is there a reason they do this? my f150 get bad mpg, i would hate to see an f250. why i am asking is this........i love the new 08 sd and i do not need a diesel. i make tons of short trips and i dont plan on moving a house. v10 are very hard to find around here.....there is a very nice 5.4 on the lot and i bet i can get a good price on it.....the specs say they can tow more than my f150, that is the only reason i would look at it........what to do, what to do???

 

Do you need the truck now?

Place an order or have a dealer search for one in the surrounding area for a V10. The 5.4 is there as an economical (except mpg) alternative if you need a chassis capable for towing more, but don't necessarily need more power.

IMO - wait to find a V10

Good Luck

 

First off, My dad is a service manager at a local Ford dealer and I worked there for 3 years. The V10 has had many problems in the past, for example: spark plugs...MANY v10 engines shoot the plugs out and ruin the threads in the head, and then Ford Re-sleeves the head and it does it again and then on another cylinder, pretty soon you are getting new heads. Also, the manifolds rot right out on the V10 and the studs break off that hold it on. This motor was very bad previous to 08 and my dad said he would NEVER own one. Also, I was shopping for a f250 and he talked me out of the v10 doe to the problems that were occuring with them. The new 08 from what ive heard hasnt really changed much....

Just our personal experience.... Its not like its 50% of the motors, but enough to worry about....

Roger

 

so you would recomend a 5.4 then?.....i just dont see justifying buying and using a diesel........

 

I have a '99 SD with a 5.4L in it, and I like it alot, its my work truck and its a good one. When I say work truck I dont mean its white with a utility bed or anything its a dark green XLT Supercab, it does pretty good on gas mileage, I got it with a CAI, exhaust, and programmer already done, and I think it does 13mpg - 14mpg city, maybe 18 highway. Everything i've loaded in that bed never slowed that truck down, not even that big block V8 I helped a friend deliver to someone last summer.

 

Out dated info...the new 3V V10s don't have the probs listed above. Also the V8 is the same motor with 2 less cylinders - it had the exact same problems also.

 

You mean the same problems that the 5.4 V-8s had?

 

My father works in the service department of a Ford/Chrysler dealer in NE Wisconsin for the past 4 years and he is yet to see a Ford truck or van with a Triton engine that has shot a sparkplug out of the head.
Also, I know several people with '99-'00 F-250s with V10s who havent had a single problem with their truck.
I strongly disagree with you statements.
As to why people buy F-250s with 5.4Ls, its for the same reason why people buy F-150s with 4.2Ls or 4.6Ls in them. Not everyone needs or even really wants a truck thats a hot rod and those people would rathar save a little money on purchase price by not getting the bigger engine.
The reason why a F-250 will outhaul and outtow an F-150 even though they have the same engine is because the F-250 is built stronger. The frame, suspension and driveline are all built bigger and stronger because the F-250 and up are purpose-built worktrucks. The F-150 is more of a "personal use" truck. That means that its built for someone who hauls things every once in a while, but still wants something that rides fairly smooth and gets halfway decent gas milage.
If you like the '08 Super Duty and dont do a lot of heavy hauling you would probably be happy with the 5.4L. Its got enough power for when the truck is empty, but if you load it down you will notice that its a little lacking in the power department.
Make sure you drive it before you commit to it though. The Super Duty is a whole different animal than the F-150. Shortly after I got my '99 F-150 back in '01 I drove my father's '99 F-250 Super Duty (supercab, shortbed, V10, auto tranny, 4x4 with snowplow package) to work one day and I really missed my F-150. The F-150 just feels so much more light and agile than the F-250.

 

Ditto!!

 

You write "This motor was very bad previous to 08 and my dad said he would NEVER own one." The 08 motor is the same one offered since 05. Get your facts right!! Now git on home to your daddy!

 

I have a 99 with the 5.4 and would never do it again....Go with the V10. I get 10 MPG no matter how I drive....My dad has the same truck with the v10 and gets 13 consistantly and has plenty of power to boot.

 

labman, I have a 06 f250 crew cab short bed with the 5.4, I do not do a lot of hauling or towing but I do a little and I am prefectly happy with my truck, I see you are in Hattiesburg, drive on down and testdrive mine if you want, I am in Ponchatoula, La. I am happy with my truck for what I use it for, but if I were towing more often, or doing more hauling, I would get a v10 or a diesel.

 

You never indicated what configuration SD you are thinking about. The reason I mention this is that the SD platform weighs appreciably more than the F150 platform. I had an F250LD 4x4 (F150 chassis) supercab with the 5.4 that I just sold with over 225K miles and replaced with a F250SD 4x4 crew with the V10. I thought the V10 was the minimum motor to buy since the SD crew weighed 1700lbs more than the F250LD.

The 5.4 is a proven motor with lots of support due to the volume and longevity of its production. With fewer cylinders, it is likely to cost a bit less to maintain too.

In my opinion, if you're planning on buying a standard cab SD the 5.4 would probably be okay, and if you needed to tow a bit, you could always get the shorter gearing, but if you're planning on getting any other configuration, the V10 is very worthwhile, particularly since it isn't much of a premium over the 5.4

 

Ditto again!!!

 

i was looking at an 08 f250 sd crew cab larait 4x4 with the 5.4........but i think i am going to stick with me f150......i would love the truck, but i bet i will be upset with the v8 instead of the v10.........i just dont need the diesel at all......