im lookin to get back into a bigger truck again (ext cab long box 4wd) but im not sure which engine will best suit my needs. Id like anything from 94-03. i cant afford anything newer and i DONT WANT A DIESEL so please dont nag about that. Anyways, how will these 4 engines stack up to each other as far as reliability, gas mileage, and power? I currently have a 96 f-250 2wd XL with the 351 and 4.10 gears and i love the power of it, it pulls everything i need with no issues. I used to have a 2001 ext cab short box 4wd XLT f-150 with the 5.4 and 3.55 gears, but that was a turd, it had a hard time pulling just 2-3 snowmobiles

 

oh, and i get nearly 14mpg city almost every time with my current f-250 and about 16mpg highway. my f-150 got 15 city in summer, 13 in winter, and 16.5 highway

 

5.8 vs 7.5 vs 5.4 vs 6.8. what to settle for?

If you get a 6.8 you're not settling at all.

 

between the 4 engines you have selected, you have two different animals. the older 5.8 and 7.5 give you quite a bit of low range power. the modular motors (5.4 and 6.8) give you better mid range power. in my opinion, the modular motors give you far more reliability. if you want a lot of power, go with a 6.8 with some 4.30 gears. if you didn't like the 5.4 in the f150, you probably won't like it in the f250 even with 3.73's. 4.10's may be ok. the 05+ super duty gas motors have 3 valves per cylinder so they have more power, but you said you can only go up to 2003. if you want to pull, go v10

 

that helps out. I would love to get an 05 with a V10, but thats way out of my price range. I really like the 351/460's because they are easier to work on. What kind of gas mileage can be expected out of these engines in a ext cab long box 4wd truck? will the 460 or V10 get 10-14mpg?

 

Why on earth would you consider a 2V V-10 and worry about fuel mileage?

Super Duty trucks don't get great fuel mileage. They are heavy and not very aerodynamic. My best was 18 MPG (3V 5.4L, 3.73 gears, flat roads and a stiff tail wind). Purchasing a Super Duty and worrying about the fuel mileage is like buying a home next to an airport and worrying about the noise.

 

Go 7.5L 460 my '92 averages 12 city 15 highway with 4.10's pretty much nothing you cant tow towed a 120,000lbs semi for half a mile to the truck stop cause he ran out of fuel wish I would have got that on video. and has 276,000 miles on her

 

and also it's a PIA to do a tune up on a 5.4 have to pull the fuel rail the ford dealership here gets $300 to do a tune up on one. were a 5.8/7.5 $60 bucks in parts and takes a half hour just food for thought general maintenance is much more expensive on the 5.4/6.8. btw most of the company's vehicles are 5.4l f-350 with 4.10's and they are dogs barely get out of their own way couldn't even imagine towing with one

 

My buddy with an early 90's F-250 with the 460 says he gets 8 MPG. Highway, city, slow, fast, doesn't matter. He can light up the tires and pass damn near everything except a fuel pump.

 

I think a bit more info would help quite a bit.

Where do you live? With snowmobiles it could be Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Colorado, or....
What are the roads like that you'll be driving?
How much weight will you be towing, and how often?

If you're towing 6,000lbs on the flats of MN, then you can get away with a smaller engine & higher gears. If you're going to Loveland Pass in Colorado (12,000' elevation) then a big block and steeper gears would be better.

I'm a bit confused about your "bigger truck" comment, since you state that you currently drive a '96 F250.... bigger how?

I think the problem with the '01 you used to have was the 3.55 gears most likely, especially since you're now used to a rig with 4.10s.

A 460 will be THIRSTY, no two ways about it. I think you probably have exactly the truck you want for towing, but something (obviously) is missing. Is it creature comforts? CrewCab vs. a regular cab? What doesn't your current truck do or have that you're looking for?

I am a diesel guy myself but have a friend that refuses to go that way. The right truck for you is the right truck for you. If you're happy with it, that's what matters. If you can fill us in on some details by answering my questions, we can help you out that much better.

 

The right truck for you is the right truck for you. If you're happy with it, that's what matters. If you can fill us in on some details by answering my questions, we can help you out that much better.

The above is an excerpt from "papadelogan". I must say that is the best statement that I have seen on this site.

Go with the 7.5 if you can. That was considered and industrial engine and I believe it proved its point! Yes, gasoline goes in and runs out the back like water, but it is a great engine for pulling.

 

I live in Minnesota, and the roads are fairly flat for my daily driving, but the trips i usually take have a lot of small ups/downs (no mountains). Enough to make every truck my family has owned to downshift a lot. I wont be towin a ton of weight all the time, maybe 4 sleds fairly often in the winter, and anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 lbs weekly in the summer.

I definitely agree with the gears statement, I love my 4.10's! My biggest problem is finding a used truck with the right engine/gear ratio set up. I would rather not spend the money to switch the gears out myself.

My truck is currently a reg cab long box 2wd work truck. No a/c, nothing power (except steering and brakes), no cruise, no tilt, nothing. My main desperate needs are a back seat and 4wd. Cruise and air would be very nice too, its a pain to try to keep a steady speed with your foot for 6 hours straight.

Basically, Im debating between an F-2/350 ext cab long box XLT 4x4 with a 460 or V10, but with lower gears, the smaller engines might be suitable? My 351 moves my truck very well, its .5 sec quicker to 60 than my dad's 2005 f-150.

I know i might be becoming a pain in the ***, but i Love power, even if i dont need to tow a semi. But at the same time im trying to be somewhat reasonable with myself of what i actually need. So far, ive mainly heard 10-14mpg on average with a 460, 12-16 with a 351, and 8-14 with a V10 (no numbers with a 5.4 super duty so far that ive heard/seen).

Oh, and I was at the store just yesterday and a guy had a ext cab long box 4wd f-250 with a 5.4 pulling a big enclosed scrap trailer and the truck sounded like it was going to explode

 

v10 does make more torque but at a high rpm and it will be in a newer truck with the better trans, the 460 is unstoppable it will outlast the truck its in and makes torque right off the line and pulls to 3800rpm but you'll lose 3mpg or so (most 460s average 9-10 or 11 combined, some get 8 usually because it needs a distributor cap/plugs/wires/something along those lines)

i am biased to the 460 i love how reliable it is and that i can spin 37" tires, pull heavy trailers, and haul a bed full of rocks while still on 3.55 gears (though with these gears/tires i know the trailer is there if its over 5k or 6k lbs) all thanks to the torque comin on early. if you get a v10 look for a 3 valve i cant remember what years that is exactly but its a noticeably better engine

but this is my opinion plenty of people really love their v10s and have enough to say in its favor its a tough decision to make take a look at the trucks their in it will help make your decision

 

I owned a 1989 F350 CC --> 351,C6,4.10. It was a decent truck, but it was slow and with no overdrive, it would buzz at 3000 RPMs @ 65. It towed just fine. It had 184,000 miles when I got rid of it.
I now have a 2001 F250 CC 4x4 --> 5.4,4R100,3.73. It tows just as good as the 89, but with OD, I can comfortibly drive at 65 MPH +.
I liked them both, but the 89 was more of a pure "truck", whereas the 01 did all of the things the 89 did + act as the family vehicle.
The 89 spent some of time at the dealer (short block replaced under warranty + other issues). I spent a lot of money on engine related issues after the warranty.
The 01 has 108,000-ish miles and has been to the dealer ONCE for plug replacement (@ 106K miles) and a couple recalls. The only real issue I've had was replacing the transmission at 60k for $3500 (ouch).
All in all, I prefer the 2001 over the 1989.

 

I've run everything but a 351, and the V10 we have is a 3V. We have 2-'92 F250's with 460's and of course my '97 with the 5.4L. The 3V V10's are definitely more powerful than the 460's and get pretty much the same mileage which isn't great. If you want to save some money I'd look for a '96 or '97 F250HD with the 5spd ZF tranny and a 460. The Superduties ride a lot better than the old pre's but cost more and are harder to work on. We love the '92-'97 F250's for offroad use and abuse but the Superduties are far better for traveling down the road in.