F350 V 10

[ultrarunner]

Anyone got a F350 v10 Van?

I've got a Pick-up for towing and a Van for Work... maybe a V10 Van could do double duty for me.

Chevy Truck 350 v8 FI... empty 17 mpg highway with cruise at 68 mph

Chevy Van 305 v8 Carbureted... always loaded 10.4 mpg per tank.

 

[chh]

Interesting thread. Was basically talked out of buying a '05 F350 with a V-10 last year by a salesman. Was trying to push me off onto a new powerstroke. His claim was that it wouldn't get over 10 mpg. Anyway he talked himself out of a sale and I'm still in my Dodge 2500. Decided I needed a new tractor more than a new truck, so I'm happy anyway. Next time I truck shop the V10 will get a hard look.

 

[Kahuna]

I bought a 2004 F250 a year ago with the 5.4 gas. I had the same engine in an E150 conversion van and it runs great, snappy, and lots of power getting about 16 mpg. That was the van, the F250 is an absolute dog barely pulling its own weight and getting about 10-12 mpg.

I might have been happier with the diesel or the V10 but the 5.4 did not work out. I took off a day to go truck shopping for a late model F250 diesel and ended up buying a new 2007 Toyota Tundra. It was not planned that way but I happened to drive by a Toyota dealer when I was test driving a Ford.

One test drive of the new Tundra sold me. I don't do a lot of of towing so I could get by with a little lighter truck. The Tundra has 381 hp, 401 foot pounds, and a 6 speed automatic, it seems like twice the truck as F250. If the F250 had any engine but the 5.4 I would probably be still driving it because I would have had no reason to go looking. Happy with my purchase and I am now getting a consistent 16 mpg with loads more power and performance. This is a 4x4, the 2 wheel drive should get 2 mpg more.

I am not knocking the F250, I have driven Fords for nearly 40 years. My argument is to not go with the 5.4 in a large truck. Go with the V10 or diesel if you stick with the F250 of F350.

 

[unreconstructed]

Kahuna,

Interesting comment on the 5.4. I had a 2003 F250 with 5.4 but had the 6 speed manual with 3.73 rear. The 5.4 certainly does not perform like the V10 I just bought, but I would not classify my 250 as a dog, or at least a bad dog. It pulled my trailer with JD5203 & FEL well enough--certainly nothing spectacular. Had to pull it in 5th at 3000rpm to make 70, but it did that. Of course, in West Texas had no hills to deal with either. Anyhow, I did in fact buy the V10 to improve performance over the 5.4 and the decision seems to be sound. The difference is night and day. The 5.4 had plenty of power with just a load in the box.

 

[patrick_g]

I have no clue what others get for mileage with a truck like mine but I have got as much as 16.1 average for most of a tank and as low as 11.3 either driving fast or hauling a heavy trailer.

I am driving a 2008 F-250 SD with PowerJoke diesel. It is 4x4 automatic, crew cab short bed. As far as acceleration is concerned it will easily outperform my Dodge/Cummins that has been mildly improved in HP and torque above stock. The Ford is dead stock. I have about 2000 miles on it and expect mileage to improve a little after it is more thoroughly broken in.

I have heard few complaints from V-10 owners.

Pat

 

[mjncad]

There is no replacement for displacement...especially at Colorado's altitude, which is why I ordered the V10 over the V8 gasser.

With the amount of engine set back under the hood of my Super Duty; does anyone know if Ford considered a V12 Triton engine? There's room for an extra couple of cylinders, though I'd hate to see what the mileage might have been like on a V12.

Also I'm sure the extra engine set back helps improve handling.

 

[radman1]

-Mine puts out a puff of white smoke about every third or fourth start. From what I read on the Ford truck web sites, this is not unusual for the V10 and does not indicate a problem, but it still looks strange coming from a new vehicle. I haven't heard a defininite explanation for this issue yet.


Runner

I will second the occassional puff of whitish smoke when starting. Not all the time. Mine doesn't use any oil. Does not indicate a problem.

 

[MikePA]

That's what happens when accountants dictate decisions best left to engineers and designers.

While accountants might have been involved, I'd bet the reason they use the spring type is speed of installation on the assembly line.

 

[KICK]

Mine is a 2004.


Quite ironic to have my new Built Ford Tough Super Duty spewing coolant because Ford tried to save 3 cents on hose clamps....

Ford saved more than 3 cents on those hose clamps.

multiply the price difference time the amount of hose clamps by the amount of trucks and cars

then factor in the labor savings not having to turn a screw and the insurance savings on workers comp claims because someone got metakarpal tunnel sysndrome from turning a screwdriver all day.

 

[patrick_g]

While accountants might have been involved, I'd bet the reason they use the spring type is speed of installation on the assembly line.

It is the accountants who are concerned with speed of assy on the line as well as carpal tunnel claims and every other possible money leak that can be reduced including the bucks they save on cheaper clamps.

Auto manufacturers exist for one and only one reason!!

That reason is to make $ for the corporate officers and other stock holders. A N Y other activity is subservient to the prime directive, P R O F I T. Product is just a means of getting the public to fork over lots of cash.

Different companies have different niches and different philosophies but they all exist for the same reason. Some are more farsighted than others and may be trying to maximize profit over a longer term but maximum profit over the term of interest is THE GOAL. All other activities, however diverse and potentially humanitarian are subservient to that one goal.

Better crash tests and so forth have good PR and influence sales in a way that boosts profits. If a company believed killing people with an inferior design would boost long term profit they would do it (have done it if you consider GMC/Chevy pickup gas tanks on the outside of the frame rails.) An informed and demanding public have shown some manufacturers that their profit in their niche is increased by catering to somewhat safety minded segments of the public or at least seeming to some of the time.

Bean counters trump EVERY OTHER input into an auto manufacturer's management process. How can the board of directors stay in power if at a shareholder's meeting it is shown that more profit could have been made if the bean counter's input was weighted higher? Of course the answer is, they can't, and they know that so they bow to profit no matter what else may motivate them, if anything, ever.

Pat