How tough is the 5.4?

I recall reading someplace that the 5.4 had the piston skirts lengthened recently ( last year or two) to help avoid piston slap when cold, so apparently there was some concern about this. That said, I have a 5.4 in a

2001 F150 Supercrew, about 125,000 miles with no engine problems, it is a little noisy when cold but nothing that is loud enough to cause any concern. It runs as well as it did the day I bought it. About 15% of those miles are towing a 5000 pound camping trailer with 5 people in the truck, the rest pretty much unloaded highway miles. The 5.4 has plenty of power, it gets up to highway speeds and beyond when towing nice and quickly , much faster than ( rather weak) 6.9 diesel in my old 86 F-350 used to pull the same trailer.

I don't know if it's the same tranny in a 250 so I can't help you, the one in my 150 is doing just fine though.

my '98 F150 5.4L has a bit over 148,000 miles on the clock and still does not miss a beat. It too is a little noisy when it's cold...but it has plenty of power, even with that many miles...

Later... Grant Speed Kills...Drive a Honda, live forever...

Very good engine Al - they solved the piston slap as someone else said. I have one in a 2001 F150 and it has performed flawlessly - get about 16 mpg around town and 17.5mpg at 75mph on the interstate (with a 4wd crew cab) - the best I've gotten was 21 with it.. (My F350 has the PS though - just had to throw that in!) I read somewhere that Wards Automotive listed it (the

5.4L) as one of the worlds ten best engines! They come with the little tranny in some of the F150's (crew cab for sure - at least the older ones). I think they come with the 4R100 tranny in the super duties so you shouldn't have a problem tranny wise. However, I have heard complaints that they are underpowered when trying to drag a 7500 lbs (4WD) truck around - and when you compare how much more you have to push the go pedal on the 5.4; the V10 gets about the same fuel mileage (about 15-16 mpg around town) once they are broken in.

Yeah Its a great engine. We have two 2001 F-250 Super Duties with the 5.4L at work. We beat the living piss out of them day in and day out, We plow and sand with them during the winter too and they just keep coming back for more. One of the best, most reliable trucks I've ever driven.

"the V10 > gets about the same fuel mileage (about 15-16 mpg around town) once they are broken in."

Hmmmmmmm? Sounds like we could have a credibility problem here.

Not really - if you tow around a 7500 # vehicle (as the person who raised the question inquired about) with a 5.4 or a V-10, you will get about (note I said about) the same mileage. If you tow around a 5400# F150 4x4, then, yes, expect to get better mileage with the 5.4 - from my experience 16-17 around town 17.5 at 75 mph on the open road and 19 mpg if you keep it around

60 (no trailers in either case). Remember the '60's - if you puta 454 or 460 or 440 in a light car - it is not going to get as good as mileage as a slant six. But if you put a slant six or a 454, etc in a 7500# 4x4; then the six is going to work so hard that you are going to get about the same mileage as the 454. It is like putting too tall of gearing or too big (diameter) tires on your truck. In theory, the taller (smaller numerically) gear ratio should yield better mileage. But ask anyone who put too tall of a tire on their truck, their mileage did not go up, but down. Same theory. Simply put: If you have to push on the go pedal harder from the smaller, lower hp, lower torque engine to accelerate compared to pushing less on the more hp, more torque V-10, you will sacrifice mileage. Ask some folks who own SuperDuties with the different engines, depending upon how you push the truck, they will give you about the same mileage. You are entitled to your opinion. I know from experience and from that of all the folks I know who own the various incarnations of the SuperDuties.

Of course, your mileage may vary!!!

The V-10's are famous for getting 9 mpg when new and going up to 15 to 16 around town after about 10k miles. Just like the mileage of the Pwestrokes (and the 5.4's for that mater) go up after they are broken in. Our new company F250 V-10 started out at 9, it only has about 3k miles on it, and is already in the double digits.