It is kind of like I said in a prior post, some of them people at that RV site have no idea about FULL size trucks. I mean many of them use mini vans for towing. I mean no disrespect, but a mini van is just not built for towing somewhat heavy trailers.

I absoulety agree with you that a 4.6 should NOT have any problems towing 2,000lbs. I have a 4.2 3.55 L/S rear-end 5-speed and I tow a 2,500lbs trailer with no problems at all. I use to tow my race car with it and that and the trailer weighed approx. 3,500lbs and no real problem with that. Was it a speed demon? no but it towed it with little problem. As far as my pop-up trailer you really don't know it is back there unless going up a decent grade.

 

Anybody who has a 4.6L and calls it a slug probably has the wrong gears for towing.

I towed a 6,000+ lb trailer with my '97 4.6 4x4 SC with 3.55LS rear for two years and found it to be a competent tow vehicle. I really had no complaints.

When I got the same truck with a 5.4L engine in '99, I noticed that acceleration was better and I had better throttle response at higher speeds while towing.

The bottom line is the 4.6L engine with the right setup is a competent tow vehicle. The same vehicle with a 5.4L is better. Both will get you there. The 5.4L might shave off a fraction of the time. In the long run, the 4.6L will save you a lot more in gas bills over the life of the truck and will probably require fewer repairs.

You want neck snapping performance while towing? Get a HeavyDuty with the PowerStroke diesel.

 

Do the people on the RV site ever complain about the GM 4.8, the Dodge 4.7 or the Toyota 4.7? The numbers for the engines is right there in the brochure. They can complain all they want but what it comes down to is that they should have opted for a larger engine if they didn't want to feel as much of the effect of the added weight.

I've never towed anything with my truck but before mods it had plenty of power. In it's current set up it has more than enough power. If it weren't for the clutch I bet this truck would tow 4000lb with out a problem. Maybe the RV guys should look into supercharging.

 

I towed my wife's Explorer from Windsor Ontario to Drummondville Québec. With my 4.6. It was capable and I never needed the 4 way flashers. Is it a PSD? No. I did not expect it to be. If I was going to tow a lot and did not mind an automatic I would get the 5.4. It is a more capable tow engine. So what if some people bash the 4.6. If you are happy with what you have then who cares..........

Jean Marc Chartier

 

I love my 4.6! Plenty enough power for what I have ever needed.

 

I've beat stock 5.4L's HAHAHA !!! On the other hand, I can't out torque them. The 4.6L is great for around town, off roading, etc. But where you would benifit from a 5.4L is in towing. Teh 4.6L modded can hang with other "HP" vehicles.

 

I test drove a 4.6v8 when I was shopping for my truck,and was not impressed at all!:o For alot less money I got the same truck,but with a 4.2V6 that in my opinion puts the 4.6 to shame!

 

If you want to call it bashing, I guess I'm guilty. I have an interesting excuse though. I've owned a '97 with the original (and really gutless) 4.6, a '99 with a PI 5.4 (Power Improved heads), and now own an '02 with the newer 4.6. Oh yea, and I tow all sorts of stuff on a regular basis for the marina I work at. By the way, they all had / have automatics, 3.55 LS rears and the factory towing packages. So, do I sound qualified?

Does the 4.6 tow as well as a 5.4? Not at all. It does tow some big stuff without too much trouble though. Does the 4.6 get at least 2 MPG more than the 5.4 in overall average mileage? You bet. (And at 24,000 miles a year that adds up.) Why did I go back to the 4.6 after being corrupted by the power of the 5.4? See previous answer. I just couldn't justify the cost of buying or running the 5.4 when even with all the towing I do it only adds up to about 10% of my total miles. Do I still wish the 4.6 had a bit more power? Yup.

That said, I'd like to make one point. Torque tows and horsepower hauls ***. Although Ford motors do tend to put out more torque at lower RPM's than GM motors, my 4.6 just won't hold a candle to a similarly equipped 4.8 GM motor in day to day driving. The GM motor just feels livelier. Mine does however seem to hold its own in towing. Oh, yea, and my friend's 4.8 seems to get about 3 MPG more than my truck for some reason too.

So, if my ex wasn't getting 17% of my money, what would I buy? Probably a new F-250 with the Powerstroke. Boy, this ought to start a mess.

 

Wanna race Blueovalfitter Just playin around.

 

Assuming the 4.6 would give even marginally better performance towing than my 4.2, I would say these trucks are very capable tow vehicles. My V-6 tows and hauls 2000-3000 lbs on occasion and performs very well.

I suppose a guy with a PSD F350 can bash us little guys all they want. They earned it with the purchase of those monsters. But its always a little funny when you watch them fill up their tanks with 40 gallons of deisel @ $1.97 /gal.

 

JMC is very correct about the 4.6 Explorer. I don't care if you have a 4.6 or 5.4 F-150, the 4.6 Explorer will out pull both. Simple reason- 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC!! That engine is perfect with that tranny. We haul a 4 place snowmobile trailer and it pulls it better than my 5.4 F-150! Also, never ever drag race a 4.6 Explorer, you will be disappointed, my Fathers whooped my 2001 5.4 R/C S/B F-150. I wish mine had the 5-Speed auto!

 

Ironic as it is, I have pulled a 5.4L FX4 Supercab out of some extremely thick mud in reverseat about 10-15 mph. For a little while, I was pulling dead weight because the tailpipe was completely under water. My 4.6L is still whoopin' tail today at about 64,000 miles.

Chhorno
1999 F-150 XLT Reg. Cab 4.6L
Superchip ECU upgrade
K&N Filter
SI/DO Flowmaster exhaust
Rancho RS9000x shock w/module
BFG 33x12.50x16.5
Eagle Alloy 589 wheels
3.55 gears

 

You guys are right on the money in regards to the gears. I had a 95 150 with 5.0 and 3.08 that towed 2500-3000lb on a regular basis and it did just fine. I sold that truck for my 98 with the 4.6l and never looked back. It tows that same weight and you don't even know its back there. This truck has 3.55 in the rear and will smoke the tires even with a trailer hooked up (found that out by accident). Proper equipment and balance of trailer are crucial, however most people over-look these things. Also a frame mount hitch is the only way to go in my opinion, you get a very solid hook up. Glad to see many other people enjoying their 4.6, I love mine. Why bash any trucks as long as the owner likes it that is all that matters.

 

Whatever engine someone prefers is just fine. I'm not gonna bash the 4.6. The 4.6 in my '99 had great power. It's weak link was the 5-speed transmission. Believe me, I put that engine through h*ll and back and it never missed a beat. I will NEVER say it's a bad, weak engine. BUT, now I have the 5.4, which is basically the same modular design but bigger displacement. And remember, stock for stock, there is NO replacement for DISPLACEMENT! And I here a lot of people talking about gas mileage differences. Believe it or not, my 5.4 gets BETTER gas mileage than my 4.6 did. It was close for cruising around town, but on long highway trips and hauling large loads the 5.4 got better mileage. Also remember it's a bigger engine and doesn't have to work as hard as a smaller one, thus my foot isn't as close to the floor as in my other truck when pulling loads or driving down the highway.

All in all, I have great respect for the 4.6. But the 5.4 suits me better. On the reverse side the 4.6 moght work better for someone else. It all has to do with what you ise your truck for. SO, my last thought is they are both Ford engines, whcih in my mind makes them equally as great!

 

I can attest that the 4.6 Explorer is fast. It's quicker than a stock F150. I ran with a guy in an '02-'03 Explorer. It's a damn good thing I'm not stock or he would have had me big time!