Wow, didn't mean to step on your (possibly camery loving?) toes Dave. Alll I was trying to get across is that these big and heavy trucks, when equipt with the 5.4L DO have enough power to get out of your way.

In responce to your questions:

1. Base I-4 or optional V-6, no problem with either.

2. wasn't at night, it was mid day in the sun, track temps were even higher then the mid 90s weather info indicates. I didn't get the chance to 'line' directly up against the one camery (v-6) that was there, he was in line in behind me for one of my runs and was talking trash. Funny thing was, after seeing my time he not only shut up, he avoided me the rest of the day. Oh yea, his times on the two runs I saw him make were a 17.3 and a 17.1.

3. nope, I don't think the mags 'lie', why would they? Nope, I don't think yota slip'em a ringer either. Nope, I don't belive they 'sand-bagged' Ford. I am not saying they can't drive'em either. Just trying to give you a little pep talk from my personal experiance so you can stop 'hiding' when someones mom is out on the prowl in her camery looking for a truck to blow into the weeds

4. I'm not. As my signature implies, I want more. I just know that even 'stock' these big and heavy trucks can still beat a few so called sporty cars in the 1/4 mile. To top it off we can also carry more folks, more stuff and Tow toys that weigh more then 2 -1/2 camerys

 

You people probly think the same thing as I do every once in a while. You're brand loyal, you get a new truck, you see a new GM or Dodge, same price, just has more power. "Hmm, new Hemi, gross truck but the motor would be nice to have under the hood of my Ford. Why can't Ford do that?"
It's just my opinion, but I'm not impressed with Ford's gas-powered engines. V-6, ok, it's a base motor, what would one expect. The 4.6L is weak and has gross milage, the 5.4L I find is bland, un-inspiring. The V-10 I like, but it still is the weakest big gas engine out of the three domestics.
If I can't get my boss to let me wait for a 2004 F-series with a possible 3v 5.4L, I'm going to try to get a F350 crewcab LB with the new 6.0L diesel. At least with that truck it doesn't matter what garbage gears Ford puts in, it'll pull like a train.
Ford has the best trucks, why not have the best motors in them out of the box. I want a truck, when I get in everyday and drive to work, won't leave me thinking about what I have to do now to make this thing pull like it should, or end up looking through pictures of a previous truck I had that had way more power.
I've had 302's, 351's, 460's, an idi TD, all had more power than this limp triton, and they all had less mods.
Wake up Ford, by the time I'm looking for a 2007 or 2008 truck I'll be my boss here. I won't limit myself to engine size, or possibly brand if Ford still has a weak lineup, and it will be FREE!!!
Did I mention fuel (87 octane) and all maintenance is paid for also?

 

The 5.4l is bland? Thats the dumbest thing I ever heard.

 

petro sorry if you think you stepped on my toes, you didnt big guy. i dont know what to say 16.3 in mid day heat is an awsome time for a fully equiped expedition 260 h.p. at 5400 lbs., the quickest i have ever seen and 17.1 is sux time for a 3400 lb car with 192 h.p. (check the power to weight ratios)
i have a 97 5.4 extended cab and a 2001 supercrew and my wifes 97 tahoe can beat both, off the line and from a 40 to 50 roll, and it gets 15 to 19 mpg my supercrew get between 12 and 13 no matter how i drive it. if we lived closer i would love to race you, and we could put this to rest, i dont mean that in a bad way, i love to race, hate to lose but it all in fun to me.


I dont own a camry nor do i want to but, every time me and my brother (whose wife owns one) race i lose...havent tried the tahoe against it yet. not to often that me and my brother both have the wifes cars.

 

Hhhmmm, the Chevy has better trap speed...my we are bringing drag racing into the work truck senerio?? I have been around a lot of trucks and also around a lot of drag vehicles and I have never seen much connection between the two, if you are talking about a working truck...I don't see trap speed as having much to do when you have a loaded truck Maybe I'm missing something...but you sound like you should be considering a Lightning or a new Cobra SVT, or better yet a Z06 Corvette if you are that interested in performance over real world working.

 

I'm sorry you felt the urge to respond to my opinion with an offense 01F15054. Not everyone shares the same opinion about the 5.4L, and I have every right to voice mine regardless what anyone thinks, including you, as long as it isn't done in a rude or offensive manner.

 

Hey now we are getting to the REAL point.......your not looking for a work truck....your looking for a free ride that you can race on work time. Your statement about the pushrod engines being stronger than the Cammers is just about as FARRRRRRRRR off as you can get. You have got to be joking. Same about the mileage. You have every right to voice your opinions here but please base it on real life facts and not by hearsay and magazine clips. Any person who has REAL experience knows the benefits of the 5.4...............gets me wondering now we open up the whole engine line to disscusion?????? GEE I wonder why FORD sells so many WORK vehicles with the 5.4. We WORKING men must not understand the Fords are underpowered. Lets all go by some used 302's and 351's HA HA ........not me!!!!!! My answer to you is get your boss to buy you a Mustang because that's what you really want...........donn't complain because you got a lead foot and have to beat the next guy to a stop light.

 

Yankee, I must say you did make a good point in your response, I did manage to find it amongst all the flaming and bitterness, but there is a good one there. Comparing a 4.6L triton , which I do have REAL time experience with, to a 351, or 460, or an idi TD is not fair by any means. Apple to apples would be the appropriate term here.
My 302-equipped trucks were stronger than my current truck. They pulled better, had more bottom end(you know, for getting the jump off the line while racing on company time, although I don't WORK, right?), towed better and were no worse for milage. Possibly got a lemon 4.6? A friday afternoon-built F-series? You know so much, please educate me since I only base my opinion on hearsay and magazine clips. LOL
YOU BET I'll bring in the whole engine line for discussion, because the whole point of this thread (which you missed because I didn't proclaim the 5.4 to be the ultimate "working man" engine) is that I simply want more than what the current 5.4 has to offer, and when is an upgrade coming. PERIOD. I think the tritons all need an upgrade, and as much as it hurts you to hear it, including the 5.4L.
More hp, more torque, better gears? Wanting that turns us into fiction-gossiping, no job-leetches, dragging at someone else's expense?
Maybe I can repent if I build a shrine to the almighty 5.4.....

 

I totally agree with your attitude about the 4.6 feeling weak. All square bore engines lack good torque at low rpms. They work but you do have to rev them. Not so with the 5.4 stroker. My point to you is peak HP is NOT what gets work done ..........it's the HP where your torque peak that does. Now your wanting to raise this PEAK number which is going to HURT the torque curve which hurts the Hp output at LOWER rpm. THIS IS WHERE YOU WORK!!! or supposed to work at least. Yes split induction with intakes and variable valve timing have reduced the loses but their is a limit on how much peak torque you can make with peak HP. That means your going to get a higher reving engine.....is that what you want? I thinnk your REAL beef should be with the Tranny and how it's putting power to the ground. I've never liked a Auto in my life and Ford does limit power transfer to the ground on purpose......becaause they DONN"T build these trucks for racing......just working. Still I donn't see any problems with the 5.4 setup......it works. Seeing your truck setup .... you need to do your homework on engine theroy man. The mods you did are for racing ...NOT a working engine. Nowwwwwwww if you WANT to talk racing that is a different story...their is a time to play Fact is the 5.4 old or new will work ALL your engine combo's into the ground .

 

Thankyou for not responding with any further attacks on my character and work ethic. Makes it difficult to stay focused on the discussion.
The few mods I did on my truck not only helped when the pedal is to the floor, it also increase the 4.6's torque. It will pull better, maintain more hills in OD compared to the constant downshifting when stock. For being a truck used to haul various equipment here at the mill, back and forth to shops in the next town, life would be much simpler with a super duty with 4.10's and a 5.4L.
I did not have the choice with this truck, so I decided to just work with it to make it bareable.
Having a crew cab would be my best option, but a lighter supercrew would be more enjoyable to drive.
I've had barely adequate for 5 years, now I have a choice to pick my truck, to a point. I tried a crew cab demo with the 5.4/4.10 gears, and that felt no better than adequate itself, so I'd like something more. I hope I can hold off for the 2004 models, or maybe a diesel.

 

I agree with everything Yankee has said. The true sign of a truck engine is how much power it puts out down in the lower rpms and not the higher rpms. I have had 2000# of weight in the bed of my truck numerous times this summer, and even with all that weight I could barely notice it was back there. My truck rides softer with all the weight back there, but because the 5.4L is setup for low end power my truck handled it like it wasn't even back there. In my opinion the 5.4L is the best overall truck engine, because it was designed to be used for what a truck is meant to do. The 5.3L and the Toyota 4.7L are not true truck engines, both those engines are modified car engines. The 5.3L is LS1 derived and the 4.7L is Lexus derived. When think of LS1 power plants, I think of Camaros and Corvettes which happen to be cars. A truck should not have a modified car engine in it, because trucks and cars are meant to do different things. Car engines should rev high and peak higher in the rpm for better 1/4 mile runs, but a truck engine needs to be able to keep the rpm down and have its peak numbers lower in the rpm range for better work capabilities (towing and hauling).

 

the reality is that trucks out sale cars now days, do you really think that all those buyer are buying work trucks? drive down the road and see how many trucks are loaded down, is the harley davidson, king ranch, lightning, blackwood, navigator and even my 5'5 bed supercrew marketed towards regular drivers or the work crowed? just because you use your truck for work does not mean everyone else does uther wise ford and the others would not offer 17" thru 20" rims, leather interior, power everything, running boards and the list goes on, until the new cobra the fastest vehicle in the ford stable was the lightning.

drive down the road and tell me how many true work trucks you see, 8 ft beds with piperacks base tires and rims and dirty from working.

 

Hey BROTHERDAVE comeon' up north here and take a look Reality is ALOT of those sales ARE work vehicles unless your trapped in one of those MEGA suburbanized developements in the great LONE STAR state. Workin gotss alot better now boss. Donn't know the % behind the whole story but there are atleast as many Super Duty's as light duty's running around here and a good percentage of those light duty's are working too. Fact is F series would not be if not for the blue collar crowd.........those white collar yups only started buying recently ..... maybe your confusing chevy or dodge with FORD? Sales have been and always will be strong due to the working crowd so when you see a suit drive down the road past you, think to yourself..........does he wish he had a real job? By the way...sales of those models you listed probablly aren't 5% of vehicles.....if even that much. My guess cause I rarely see these on the road.

 

I have to agree with Yankee again. Come up to Alaska and take a look down the street I live on as well. In fact, up here trucks out number cars almost 5-1.

 

While were on the "racing" subject of the 5.4l...

Whooped a 87 Cavalier by what, oh geez I couldnt count how many car lengths I beat him by because he wasnt in my rearview mirror anymore

Another was a 92 Grand Am 5 speed V6, he took off fast from a light so I followed suit...totally ran him till I hit the speed limit.

Not a kill, but ran with a 02 Camaro Z28 up to 30 mph then he totally ran me....yes I know he took off because I never seen him in my rearview mirror