Ford F350: Which motor?

[mbloof]

Greetings,

My 97' F250HD 5.8L V8 has ~125K miles on it and I'm lucky to get 200-250miles out of the stock fuel tanks (16+18gal). I keep thinking larger more power might be just the ticket - however can't decide on which motor I want - only that another 5.8 is out of the question.

My TC sits on the PU 97% of the time. It took me 15yrs to put 30K miles on my current PU.

I can't decide between:

- Modern 6.8L V10's (gas) are rated at nearly 400HP coupled with 6 speeds.

- Older 6.8L V10's (gas) might come with 4 or 5 speeds.

- Modern 6.4L Turbo V8's have the 6 speed trany, but not sure on mileage (+expensive new)

- Older 6.0L Turbo V8's have 4-5 speed tranies, not sure on mileage and not sure if this motor is desireable.

- Much older 7.3L Turbo V8's (with 100-200K miles on them) can sometimes be had for a "song", I've heard great things about this motor (and fuel mileage). I think they only offered a 4 speed auto at that point.

- Currently I'm leaning used or new V10.

(I'll likely only get < 25K miles on this)

Comments?

[RZAR66]

grizzly8 wrote:
I have a 2011 f350 srw crew 4x4 6.2 gas,and I average 16mpg with camper on,and 18 to 21 unloaded.everything is stock.till warr is up cant do any mods.when it is want to do air box,over drive frm camping world,and a pro charger on engine,belt driven external unit not a screw blower .has any 1 heard of these? they will really wake up your gas engines.

There is no way you are getting that kind of MPG's unless everywhere you go is downhill with the wind to your backside. I had the exact same truck but a regular cab and got 10 mpg loaded and 12 to 13 empty.

[mbloof]

trail-explorer wrote:

mbloof wrote:
.... and I surely don't need to pay the "TD TAX" again. .

???? What is a TD Tax?

I own a VW Golf TDI. Hence the "turbo diesel tax".

(pay extra for motor and fuel and have more range but never realize any real savings)

[Bedlam]

That 6.2 is sitting in thin air - Forced induction may be the best solution and worth the trouble.

[garryk6]

grizzly8 wrote:
I have a 2011 f350 srw crew 4x4 6.2 gas,and I average 16mpg with camper on,and 18 to 21 unloaded.everything is stock.till warr is up cant do any mods.when it is want to do air box,over drive frm camping world,and a pro charger on engine,belt driven external unit not a screw blower .has any 1 heard of these? they will really wake up your gas engines.

I would do exhaust headers and exhaust before doing the pro charger. I have talked to a few guys on the FTE Ford forum that have had them, and they do add some power, but require a but more fussing than most wanted.

The other option is to talk to Mike at 5-star tuning. He custom tunes for what you have and want to do. The 5.4 and 6.8 guys love his tunes. Also many of the 5.0 coyote guys have great luck with Mike.

I personally have a 6.8 V10 with a Whipple screw-type supercharger. It is not inter cooled. It also has the Banks headers, monster exhaust, banks air intake with K&N filter. On the highway I have been able to pull 14-15 with 4.30 gears and stock tires. I live on an island now, so no freeway driving. All country lane 34-45 mph and town streets. My fuel milage is 7-10... But I also have a problem with the right foot being to heavy.... With all the low gears and performance goodies...it's just too fun!

Garry

[grizzly8]

I have a 2011 f350 srw crew 4x4 6.2 gas,and I average 16mpg with camper on,and 18 to 21 unloaded.everything is stock.till warr is up cant do any mods.when it is want to do air box,over drive frm camping world,and a pro charger on engine,belt driven external unit not a screw blower .has any 1 heard of these? they will really wake up your gas engines.

[trail-explorer]

mbloof wrote:
.... and I surely don't need to pay the "TD TAX" again. .

???? What is a TD Tax?

[trailgranny50]

Not entering the discussion to extend suggestions just a side note. We just bought a really old work truck to take the wear and miles off the Duramax dually for camping only. It's a 1994 Ford F350, 460 motor 4x4 SRW. Been a farm truck and one owner but not garaged so it's pink not red anymore. We test drove it and it's a solid beast. Has a bad connection at the rear VSS module we are fixing for about $50 and otherwise runs, shifts and all works great. Surprising. We are Chevy folks but if it's just going to be a brick mason's work truck it'll do fine. We had one years ago and it was still running when we sold it with holes in the floorboards and bed and rattled like a bugger but it ran!

[arto_wa]

countrycampers3 wrote:
Diesel's need to be driven. I think you said 30,000 miles in 15 years. you don't go very far do you.

I would suggest a late model V-10 or the 6.2L V8. Although they have less horespower than the v-10's. The V-10's from my experience of having 2 of them. MPG's will be low 10 or less. But Diesel motors will cost more to buy, and they do need to run.

Good Luck and have fun.

I have owned and driven Diesel car & a pickup truck since 1990 and so far have not noticed any demand to drive them more than I need to!

On the contrary, they are eager to go to work even after sitting unused until I need them.

:?

[nycsteve]

"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A 6.8L with 4.10's or 4.30's (not sure if these were ever offered back then) or the 6.2L with 4.30's or even lower (I'll have to look to see whats offered)."

I have the 6.2 with a 4.1 rear. Its a good match, milage is still good with TC on.

[mbloof]

A 6.8L with 4.10's or 4.30's (not sure if these were ever offered back then) or the 6.2L with 4.30's or even lower (I'll have to look to see whats offered).

I'd steer clear of 3.73's as with 34" tires mounted I doubt that 5th or 6th would get used much (if at all). My 97' has 4.10's or 4.12's.

In "the valley" without a headwind I'll hit 4th until any rolling hill or the wind picks up, then its 3rd. Real hills/passes I'll always end up in 2nd at 40mph - you can almost watch the fuel gauge moving while "humming" along in 2nd. Not very relaxing. (and everyone on earth trying to get around you like the plauge!)

On the 4 speed the drop from 3rd to 2nd is rather harsh.

I may just "cheap out" and invest some time+cash on fixing the handful of "issues" that my 97' is currently suffering from. After all - its paid for. 🙂

[wintersun]

My focus would be on getting a 5-speed or 6-speed transmission and gain 1 or 2 overdrive gears, and on getting a truck with 4.10 gears (at worst the 3.73 gears. With a 3000 lb. payload the gears make a big difference in performance and little or no impact on fuel economy.

While you are at it verify the Titan replacement tank availability for the "new" truck as they have 60 gallon tanks that replace the factory tank(s).

[garryk6]

mbloof wrote:

nomadictxn wrote:
As a former 5.8 l F250 owner, I would even consider the 5.4 l engine a huge upgrade.

Really?

I've pretty much written off the 5.4L as being to similar to my current 5.8L.

While there are some fairly inexpensive 'deals' on 97-03' 7.3L's with less than 200K miles, I'm thinking newer and larger gas motor.

I have a Golf TDI - you have to drive +5000 miles a year to have any reasonable payback on something new AND expect to pile up a few 100K miles to boot. Currently retirement is +6yrs out.

The local new truck lots are stuffed full with CC-TD's, ether of the features are a 'fail' to me. I don't need+want a CrewCab and I surely don't need to pay the "TD TAX" again. (I'm already paying it on my VW Golf!)

It seems that extended cab trucks are rare around where I live. It might take a while to find a decent 06-10 V10 with reasonable mileage on it.

I have owned a 2001 7.3 4x4 6spd manual that got great mileage, but did not do well sitting, I owned a 2005 6.0 4x4!5apd auto, mileage hauling never got above 13. Buy for 19 empty. I own two 2000 4x4!4spd auto, and mileage has been as high empty at 14 mpg, but hauling as low at 8 mpg. I have my 10 ft Avion Camper on my 2002 5.4 2V 4x4 with 6spd manual, and have for as high as 15 hauling the TC around Alaska, but as low as 10. But the 10 was off road in 4x4 going across the Denali Highway in Alaska.

That all said, I love my 5.4 coupled with the 6spd manual. I think it would do better if I had the 4.30 gears vice the 3.73's. But then my mileage may suffer a bit. I do use granny occasionally for getting going from a dead stop on a hill, but it is nice to have. If I could find a CCSB XLT with the 5.4 3V and 4x4with 6spd manual, I'd upgrade, but those are few and far between. Too bad the 6.2 isn't offered with the 6spd manual.

My coworker has a 2011 with the 6.2 and the 6spd auto with 4x4 and he routinely gets 15 + empty. He doesn't have a camper, but has pulled a larger boat (28ft) and was able to still get 11mpg.

I hope that this can give you some better ideas of what the gassers have to offer. I tried the diesels, and came back to the gassers.

Good luck!
Garry in Kodiak, Alaska

[fivealive]

hedgehopper wrote:
mbloof, you seem to be saying you want a more powerful engine to get better mileage. Generally, the opposite is true: All other factors being equal, the more powerful the engine, the worse the mileage.

If your only complaint is range, why not add another tank?

When I first bought my truck camper I had an f150 with the v6. The camper is a pop up that barely makes the half ton payload dry. After loading it up and driving it was clear this wasnt going to work. The small motor was so overwhelmed that the gas mileage dropped to about 7mpg with the load. I traded the 150 v6 for 350 v10 and loaded mileage went up to 12mpg. Its within a mpg of what it gets unloaded, and drives as if nothing is in the back. A very different experience vs the 150 where it was painfully obvious I had a load.

[mbloof]

stickyeye wrote:
Upgrading solely for mpg increase with the amount you drive is a losing proposition. But if you just want a new truck or looking for more power pretty much any newer motor will do the job just fine with a TC unless your also towing heavy behind it, then diesel.

The old truck still has low mileage for a 97' and I'm sure it could handle another 30K with a trany service and a few more manifolds+gaskets.

Sometimes the "itch" to get something newer or different is difficult to combat. I surely don't expect to "make up" any expenditure on a newer (or new) truck based on real (or imagined) fuel savings.

I recall that most 460 owners get better mileage than I do simply because the added torque allows them to remain in higher gears.

I've told the OH/SO that as soon as the car is paid for I'll be shopping for a newer truck. While newer might not always be all that "better" the 97' is nearing 20yo and may have major malfunctions in its future.