Ford V10's

[Black_Thunder]

Hi, Just wondering what most of you guys who own a ford with a V10 or any modular motor for that matter.

My parents are wanting to buy a different truck more suitable for towing needs.

I would imagine that 5w20 will be recommended and rule of thumb but I'd just like to see what options have worked the best for others.

I have a 98F250 with the 5.4 liter that gets a steady diet of Durablend 5w30 but thinking of switching to a full synthetic probably Quaker State or Penz Platinum.

In my t-bird with the 4.6 i've been using 5w30 either shell or havoline, but recently i've decided to run a full synthetic 5w20 to see if i can squeeze out better mileage.

Thanks for the input in advance.

 

[donnyj08]

i own a 6.8 v10, a 4.6l and a 5.4l. all are super great engines. the v10 has 190k the 4.6l 268k and the 5.4l 211k all run great and are fed a steady diet of 5w20, usually mobil super or trop artic syn-blend. super tough engines.

 

[sm00thpapa]

What kind of gas mileage do you guys get with these huge engines?

 

[Black_Thunder]

well with my truck with the 5.4 liter its nothing stellar, i figure around 14 to 15, hard to tell cause i have one size bigger then stock tires and very rarely do i just drive it around without towing something so obviousl that skews the results.


I know the v10's average around 10 to 12 at best.

 

[Black_Thunder]

with the 4.6 liter in a car that has 3.27 gear ratio i've been able to edge out mid to upper 20's at an average speed of 65 to 70.

 

[Clevy]

My mustang has 3.90s out back. When it was still a 2v I could routinely get 26mpg on the highway. It was tuned though with a tuner. Car ran stellar.

 

[rg200amp]

I had the V10 in my f250.

It is a very powerful engine. MPG was about 8 for city driving.

Of course Fords coil packs had issues. I had to replace about four of them over the time I had the truck.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

My '99 F250 SD 4wd gets about 10mpg in the city and 12.5-ish on the highway.

I haven't had any problems with the engine internals, but have had some coil pack issues. I've replaced only one due to failure, but a couple of others chasing a problem with moisture-related coughing/sputtering. In the end, WD-40 applied to connections has stopped that problem.

There have been problems with plugs spitting out, but I haven't had that problem on mine yet. I carefully replaced the plugs at about 50k miles and don't intend to fool with them again for as long as I have the truck.

Rust is more of an issue than the engine. I've got 100,600 miles on it now and I have a lot of rust. It will eventually be terminal.

 

[Danno]

If your parents are doing quite a bit of towing, have you considered the GM Duramax, Ford Powerstroke or Dodge Cummins? They should get you about 30%-50% better fuel economy while towing, stouter pulling power, but the downside is higher upfront costs and higher ongoing maintenance costs.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Danno
If your parents are doing quite a bit of towing, have you considered the GM Duramax, Ford Powerstroke or Dodge Cummins? They should get you about 30%-50% better fuel economy while towing, stouter pulling power, but the downside is higher upfront costs and higher ongoing maintenance costs.


Why higher maint. costs. Except for more oil for an oil change?

 

[Danno]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: Danno
If your parents are doing quite a bit of towing, have you considered the GM Duramax, Ford Powerstroke or Dodge Cummins? They should get you about 30%-50% better fuel economy while towing, stouter pulling power, but the downside is higher upfront costs and higher ongoing maintenance costs.


Why higher maint. costs. Except for more oil for an oil change?


Oil filters and fuel filters cost more than gasoline engine filters. DEF Fluid costs another one. When diesels break, they do cost more to fix. I have a fleet of 1,300 trucks, same model year E350 with 5.4 gas vs. 6.0 L Ford - the total diesel truck costs 50% more to maintain, mostly due to the engine. Admittedly the 6.0 is a POS but best to go in eyes wide open.