the 4.0 in the jeep is a dam tough engine as well, lay's smack to the theory Ford can't build a straight 6 that can pass emissions. Chrysler built them well after the 300 6..

 

I had the straight 6 in my '89 F-150. I loved that engine. Easy to work on, economical, and for me, plenty of power. I wanted to get that in my 2000 F-150, but it was discontinued. I wish they would bring it back. If they did some updating like they did with the 3-valve V8 in my '05 Mustang GT, they could probably make it even better - all around.

 

I think they should bring back the 300-6, 4.9L engine. It is reasonably efficient (i get better fuel economy than similar vehicles of today, without overdrive), it is comfortable at highway speeds, can run indefinately other than refuelling (I have never had an overheating problem), is easy to maintain, and if my truck is any example, the engine lasts nearly forever (not to mention the transmission also). I am considering rebuilding my engine for school this winter, though it probably isnt quite necessary.
Some history of what the truck has gone through: it was an ontario bush work truck for the first 20+ years, was parked for 3 because it is standard and the owner hurt her left knee so got an automatic. It has had anything from lawnmowers, to gravel and manure piled higher than the cab and driven 100 km. After being parked it was put back on the road as a college graduation gift to me when i moved across country for work. When i recieved the 1979 Ford, it had 512000 km on it, and 2 years later I have it up to 570000 km (~356 250 miles). The gaskets on the engine are still factory, though a tiny bit of oil is seeping out. It starts up easy in winter, and even in -40 after driving for 5 minutes I have to turn the heat down because I'm almost sweating. The only problems I have at the moment are the clutch linkage is wearing out, as well as the shifter tube (3-on-the-tree, tube was replaced once). I doubt any company would bring back anything of this calibre because it lasts too long for them to make money off it 4 years down the road in this money hungry corporate state in which we live. Plus they should be looking for more efficient technologies, which, as I implied earlier, have not been evident, as my truck gets better gas mileage with 570 000 wear and tear than similar new vehicles are rated at time of purchase. If the powertrain of the engine was coupled with a electrical generator, it would probably work very well and last for a very long time; and also, if it were designed to run on ethonal (which isnt a common fuel in more than 15% ratio with 85% gasoline here in Canada), it would be more beneficial than gasoline as there is lower negative environmental impact long-term (though there are definately fuels that will be discovered and expanded on eventually, which we must keep ourselves open to).
Overall, it is a strong work engine which isnt too heavy on the pocketbook in comparison to many vehicles, is easy to maintain and can last a very long time. And no doubt there are methods of improving it with modern technologies, skills and fuels to make it better for fuel economy, the pocketbook and the environment. (Good for the environment is never bad for money or jobs if one realizes that if we don't do something, 5 years down the road it will cost exponentially more.)

Thank you, devhak

 

they should bring it back. ford needs all the advantage thay can get. dam reliable motor as well. chevy kept the 350 around for years.redesigning for emissions etc... probab;y bacsuse if emissions thay stopped. i had a 3.9 dodge befpre i got my f150. thing could not get out of its own way, but reliable as hell. 265k when i sold it. amercian companys are just discovering what toyota has known for years, smaller blocks, overhead cams,higher comperssion etc..

 

I drove a 4.9 liter for work two summers ago with a 5 speed manual tranny. That thing pulled like nothing else. My 1997 4.6 liter doesn't have nearly the pull that that truck did. Unfortunately the 4.9 truck itself was a piece of junk because the owner didn't give a rats *** about maintenance.

 

Can't beat the BIG DADDY six pack! I have never heard of an inline six blowing up or becoming crippled at all for that matter. My father use to own one and its original purpose was for towing this huge airstream fully contained monster of a trailer. After he sold it, I found out that one of my friedns worked for the man that bought it. The man that bought was a logger and used it to pull his trailers. My friend mentoned the pickup and I told him that it used to be ours. He asked me what it had under the hood and you should have seen the baffeled look on his face when I told him that it was a six cylinder. He was a hard core Chevy fanatic and apearently had never heard of or put much stock in the all mighty six pack from Ford. In my opinion I own two of the greatest six cylinders ever made, The Ford 4.9L and the Chevy 4.3L Vortec. I don't mean to sound conceded, I just love my trucks. Hopefully I haven't offended any body mentioning a Chevy on here. I think they can live togather in harmony. Just my two cents.

 

A 4.9 massaged into a 4.9 with a DOHC aluminum head, variable intake, all forged internals, and multi-point injection could be the end-all-be-all in half ton trucks, forever, period. There's no reason in the world that motor couldn't make 400hp and 375fp N/A.

That motor, 100 tranny, 2500 stall, 3.73 gears, limited slip, yup, just about perfect.

But, IMHO, you would NEVER duplicate the growl of a V8, and there's a lot to be said for that too.

I helped a buddy move a while back, he has a 98 F150 XL with a 4.2 and a 5-speed. He was pulling a tiny U-Haul trailer which was MAYBE 1500lbs at the most, fully loaded. The only thing in the bed was a queen size mattress. He couldn't get it over 50mph going up hills. Absolutely worthless truck motor IMHO. It's the same motor that goes in the Mustangs, and Windstar minivans (3.8) with a different intake and slightly longer stroke. That motor has no business being in a truck.

Maybe, just maybe, sometime in the future, Ford will join in the hp game. Who knows. Someone else said we probably wouldn't see a I6 till 2017. LOL Hell, in 2017, these trucks will all be turbine-electric hybrids. That "can" be the best thing to happen to these trucks. Can you say TRAIN! How does 500hp, 900fp and 30mpg sound??? A 2500hp gas turbine is only about 6' long and weighs around 600lbs. Who was it, I think Cal-Tech, they came up with a gas turbine for cars here just this year that's something like 90% efficient. In a regular car, >100mpg wouldn't be hard to do with it. There's just so far these piston engines will take us. The future will be turbine with waste-heat pre-heated air/fuel.

 

Maybe some of the memories are better as just that, memories. I had a 88 150 with the 4.9L as a work truck. Blew the head gasket twice, oil pump died at 110k. Didnt consider it to be that great of a motor. I still own a 92 E150 with the 4.9L. Slug, takes forever to get up to 70 mph and MPG is about as bad as it can get. Compared to the newer E150's with the V8s it is a total dog.

As to the issue if Ford could bring back a 6, sure they could but there isnt a reason. A straight 6 is not package friendly compared to a V motor thus no reason for one. The benefits of a 6 is smoothness and nothing else, power can be made in either configuration as most modern engines have shown. I am surprised no one mentioned the real straight 6 experts, BMW. Chevy took a page out of the BMW handbook and basically duplicated a modern BMW straight 6 for its design. If Ford were to build a new version of the 4.9L six, it would be a powerhouse for sure since they should be able to do what BMW has been doing for years now, 100hp per liter, but I doubt they feel the need when the 5.4L gets the job done. Personally I woudl rather see a 6 cylinder diesel for the F150 vs a gas straight 6.

As to the 4.2l V6 not being able to pull a trailer etc, hogwash. I have towed 4000lbs at 75mph around Atlanta, up hills and down. It isnt as good as the 4.6L but it gets the job done. I do have to say, no point in getting the 4.2L as it gets the same or worse MPG as the 4.6L. It was basically built for cheap fleet sales.

 

THE 4.9


OK OK OK OK....

The 4.9

It would only blow the headgasket and the engine would naver stay
running because of problems with the computer down to the cap n stuff...
Plus most of the newer trans for the 4.9 were crap... really...

It got ****ty MPG.... no joke...

If your going to get ****ty MPG you might as well have power...

Hey im not trying to be mean but the 4.9 sucked...

I had a 95 F150 4.9 with std 5speed and a 98 F150 4.6 auto with 33's on it..

4.6 out pulled and was faster then the 4.9.. AND GOT better mpg...

I dont want the 4.9 back ...

 

QUOTE
"I had a 95 F150 4.9 with std 5speed and a 98 F150 4.6 auto with 33's on it..
4.6 out pulled and was faster then the 4.9.."

A Friend and i compete on a regular basis i own a 96 F-150 short box reg cab with a 4.9 5spd standard trans 4x4 and he owns a 97 F-150 short box reg cab and has the 4.6 and also a standard trans 4x4. i run 38"tsl and 3.55 gears and he runs the same and we do tug of wars on dirt and pavement we have pritty much the same mods. His truck has never been able to pull mine back wards on pavement dirt occasionally i think it might be the weight and struggles to do burn out's but when it comes to racing i can beat him on the 1/8 mile but not the 1/4. When i was in high school my truck was stock and at lunch my friends and i always raced. one is a proud owner of a 2003 f-150 4x2 sportting a 4.2L and a auto trans it lost 3 times against the big 4.9, so we swapped trucks and nothing had changed the 4.9 walked away. That was the only reason most of my friends own a f-150 with a 4.9L today. I think the people ripping on the 4.2L need to ease up they have not been around as long as the 4.9 and have a large time period to catch up. Not very many motors start out as a sweet motor it takes time. if i was to buy a new truck i would like the option of choosing from a v6,v8, or a I6 gas or diesel depending on my budjet.

 

The 4.9 is so easy to do maintenance on. So YES!

 

Unless it was a diesel, then no. Ford has dropped 6 cylinder engines from their F150's anyhow.

 

haha. this post has been brought from the dead three times now. the first one was a 7 year gap.

 

This thread was started 9.5 years ago......................

 

HOly old thread batman ..... but yes i think it was an awesome engine ! woul;d i buy one no but im sure plenty of people woul;d well i might in an expy for my old lady?