Ford 6.2 liter

[RussThompson]

Anyone experience 15,000 pounds with this motor with the 4.30 gear. How about mileage just by itself? Towing is a no brainer if your worried about fuel mileage don't tow.

[Cumminsfan]

IMO 15,000 is too much even with the 4.30. Can it do it yes. Would it be prudent? Probably not.
Me personally I fell 10-11,000 is about the max for reasonably comfortable towing with a gasser. After that it's diesel territory.
If you're just towing a few times a year on flat roads then go for it. But if you're towing in somewhere with hills and mtns then that 6.2 will working pretty good most of the time.
I don't think you'll find any reviews of someone towing 15,000lbs for the above reasons.
IMO the 15,000 rating is useful for contractors towing a flat bed with machinery on it across town or for a short trip to a job site. It's not really meant for towing a big fronted 5'er 13' tall for 100-200 miles across the state.

[gggplaya]

Check out the fast lane truck on youtube and on their website. They just did a comparison between the ford raptop and a 2500 with the same exact engine you're talking about. I can't remember the load, but i want to say it was 10klbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upXsZIoR2VU

But really if you're going up through the mountains, i think 15,000lbs will be too much.

[Vstrom]

Great question, I'm looking forward to some good answers. I'm currently looking at a 2012 F-250 with the 6.2 (11,000 miles on it) and was wondering what mpg folks are getting loaded and unloaded. I am currently towing approx. 8000 Lbs. with my 5.4 F-150. Most of my miles will be daily driver miles so I don't want a diesel. Since DW and I both still work, most of our trips are weekends and less than 150 miles.

[RussThompson]

Looking at the specs on ford towing the 6.2 liter with 4wd 4.30 gear and the 6 speed transmission will pull 15,400lbs. I had a 8.1 liter back in 02 and it would pull a house but just loved gas. With diesels with new technology and all the problems they have a gas might be a better choice. If a diesel is out of warranty you better have a bank load of money or credit with unlimited funds because the labor rates will break a rich mans pocket!

[rlwithrow]

Originally Posted by RussThompson

Looking at the specs on ford towing the 6.2 liter with 4wd 4.30 gear and the 6 speed transmission will pull 15,400lbs. I had a 8.1 liter back in 02 and it would pull a house but just loved gas. With diesels with new technology and all the problems they have a gas might be a better choice. If a diesel is out of warranty you better have a bank load of money or credit with unlimited funds because the labor rates will break a rich mans pocket!

I watched both of the videos above and noted the 5500 to 6000 rpm screaming motors. I hope those that buy these trucks don't think this is the way to operate them. If the motor can't pull the speed limit at a reasonable rpm, slow down and smell the roses or you might just be on the side of the road and sitting in the grass.. A few times they commented on the MPG reading at 3. something which confirms my thoughts on slow speed big block torque versed small block high rpm horses. The faster you spin a motor, the more CFM's of air and accompanying fuel you are using, even in a smaller motor. I figured it out that a 6.2 uses slightly more CFM's at 2600 rpm verses an 8.1 at 2000 rmp. If you pull with a gasser, there is no magic answer to better fuel usage. Yes the 8.1 will get less as a daily driver but as a puller, it's not anymore a gas guzzler than the rest of them. I'd like to see the results of that hill climb with an 8.1

[RussThompson]

Originally Posted by Vstrom

Great question, I'm looking forward to some good answers. I'm currently looking at a 2012 F-250 with the 6.2 (11,000 miles on it) and was wondering what mpg folks are getting loaded and unloaded. I am currently towing approx. 8000 Lbs. with my 5.4 F-150. Most of my miles will be daily driver miles so I don't want a diesel. Since DW and I both still work, most of our trips are weekends and less than 150 miles.

hey did you end up with the ford 250 with 6.2 liter?

[Mekanic]

Originally Posted by rlwithrow

I ........... If you pull with a gasser, there is no magic answer to better fuel usage. Yes the 8.1 will get less as a daily driver but as a puller, it's not anymore a gas guzzler than the rest of them. I'd like to see the results of that hill climb with an 8.1

I looked up the 8.1L was making 340HP and 455TQ with the New 6.2L making over 100% of the HP and 90% of that TQ number i guess you can see why they quit making the 8.1L

My old Rollback has the old IDI 7.3 diesel and has VERY close to the same torque as the modern 6.2 Ford(and GM) gas engine.
That old rollback weighed in at 10.7K lbs empty, if i was towing a car on the tow bar with one on the bed I was usually between 17-19K rolling down the road. It did have the 5.13 gears but it didn't turn more than 3100 RPM.

[rlwithrow]

Originally Posted by Mekanic

I looked up the 8.1L was making 340HP and 455TQ with the New 6.2L making over 100% of the HP and 90% of that TQ number i guess you can see why they quit making the 8.1L

My old Rollback has the old IDI 7.3 diesel and has VERY close to the same torque as the modern 6.2 Ford(and GM) gas engine.
That old rollback weighed in at 10.7K lbs empty, if i was towing a car on the tow bar with one on the bed I was usually between 17-19K rolling down the road. It did have the 5.13 gears but it didn't turn more than 3100 RPM.

The Duramax and unloaded MPG is what stopped production of the 8.1. No a days they are going with smaller displacement motors and cranking them up in HP and torque so they WILL pull but still don't do much better at pulling. They do get better standard driving MPG though and that's what the public wants and can afford. The 8.1 makes most of it's torque at 2000 rpm and most of it's HP a little over 3000 RPM. The new smaller motors still have to rely on high RPM to make power and that is always in a lower gear while pulling, there goes the MPG again.. Really not much difference unless it's just a daily driver and then, why buy a 2500 for a daily driver. Look at me now,, I've had a 2000 3500 as a daily driver since it was new but it gets 15 and that I can live with. My 8.1 is for recreation only but pulls emergency duty when needed.

[Mekanic]

Originally Posted by rlwithrow

......They do get better standard driving MPG though and that's what the public wants and can afford. The 8.1 makes most of it's torque at 2000 rpm and most of it's HP a little over 3000 RPM. The new smaller motors still have to rely on high RPM to make power and that is always in a lower gear while pulling, there goes the MPG again.. Really not much difference unless it's just a daily driver and then, why buy a 2500 for a daily driver. Look at me now,, I've had a 2000 3500 as a daily driver since it was new but it gets 15 and that I can live with. My 8.1 is for recreation only but pulls emergency duty when needed.

I completely understand your idea of lower RPM torque, and that is what I prefer as well. Given a choice in a pickup of a 8.1L or newer 6.2L I'd go with a 8.1L every time. I wonder why GM didn't convert the 8.1L to multi displacement like they did so well with the 5.3L (I don't know if that new 6.2L has it or not) That could have allowed them to tune it for even more power when running on all 8 holes.
Another example of low end grunt is the Ford pickups in late 80 and 90s the F-150 Ford had the 300six and the 302 V8. funny thing was the 300 would out run the 302 0-60. and then if you hooked one to a 5K trailer load the 300 killed that 302 V8 even more. That little 302 was a good engine but it had a 3.00 inch stroke and 300 had one at 3.980.