Fullsize V-6 Pickup Comparison

[gilbertmsg]

I had a 74 Olds Starfire with a 231 V6 (carburated). It was my first car, had great power, probably got 20+ miles per gallon on a 3,000 lb vehicle. Don't understand why the improvements haven't come faster as with everything else in this throw away era. With proper gearing it would have been a great puller. We still have a long way to go.

Eddie

 

[Dargo]

A salesman at my local Ford dealer recently told me they expect to get the F150s with the Ecoboost in March. And today I got an e-mail from them saying they will have one available for test drives from noon to 4 p.m. on December 9; to call if I wanted to schedule a test drive.

I know it's the wrong company, but because of the small size and great torque band, I thought that engine would be awesome in the new Jeep Wranglers and such. I had a Jeep Rubicon once and wish I wouldn't have sold it. This ecoboost engine seems like it would be a great fit for that Jeep. With bigger tires etc., the 4.0 I6 sort of runs a bit low on power. I have one in an old Jeep Cherokee Sport (not Grand Cherokee, but the older style) and love that old thing.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would, too . . . if I thought I could afford to buy one if I liked it, but since I can't, I'll wait until later, much later probably.:laughing:

I would just want to drive it.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

GM has a nice V6 that's all cast iron, durable and also used in the industrial and marine world. But most people don't want it because the hp is lower than the V8s of today. In fairness, most of today's engines are rather gutless at low end with the computers and lean mixtures, but we have to live with it.

Which motor is that, the 4.3L? I will not sell a boat with that motor. It gives us nothing but issues. I have owned 2 and my uncle had twins in his 2002 Sea Ray 280 and both had issues. One was replaced at 40 hours and the other at 225 hours with a long block.

The 4.3L only makes between 190 HP and 225 HP while the 5.0L V8 makes between 260 HP and 270 HP and tons more torque while only weighing 18 pounds more. We always upgrade them to the 5.0 just because you gain so much for such a little weight penalty. 18# is nothing.

We also stopped using Mercruiser. They were just plain junk anymore. Not like the good old days when I stared boating in the 80's and owned nothing but until 96 with virtually no troubles. Now only Volvo's for us since the mid 2000's. They had just cheapened them up to a point where we were seeing common failures across the line. Sometimes multiple times on the same engine. I blame the union at Mercruiser. They have tried to get rid of the union and have threaten to move the operations out of Minnesota to get away from them.

Same is true with the Mercury Outboards. I do not deal in them but the folks that do now hate them. The two big marinas at the lake I go to dropped them and now sell Honda's and Suzuki's. If I were buying a Suzuki would be my first choice.

I have one boat left with a Mercruiser 5.7L 350 Mag Bravo III that I bought new in 2005 but was a 04 left over. This boat has been in the shop numerous times for water pumps, idle air controllers, alternator wiring, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, water pressure sensor, cracked water manifolds, drive corrosion, and the list goes on. This is all with 170 hours. My 2 Volvo engines are 2004 models and have not been in the shop a single time.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

I know it's the wrong company, but because of the small size and great torque band, I thought that engine would be awesome in the new Jeep Wranglers and such. I had a Jeep Rubicon once and wish I wouldn't have sold it. This ecoboost engine seems like it would be a great fit for that Jeep. With bigger tires etc., the 4.0 I6 sort of runs a bit low on power. I have one in an old Jeep Cherokee Sport (not Grand Cherokee, but the older style) and love that old thing.

Yep, them old Cherokees were good trucks. I always wanted on in the early 90's with a strait 6 but they just would not tow the loads I had.


Chris