the 300 straight six would pull alot better.. they were amazing motors

 

While the 300 was a very good motor, you still can't make the arguement that its better at pulling than the current 5.4......

 

300, very long lasting and reliable... but stump pullers they were not. Its why they were the "base" or "entry level" engine.

 

Well said Ken, however there are alot out there who are convinced otherwise...I even had one guy who chalanged me to a pulloff with my 07 and his 88 convinced he had the upperhand.....

 

Ryan, I guess its along the lines of

Q. What's the best engine?
A. The one in my truck.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a V10 in the F150...

 

I'll be interested to see how the 4.6L 3V V8 with the new 6 spd auto performs in the real world.

I myself am a big fan of the old 4.9L (300) I6, having thoroughly enjoyed each of my past 3 trucks that had that engine. It was a great "base" engine that cheated death for 30 years.

That said, I am very happy with the power\mileage that the outgoing 300HP 5.4L 3V V8 has. The new 4.6L 3V V8 with the new 6 spd auto may be a viable option for me in the future. We'll see.

On manual transmissions:

Previous to my current truck, all of my trucks had manual transmissions. I prefer driving a stick, but I fully understand that most do not. For the sake of profits, Ford will obviously give the majority what they want. BUT, if you have your heart set on having a manual transmission in your truck, what's wrong with a F-250 Super duty w/ a 5.4L and the 6spd ZF manual transmission? Sure its a bit heavier, but its more truck. You CAN have your cake and eat it to!!

I am sure that it won't be long before even the Super duties lose their manual transmissions.

T. J.

 

Autos more Durable?

Horse crap!!!

 

 

no clutches for morons (otherwise read as people with no business driving a truck) to burn out......

anyone can drive an auto and not break it.....remember...warranty costs affect the cost you'll pay

 

I haven't owned an automatic for twenty years, when I sold my '67 Mustang 390 GT/A Fastback. I am pretty much reconciled to having one in my next truck. Not my next car, though. Bottom line--I hate retrieving a boat with a manual. It's not that I can't; it's just unnecessary wear. And I'm convinced that towing a load in the mountains can be done better with a smart 6-speed auto than a smart driver with a six speed stick.

I don't mind it. Years ago I used to compete in motorcycle endurance rallies where I'd routinely exceed 1,000 miles a day--basically using the North American continent as a game board for a pretty complex scavenger hunt played out over a week or so. It sort of gives you a unique perspective on time/speed/distance. Half that distance daily, warm and dry in an exceedingly comfortable truck, is child's play in comparison.

I really wasn't doing anything special. Thirty or so miles of each tank was city or mixed driving, and the majority of miles were west of the Missouri River where the speed limits are mostly 75. Fifty five or even 65 would have saved a lot of gas. I got into the throttle on on-ramps pretty frequently. By the way, folks are really going to dig the exhaust note on these new trucks. They're pretty throaty. They must be right up against the EPA noise emission limits ...

You clearly know a lot more about trans calibration than I do. My basis for comparison is the last few years of the 5.4L with the 4R75E. Making the 4.6L seem just as responsive, if not more, really can't be attributed anywhere else than the trans. And the head-to-head testing that I've seen underscores your point about the way the competition has calibrated their transmissions. But that seems like a pretty easy thing to rectify, on their part.

I have to say I just don't get these comments about "underpowered." The BASE engine is scads more powerful than any truck I've ever owned; I've owned a few, and they did everything I ever asked of them. For me, the 4.6 3v is going to be overkill, but I can live with that. Fer gawd's sake, it's a TRUCK. You'd think that there were no useful, capable trucks to speak of until a couple of years ago. It's like people think the only useful comparison is what's currently new on the market. These folks are a marketer's dream. Ford is and almost always has been the benchmark in this class, and it's pretty telling that Ford manages to have the most capability with the least power. I guess if you're competing with Ford, you use whatever you've got.

And I'm unconvinced that power gets you anything much other than a quicker launch or pass. One thing a truck is never going do well is emulate a competent sports sedan, where less power, less weight, a much lower center of gravity, a sophisticated suspension, and accurate steering--and much less money--is going to result in an MUCH faster vehicle. You can have a quick truck, sure, but it's never going to be quick in comparison to anything but another truck. Any reasonably competent car is going to leave you at the first set of curves. And if you can keep up, you've probably retroengineered an awful lot of the truck capability out of your ride at even greater cost. I enjoy a quick truck, sure, but I think it's useful to remember that for your core buyer quick just isn't a priority. After Ford gets a better idea of this truck's reception to its core buyers, then you'll see some products for the niche markets. I don't remember either Lightning coming out sooner than two years after the basic model's debut.

 

Very good post mistrtoad...it all boils down to bragging rights...."Mine is bigger,faster,whatever...than yours"

 

"Mine can tow more, mine can haul more"........

 

mistrtoad,

All very well stated! My experience with the calibrations comes from working with the PCMs for several years commercially. I still play around with them quite a bit on my 3 Ford trucks, but I'm out of the business now --- was juggling too making things at once and had to drop one business in favor of another. I really pay a lot of attention to nitty gritty things when I drive a new truck, because of exposure at so many Ford events, people in Ford I've met, ride and drives, tours, etc. I listen for road and engine noise, especially under load (this is one area the F150 really shines), shift points, etc., when I'm in a competitors truck. I also pay a lot of attention to interiors. Sometimes I think GM is having a hard time getting out of the 1980s when it comes to interiors and the feel of their brakes, at least with the last model, felt like they've made no improvements for a long time.

As to making a truck like a sports car, well, maybe not a stock truck won't be, but they can modifieds! Take the Lightning... can out drive many cars. I can tell you that my Roush F150 (Roush suspension) corners very well and about the only car I won't take on from a dead stop is 03-04 Cobra, one of the new supercharged Mustangs, or a highly modified Lightning. Granted, its not much use for heavy work any more, but I have two other trucks for that! I didn't start my project with the intention of getting it like it is now... but its an addictive hobby.