I drove my 97 F150 with the 4.6 on the highway this weekend for the first time. At 75 mph with cruise control on the converter unlocks over almost every overpass. If the engine had more torque then it wouldn't require as much throttle to maintain speed. Very disappointed with this engine.

I'm glad is have another vehicle for highway driving that has a lot more power. A Buick 3.8 LeSabre. It never unlocks going over an overpass.

 

I don't think it's the engine so much as the weight of the vehicle it's pushing . . . the same engine in your LeSabre would outperform the 3.8, guaranteed.

Not to argue too much, but when I'm cruising on the hwy anywhere from 55-75 mph, I can keep overdrive on and only have to take it out on very long steep hills, on when I'm passing. My truck seems to like that speed around 110 km/hr . . . around 67 mph. I can't say that I've had the same experience as you. And the terrain around here is very up and down, with lots of hills and grades. Granted, it's not the engine for pulling a big boat or horse trailer, but I've found that it is ample for average needs. And my truck is a heavy 4x4 extended cab.

 

Sounds like you need a gear swap. You wouldn't happen to have 3.08 gears would you? The 4.6 should be more than adequate if equipped with gears tailored to something more than steady-state economy.

The 4.6 should really be available with 4.10 gears, especially if you have the 17" ORP wheel option. 3.73 gears should replace the 3.55 gears with this engine and the 3.08 gears should have been replaced with 3.55 gears. With the 5.4, 3.73 gears should really be available. Reports on this list show very positive results from a gear swap with this engine.

FWIW, this engine has more torque at the same RPM than the 5.0L engine it replaced. It's torque peak is also at a much lower RPM than the Chevy 4.8, which has similar maximum torque output.

 

Cougar Guy,

My truck does out weigh my LeSabre by about 400 pounds but any vehicle regardless of weight should be equipped with enough power to handle a normal overpass. And I had no load with me. I was by myself with nothing in the box.


RPFB,

I do have a 3.08 diffrential gear. If this is the problem then why does Ford even offer this gear from the factory? A vehicle that won't even pull itself over a normal overpass should not be produced. Now I have to pay for having my rear end gear changed because of Fords mistake?

Thanks guys but I am going to buy another brand next time. One that has been designed sufficently go get over an overpass.

 

LarryS - ford puts in the 3.08 gears because of economy, you get better mpg with those gears then you do with the 3.55's. So you may just want to look into a gear swap. Or you may want to try a chip, gives you more power and firmer shifts. But I'd say gears first.

And I wouldn't even begin to compare this engine to a LeSabre until you can see what it really does. Remember your in a truck, they don't drive like cars and they don't do things like cars, they've got the power to pull cars and act like nothings there.

------------------
black 97' x-cab 4x4, 5 speed 4.6, black westin nerf bars, 6 cd changer and a 12 premier sub, pilot ground searchers, borla SS split rear exhaust, v-tech oval side window covers


soon: fipk, chip, spark plugs, plug wires, FIPK, IAS shocks and an electric fan

 

My 4.6 preformed well when I was out west in the rocky mountains a month ago only on very steep grades did it drop down to maintain cruise control speed of 75 mph other wise it stayed in overdrive with no problems.

------------------
2000 F150 XLT Reg. cab
4.6 Triton Engine
4x2 3.55 rear end gear
sliding rear window
automatic keyless entry
white styleside short box

 

Greetings!

My .02 cents on the 4.6 in a non-truck application:

Recently I was in Northern California for 12 days on a photo shoot (I work as a landscape photographer part time), and the car rental company upgraded my Ford Taurus to a Mercury Grand Marquis that had the 4.6 liter V8.
Let me tell you, I was VERY impressed with this vehicle and the power of the 4.6 liter engine. No problems at all going over the mountain passes of the Sierra Nevada.

I have driven MANY medium to large domestic and import cars around, and this by far was the the smoothist and most powerful car engine in its price class. In fact, I was so impressed with this car as a whole (UNBELIEVABLE VALUE: for $28,000, NOTHING comes even close to providing the same V8 power in a HUGE luxury car) ... I traded in my wife's Mazda Protege for a new Grand Marquis when I got home. No Joke!!! This is is the same car as the Crown Victoria, which we all know is THE preferred car for Police and Taxi applications all over the place due to the cars reliability and the power of its 289 V8. In my opinion, the 4.6 liter is a superb engine.

Never driven it in the F-150, however...

------------------
2000 4X4 Lariat SuperCab
5.4 Triton
Two-tone black on silver
All options except LS differential

MODS so far:

-Westin step bars (powder coated matte black)
-Lund bug shield
-Gentex electrochromatic rear view mirror
-Cabin filtration kit
-Superchip
-Stull Billet Grill
-Flowmaster Force II catback (series 50 SUV with duals out the rear)
-Line-X bedliner

MODS to come:

-K&N or AirAid FIPK kit
-Mickey Thompson Challenger 16" wheels with 295/75 BFG AT KO's
-4.10 gears (still thinking about this one ...anyone have any input?)
-LS diff or locker of some sort once they are available..
-A.R.E. LSII or Ford HarleyDavidson tonneau cover

1995 Eddie Bauer Bronco
1988 Mustang GT

 

Maybe the gear is what I need. Also might try an underdrive pulley. I had a friend dyno the pulley for 9 rwhp and 8 pounds of torque. That may be enough to do the job. I don't need much more torque to make it over an overpass. What do you do to get the speedometer corrected after the gear change? Do they make a 3.27 for our rearends? Sure seems like a lot of expense to make the truck do what the factory should have done.

Is it possible I have something wrong with my engine? I have installed a new air filter but I have 47K miles and don't believe the plugs have ever been changed. It runs very smooth with no miss though.

Thanks for the help!

 

Larry,

The factory did do it right...the 3.08 gears are almost like having the rear of a Neon on your truck. Ive rarely heard of someone having these gears with the V8. The 3.55 or 3.73 are a better choice. I got the 3.55 with the tow package and have never been disappointed. Give it a try, shouldnt be to expensive. I dont think you have to recalibrate the gauges either, only if you get a tire change. Do you have large tires on your truck? If so you may be over taxing those 3.08 gears. Hope that helps!

------------------

The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page
www.mindspring.com/~acbradley/index.html
<A HREF="https://www.alladvantage.com/joinsecure.asp?refid=LTM-954" TARGET=_blank>I made $450 surfing the web last month...you can too!
</A>

 

I guess I wouldn't go so far as recommending that Ford shouldn't even offer the 3.08 gears. Many of us do have that particular setup, and many of us have reasons for it. I have been completely satisfied with the setup, and it has performed in every application I have asked it to. On the freeway, doing 75, I average 20 to 22 mpg, with a high of 23.6 mpg. I don't have a problem with it downshifting for hills, either, except for when I have been in the Rocky Mountains (still beats the old cavalier hands down there also!).

I almost have to equate the not even offering the 3.08's to the folks who contend trucks shouldn't even be sold without 4-wheel drive. If you want the lower gears, that's fine. 3.55's, 3.73's, or even 4.10's, great, lets have Ford offer them, but don't take away a gear ratio that some of us who pile on the miles appreciate.

LarryS, I too was wondering if the tire size had changed along the line. I have the basic 235's on my truck and I don't seem to be overtaxing them. If so, the gear swap probably isn't a bad idea. Also, if it's a 4x4, that may be enough weight to cause the difference in performance from my application. I think that since '99 or so, the 4x4 version of the 4.6 comes standard with the 3.55's, and 3.08's aren't availible.

That's the beauty of buying a truck - all of the availible options. Out of all of the vehicles out there, what other vehicle can you get as specific as to the options you want as a pickup?

Good luck Larry!

------------------
1997 F150 XLT, Flareside , Moonlight Blue, 4x2, SC, Auto, 4.6L, 3:08, Moonlight Blue Cargo Cover, Ford Blue Oval reciever hitch plug, 235/70/16 Firestone Wilderness AT's, sliding rear window, and 102,000 miles and counting!

 

I have 235-70 R16 tires. Maybe a switch to 235-60 R16 tires would do the job. Might look funny with that much smaller tire and the speedometer would be off by 6.4%. What do you think?

 

I really don't have a problem with the 3.08 gears. Thats one of the great things about these trucks is you can set them up the way you want (and there are hundreds of configurations).

I just meant I hadn't seen many V8's with those gears (I mainly know people with 4X4's and super cabs). I do think though, that if youre going to put big wheels on it and lots of torque increasing aftermarket goodies...you should change the gears.

Larry,

Are those the stock tires?

------------------

The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page
www.mindspring.com/~acbradley/index.html
<A HREF="https://www.alladvantage.com/joinsecure.asp?refid=LTM-954" TARGET=_blank>I made $450 surfing the web last month...you can too!
</A>

 

Smaller tires? Change gears and next truck buy 3.55s or higher! Wow be happy you don't have my truck; V6 3.08 gears, 265/75R16 tires and a 4x4. Mine is a standard but it seems powerfull enough for me. Next year I will put on some 4.10s only because i want 33 inch tires...

I didn't buy my truck new, if I did it wouldn't have 3.08 gears thats for sure But it is geard low enough to make the truck go without touching the gas pedal. That's right just put it in first and let go the clutch, do not touch the gas! ---&gt; How I do this? I put it in low 4x4 lol!!!!

------------------
Formerly known as 4byFord

Check out my site: eph1fifty.cjb.net My email: eph1fifty@hotmail.com
1997 F150 4x4 XLT with ORP 4.2L V6 and 5-speed manual.

 

LarryS,

I checked your posting history since over 100 postings is a little much for this to be your first time driving this vehicle on the highway (you do this by clicking the profile button at the top of the post and then in that window there is an option to see all the messages that someone posted). It seems that you bought the vehicle last year and have been unsatisfied with its peroformance from day one.

It also seems that you are really attached to the 3.08 gearset. These tall gears are your problem. They are offered for maximum economy for unloaded, flatland crusing at constant speeds. They are not intended to provide good towing performance. The 3.55 gearset is the minimum I'd think would provide anything near decent performance with any of the engines offered in this, or any competitive vehicle. As a matter of fact, I don't beleive that GM or Dodge offers a gear anywhere near as tall as the 3.08 gear Ford offers.

It also seems that you are worried about excessive engine wear if this engine is operated at speeds over 3000 r/min. I do not think that is of much concern. Most engine wear occurs at startup, and running an engine under loads at low r/min is actually much harder on the engine (especially the bottom end) than running it at speeds in say the 3000-4000 r/min range. This basic reciprocating assembly of this engine is shared with the Mustang, an application where 6000 r/min can be seen quite often, and failures don't seem to be common there.

For best all around power, you need to know the torque peak of the engine and the highway cruising speed of your choice. You then select a gear ratio that puts the engine at the torque peak's RPM at that speed when in direct drive (which in this case, would be 3rd gear). If you want better power, select the next lower set of gears, for better economy select the next tallest. You will be able to use 4th gear at constant speeds for improved economy, 3rd gear for times when more power is neccessary, and 2nd for passing and really steep hills. I would calculate what gears are best for you using this formula, but I don't know what the rolling radius of your tires is. But I'm going to take a guess that at the 3250 r/min torque peak of this engine at a 65 mi/hr highway crusing speed, you would need 4.10 gears. Since you are concerned with economy, you would then select the next tallest gearset, which in this case would be the 3.73 ratio. This of course may be different since you may have smaller tires...

In any case, I think you really need to swap the 3.08 gears out for at least 3.55s. You will probably be much happier with the 3.73 gears, especially if this is your tow/work vehicle and your LeSabre is your daily driver. I believe that you will probably see a slight increase in fuel economy with this swap since the engine will not be working as hard to accelerate the vehicle, and as such, you will not be opening the throttle as much as you needed to with the 3.08 gears.

Oh yeah, this truck definately weighs more than 3900lb. I believe that a short bed, V6 stripper with a stickshift is heavier than that and since you have a well-equipped long bed with a V8 and auto trans, you will weigh several hundred pounds more than one of those. Stop by a scale...I'd guess that your trucks weight is much closer to 4400lb.

If the truck was in good condition when you bought it, it was still a good deal to get one with 3.08 gears...a good truck geared too tall + $500 for gears is much better than getting one in worn-out condition with the right gears!

 

Triton46,

I believe these are stock tires but I don't know for sure. I bought the truck with 39K miles and it now has 47K. With this many miles I don't believe they are the orginal tires so they could be non stock size. Anybody know what is stock for a 97 F150.