5.4 owners the good,bad - Page 2 - Diesel Forum

Pappy19 · 06-14-2009, 03:24 PM

If you do go with a 5.4 Super Duty, you'll need the 4.33 gears, otherwise the 4.10 will be marginal. I don't think you can get a SD/5.4 combo with 3.73's, only in a F-150, which is a fine combo, but not in a SD. As was said, the V-10 is a great match with a Super Duty, and the standard 4.10 is my choice for all around use. If you tow heavy, the 4.33/V-10 is a hoss.

jgillott · 06-20-2009, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappy19

If you do go with a 5.4 Super Duty, you'll need the 4.33 gears, otherwise the 4.10 will be marginal. I don't think you can get a SD/5.4 combo with 3.73's, only in a F-150, which is a fine combo, but not in a SD. As was said, the V-10 is a great match with a Super Duty, and the standard 4.10 is my choice for all around use. If you tow heavy, the 4.33/V-10 is a hoss.

My wife and I looked at a couple '09 Crew Cab long beds 4x4's at our local dealer and one of them was a 5.4L auto with 3.73's.

HughJazz · 08-15-2009, 11:45 PM

My '05 has the 6 spd, 5.4 with 3:73 gears.

It is fine. Gets around 17 mpg, and hauls around 1000 lb in the back all the time.

For all the people who think the 5.4 doesn't belong in a sd truck,,,,
try driving one before you start hating.

460 engine hp rating 1984.......214hp. 362 ft/lb
460 enginehp RATING 1998....245 395ft/lb
v10 engine hp 1999-2004....310 425ft/lb
3v 5.4 engine hp rating ...........300 hp 365ft/lb

nobody calls a 2000 v10 a dog...
nobody calls the 460 a dog... it's in your mind.

In the old days the 460 was THE work horse in the one ton trucks.

The 3v 5.4 kicks the living hell out of them.

unless you tow heavy, the v10 is wasted gas...

even a 3 mpg diffrence between them adds up. (more likely 4 or 5 mpg)

the v10 is definitly the gas engine to buy if you NEED the power. (maybe get better mileage when towing too)
but if you don't work it hard that often. the 5.4 imo is the better choice. doing rough calculations @ $4/gallon
The 5.4 would be at least $10'000 cheaper to drive over the life of the truck.. not chump change

Pappy19 · 08-16-2009, 06:55 PM

Nicely said and good comparisons. With the 6-speed manual you can grab a gear when you need it alot better than an automatic. I am an automatic fan and if I was going with a 5.4, I would want the 4.30 gears.

HughJazz · 08-16-2009, 10:27 PM

yeah, i agree with the gears.
although I think a 5.4 can only get a 3:73 or 4:10 ratio

I bought used or I would have gotten the 4:10 axles.
even if I had a 2wd I'd consider the 4:30 swap.

From all the research I've done, the triton motors do not use very much extra fuel with a higher gear set.

having said all that. I have never really had a need for more power. I even swapped in a set of 20" takeoff tires from a new f350 which measure 34.5" tall.

I came from a '89 n/a diesel though. packing 170 angry clydesdales.

so I know what it's like to have a shortage of power.

my 5.4 feels like a ferrari

Modded00EX · 08-17-2009, 10:26 AM

I have an 08 F150 CC 4x4 3.55 gear and it is rated to tow up to 8200lbs (9200lbs if I put 3.73's in it). I've not towed any huge loads with it yet but a bed full of firewood and a 20ft boat were no issue at all for it. It was a short trip so I didn't get any good mileage figures. Empty I get 15 in town and 17-18 on the highway.

I can imagine the 250 being a bit more sluggish than mine though the overall weight of a regular cab 250 compared to my CC 6.5ft bed 150 probably is similar, but it would get the job done with the right gearing.

I think a lot of the stigma against the 5.4 being a decent base motor for the SD is their fear of revving the motor while towing. The 460 was indeed a workhorse, but its peak torque was at a relatively low 2400rpm so you didn't have to rev it to get the job done. The 5.4 3v on the other hand makes peak torque at 3750rpm. This scares a lot of guys used to towing with 460's or diesels, but the 5.4 will chug along just fine like that.

ltwnfdc14 · 08-17-2009, 12:01 PM

I think both the V8 and the V10 are decent motors but Ford could do better in the power department. Ive had two V10s and have plowed/driven a variety of different model year V8s and they all seem pretty dependable. In my area one common issue is the exhaust manifold studs breaking/ rusting, etc causing many exhaust leaks. One of my V10s had this problem and it was expensive..Esp frustrating when I tried to keep my motor as salt free and clean. Power is ok and compared to the older gas motors they are much better. However when you have diesels making double the torque it doesnt seem like you could ever make a V8 of V10 powerful enough to compare. Hopefully the 6.2 will be a decent motor.

sbrennan007 · 09-25-2009, 07:00 PM

I've had Diesel's since '00 and several of the 5.4L SuperCab's. I plow with them and tow a 10,000# 30' boat.

The 5.4L won't tow like a Diesel, but short of that, I have had absolutely no troubles with towing or plowing with a 5.4L.

Its a great, dependable engine, costs almost $8000 less than a Diesel, so unless you are towing to the max on a daily basis, the 5.4L will do the job just fine for you.

Brian Edmondson · 09-25-2009, 10:36 PM

I have an 08 F 250 with the 5.4 and it fill the bill for me just find. Unless you tow or haul heavy every day greater than 8k the 5.4 will do fine. i get about 15 to 16 on the road unloaded at 55 to 60 mph. I don't think it is a bad choice.

jtdiesel65 · 09-30-2009, 03:02 PM

I just traded out my 2001 7.3 for a 2009 5.4. My towing amounts to towing an occasional dump trailer loaded up with gravel or wood, perhaps a uhaul, and a bunch of light stuff like a woodsplitter. I use the truck more for plowing and payload than anything else.

I think unless you are towing some serious stuff on a regular basis, the 5.4 is fine.

So far, it looks like I'm getting about the same mileage with the 5.4 that I got with the 7.3...which would be around 14. We'll see if it still works out in a few months. I have to admit, I'm still getting used to driving this gasser truck.

For me, there just is no way to justify the diesel. At $8000 more for the motor, near same mileage, and the higher cost of diesel, there is just no way to make it work...nevermind maintenence cost. I'm in the northeast too, where the truck won't last long enough to get the mileage out of the diesel.

Little General · 10-12-2009, 04:55 PM

I have an 08 4x4 F250 crew cab with the 5.4 and 3.73 gears. I have 60,000 miles and its never been in the shop. After years of 7.3 and 6.0 trucks , I don't know how to act not waiting on a truck in the shop. I like the truck but if I could do it again I would get the 4.10 gears. It will tow a 8000# bobcat, but not very fast, real slow off the line, fair after you get going. I have towed maybe 250 miles out of 60,000, so it made since to get a gaser. If you ever plan on bigger tires or a lift kit, get the v10. My average mpg is 14.9, I can get 16 on the highway and while towing, the gas hand goes down as the tach goes up.

dzzz · 10-21-2009, 07:15 PM

If you live on the flatlands, it should be fine. Hills and mountains could be frustrating.

Smokewagun · 11-12-2009, 09:38 AM

So, I am considering moving to a 2010 F-150 Supercrew, but because payload (tongue weight) pushes me toward the F-150's limit, I am considering an F-250 gasser. V-10's are non-existent around here, but 5.4L's aren't. I guess that could be a sign, but... for towing a 5,000 pound travel trailer 10X a year about 500 miles maximum each trip, I think a 5.4L could be okay. It would be mostly a daily driver... about 1,000 miles a week. At this point, I have an F-150 on order (no obligation), so I am wondering if I should think about the Superduty, and if I should consider ordering one with a V-10 instead... like NOW! What'chall think?

Pappy19 · 11-12-2009, 11:20 AM

If I was ordering, I would surely order an F-250 with the V-10 over an F-150 with the 5.4. No comparison as far as towing. You will loose some mileage, but you would have a real truck with the F-250 and the V-10 will be worth more in the future. I got the standard 4.10 with LS and the TS automatic. Great combo, and worth the wait to order one.

Smokewagun · 11-12-2009, 12:07 PM

Well, I whole-heartedly agree if I was ordering, but I have been thinking about cashing in on some of the current incentives. Here in N. Illinois, there aren't any loaded-up V-10 Lariat Crew Cabs to speak of. There seem to be a good selection of 5.4L's. I have had 5.4L's in F-150's before, but not a Superduty - always diesels in them. I don't really care to wait for the 6.2L gasser because incentives will be squat, and the engine will not have must test time in the real world.