New engine did you say? There has been rumors swirling in the mustang community for a long time about a new 5.0 4v engine for the stang. According to insiders this engine will also make its way into the f150 although it will be tuned a lot different of course. The numbers that have been thrown around make the 5.4 obsolete. I hope its more than just rumors and I can all but promise you that you will see this engine in the mustang in 2011. Better days are ahead.

 

Well you have to remember that ford has had poweful engines and people just didnt buy the trucks. There was a small minority of people who purchased them so it was no longer cost efective to produce them. What you have to remember is the cost. Ford could copy Toyota, dodge and chevy with spending more % on the engine, but thats means less spent on the truck it's self. This is why ford are the leaders in truck design. I would rather have a better built truck than an extra 20% bhp. This is why Dodge's, Toyotas and chevys feel so cheap and dont last like the fords.

 

I agree with you on this. They are all probably more than any of us really need power wise. Honestly, I could probably be very happy with the 5.4 and I was just playing devil advocate somewhat.

Im not convinced that a Ford will last any longer. Im also not convinced a Chevy will last any longer. Some of it is just luck of the draw. If you take decent care of them and dont beat them up everyday then I think they will all give good service over the long haul.

My brother in law just sold a 93 f150 with a 300 six in it with 260,000 miles of pure neglect and abuse. His workers used it and after the first six months it looked like it came out of a junk yard. They beat this truck to death in everyway possible and they could not kill it. The oil seldom if ever got changed and when it did it was with some off the wall el cheapo stuff. It got to leaking oil real bad at the end but ran like a top. This is what I wish we could expect but I know he just got lucky. He has never got a bad Ford, Chevy, Dodge or anything else. Some people are just lucky.

If it was raining *****s I would reach down and pick up a *****. Thats how my luck goes.

 

320 and 390 is really not that bad, considering this truck is going to be lighter and have 2 more gears to work with. Besides, there are a lot of new engines on the way.. ecoboost, 4.4 diesel, 5.0 v8, possibly BOSS....

And if you guys haven't seen this thread.......
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...t-f-150-a.html

 

What i think MT was getting at was that upping the power beyond factory parameters shortens the life of the engine.

A 4.6 doing the same work as a 5.4 surely will be more stressed and possibly not last as long.

But compare a completely stock 5.4 engine vs a 5.4 engine with a canned programmer and an aftermarket intake. These engines are notorious for running lean with aftermarket intakes, and a canned tuner often leans out the engine even more for extra power. Sure the modified engine will have more power and possibly more ease doing work, but it will fail quicker than the stock engine too. The engine is designed for stock parameters for a reason, and Ford seems pretty damn good at nailing these parameters, as their engines are known for lasting a long time...even if being worked hard.

As for GM small blocks being bullet proof, i agree they are good engines, but not as good as Ford's. My family has 3 chevys: a '77 chevy with a 350/5.7, a '98 chevy with the redesigned 5.7, and an '03 with the 5.3. I can tell you that my 5.4 3v has been/is a lot better than all of them. Power wise and reliability. The transmission that chevy decided to put behind the 5.3 is absolute garbage, and it seems u-joints are constantly failing. The engine is only part of the drivetrain, to be reliable the whole package has to be "bullet proof."

 

I agree with you and I am an old guy. Trucks are not made to be fast, but that doesn't mean that they have to be slow. I really enjoy having a truck that can get out of its own way when it needs to.

 

Wow 320 from the factory!



I would have thought the 6 speed would have helped more on the mpgs.

 

Honestly, so would I. Mixed with the lighter frame, and all around lighter model, i thought the MPG's were gunna shoot up a couple more then they did.

Oh well, still stoked to see how these trucks perform, real life testing that is.

 

Lighter frame?

Not really something I want to hear about in my trucks. They are supposed to be beefy & durable first! Chances are pretty good that if they are made lighter, they are not going to be as durable. I thought Ford made the right decision with the stronger (and heavier) parts put into the 2004 and new models.

 

Look into it a little bit first.

Its actually lighter, AND stronger. With today's metals heavier doesn't always mean stronger. They used a different material, and formed it in a different way I believe, to make it much stronger, and at the same time, shed a few pounds.

They also claim a higher use of the "high strength steel" then previous models. So, it will be lighter, have better crash ratings, and be all around stronger.

found a link:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/d...eep-its-crown/

 

For 250$ you can get a Edge programmer to beat the crap out of Ram... That's what I did :P

 

You may need a little more than that for the 09s. The 5.7 is rated at 390 hp and 400+ ftlbs of torque.

 

But torque is about the same and Ford is supposed to give you more torque and hp earlier on.

 

Yes this is true. the 5.4l in the 09's is ment to produce a more TQ low down than the other brands. Which should make it better for towing the larger loads. Esp with the new 6 speed box.