5.4 liter Ford F-150

Anyone hear of problems with these motors????

[wyndzer]

They are slow!!

[Jennys440'Dale]

The 5.4's are not slow, the 4.6's are!!! I like the looks of the Fords, but I'd rather have a Chevy! :D

[MOFO]

Originally posted by Rico
Anyone hear of problems with these motors????



Good motor for the 1/2 ton (F150) bad motor for the 3/4 ton (F250-F350), under powered.

Well i race quads not trucks. It being fast really doesn't mean jack chit to me.. Reliable does mean chit to me. I've just heard several mechanical problems with these motors. I"ll be gettin a new truck tonight or tomorrow can't decide on 4.6 or 5.3. Gas mileage is also an issue. Again.. this truck is not being bought to race at the local drags or anything. Economically prove to me the 5.4 is better....:cool:

PS..i've owned nuttin but chebies since i started driving 15 years ago. the cars held up great the 2 trucks i had.....:ermm: Nuttin good to say about em except.. POS

[wyndzer]

You know you're gonna take your new truck to Rollin Thunder:devil: Actually I bet the 5.4 gets about the same gas milage as the 4.6 does on the road. Pulling a trailer or hauling the quad in the back and you're gonna wish you had the 5.4. That being said go buy a Chevy.:huh

[knighttime]

it'll have more resale value, and I think its the better choice cause it wont have to work as hard :scary:

[MOFO]

Yep, Mike is right... resale value will be much higher...

When I buy a vehicle, I ALWAYS opt for the most powerful engine available.... as wyndzer said, the mileage is probably pretty damn close, you'll be working the crap out of that 4.6 if you haul alot with it.

Being I'm a chevy man, I gotta tell you to check out the new Silverados.

Eric

[Chanman420q]

my dad has a 2003 F-150 V-6 and he doesnt like it all that much, he thinks the engine strains just to pull the truck its self and thinks it would get a ton better gas milage if it was a V-8. I dont know what liter it is? or what it means in comparrison to V6,V8,V10 etc but i would definitly get the bigger engine of the 2.

[JHF219]

My Expedition has a 5.4 and it does just fine !! its not a SPEED demon or anything but there is PLENTY of torque !! i have no complaints with mine the motor is reliable and strong i dont think it would be a good f250 motor but i think it works great for pulling my trailer and so forth!!

[Runnin Dumb]

Originally posted by wyndzer
They are slow!!

It ain't the truck, it's da driver. If it ain't a FORD it will have pee stains on it:macho

[Doibugu2]

Rico, I had a 4.6 2wd. I never had a problem towing anything with it. Throw your quad in the back, and you won't even notice its there. It actually drives better with a little weight in the back.

I bought mine used and put 60k on it and the only thing I did to my truck was put brakes and changed the oil. Never a problem.

Unless your going to be pulling a lot of weight then I would opt for the bigger engine. I don't think the trade in value is going to be much difference between the to. When I sold my truck, I never heard anyone say, oh, you only have the 4.6.

[DESDAK4]

Everybody and there mother has a ford up here and I have never really heard anything bad about the 5.4. Your mileage is most likely going to be about the same with either motor. If you are looking at the 04 F-150 they are supposed to be bad*** with the 5.4 at 300 hp and I read they can pull upwards of 9000lbs which is just awsome for a half ton truck. I believe this is the truck my chevy will be going towards.

Jay
USAF
AMMO

[Quadfather]

Rico

I have an F150 with the 4.6 I can tow two quads on a trailer, with a 1/2 bed full of firewood, and not even know it's there.

I also tow a 4000 pound boat/trailer rig. You know it's there, but it isn't a problem in the least bit. Once you hit 72 mph, you can't even tell it's there.

Gas mileage blows. I have an E350 with a 5.8 that gets better mileage.

[Guy400]

I believe it was on the older 5.4's but wasn't there a problem with warped heads or bad head gaskets on them? I know there was also a problem with improper radiators being installed from the factory (too small and lead to overheating).

Oh yeah, if you're looking at buying a Ford----------get the Chevy:D Honestly, have you checked out the Toyota Tundra? Probably won't get it for the price of a Ford but check them out.

[user101]

i have a 2003 f-150 5.4 supercrew and i love it. i dont care what anyone says bout these trucks. they r awesome. it will pull almost anything and plenty of torque:devil: ive pulled roughly 11,000 pounds with the truck and it does fine. just factor in some extra stopping distance. and it does ride a little better with some weight in the back.

oh and by the way Rico it gets about 16mpg

[TRX250X]

Go with a 5.4.

My dad had a 5.4 in his F-150 with the 7700 GVW package. We pulled 1250 gallons of water, 100 gallons of chemicals, and some other things on our Tri-Axle trailer whenever we were spraying the fields. The thing will pull fine. Gas mileage with a 4x4 will only be about 13.5 though with no load. My grandpa's F150 half ton 4x4 with the 4.6 got like 17-18 though. He didn't like that motor that well though, so he stepped up to the 5.4 in his newest one.

[kabd69667]

screw the little 5.4. Go with a real man's truck, the 6.0 deisel man. 17 mpg and all the power you'll ever need.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/pf01082c73f28935b47cf21de43135c5d/fb2ca0fb.jpg

[Glow Plug]

wonderful truck, my dad had a 97 f 250 (the f 150 shape) with the 5.4 in it, he did about 40,000 km a year (roughly 25000 miles a year) and he never had a problem with it

[Natertot426ex]

I have a 99 f-150 with the 4.6 in it. I does ok but could use a little more go. I pull a 14 foot enclosed trailer with it and it does good. hills suck it up but it still pulls decent. I get about 17 mpg with mine in the summer and 16 in the winter.

[hindelk]

1990 chevy silverado :D ...i love mine its a beast been through everything.....it also has 282K miles and still runs like a champ:D

screw the ford, get a silverado...or a dodge diesel:devil:

I forgot to mention i'm on a budget....:(

[nuclearkielbasa]

A 5.4 with 3.55 gears has great power. The engines are pretty much trouble free, but try to stay away from ****ty gas stations. Some people have had injector problems if they run cheap gas.

[Doibugu2]

Originally posted by Rico
I forgot to mention i'm on a budget....:(

I'll bet you won't be disappointed by the 4.6. If you put most people in both, they can't tell the difference. A few years back there was only like a 30hp difference and about the same in torque. That's only a little over a 10% difference. Get the 4.6 and buy yourself a case a beer with the savings.

[forum]

go diesel. 100%!! i have a 4.6 and my dads got the f-350 powerstroke dually. That thing will rip a house down and the mileage is better. especialy when towing. But my dads truck was three times the price. the best thing about diesels is they have hiden power. my dad put in a chip and bumbed the hp up 100 and the torque up 80! or flip a swtich and get 70 hp and 100 torque boost. its called a flip chip.

[MOFO]

Originally posted by forum
go diesel. 100%!! i have a 4.6 and my dads got the f-350 powerstroke dually. That thing will rip a house down and the mileage is better. especialy when towing. But my dads truck was three times the price. the best thing about diesels is they have hiden power. my dad put in a chip and bumbed the hp up 100 and the torque up 80! or flip a swtich and get 70 hp and 100 torque boost. its called a flip chip.


I guess you missed Rico's point of being on a budget...I assume he's not looking at a $35K + truck.

[K_Fulk]

I bought my 01 F-150 sport new in feburary 01. Got it for $22,000 5.4 xlt sport pkg reg cab long bed. Only thing i have had to do to mine is replace the front brakes and the tires with 50k miles on it now. I get between 16-18mpg can get 20 or better if im on the highway the whole tank. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another if i needed too.

[trx400ex]

hey rico my dad went from a 7.3PS deisel to a F350 5.4 this past month, i think youll like the truck, i think it has PLENTY of power not as much as a diesel but most guys dont need a diesel. My friend has a 5.4 150 and likes it too. Good Luck whatever you choose

[markeg192]

I got a '98 conversion van with a 5.4 litre. I can pull my 16foot open trailer loaded with quads at 75-80 mph in overdrive without a problem. I think the 5.4 is a smaller version of the 5.8 and those were reliable motors.

[Ketch]

Rico if you go with the 4.6 get it with a manual tranny 5.4 it will be fine with an auto. But if you can get in the budget go diesel
you will never go back to a gas motor. I have a powerstroke now
and next one is going to be a 6.0 ford. My two cents.

[ewalker302]

Rico,

Go to the Chevy dealership, get into a truck that u think u like & slam the door. Remember what that feels like.

Go do the same thing at the Ford place.

Not telliin what I already know the difference u will feel.

Just try it since u are shoppin anyway

I'm not gonna say what I think.

Just tell us what u do.

:bandit:

[TRXMaddness]

Rico... I just bought a 2003 F150 with the 5.4 liter. I have no problems with towing a trailer with two quads and all kinds of gear in it. Now, to just run around town with it the gas mileage isn't bad at all. I have some pictures of it, but their not on the computer.

Well i'll be driven a new 5.4 Ford on monday....:D

Already talked to my buddy rowlrag about hookin me up with some flowmasters, get the winders tinted, and i'm having them throw on some custom rims, so i'll be chittin in high cotten real soon.....:bandit:

[spincr4hire]

Originally posted by Rico
Well i'll be driven a new 5.4 Ford on monday....:D

Already talked to my buddy rowlrag about hookin me up with some flowmasters, get the winders tinted, and i'm having them throw on some custom rims, so i'll be chittin in high cotten real soon.....:bandit:

Please don't ruin it with a set of dubs...:rolleyes:

[Doibugu2]

Originally posted by Rico
Well i'll be driven a new 5.4 Ford on monday....:D

Already talked to my buddy rowlrag about hookin me up with some flowmasters, get the winders tinted, and i'm having them throw on some custom rims, so i'll be chittin in high cotten real soon.....:bandit:

what type of budget were you working with? $75k?:rolleyes:

[Tommy 17]

what color??? and is it EXT cab???

[MSL]

Rico dont get the 4.6 if your going to pull a trailor, I have one and allthough it does fine it is a little underpowered. I have 125000
miles on it and have not one problem so far never been in the shop. I get only 20 mpg with it and my brotherinlaw hase the 5.3 and he gets about 18 mpg.

Originally posted by spincr4hire
Please don't ruin it with a set of dubs...:rolleyes:


LMFAO...nope..I"M a country boy no need fer fancy rims and tires that are 4 times too big for the vehicle you put them on....:o


stayin with 16 inch rims.. Black nascar lookin rims to be exact to go with the tinted winders....:devil: It's white and is an extended cab.. Pretty basic truck but that's fine for a basic guy like me. All them extry options are just more things i have to fix in 5 years. :ermm:

I'll post some pics here in a week or 2 when i get it decked out like i want. Even got some custom exriders.com stickers layin around that i've had for a few years that i'm gonna throw on it..:macho

[zephead400ex]

Sweet. That is the exact truck that I want Rico. I am looking pretty hard now for a "new" truck! It is going to be a Ford. Ford has a much nicer ride than riding in a Chevy!

peace

[Glow Plug]

good choice rico, glad you made the right decsion :D



I'm guessing alot of you have looked at the new 03 chev's? HAve you seen the welds but the box sides where it conects to to bottom of the box? They look like crap!

[Foxyangel0425]

Originally posted by Rico
Well i race quads not trucks. It being fast really doesn't mean jack chit to me.. Reliable does mean chit to me. I've just heard several mechanical problems with these motors. I"ll be gettin a new truck tonight or tomorrow can't decide on 4.6 or 5.3. Gas mileage is also an issue. Again.. this truck is not being bought to race at the local drags or anything. Economically prove to me the 5.4 is better....:cool:

PS..i've owned nuttin but chebies since i started driving 15 years ago. the cars held up great the 2 trucks i had.....:ermm: Nuttin good to say about em except.. POS

hey rico, this is foxy's hubby repling to your question. I have a 1997 F150 that I pull a car trailor with. I have the 5.4L, it has 98,000 miles and still runs strong. It has been trouble free since day one. By the way, I am also a ford Master Tech at a large dealer and I don't see any problems with these motors other than lack of maintanance.
what problems have you heard about, I am really curious to know.
good luck with your new truck.

[imac]

I ust got a 03 extended cab xl "sport" 4x4 with the 4.6 and auto tranny. I love it compared to my old truck but the one thing I wish is that it had a 3.77 gear instead of the 3.55. It does fine but if I went to a bigger trailer it would work it kind of hard I think. Life is great right now with the savings you can get on an 03 ford, especially when you know the manager:)

[GoLikeHell]

The only problem is they have a head gasket leak problem. Might leak a little oil later in life and during the winter time.

Just a FYI

But a decent truck

[cdalejef]

Originally posted by wyndzer
You know you're gonna take your new truck to Rollin Thunder:devil: Actually I bet the 5.4 gets about the same gas milage as the 4.6 does on the road. Pulling a trailer or hauling the quad in the back and you're gonna wish you had the 5.4. That being said go buy a Chevy.:huh Seems that the few times I've seen you at the races and trail rides you come in a nice big camper trailer being pulled by a Ford!:blah:

[cool 300ex]

My dad has a 99 f150 5.4 that he just got like 4 months ago.He likes it other than it is alot harder on gas than the old s10.But it gets it done alot of my friend always thougt that fords where pos;'s well they don't think that any more seense they rode in it.FThis one kid matt brangs his dad's silverrodo up alot my friend kevin said he would put my dads truck up against it any day.

[Foxyangel0425]

the head gasket issue has been resolved, haven't seen any in a while.

congrats rico;)

[RIDER11X]

Did you go with auto or stick? What gearing did you get?

I just bought my new 4.0/ standard transmission Ranger Supercab with 4:10 gears, and it pulls really good with that set up. No speed demon while taching at 3,000 rpm@ 80MPH, but it's a truck, not a Mustang!:p

[popo]

Originally posted by Rico
I forgot to mention i'm on a budget....:(

Well than give up a case of Budweezers a week, and you be a ja-billionaire.

At least youre not buying a Dodge.......

[popo]

Originally posted by Jeff@QuadShop
Seems that the few times I've seen you at the races and trail rides you come in a nice big camper trailer being pulled by a Ford!:blah:

Thats called, free gas by friends. He's no dummy!

[brokeitin3]

Originally posted by Guy400
I believe it was on the older 5.4's but wasn't there a problem with warped heads or bad head gaskets on them? I know there was also a problem with improper radiators being installed from the factory (too small and lead to overheating).

Oh yeah, if you're looking at buying a Ford----------get the Chevy:D Honestly, have you checked out the Toyota Tundra? Probably won't get it for the price of a Ford but check them out. A man after my own heart

[wyndzer]

Originally posted by Jeff@QuadShop
Seems that the few times I've seen you at the races and trail rides you come in a nice big camper trailer being pulled by a Ford!:blah:

What popo said.

[popo]

Originally posted by wyndzer
What popo said.


Boo-Yeah! Whoo-pish....

[cdalejef]

Originally posted by wyndzer
What popo said. Ya ya ya

[3x440ex]

get the f-250 5.4 super duty, they cost a little more but are well worth the extra cash in the long run.

[86350x]

I know your on a budget but spend the extra money now, and get a deisel.

They run forever, get good mileage, and pull like a clidesdale.

[3x440ex]

i pull a 6,000 pound trailer around everyday with my f-250 superduty and not one problem yet in 36,000 miles....hell it still has the original brake pads and that says alot cosidering i've had to stop the trailer too.....with my old f-150, if i stopped too hard pulling the trailer, it would warp the rotors and i had to replace the pads about every 12,000 miles...plus if you're gonna be pulling a trailer the a 250 does alot better job of handling the load when you hit a dip in the road, it doesn't bounce you all over the place..

[kaneman23]

Originally posted by Rico
Anyone hear of problems with these motors????

I haven't heard of any problems with the 5.4 in the N/A F-150's. The lightnings on the other hand have been none to throw rods if you change the factory pulley(up the boost).... I was a Ford person until I bought my Tacoma 5 years ago. This is the only truck that's ever held up to my abuse. I plan on replacing it with a Tundra or a full size Ford(F250 Powerstroke).

Give the Tundra a chance. Toyota's build quality is so much higher then Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

[Doibugu2]

Do you guys even read what is posted in the thread, or do you just read the title and post.

He already bought the truck:rolleyes:

[86350x]

lol, oops:confused2

[Ralph]

here is the pic u wanted me to post rico
http://i3.ebayimg.com/03/i/00/98/bb/cf_1.JPG

Tanks fer postin it for me.....:huh

[Doibugu2]

Originally posted by Rico
Tanks fer postin it for me.....:huh


POS

[kaneman23]

Originally posted by Doibugu2
Do you guys even read what is posted in the thread, or do you just read the title and post.

He already bought the truck:rolleyes:


It's painful reading through all the jibberish. I saw the title and read the first page.... Too many unnecessary posts.

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by RIDER11X
Did you go with auto or stick? What gearing did you get?

I just bought my new 4.0/ standard transmission Ranger Supercab with 4:10 gears, and it pulls really good with that set up. No speed demon while taching at 3,000 rpm@ 80MPH, but it's a truck, not a Mustang!:p
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/pe2781b64b8d11e12e311f1d8d724e317/fb2d8626.jpg

[Ralph]

this is a speeddemon right here... the kid let my sister borrow it for the day and its great

:cool:

I"ve already got the flowmasters picked out, a full ram air K&N kit, and a boozaka tube fer under the back seat..:eek2:


http://ricoracing.netfirms.com/misc_pics/truck.jpg


http://ricoracing.netfirms.com/misc_pics/truck2.jpg:eek2:

[Doibugu2]

ooooh, pretty!

Now you just need a pic with the quad in the back!




You guys are lucky you can tint your windows that dark. Were not hardly allowed anything on ours

[Tommy 17]

looks good rico...


if that was around here they'd cut the tint up with a razor blade so u had to take it off:o

[400EXrider#91]

yeah its nice, but you should have went with the best....CHEVY:D

j/k

[Glow Plug]

shame you didn't get a 4x4 rico but as long as you like it thats all that matters right? Lol looks pretty nice anyways

Originally posted by Glow Plug
shame you didn't get a 4x4 rico but as long as you like it thats all that matters right? Lol looks pretty nice anyways

It wasn't worth the extra $2500 to me for 4x4, i've never needed it before really so i passed on it.

[K_Fulk]

Originally posted by Rico
It wasn't worth the extra $2500 to me for 4x4, i've never needed it before really so i passed on it.

Same here i think i used it 5 times a year when i had a 4 wheel drive.

[RIDER11X]

True, I owned two 2wd Rangers for about 14 years altogether with no problems, But the little knob on the dash is nice when pulling a trailer on any surface other than pavement like in the pits when you would be spinning like h*** because there is not much weight on the truck.
You just need to be a little more careful, like parking close to the gate uphill of it if rain is expected and suff like that. All in all 2wd works great if you use your head and know how to drive.:cool:

Did you get limited slip? If not, air lockers are nice.

[AlaskaSpeed]

All that's left to do is slap a police lightbar on top of that POS....lol...........:devil:

[86350x]

Lol!

Looks nice and clean, you really should have got the 4wd though. It's there for when you need it. I wouldn't buy another truck or suv without it. But the weather might be different (not as nasty) were you live.

rear axle is limited slip... works like a champ..


Police lights are on the way Jim.. :devil: