck in 4th which is right at 3000rpm at 75mph and it would just roll out there. never hit a hill that we lost more than 5mph. Of course that is not counting the mountains.
Both trucks got about 14mpg empty. The chevy rides smoother empty but we both agreed my truck was smoother with the load on it. I couldn't say the suspension on either truck was more comfortable with a load than the other.
Now we take his chevy duramax out. It has the edge box and intake and exhaust. We just set the cruise at 75mph and it doesn't downshift until we hit the mountains. That thing really has some *****. It still only gets about 9.5mpg towing though.
So to sum up the Chevy 6.0 and the V10 will take the same loads to the same places at the same speeds and get pretty close to the same mpg. The difference is the chevy has to work alot harder to do it. When I bought my truck I really thought it would drive away from his with a load. It wouldn't. I just drove mine while he ran the crap out of his. Also, holding the V10 to the floor and running it to 5000rpm in every gear really didn't make it perform any better with a load. Even when I have 10,000#s behind me now I shift out at about 33-3500rpm. I think this would be different with the automatic though.
Joe
I have an 03 v10 (see sig). When I got it I pulled side by side with my brother who had a 02 2500HD with the 6.0l gas. Performance was not much different at all. If you wanted to drag race them with a load behind them they would run close enough that you could not brag on either one. If you wanted to run them down the interstate loaded and pull the hills they would both hold 75 mph on most hills even long inclines. Neither one would pull away from the other. One will do anything the other will do. The difference is that the V10 will do it at 1000-1500rpm less. The chevy has to really wind up to keep pulling were the V10 makes it's power lower on the tach.
Each year we take the fifth wheel (32ft. approx 9800# loaded) out to Colorado for our hunting trip. In the fall of '02 we took his truck and coming back from Gunnison on hwy 50 we go through monarch pass. That is a long winding grade of about 10 miles ( I think about 6%). I personally drove his truck almost 5 miles at between 4800-5100rpm. We had to hold it rapped out in 1st gear to hold about 40mph. If it shifted to 2cd it dropped to about 3500rpm and started loosing speed. This was the 4-speed auto. I think we averaged between 7 and 7.5mpg for the trip there and back towing the entire time. Almost 2000miles total. He also had 4:10 rearend.
In '03 we took my truck with the same camper to the same place loaded with the same stuff. I came up the backside of monarch pass at about 40-45mph(that's all the faster we would want to go.) in 3rd gear(4 out of 6 on the 6-speed)at about 25-2600rpm. She just chugged on up and I could gain speed slowly if I wanted to step into it. My truck averaged 8-8.5mpg for the trip.
On the flats and rolling hills across Kansas we ran about 75mph. The chevy would barely hold speed on the flat in O.D. and my truck didn't like it. If you hit any hill at all the Chevy dropped to 3rd and my truck would really work to hold speed if it didn't start dropping slowly. Most of the time we just let the chevy run in 3rd at about 3400 rpm and it would downshift to 2cd on bigger or longer inclines and jump to about 4800rpm I believe. We also found that it worked better just to leave my truck in 4th which is right at 3000rpm at 75mph and it would just roll out there. never hit a hill that we lost more than 5mph. Of course that is not counting the mountains.
Both trucks got about 14mpg empty. The chevy rides smoother empty but we both agreed my truck was smoother with the load on it. I couldn't say the suspension on either truck was more comfortable with a load than the other.
Now we take his chevy duramax out. It has the edge box and intake and exhaust. We just set the cruise at 75mph and it doesn't downshift until we hit the mountains. That thing really has some *****. It still only gets about 9.5mpg towing though.
So to sum up the Chevy 6.0 and the V10 will take the same loads to the same places at the same speeds and get pretty close to the same mpg. The difference is the chevy has to work alot harder to do it. When I bought my truck I really thought it would drive away from his with a load. It wouldn't. I just drove mine while he ran the crap out of his. Also, holding the V10 to the floor and running it to 5000rpm in every gear really didn't make it perform any better with a load. Even when I have 10,000#s behind me now I shift out at about 33-3500rpm. I think this would be different with the automatic though.
Joe
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,176
Likes: 4
From: Western Central NV
Originally Posted by blueovalman
Hey kermmydog,
I have an 03 v10 (see sig). When I got it I pulled side by side with my brother who had a 02 2500HD with the 6.0l gas. Performance was not much different at all. If you wanted to drag race them with a load behind them they would run close enough that you could not brag on either one. If you wanted to run them down the interstate loaded and pull the hills they would both hold 75 mph on most hills even long inclines. Neither one would pull away from the other. One will do anything the other will do. The difference is that the V10 will do it at 1000-1500rpm less. The chevy has to really wind up to keep pulling were the V10 makes it's power lower on the tach.
Each year we take the fifth wheel (32ft. approx 9800# loaded) out to Colorado for our hunting trip. In the fall of '02 we took his truck and coming back from Gunnison on hwy 50 we go through monarch pass. That is a long winding grade of about 10 miles ( I think about 6%). I personally drove his truck almost 5 miles at between 4800-5100rpm. We had to hold it rapped out in 1st gear to hold about 40mph. If it shifted to 2cd it dropped to about 3500rpm and started loosing speed. This was the 4-speed auto. I think we averaged between 7 and 7.5mpg for the trip there and back towing the entire time. Almost 2000miles total. He also had 4:10 rearend.
In '03 we took my truck with the same camper to the same place loaded with the same stuff. I came up the backside of monarch pass at about 40-45mph(that's all the faster we would want to go.) in 3rd gear(4 out of 6 on the 6-speed)at about 25-2600rpm. She just chugged on up and I could gain speed slowly if I wanted to step into it. My truck averaged 8-8.5mpg for the trip.
On the flats and rolling hills across Kansas we ran about 75mph. The chevy would barely hold speed on the flat in O.D. and my truck didn't like it. If you hit any hill at all the Chevy dropped to 3rd and my truck would really work to hold speed if it didn't start dropping slowly. Most of the time we just let the chevy run in 3rd at about 3400 rpm and it would downshift to 2cd on bigger or longer inclines and jump to about 4800rpm I believe. We also found that it worked better just to leave my truck in 4th which is right at 3000rpm at 75mph and it would just roll out there. never hit a hill that we lost more than 5mph. Of course that is not counting the mountains.
Both trucks got about 14mpg empty. The chevy rides smoother empty but we both agreed my truck was smoother with the load on it. I couldn't say the suspension on either truck was more comfortable with a load than the other.
Now we take his chevy duramax out. It has the edge box and intake and exhaust. We just set the cruise at 75mph and it doesn't downshift until we hit the mountains. That thing really has some *****. It still only gets about 9.5mpg towing though.
So to sum up the Chevy 6.0 and the V10 will take the same loads to the same places at the same speeds and get pretty close to the same mpg. The difference is the chevy has to work alot harder to do it. When I bought my truck I really thought it would drive away from his with a load. It wouldn't. I just drove mine while he ran the crap out of his. Also, holding the V10 to the floor and running it to 5000rpm in every gear really didn't make it perform any better with a load. Even when I have 10,000#s behind me now I shift out at about 33-3500rpm. I think this would be different with the automatic though.
Joe
I have an 03 v10 (see sig). When I got it I pulled side by side with my brother who had a 02 2500HD with the 6.0l gas. Performance was not much different at all. If you wanted to drag race them with a load behind them they would run close enough that you could not brag on either one. If you wanted to run them down the interstate loaded and pull the hills they would both hold 75 mph on most hills even long inclines. Neither one would pull away from the other. One will do anything the other will do. The difference is that the V10 will do it at 1000-1500rpm less. The chevy has to really wind up to keep pulling were the V10 makes it's power lower on the tach.
Each year we take the fifth wheel (32ft. approx 9800# loaded) out to Colorado for our hunting trip. In the fall of '02 we took his truck and coming back from Gunnison on hwy 50 we go through monarch pass. That is a long winding grade of about 10 miles ( I think about 6%). I personally drove his truck almost 5 miles at between 4800-5100rpm. We had to hold it rapped out in 1st gear to hold about 40mph. If it shifted to 2cd it dropped to about 3500rpm and started loosing speed. This was the 4-speed auto. I think we averaged between 7 and 7.5mpg for the trip there and back towing the entire time. Almost 2000miles total. He also had 4:10 rearend.
In '03 we took my truck with the same camper to the same place loaded with the same stuff. I came up the backside of monarch pass at about 40-45mph(that's all the faster we would want to go.) in 3rd gear(4 out of 6 on the 6-speed)at about 25-2600rpm. She just chugged on up and I could gain speed slowly if I wanted to step into it. My truck averaged 8-8.5mpg for the trip.
On the flats and rolling hills across Kansas we ran about 75mph. The chevy would barely hold speed on the flat in O.D. and my truck didn't like it. If you hit any hill at all the Chevy dropped to 3rd and my truck would really work to hold speed if it didn't start dropping slowly. Most of the time we just let the chevy run in 3rd at about 3400 rpm and it would downshift to 2cd on bigger or longer inclines and jump to about 4800rpm I believe. We also found that it worked better just to leave my truck in 4th which is right at 3000rpm at 75mph and it would just roll out there. never hit a hill that we lost more than 5mph. Of course that is not counting the mountains.
Both trucks got about 14mpg empty. The chevy rides smoother empty but we both agreed my truck was smoother with the load on it. I couldn't say the suspension on either truck was more comfortable with a load than the other.
Now we take his chevy duramax out. It has the edge box and intake and exhaust. We just set the cruise at 75mph and it doesn't downshift until we hit the mountains. That thing really has some *****. It still only gets about 9.5mpg towing though.
So to sum up the Chevy 6.0 and the V10 will take the same loads to the same places at the same speeds and get pretty close to the same mpg. The difference is the chevy has to work alot harder to do it. When I bought my truck I really thought it would drive away from his with a load. It wouldn't. I just drove mine while he ran the crap out of his. Also, holding the V10 to the floor and running it to 5000rpm in every gear really didn't make it perform any better with a load. Even when I have 10,000#s behind me now I shift out at about 33-3500rpm. I think this would be different with the automatic though.
Joe
Thanks a bunch for that info. Can't get a better comparison than you gave. I really prefer the Ford truck. I believe they are a tougher truck especially the newer ones.
My 86 4x4 460 will pull both out of Laughlin Nv both ways 6% towing our trailer at around 32 MPH at the slowest speed in second with a C-6. I pull Copper Canyon another 6% grade at around the same. Pulling out of Laughlin Nv into Arizona is about 12 miles, the other side is about 8 miles. Copper Canyon on I-17 in Arizona is about 6 miles long. So with a fuel injected 460 I would compare more with the V-10 I would think. I want to get into a newer truck my 86 has 187,000 miles on it. It runs great but I would like to update with power locks, windows, etc. Less miles. Super Cab would be nice.
Thanks to all who gave input.
Craig
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 69
Likes: 1
From: Missouri
Craig,
If you are happy with your 460 you should be really happy with a V10. I now have almost 130,000 miles on mine and it pulls like the day I bought it. Still gets the same mileage too.
I have another brother that used to have a '92 F250 with a 460 5-speed and 4:10 gears. He sold it at 100,000 miles and the motor was getting tired. My V10 would walk on his truck.
This forum is a great place to get info on the V10 with many very knowledgable and helpful guys on here. However, There are others that claim the V10 will do things it will not. In my opinion it is by far the best gas truck engine you can get. It also comes in the best all around truck. If you go drive an equally equipped dodge hemi or chevy 6.0 and want to drag them from stop to stop or run the quarter mile the V10 will not be as impressive as some on here would like you to think. It is when you use it as a truck that the V10 really shines.
Joe
If you are happy with your 460 you should be really happy with a V10. I now have almost 130,000 miles on mine and it pulls like the day I bought it. Still gets the same mileage too.
I have another brother that used to have a '92 F250 with a 460 5-speed and 4:10 gears. He sold it at 100,000 miles and the motor was getting tired. My V10 would walk on his truck.
This forum is a great place to get info on the V10 with many very knowledgable and helpful guys on here. However, There are others that claim the V10 will do things it will not. In my opinion it is by far the best gas truck engine you can get. It also comes in the best all around truck. If you go drive an equally equipped dodge hemi or chevy 6.0 and want to drag them from stop to stop or run the quarter mile the V10 will not be as impressive as some on here would like you to think. It is when you use it as a truck that the V10 really shines.
Joe
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my 2000 v10 4x4, driving country roads in NE Ohio and NW PA gets 14+ MPG...
all highway 15+...
towing 1,500 miles this fall from lake Erie to SW Florida (low)7.4 (high)8.4 with a average of 8.1...
for the first 5,000 miles since leaving i have a average of 12.1... with a good mix of towing and not towing, but the Ex is always loaded with about 1,000# in gear...
towing miles are pulling a TT that weighes in at 10,000#...
these mileages are figured over many tanks of gas and about 12,000 miles since i have had the Excursion...
all highway 15+...
towing 1,500 miles this fall from lake Erie to SW Florida (low)7.4 (high)8.4 with a average of 8.1...
for the first 5,000 miles since leaving i have a average of 12.1... with a good mix of towing and not towing, but the Ex is always loaded with about 1,000# in gear...
towing miles are pulling a TT that weighes in at 10,000#...
these mileages are figured over many tanks of gas and about 12,000 miles since i have had the Excursion...
Thread Starter
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,176
Likes: 4
From: Western Central NV
Good info. Thanks for all the input. My heart pumps BLUE OVAL BLOOD so the chances of me buying a Dodge or Chevy aren't real good. The Chevy was a thought until Joe gave me a great comparision. Sounds like the V10 would give me the towing ability that I'm looking for. I hate towing with an engine wound to 5000 RPM. I like the lower RPM gas engines. If I want to drag race I'll build a Mustang.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by kermmydog
Good info. Thanks for all the input. My heart pumps BLUE OVAL BLOOD so the chances of me buying a Dodge or Chevy aren't real good. The Chevy was a thought until Joe gave me a great comparision. Sounds like the V10 would give me the towing ability that I'm looking for. I hate towing with an engine wound to 5000 RPM. I like the lower RPM gas engines. If I want to drag race I'll build a Mustang.
a very close friend has a new silverado 1500 and my son has a new f 150...
after driving both the chevy was a nicer and quicker ride...
haven't really been in either enough to say one is better than the other, but both my son and my friend are happy, and thats all that counts...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,643
Likes: 8
From: NE Texas
Originally Posted by dkf
A 2500 HD chevy parked next to my truck the other day. I thought the truck was a 1500. Next to my SD it looked like a toy. No other truck is built like a Ford.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
Originally Posted by Big Orn
It is hard to tell a 1500 from a 2500. And those new 3500 duallys look just like a 1500 with a big butt...
Several years ago I put a new salt spreader and frame hitch on a 93' Chevy 2500. That truck had a super small frame in the back. The frame on my 74' F-100 had more meat to it. Fords may be slower than some lighter chvys and dodges but they are built to work.