So its ok for the 2valves too blow sparkplugs? The drive by wire is not a component associated with the motor itself so you can take that one off the list. All it does is open the throttle body to allow air into the motor. Take the cam phasers out of the 3valve motor and it would run just as quiet as a 2valve.

 

I think the plug issue was mainly with the older 2V. Maybe an isolated issue with a 3V, but I have two friends that experienced the issue with 1998 F-150's, and those were 2V motors.

 

I drove my first 5.0L yesterday. I was very disappointed. Mainly because it is not in my garage, but even more so because I will need the EcoBoost because of the payloads. The Lariat I drove only had 20" chome wheels (upgrade with Chrome Package) and the box side steps. It only has a 1250 payload which won't do me any good with a sizeable travel trailer tongue weight. Oh well.

This truck was all Tuxedo Black, and I will say that the blonde wood in the black interior looks very nice. It's almost like the light tan leather with an Adobe interior make the blonde wood look cheap. Ford was real smart to make the wood with a satin finish instead of the shiny cheap look of the past.

The 5.0L is very nice. Smooth and very throaty. A nice SIDO exhaust would make me pass out every time I drove a truck like that. I was pretty impressed with the "supposed" fuel economy. We all know lie-o-meters are just that, but this rig after about 25 miles of rural driveing with a few stomps was showing roughly 18mpg... all while it was 15 degrees out. My 2010 5.4L has been getting about 15mpg on a good day in this cold. I am sure reports of 20+mpg with the 5.0L on the interstate are not hogwash, and because of that, the 5.0L in my mind may give the EcoBoost a real run for it's money. If it weren't for the payload issue, I'd be all over the 5.0L, but Max Tow it is for me.

 

Actually the 4.6 was more likely to blow plugs than the 5.4, and if you torque the plugs to 28 ft/lb you won't blow them.