Hello, this is my first post at this website. I recently bought a 03 F-250 4x4 with the 5.4L,6spd,4.10 drivetrain. I'm very happy with the truck except for one thing. When taking off from a dead stop up hill in low gear-bulldog- you have to give it more gas than I like and let the cluth slip a little. Under a load this is going to kill the clutch. I was used to a 25 yr old chevy-250 6 cyl./4 spd that you can take off most uphill grades and hardly give it any gas.
When I mentioned this at work, this guy who has a 1-ton Dodge Cummins Dually with a 5 spd, gave me a demostration. On a gravel lot, small uphill grade he put the tranmission in low, right foot firmly on the brakes (no gas pedal) and let the clutch out, both wheels spun in the gravels, truck never moved, engine didn't die. The truck would have buried itself before he pushed the clutch back in.
How does torque at idle of the V-10/6spd/4.30's and the PSD (7.3 or 6.0)/6spd/4.10's compare to my 5.4L/6spd/4.10's? I realize that the psd should have more torque at idle than the V-10, but I would like to hear from you guys with the V-10. In other words, can the V-10 be a good as the diesel when used like a tractor or should I be thinking about getting a PSD. I know the Cummins has excellent low rpm torque, but I prefer the Ford SD.
I don't have a manual tranny, but I'm more than pleased with the low-end power my V-10. For comparison the V10 specs at 425 lb ft at 3250 rpm, the 5.4L has 360 at 2500. I'm sure somebody with a Manual/V10 combo will chime in. BTW, I have the 3.73 rear diff.
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2003 F-350 Crew Cab, V10, 4X4 ESOF, 4 Speed Auto, Long Box, 3.73 Regular Axle, heavy duty front suspension with W code springs, SRW, Lariat options package- Leather seating for six, cruise, heated seats, single disc player, Chrome tubular cab steps, keyless entry, full power. Newly added- Prodigy brake controller.
And TTT mirrors with heat and turn singal.
Also- Wireless keypad, Century Royal Series Truck Topper and Putnam Class V Trailer Hitch.Truck Photos
Recently turned 32,000 miles.
I don't understand why your 4.10 5.4L has a problem starting in LOW. My 3.73, 5.4L has started my 11,200 lb GVW (weighed on a certified scale) truck/trailer combo at some pretty serious angles on and off road with no clutch slipping required. It also climbs slickrock baby lion's back at Moab with no problem in LOW. It does take a lot of throttle sometimes after the clutch is engaged, but no slipping required - I hate having to slip a clutch.
Approaching this from a slightly different angle, I work for a "large national tire company" in an urban location. I have occasion to drive a lot of newer manual transmission vehicles into and out of the shop. The vast majority of these are compacts of Asian origin. They have NO TORQUE. You have to slip the clutch quite a bit just to get them moving on level ground. Strangely, they routinely go 100,000 miles on the original clutch. I would not be too worried about having to slip the clutch a little to get a truck started on a grade.
That much being said, the 7.3 PSD 6 spd I put tires on was quite a refreshing difference. Drop the clutch at idle? Not a problem! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] It reminded me of the old cement truck with 3208 and a 13 spd I spent a lot of time with in the service [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] Happy fun.
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Current vehicles
'83 Mercedes 300D Turbo-Diesel-the U 505 299,000 miles
'77 Mercedes 240D 4sp stick 62 hp daily driver 220,000 miles
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