Ford finally releases specs for F-150 3.0L diesel

ShinerBock wrote:

Allamakee1 wrote:

I am not familiar with Fords ratings and what conditions need to be met to achieve those numbers. I was stating my experience that my truck handles situations within its limitations very well. FYI my tow rating is about 8000, which I have never exceeded. 3000lbs more is not something I would want to attempted at least with my setup, especially with dimensions of a full size travel trailer. That said, I wouldn’t want to tow anything over 8000lbs with any half ton 3.5, 5.7, or 6.2. I know people do and they say they have no problems, so that is just my opinion.

I posted the ratings I my original post and is the reason why I stated that this engine is under powered for that much rated weight.

I have been in the Ecodiesel towing about 6k and have seen many youtube videos and read many review articles stating that the Ecodiesel can't even hold 60 mph towing 7k up hills(especially if it has a large surface area) so there is no possible way that this slightly more powerful diesel could tow 11.4k. Flat land, maybe, but hills and altitude, no way. Who knows, I may be proven wrong when they come out and TFL puts them on the Ike, but seriously doubt it. These small diesels are built for fuel economy, not to be towing powerhouses.

As far as the other engines go, I don't know about the 5.7L and 6.2L, but I did tow 9.5k up and over the Rockies twice in my old F150 HD and it held speed on every mountain it went up. It is a towing powerhouse of an engine, just don't expect it to get great fuel mileage when that power is needed.

I think some people are getting off topic. Let's not turn this into an EB holy-er than thou thread. This is about a 3.0 diesel truck and it's place.

As far as the Ecodiesel and the TFL Ike gauntlet you are referring to, yes it was slower up the hill than the EB. I don't think that's news to anyone. Did it maintain 60? Nope. Did it maintain 50? Yep. They stated "comfortable experience and no drama, the run could have done better if he didn't rely on the trucks computer". The trip up one of the most extreme towing circumstances took about one extra minute vs the EB. There are 1,440 minutes in a day, 525,600 minutes in a year, I can sacrifice one if I intend to vacation that way someday. BTW, what I personally care about, it also got nearly twice the fuel mileage on that stretch as the 3.5 EB.

Payload numbers aside, in my experience towing with the ecodiesel and it's limitations, it has more to do with the lack of engine cooling ability as to why I wouldn't want to tow more weight, especially in mid summer with outside temps in the 90s when I'm towing to a campsite. That is the #1 limitation in my mind as to limiting the current tow ratings. Maybe, Ford has learned from Ram and has a better solution for this problem.

Is the 3.0 diesel engine a powerhouse for towing? No. Will it get the job done within it's specs, even in extreme situations? Yes.

ShinerBock my comment about Ford copying Ram was do to the fact the Ford came out and said they will not put a diesel in their f150. I was even told that at the NAAS in 2014 by a Ford rep. Then after Ram could not supply enough Ecodiesel trucks the first two years of production Ford decided it would jump on the band wagon. As to GM they dropped the 1500 diesel trucks what in the early 90'? So Ram didn't copy them.

I can tow my 6800# boat at any speed I want and at 70 mph I'm still making over 13 mpg doing it. Now yes this is a boat not an RV and if I slow down to 60 mph I make over 17 mpg. You can't make that mileage in an EB towing

We have guys towing way over the tow spec with these trucks without a single issue (not that I agree with it). We even have a guy running a 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie 3.0 ED towing RV's for a living with well over 350,000 miles on his truck! So sorry not only are these capable but they are the best riding trucks on the road today.

When the EB came out I was very vocal about my doubting Fords EB would last. I also came on here and said that I was 100% wrong and Ford hit a home run with the EB engines.

Don

Bionic Man wrote:
40 MPH is still faster than the vast majority of semis going up the passes (at least it is in Colorado).

But we aren't talking about semi's. At least I am not. I don't care to go the speeds they do while towing and I am pretty sure most here don't either.

Bionic Man wrote:
Beating a dead horse here, but for years, the Powerstroke and Cummins put out similar HP and TQ numbers, and people sang their praises as towing beasts. You don't have to look far on this forum before you will hear many owners talk about how the 7.3 was the best diesel Ford ever used, or talking about how great the 12 and 24 valve Cummins are. For 3 years, I myself used a 2000 2500 CTD to tow a 12,000 pound trailer through the Rockies, among other places. It did fine.

I had a 12 valve too. It was fine on flat land but it did not do fine for my preferences going up hills so I modified it to around 350 rwhp.

Bionic Man wrote:
Now, you have a truck that likely weighs 1000 pounds less than those trucks, and somewhere between 5-6 more gears, and those same output numbers aren't enough to get the job done.

Nope, not for me towing 11,400 lbs at 40 mph.


Although I don't see how people would be against a J2807 speed limit of 55 mph for singe wheel trucks. All it would do is lower the max rating that it can tow at a more reasonable speed. Instead of it being whatever weight you can tow doing a minimum of 40 mph (11,400 in this case), it would be whatever weight you can tow doing a minimum of 55 mph which would probably be around 9,000 lbs. After all, I have seen a lot people here say would not tow that much in a half ton anyways so why are they so against increasing the minimum speed to lower the tow ratings.

40 MPH is still faster than the vast majority of semis going up the passes (at least it is in Colorado).

Beating a dead horse here, but for years, the Powerstroke and Cummins put out similar HP and TQ numbers, and people sang their praises as towing beasts. You don't have to look far on this forum before you will hear many owners talk about how the 7.3 was the best diesel Ford ever used, or talking about how great the 12 and 24 valve Cummins are. For 3 years, I myself used a 2000 2500 CTD to tow a 12,000 pound trailer through the Rockies, among other places. It did fine.

Now, you have a truck that likely weighs 1000 pounds less than those trucks, and somewhere between 5-6 more gears, and those same output numbers aren't enough to get the job done.

I love the idea of having more power. And I don't think that those power ratings (or a 150/1500 truck) are what I would personally want for towing 11,000 + pounds. But it isn't like you are an accident waiting to happen with it.

Bionic Man wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:

Allamakee1 wrote:
Also, these diesels won’t win a towing race with an ecoboost but they are very capable trucks performance wise within there specs.

So do you believe a 250 hp/440 lb-ft diesel is capable performance wise to tow 11,400 lbs both in flat land and in mountains?

Did they not meet the SAE protocol? Or is Ford no longer following that?

It is more than likely following J2807 which means it can tow 11,400 lbs up Davis Dam at 40 mph and still pass. I wish they would increase that speed to 55 mph for single rear wheel vehicles. Yeah it will lower tow ratings, but at least you know it will be able to tow that weight at a reasonable speed.

ShinerBock wrote:

Allamakee1 wrote:
Also, these diesels won’t win a towing race with an ecoboost but they are very capable trucks performance wise within there specs.

So do you believe a 250 hp/440 lb-ft diesel is capable performance wise to tow 11,400 lbs both in flat land and in mountains?

Did they not meet the SAE protocol? Or is Ford no longer following that?

I can understand the need for a diesel in the heavy trucks over the gas when you have a lot of weight to tow. When the higher displacement gas engines come out that window will be made smaller though.

I can't understand the need for a diesel in the F-150 when the EB will outperform it. That's just my opinion and if yours differs that's OK with me.

Allamakee1 wrote:

I am not familiar with Fords ratings and what conditions need to be met to achieve those numbers. I was stating my experience that my truck handles situations within its limitations very well. FYI my tow rating is about 8000, which I have never exceeded. 3000lbs more is not something I would want to attempted at least with my setup, especially with dimensions of a full size travel trailer. That said, I wouldn’t want to tow anything over 8000lbs with any half ton 3.5, 5.7, or 6.2. I know people do and they say they have no problems, so that is just my opinion.

I posted the ratings I my original post and is the reason why I stated that this engine is under powered for that much rated weight.

I have been in the Ecodiesel towing about 6k and have seen many youtube videos and read many review articles stating that the Ecodiesel can't even hold 60 mph towing 7k up hills(especially if it has a large surface area) so there is no possible way that this slightly more powerful diesel could tow 11.4k. Flat land, maybe, but hills and altitude, no way. Who knows, I may be proven wrong when they come out and TFL puts them on the Ike, but seriously doubt it. These small diesels are built for fuel economy, not to be towing powerhouses.

As far as the other engines go, I don't know about the 5.7L and 6.2L, but I did tow 9.5k up and over the Rockies twice in my old F150 HD and it held speed on every mountain it went up. It is a towing powerhouse of an engine, just don't expect it to get great fuel mileage when that power is needed.

ShinerBock wrote:

Allamakee1 wrote:
Also, these diesels won’t win a towing race with an ecoboost but they are very capable trucks performance wise within there specs.

So do you believe a 250 hp/440 lb-ft diesel is capable performance wise to tow 11,400 lbs both in flat land and in mountains?

I am not familiar with Fords ratings and what conditions need to be met to achieve those numbers. I was stating my experience that my truck handles situations within its limitations very well. FYI my tow rating is about 8000, which I have never exceeded. 3000lbs more is not something I would want to attempted at least with my setup, especially with dimensions of a full size travel trailer. That said, I wouldn’t want to tow anything over 8000lbs with any half ton 3.5, 5.7, or 6.2. I know people do and they say they have no problems, so that is just my opinion.

Allamakee1 wrote:
Also, these diesels won’t win a towing race with an ecoboost but they are very capable trucks performance wise within there specs.

So do you believe a 250 hp/440 lb-ft diesel is capable performance wise to tow 11,400 lbs both in flat land and in mountains?