My Hoe
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 562
- Location
- NYS--Various Parts
- Tractor
- Kubota B3000HSDCC, BH77, 5' Belly Mower, 6' Hyd. Angle Plow
I have been a Ford truck guy since childhood, when (at 8 y.o.) my father taught me to drive his F-250, 2x4, manual shift, around his construction yard, and other, dusty places, where he needed a hand.
So it pains me to say this (and I'm surprised no one mentioned this) but waaay too many Ford gassers BLOW THEIR SPARK PLUGS OUT.
Yeah, I know, it hardly sounds believable, right?
Well, a personal friend had FOUR blow out (at different times)--repair cost: $400. per hole.
Lest anyone think I'm kidding, here's a company who's entire business model seems to be based on this issue:
Blownoutsparkplug.com Ford Spark Plug Thread Repair
Blownoutsparkplug.com Ford Spark Plug Thread Repair
Here is a blurb from one of their pages:
And their price seems to be an (unashamedly high) $500.+ per hole (if I read it correctly)!
And in the following links, unfortunately, I believe you'll find that people have been reporting this in models as late as 2007, if not later:
Ford Engines - Spark Plug Defect
Top 2,354 Complaints and Reviews about Ford Engines - Spark Plug Defect
Why Do Spark Plugs Eject From Ford's Engines?
Ford Spark Plug Blowout
I've personally owned/own 4 F-series, from 1972 to 1996 (the latter an F-250 H.D., 4x4 with 460 cu. in. IT blew a hole IN THE HEAD, but that was due to a bunch of unburnt fuel from a misfiring plug, which I mistook for the exhaust leak worsening, when I was in a hurry. That truck only got 8mpg anyway (BEFORE the head-rupture), for reasons I never understood. (They're supposed to get 12mpg, loaded or empty--I keep reading reports of that--but the P.O. claimed he was getting 15mpg--and I bought it--literally.) :thumbdown:
I LOVE Ford's 4.9L/300 cu. in., Straight Six (affectionately known as the "Big Six.")
They were made from approx. 1964 (in 240 cu. in., but same block as the 300 cu. in. through 1996--may it R.I.P.). I've had 4 of them (NOT counting my Dad's 2), and they were GREAT. Mpg so-so, about 16-17, in 2x4 form, manual trannies--though the 240cu. in. in my '71 F-100 (same block) with automatic, hit 19mpg...once. I've seen mpg claims of upwards of 20mpg, but never experienced that, myself.
But Ford KILLED the "Big Six" in 1996, as it wouldn't fit under the (lower) "aero-hood" of the 1997 F-150's.
The Big Six is commonly regarded as a gasser that can easily do 300,000 miles, if maintained--and my father's '73 went on to exceed 400,000 miles, with it's second owner.
So...the Big Six has more torque (some years) than the 302 V-8, and is a good puller, but 9,000lbs. seems like a lot, unless it was local and unhurried. But for more normal towing, it will outlast many bigger V-8's--though, at 150hp (with EFI since 1987), it'll be somewhat slower than the bigger V-8's--not a big deal, IMO, because when towing my 3,500lb. boat, I could still go 80mph, with plenty left, if I wanted to.
For many, many years (and possibly STILL in some trucks) UPS Vans were ALL powered by Ford's "Big Six," as were some of Ford's smaller dump trucks, in the '60's. (Listen to the next, large, older, UPS van you see--you can tell if it's a straight six, by the sound and, to my knowledge, UPS ONLY used Ford's BIG SIX, as I said).
What would I do, were I you? While it'll be tough-to-impossible, with your budget, esp. since you need 4x4, I would (try) to do what I SHOULD have done, and bought my father's 2001, 2x4 Dodge 3500 Dually, with the Cummins 5.9L. (But I realize you need 4x4, and the Cummins is overkill for four tractor-towings a year, if only local, at least--IMO. And you'll pay a premium for the Cummins, in 4x4 OR in 2x4 applications.)
My Dad routinely got 23mpg unloaded (six speed manual, and he installed the optional "Jake Brake", by himself, multipin connectors and all, while in his '80's!), and hauled a VERY large 5th wheel camper over much of the Eastern seaboard, and on, up into Canada--his antique trucking buddies (he's 91 y.o., a WWII combat vet and still active in the hobby) often have converted semi-tractors to pull their 5th wheels, and the Dodge 3500 was outrun by some of them, but that's to be expected. (He graduated to a huge motorhome, with a bus engine, sideways, in the rear, and sold the 3500, after I passed on it--like the IDIOT Iwas...).
But at the time, I wanted to go back to 2x4, as the 1996 F-250 gas hog routinely got stuck, in the yard (it was so heavy it would sink in, and NOT move until I locked in the [special order] manual hubs--though, to be fair, it had no studded tires. Whereas my 1988 F-150, 2x4 did GREAT with studs on the rears, only (which is a "no-no"--supposed to stud all four tires, if studding at all). And got twice the mpg of the 460 V-8--admittedly, the 460 was in the much heavier F-250....
As was mentioned, those Gen I and Gen II Cummins are quite sought after, in some circles--and LOVED in my father's antique truck collecting hobby-buddies--but then, they're just a bunch of retired (and still working) semi-truck owner/drivers, construction co. owners, etc..., so what do they know, right? J/k.
So, the Cummins is probably too much money (unless you either give up on 4x4, and get some studded duallies, instead?) and the Big Six might not be enough engine for 9,000lbs., but the "Big Six" (300 cu. in./4.9L, inline six) WILL outlast other, small V-8's, in that endeavor.
So, other than to avoid Ford's spark-plug-spitting "Modular V-8's, I don't know what to tell you. IF you could make the Big Six work for you, load-wise, that would fit the budget, even in 4x4--and SOME F-250 4x4's DID come with the Big Six, but I've never seen one. However, the last Big Six, in ANY Ford truck, was built back in '96 (and "Cash for Clunkers" didn't help any, in terms of finding one, now), so that's a potential problem. If you need more power, and want to spend the money, I'd go for the Cummins, which I believe go back as far as the late 1970's--but I'm not a Dodge guy, so please, experts, feel free to correct me, for the OP's benefit.
Oh--I almost forgot--as you'll read on the vendor's website, above, Ford (at least for a while?) used a spark plug that apparently was made in two pieces (I've never seen them) and they BREAK, making a huge PITA to remove what's left--see the first site, above, for details--and CO$T$.
Perhaps you're best off listening to the Chevy guys--I've never been a fan, no offense, but this thread seems to be trending toward these Chevy 6.0 gassers, which I've never even taken notice of, and thus know ZERO about, other than what I read here.
Good luck, and let us know what you find!
My Hoe
So it pains me to say this (and I'm surprised no one mentioned this) but waaay too many Ford gassers BLOW THEIR SPARK PLUGS OUT.
Yeah, I know, it hardly sounds believable, right?
Well, a personal friend had FOUR blow out (at different times)--repair cost: $400. per hole.
Lest anyone think I'm kidding, here's a company who's entire business model seems to be based on this issue:
Blownoutsparkplug.com Ford Spark Plug Thread Repair
Blownoutsparkplug.com Ford Spark Plug Thread Repair
Here is a blurb from one of their pages:
And their price seems to be an (unashamedly high) $500.+ per hole (if I read it correctly)!
And in the following links, unfortunately, I believe you'll find that people have been reporting this in models as late as 2007, if not later:
Ford Engines - Spark Plug Defect
Top 2,354 Complaints and Reviews about Ford Engines - Spark Plug Defect
Why Do Spark Plugs Eject From Ford's Engines?
Ford Spark Plug Blowout
I've personally owned/own 4 F-series, from 1972 to 1996 (the latter an F-250 H.D., 4x4 with 460 cu. in. IT blew a hole IN THE HEAD, but that was due to a bunch of unburnt fuel from a misfiring plug, which I mistook for the exhaust leak worsening, when I was in a hurry. That truck only got 8mpg anyway (BEFORE the head-rupture), for reasons I never understood. (They're supposed to get 12mpg, loaded or empty--I keep reading reports of that--but the P.O. claimed he was getting 15mpg--and I bought it--literally.) :thumbdown:
I LOVE Ford's 4.9L/300 cu. in., Straight Six (affectionately known as the "Big Six.")
They were made from approx. 1964 (in 240 cu. in., but same block as the 300 cu. in. through 1996--may it R.I.P.). I've had 4 of them (NOT counting my Dad's 2), and they were GREAT. Mpg so-so, about 16-17, in 2x4 form, manual trannies--though the 240cu. in. in my '71 F-100 (same block) with automatic, hit 19mpg...once. I've seen mpg claims of upwards of 20mpg, but never experienced that, myself.
But Ford KILLED the "Big Six" in 1996, as it wouldn't fit under the (lower) "aero-hood" of the 1997 F-150's.
The Big Six is commonly regarded as a gasser that can easily do 300,000 miles, if maintained--and my father's '73 went on to exceed 400,000 miles, with it's second owner.
So...the Big Six has more torque (some years) than the 302 V-8, and is a good puller, but 9,000lbs. seems like a lot, unless it was local and unhurried. But for more normal towing, it will outlast many bigger V-8's--though, at 150hp (with EFI since 1987), it'll be somewhat slower than the bigger V-8's--not a big deal, IMO, because when towing my 3,500lb. boat, I could still go 80mph, with plenty left, if I wanted to.
For many, many years (and possibly STILL in some trucks) UPS Vans were ALL powered by Ford's "Big Six," as were some of Ford's smaller dump trucks, in the '60's. (Listen to the next, large, older, UPS van you see--you can tell if it's a straight six, by the sound and, to my knowledge, UPS ONLY used Ford's BIG SIX, as I said).
What would I do, were I you? While it'll be tough-to-impossible, with your budget, esp. since you need 4x4, I would (try) to do what I SHOULD have done, and bought my father's 2001, 2x4 Dodge 3500 Dually, with the Cummins 5.9L. (But I realize you need 4x4, and the Cummins is overkill for four tractor-towings a year, if only local, at least--IMO. And you'll pay a premium for the Cummins, in 4x4 OR in 2x4 applications.)
My Dad routinely got 23mpg unloaded (six speed manual, and he installed the optional "Jake Brake", by himself, multipin connectors and all, while in his '80's!), and hauled a VERY large 5th wheel camper over much of the Eastern seaboard, and on, up into Canada--his antique trucking buddies (he's 91 y.o., a WWII combat vet and still active in the hobby) often have converted semi-tractors to pull their 5th wheels, and the Dodge 3500 was outrun by some of them, but that's to be expected. (He graduated to a huge motorhome, with a bus engine, sideways, in the rear, and sold the 3500, after I passed on it--like the IDIOT Iwas...).
But at the time, I wanted to go back to 2x4, as the 1996 F-250 gas hog routinely got stuck, in the yard (it was so heavy it would sink in, and NOT move until I locked in the [special order] manual hubs--though, to be fair, it had no studded tires. Whereas my 1988 F-150, 2x4 did GREAT with studs on the rears, only (which is a "no-no"--supposed to stud all four tires, if studding at all). And got twice the mpg of the 460 V-8--admittedly, the 460 was in the much heavier F-250....
As was mentioned, those Gen I and Gen II Cummins are quite sought after, in some circles--and LOVED in my father's antique truck collecting hobby-buddies--but then, they're just a bunch of retired (and still working) semi-truck owner/drivers, construction co. owners, etc..., so what do they know, right? J/k.
So, the Cummins is probably too much money (unless you either give up on 4x4, and get some studded duallies, instead?) and the Big Six might not be enough engine for 9,000lbs., but the "Big Six" (300 cu. in./4.9L, inline six) WILL outlast other, small V-8's, in that endeavor.
So, other than to avoid Ford's spark-plug-spitting "Modular V-8's, I don't know what to tell you. IF you could make the Big Six work for you, load-wise, that would fit the budget, even in 4x4--and SOME F-250 4x4's DID come with the Big Six, but I've never seen one. However, the last Big Six, in ANY Ford truck, was built back in '96 (and "Cash for Clunkers" didn't help any, in terms of finding one, now), so that's a potential problem. If you need more power, and want to spend the money, I'd go for the Cummins, which I believe go back as far as the late 1970's--but I'm not a Dodge guy, so please, experts, feel free to correct me, for the OP's benefit.
Oh--I almost forgot--as you'll read on the vendor's website, above, Ford (at least for a while?) used a spark plug that apparently was made in two pieces (I've never seen them) and they BREAK, making a huge PITA to remove what's left--see the first site, above, for details--and CO$T$.
Perhaps you're best off listening to the Chevy guys--I've never been a fan, no offense, but this thread seems to be trending toward these Chevy 6.0 gassers, which I've never even taken notice of, and thus know ZERO about, other than what I read here.
Good luck, and let us know what you find!
My Hoe
