Be Thankful Your Ford V10 Is The 2-Valve Version

[ron_dittmer]

If you own a Ford E350 or E450 with the Triton V10 or the smaller Triton V8 engine, you have the 2-valve version that offers less horse power than the 3-valve version. You have 2-valves because the 3-valve version is too large to physically fit in the van's engine compartment.

I was thinking of buying a used Ford F150 4x4 pick-up truck, a 2006 with 105,000 miles which had the 3-valve 5.4L-V8 Triton engine. I got on an F150 forum and asked a general question on what to inspect for, and I got a boat load of information, specifically concerning the engine. I also have a long time friend who has worked for decades as a tech for an area Ford dealership. His advise was plain and simple. Do NOT buy a Ford pickup truck with a 3-valve Triton engine.

If you are tech-savy and enjoy a "good watch" on engine stuff, the two videos in reply #7 in my posting question HERE are fascinating. The videos point out clear evidence that the engine heads get damaged over the miles due to oil starvation that first shows up on the right head. The problem is accelerated when people don't change the oil frequently enough to prevent engine sludge formation.

What I took from this is a warning to us here is to change your oil every 5000 miles. Don't go longer.

Better to be safe than sorry. Going longer will build up engine sludge. Some of the oil passages on the 3-valve engine (and maybe also on our 2-valve versions) are smaller than usual and they clog very easy. So changing your oil at 5000 mile intervals will prevent sludge build-up and keep those tiny oil passages clear of obstruction.

[theoldwizard1]

First, I don't know if Ford ever made a 3V V10, but it never went into an exercise chassis.

Second, yes the 5.4L 3V had more than their share of issue ! By the last 2 or 3 years of production they fixed all of the issue. They still required good maintenance to last long.

[Chum_lee]

Yes, in spite of the "knowledge" you glean from the internet, the engineers at Ford actually do an exhaustive amount of engine research. Even so, they still make mistakes, . . . . just like everyone else. (What a surprise!) When they tell you to change the oil at 5000 miles, they don't just pull that info from their hind quarters. IMO, THEY MEAN IT!

My 1999 F53 V10 is a 2 valve SOHC 275 Hp engine. At a later date (I'm not sure the exact year, you can look it up) it was upped to the 3 valve (315 Hp) and later to the 365 Hp engine. IMO, a phenomenal achievement for a truck engine without changing the displacement.

As someone who worked in a Ford parts department, I can tell you that if you go to the Ford factory parts website, you can look up the part number for the oil pump on the V10, 2 valve vs. the 3 valve. If it's the same, the pump is the same. If it's different, the pumps are different in some way. (maybe oil pressure, maybe flow, I don't know) You can look at the Ford Factory Service Manuals for that. They (Ford) may also use a different oil pressure relief valve, which you can also look up. Not that hard.

Chum lee

[DrewE]

FunTwoDrv wrote:
I wonder if the F53 chassis uses the two or three valve engine. If the three is used, do they have a different oil pump...

Gary

It used the three valve version. I have no actual idea if the oil pump is different from the normal F-series engines, but I rather doubt it would be.

[FunTwoDrv]

I wonder if the F53 chassis uses the two or three valve engine. If the three is used, do they have a different oil pump...

Gary

[pianotuna]

ron,

Splendid information. ty

[gbopp]

Good advice. 🙂