F53 Not Ideal for me

[popeye766]

Ok, I have taken a 5000 mi trip in my 97 Pace Arrow........never had an F53 before....had Winnebago, Allegro, and explorer.
WE love the Pace Arrow inside , but we are not growing fond of the F53 / 460.... Our 454 Allegro was a beast that this 460 cannot out do.
WE are not happy with the inherent exhaust manifold problems and the excessive eng noise and heat. To say nothing of the tremendous fan noise when it comes on. And we dislike all that glass around the front....giant windshield and side glass to get a good sunburn thru... I understand newer models are cutting down on the windshield size.
Had it about a year and now have invested more to make it trustworthy than it may be worth....so will have to live with it unless a great deal comes around. Must be a cash deal tho as I never will make payments on an RV for fun,,,just could'nd sleep at night.
Iam sure other F53 owners experience this same loud eng noise problem.

[phnguyk]

popeye766 wrote:
Ok, I have taken a 5000 mi trip in my 97 Pace Arrow........never had an F53 before....had Winnebago, Allegro, and explorer.
WE love the Pace Arrow inside , but we are not growing fond of the F53 / 460.... Our 454 Allegro was a beast that this 460 cannot out do.
WE are not happy with the inherent exhaust manifold problems and the excessive eng noise and heat. To say nothing of the tremendous fan noise when it comes on. And we dislike all that glass around the front....giant windshield and side glass to get a good sunburn thru... I understand newer models are cutting down on the windshield size.
Had it about a year and now have invested more to make it trustworthy than it may be worth....so will have to live with it unless a great deal comes around. Must be a cash deal tho as I never will make payments on an RV for fun,,,just could'nd sleep at night.
Iam sure other F53 owners experience this same loud eng noise problem.

Your title should really be, Ford 460 Not ideal for me. Just saying

[happy-2]

I hate to here all the conplaining about heat and noise, just do something about it.I used a sheet of DYNA MATE cut and applied to the underside of the motor cover and floorboards.what a diff.no heat on feet ,I can talk to wife normaly.when you ahear the mate to the underside ,ues a tennis ball,it alows you to mold and contour to the floorboards

[royl]

I have the banks system on mine, plenty of power fully loaded and towing the toad. My fan hardly ever kicks in and if it does it is only for a few minutes. I drove it today at 108 degrees and it only came on a couple times. Heat gauge nevers goes over 1/2 way and my feet were cool. I will take the 460 any day. Runs all day long with no problems and that is all I can ask it to do. If you lack power then you have a problem. Headers really wake up the 460.

[Hikerdogs]

If you're considering changing out the fan clutch consider going to the electric fan as suggested earlier. The latest generation V10s have done away with the mechanical fan clutch in favor of a temperature controlled electric fan.

[FuzzyKnight]

One thing many folks don't realize is that clutch fans are made different for differnt rigs. It is possible the clutch fan was changed out with a lesser quality unit. Had trouble with mine last vacation and replaced it with a Hayden. Ran almost all the way home. Now I have changed it out to a Napa Gold for a F 350 with a 460. Hardly comes on at all.

[SRT]

Daveinet wrote:
Ford 460 and first gen V10 are known to breath very poorly. Drop headers an straight thru mufflers on it, and it will make it run cooler and much better responsiveness. Hot engines really don't make good power. It is theoretically possibly that the coach builder did not allow enough cooling in the engine compartment and intake air, which could make the coach sluggish. Get cool air into the intake, and get the hot air out, and it should act much better.

While I'm not some big proponent for Banks, you can see their specs show the power increases available for the 460 and the first gen V10 are substantial. That means there is a lot of available power power that is getting choked off by poor breathing. You don't have to use Banks to get that kind of power, but it is just documentation that shows how poorly the original design breaths.

Had the Banks exhaust/intake system put on our '99 F53 V10. Made a big difference power-wise. No change in mileage.

[Daveinet]

Ford 460 and first gen V10 are known to breath very poorly. Drop headers an straight thru mufflers on it, and it will make it run cooler and much better responsiveness. Hot engines really don't make good power. It is theoretically possibly that the coach builder did not allow enough cooling in the engine compartment and intake air, which could make the coach sluggish. Get cool air into the intake, and get the hot air out, and it should act much better.

While I'm not some big proponent for Banks, you can see their specs show the power increases available for the 460 and the first gen V10 are substantial. That means there is a lot of available power power that is getting choked off by poor breathing. You don't have to use Banks to get that kind of power, but it is just documentation that shows how poorly the original design breaths.

[topflite51]

Previous MH had a carbed 454 in it, maybe there was something wrong with it but I doubt it. My current MH is a FI 460 and 5 ft longer. It can and does run circles around the old 454. Don't like the sound of the clutch fan... Install a 16" electric fan, mine comes on with the AC or when temps hit 210, rarely hear the clutch fan engage.:b As to heat and engine in the MH, install heat and noise deadener LIKE THIS it is inexpensive and easy to do, with that installed my wife can easily carry on a conversation with herself.:b

Is this ideal? No, but most gasser MH's need this kind of help, it is the nature of the beast. By the way, for comfort I had to do the same things to my previous MH, which are both FW's.

[Hikerdogs]

Heat and noise from the engine compartment are more a function of the body builder than the chassis builder. All engines make noise and dissipate heat. However the way it's dealt with is totally different between motorhome manufcturers. We're on our second Winnebago on the F53 chassis and neither has had a heat or noise problem. Winnebago took the time to design an engine cover that allows good air flow past the engine and does a good job of keeping the noise and heat out of the passenger compartment.

There have been several threads on this and other forums about people purchasing and installing after market insulation kits for the engine cover. Most have been very pleased with the results.

Poor performance may be due to a partially plugged fuel filter as mentioned earlier. Last year we had trouble with our 2001 Adventurer pulling our Jeep through the mountains. We new something had changed since we had taken the same route several times and never had any trouble. When we stopped in St. George Utah I looked through my maintenance records and noticed the fuel filter replacement was long overdue. I purchased a filter and installed it the next day. The old filter weighed at least 5 lbs. I was surprised the engine even ran with the amount of junk it collected. There was a noticable difference in performance with a new filter. Hills and mountain roads we struggled on earlier in the trip were no longer a problem.

[BobR]

Like Golden HVAC, I have been pleased with the performance of my F53 over the last 22 years. It is a 1991 Winnebago. Noise and heat have not been an issue either. I would also check the catalytic converter (if equipped)to make sure it isn't restricting exhaust flow from partial collapse.

[Big_Katuna]

My experience with a 35 Holiday Rambler on a 98 F-53 was poor, to say the least. Inadequate brakes that dragged, hot feet from the engine heat, loud motor, leaky manifolds, poor handling and ride, fuel pump problems.

Every trip was a nightmare.

[John_Joey]

One more question, you went on a 5,000 mile trip in and older rig that cost less than 1/10 of the original sticker price and had no mechanical issues, is that correct?

[John_Joey]

Noisy??? only when the fan clutch kicks in and that lasts all of about 1-2 minutes before the engine bay is cooled. On a long hot days drive mine will kick in maybe 3-6 times only. How hard are you pushing your rig?

Keep it at 2,400 rpms and you will be just fine. As far as the exhaust manifold issue, let it idle for five minutes prior to shutting it down and you won't have an issue.

Sometimes we make our own problems (not saying you do) but if you put your foot into the radiator, charge up every slope, then slam into a gas station and shut down the engine and run inside, then I guess you can expect issues. If you take care of the 460, it will take care of you.

When I read some of your older posts about your rig, I wonder if you're not overthinking some of this.

"I BOUGHT my 96 Pace Arrow for 7500.00....burnt and blistered by the sun sitting on a texas ranch. Absolutely beautiful inside...48000 mi.. and all the paperwork including the new window sticker...$88,000.
I have done..new yoko tires, new in tank fuel pump,batteries, oil/filters and all that stuff....new carpet,ex manifolds and new dual exhaust,sway bar bushings, Iam very happy with it...still want it to make me trust it.....Yes...mech. inclined is a curse ....I knew all this when I bought it. Iam getting ready to repaint it. But this is what I do...so no big deal unless it leaves me dead in traffic. I know when Iam finished I DID IT, and I trust my work, and don't have to worry about some other persons Joe McGee work."

"My fear is a stalled MH and toad.....in traffic in town .....A BIG FEAR !!
I have had flats on the duals...lucky to have been close by to repair.
No way can I change a tire on my MH....and you cannot drive far with one on the rear without damaging the other. All I carry is a NEW spare....
This is why I drive and test after a long sit.....even tho I start every week and drive around the block every mo.
I do a lot of preventive maintenance.
To be honest I wish I had my 88 Allegro 454 with carb and no computer back . So much simpler."

[BillMFl]

Well the Ford gasser has come a long way in the past 16 years. Not the ride of a DP but my 38 footer weighs enough to track steady with only a slight push from 18 wheelers. Front engine is louder but not using cruise control avoids the loud two gear drops and high rpms in rolling hill country. Tow haul mode works great on steep grades. Love the big one piece windshield and large side windows. Not going to do any equipment modifiations at all.