Community Forums

Bamaman · 10-09-2017, 11:13 PM

My 7.3 has the old 4R100, and its reputation for long life is not good. I long ago put a TruCool tranny cooler on it--$150 and 1/2 hr. installation. It was probably the best investment I could have made, and my ATF runs very coo!.

I changed the ATF last year and the fluid looked clean and has no burned smell. Hopefully my small investment will pay off big in long tranny life. I have a John Woods tranny program specifically for my horsepower levels. It shifts quickly into a locked torque converter which gives it much more mid speed power.

The best place for Ford transmissions is the old Tousley Ford--$2800 with a 3 year warranty. The best Ford trannys are rebuilt at Brian's Truck Stop outside of Flippen, AR.--over $4500.

tuffr2 · 10-10-2017, 05:35 AM

To me it is not engine or transmission that will fail but the power windows, radio knob, dent in the tailgate, rock chip on the front, scuff on the wheel and the myriad of other small things that add up.
The engine/transmission will outlast my love for the truck.

vanion2 · 10-10-2017, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

To me it is not engine or transmission that will fail but the power windows, radio knob, dent in the tailgate, rock chip on the front, scuff on the wheel and the myriad of other small things that add up.
The engine/transmission will outlast my love for the truck.

YMMV but everything you listed are things I can fix or replace with a little bit of elbow grease. I am no transmission mechanic though so that is why my focus was on life expectancy of the modern transmissions.

Swapping stereos is usually the first thing I do and pulling a window motor are not that hard either. Just time consuming but a lot cheaper than a new truck. As far as cosmetic stuff I can live with rock chips and small dents. If it bothers me enough I know a great body shop than can make it look brand new for a reasonable cost if I pay in cash. In all honesty though, I admire seeing an old truck proudly bearing it's battle scars and still getting the job done.

tuffr2 · 10-11-2017, 10:37 AM

The 2012 F-150 with the 5.0 litre is a nice truck. Much better than the old 5.4 litre dog of an engine.

My ex 2011 F-150 5.0 litre engine truck towed my ex 5,500 lb trailer really nice. No trailer sway on the highway. About 10.5mpg towing. 36 gallon fuel tank. Man, I do miss that truck.

vanion2 · 10-11-2017, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

The 2012 F-150 with the 5.0 litre is a nice truck. Much better than the old 5.4 litre dog of an engine.

My ex 2011 F-150 5.0 litre engine truck towed my ex 5,500 lb trailer really nice. No trailer sway on the highway. About 10.5mpg towing. 36 gallon fuel tank. Man, I do miss that truck.

The only 5.0's I found in my price range were either in accidents or were poor shape. So I will have to stick with my 5.4L "dog" of an engine for now.

Truth be told I have driven both versions (my 09 and my brother's 2012) an while the numbers on the Coyote are higher I can't really tell much of a difference. Of course his has the 3.3 axles versus my 3.7 but at the end of the day I am happy with my choice and it pulls my TT (6000# GVWR) without breaking a sweat. I will be taking my first real trip tomorrow through northern New Mexico so I will finally get a real feel for the mileage. I expect I will be a happy camper (pardon the pun) and will just have to decide for myself how much of a dog the 5.4L is.

tuffr2 · 10-12-2017, 10:28 PM

I test drove a 2005 F-150 5.4 litre 4 speed auto. I get on an entrance ramp and try to merge. I step on the gas and I hear more noise than get acceleration. In 2005 a true 'dog' of an engine.

By 2009 Ford might have improved the 5.4 litre engine. I think they added 1 more valve.

I will say the 5.4 litre seemed to be a bullet proof engine.

My 2011 F-150 5.0 litre engine sure was zippy. It was no eco-boost but was zippy.

Good travels

vanion2 · 10-15-2017, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I test drove a 2005 F-150 5.4 litre 4 speed auto. I get on an entrance ramp and try to merge. I step on the gas and I hear more noise than get acceleration. In 2005 a true 'dog' of an engine.

By 2009 Ford might have improved the 5.4 litre engine. I think they added 1 more valve.

I will say the 5.4 litre seemed to be a bullet proof engine.

My 2011 F-150 5.0 litre engine sure was zippy. It was no eco-boost but was zippy.

Good travels

Just got back from a weekend of towing the new TT. Maiden voyage for the F150 + TT combination. It was the perfect setup. 11 mpg on the way out and 9.5 mpg on the way back with heavy cross/head winds and lots of up hill slogs. I couldn't be happier.

You are correct. The 09-10 have the 3 valve setup and 6 speed automatic. I had my sight set on several 2011's but they were both in the shop when I got to the dealership getting work done and I saw the 09 in pristine condition. The test drive sold me and getting up to merging speed is not a problem. Both the 2011's had several dents and reported accidents with the 3.55 axle ratings and only one of them had the ITBC. To get into a 5.0 that didn't have red flags would have cost me another $5k but after this weekend I can say I am happy with my 5.4L. Pulling close to 6K# up hill against the wind and maintaining 60 mph just under 3K rpm with no movement on the transmissions temp gauge is more than I could have hoped for. That and no sway or lane pushing when getting passed.

Maybe when it comes time for my next truck...in the mean time I will take your advice and do some good travels. You too I hope.

tuffr2 · 10-15-2017, 03:03 PM

Great news, the mpg will vary depending on the elevation gain/loss or headwind vs tailwind so that mpg is normal.

One trip with a strong tailwind I could tell the engine was working much easier. For about 5 years when I had to tow 1,000 miles I would watch the weather fronts so I could take advantage of any tailwind. Makes a huge differents.