towing with older 2v 5.4 triton

I have 2003 year in class c. Can't give you exact RPM's that mine runs but never had a problem. 10,380 pounds leaving driveway. I just let motor do its thing and keep oil clean trans in "drive". On steep downgrades sometimes I take off O/D. You do have to understand and keep up on the plugs (one of Fords better ideas). I have well over 100,000 miles. Many people get 250-300 k miles. If you have auto trans, that is the weak point IMO. Forget about winning any races or fuel mileage.

I've been told to expect the engine to run at a very high rpm but this engine was made for that and can handle the high rpm.

YA it does run high but sings along, no problems.

So those who have or had this engine how did it handle oh I also have 3.73 for rear end.

I have 3.73 also.

I know a diesel would be better but this is what I have and have to live with it for a while

We've also got a 01 Dodge 5.9 turbo diesel, that we tow with. They are booth about the same, I get up to 65mph and drive along. In Dodge I can really here Cummings doing its thing, wife calls is the "back hoe" motor. In 5.4 triton we call the "sewing machine" motor. They both will get you there.

P.S. I us only the Motorcraft filter because of silicone ring that keeps oil from draining out of filter, so that every start is not like a "cold start".

It will be fine with that TT. The good thing about it is it makes most of its power at a lower RPM than some motors of similar size.

I had a 99 Supercab and then a 2003 Supercrew, both 5.4L 4WD 3.73. We bought our TT when we had the 2003 and towed for two seasons. It performed very well. Two gears to accelerate and 3rd to cruise. Mine was happier at 70mph closer to 3000rpm than 62mph and 2400rpm. I would cruise at 67ish mph, let speed drop to about 55mph on hills, then downshift to 2nd and hold speed until the crest.

Change all your fluids.

I had the same setup on a 2000 f250 and had a truck camper and then my current ~7,500 lb 5th wheel. It worked but driving wasn't fun. Upgraded to my diesel and it is like a different world. I had issues with the front transmission seal and there is no temp gauge so you're driving blind. The transmission shop said they had these trucks in frequently every summer as people tow. They said the factory seals were junk and leaked when things got hot. After i changed the seal i had no problems.

fla-gypsy wrote:
It will be fine with that TT. The good thing about it is it makes most of its power at a lower RPM than some motors of similar size.

Ageed, I would not consider the old 2V, a high RPM engine. If I remember correctly, it was 260hp, and made most of it's 350#s of torque at 2300 rpm (quite low actually).

It was not a great climber, but pulled nice on the flats. If you push it hard, towing 7,000#s, it will get real thirsty!

It will be fine, just be patient with it.

Jerry

I had the 5.4L 32v (300hp) version in a 2003 Navigator and it pulled my TT without any problems and my trailer was a little heavier.

We towed extensively (6500 lb. loaded) with our 2004 Expedition with the 5.4 2v. As I remember it has peak torque of 350 @2500 RPM. The 3v version increased torque to 365 but moved the peak uphill to something in the 3400 – 3600 RPM area—I’ve read that the torque at 2500 actually decreased. We have a 4R75 transmission but I’m guessing OP has a 4R100 (E4OD). I’ve heard of a high percentage of folks with failures on that transmission just over 100K mi. (including my son and 2 of his friends). The older Ford 4 speed auto trans tend to open the torque converter a lot in OD to get more torque on a hill. This generates heat, the enemy of transmissions. When the Expy was new, I experimented with OD on and off and noticed no difference in fuel mileage. Since there is no fuel savings I mostly ran with the trans locked out of OD to extend the life of the transmission which is going strong at over 100K mi. Locking out OD also gets the RPMs up toward peak torque. I think OP will be just fine but there will be mountains at 3500 RPM in 2nd gear.

I did it with a 2 valve 5.4 and a 7700 GVWR trailer in a F150 with 3.55 gears. It did spin RPM's on the mountains. But it was fine. Never ever had a single problem with that combo.

Thanks

Jeremiah