Ford Torture Tests

[thinkxingu]

OK, so I bought an F-150 which, of course, means that I'm now hyperfocused on Ford. Check these out: http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/experiencef150/

S

 

[mayhem]

Pretty impressive. It would have been even better if they did the head to head test against the competition's 3/4 ton gassers...I bet it still would have won.

 

[North of 60]

When someone other than FORD puts it through that test, then I will give it full merrit. It does look impressive and sound impressive. So far real life experience on those new trucks up here have been very positive. They ride like a dream and go like a bat out of hell. Mileage suffers a great deal when loaded. Dump the power steering fluid and put in a Amsoil or Esso Univis Ultra synthetic if you get temps below -25f. Thats the only common problem so far as the return lines have been blowing off.
Enjoy the new machine. They are a Cadillac so to speak for a light truck. I would leave a new half ton Chevy parked if I had the choice out of the two. Different feelings on the 3/4 and 1 tons though.

 

[nate379]

That is a stupid place for an oil filter. Break the belt and it will take out the filter.

 

[granpajohn]

Mostly marketing, but still cool to watch.
But I wonder; what oil did they run? Motorcraft Syntec? (It's gotta be Motorcraft of some sort or else the marketing department will abuse them)

Disclaimer: I've been running F's in one way or another for 30+ years.

p.s. this thread could easily turn into a Ford-bashing funfest. Just watch.

 

[thinkxingu]

One brother owns a Silverado. The other owns a Titan. My B-I-L owns a Dodge. And now I own a Ford. Each has its merits, but now that I've driven a Ford (never had one in the family!) I'll say this: it is, by far and away, the nicest driving and has the best interior of the lot--the beauty of Ford is the endless amount of interior combinations. Not sure how it tows yet, but for daily driving it's sa-weet.

S

 

[mayhem]

Could have done without the dubbed in V-8 sounds though...I'd like to hear how the turbo 6 actually sounds.

 

[granpajohn]

Since it has come up......
One of our younger engineers replied with this:

Saw this a few months ago. While it is impressive what they do to the engine (and it does quell a lot of fears about the twin turbo V6), practically any modern truck engine will take that kind of abuse (or car engine minus the towing/hauling/whathaveyou).

I’m most impressed with the new 3.7 V6, which makes a strong case for fewer cylinders, making more power than the old 4.6, and almost as much as the 5.4 (at the expense of torque).

Here’s 2010 vs 2011 engines:

2010:
4.6 2-valve V8 248 hp & 294 lb-ft
4.6 3-valve V8 292 hp & 320 lb-ft
5.4 3-valve V8 310 hp & 365 lb-ft

2011:
3.7 V6 302 hp & 278 lb-ft
5.0 V8 360 hp & 380 lb-ft
6.2 V8 411 hp & 434 lb-ft
3.5 V6 twin turbo 365 hp & 420 lb-ft

Of course more power is moot when the thing weighs 5000+ lbs.

 

[firefighterjake]

Congrats on the new truck . . . I was strongly considering a Ford F-150 . . . ended up going with the Titan though.

 

[thinkxingu]

I was open to buying really anything (though the Titan's a bit wider than we like)--it was more about price. We had never considered Ford, though, other than to think it might be nice to buy from the closest dealer. Glad we did, though: '09 w/30K, mint everything w/5-year 100K bumper-to-bumper came out to under $17k at 4.75% with trade-in. We got $5k for my Frontier, which had 125K miles, broken A/C, leaking anti-freeze, shot knock-sensor, cracked manifold, a couple dents, and a whole lot of belts and wires needin' changin'!

S

 

[lukem]

I love my '09 F-150.

 

[djblech]

That is a pretty cool video. I had Ford trucks for years till they came out with the V-10. I just could not buy one of those. I have an 04 Chev Duramax right now and I love the truck/diesel/power combination. I will not buy another diesel because of initial cost and cost projections of fuel. I am extremely interested in that 3.5 ecoboost. I also like the supercrew but I need my full size box.
Doug

 

[leaddog]

Watched the log hauling and I bet non of those logs went to the mill. Every one was pulled off the top of the pile so it was easier starting and then the full lenght of the log was pulled thru gravel. I don't think the mill would like that many stones imbedded when they went to saw them. Looks impressave but I think my old s-10 could have done the same thing. Once you get a load moving it's easy to do. Now if they had left it in the woods and pulled it out of the underbrush that would have been a better test.
leaddog

 

[kenskip1]

Being a life long Ford fan I am most impressed. Found this on the net about the oil used in this exercise, Ken

Why the EcoBoost engine was so clean

The comparative lack of engine sludge/grime indicates that the engine’s PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system and the recommended Motorcraft 5W-30 synthetic blend motor oil – available off the shelf – worked in harmony to contribute to clean engine operation.

The PCV system essentially “recycles†crankcase gases back into the intake for reburning, which contributes to improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

 

[Mcbride]

Those are good videos.
I hope the new V6 turbo is really that good and Ford has hit it out of the park this time.
After many fords, i have gone to dodge now.

 

[OhioBurner©]

That is a pretty cool video. I had Ford trucks for years till they came out with the V-10. I just could not buy one of those.

Why did you decide against the V10? There seems to be a stigma about them that as far as I can tell is completely unfounded. Everyone I talked to about the 10's loved em and since I had ordered my truck built and with a 5.4, I actually called in to have em change the order to a 10 and they were able to. Best decision ever. It gets nearly the same milleage as my little v6 F150 does.

I'm a ford fan though I'm open to anything, we have had just about everything out there. And they all have advantages over others, and they all have weaknesses. For a heavy duty though I am sold on Ford. Just crawl under and look at a super duty. The radius arms are like double as beefy as dodge, and chevy's ifs... well my neighbor just bought a plow and chevy doesnt even make a truck with a high enough front axle rating for it (well last I looked anyhow!).

The new F150 are nice trucks and I could have probably gone the route of a half ton but with as much wood and other supplies I haul I really do make use of the payload of the one ton. I dont recommend ever being overweight but I had a bit over 6,000 in the bed last weekend. Thats a bit much but it hauls the rated 4000# just beautifully. But my big thing was to get a crew cab and 8' bed and that pretty much limited me to a 3/4-1 ton. And I preffer mechanical over electronic anywere I can so with the 1 ton I could still get a manual transmission, transer case, lock out hubs, although ford and most of the others are phasing those out even on the heavy duties now.

 

[North of 60]

That is a pretty cool video. I had Ford trucks for years till they came out with the V-10. I just could not buy one of those.

Why did you decide against the V10? There seems to be a stigma about them that as far as I can tell is completely unfounded. Everyone I talked to about the 10's loved em and since I had ordered my truck built and with a 5.4, I actually called in to have em change the order to a 10 and they were able to. Best decision ever. It gets nearly the same milleage as my little v6 F150 does.

I'm a ford fan though I'm open to anything, we have had just about everything out there. And they all have advantages over others, and they all have weaknesses. For a heavy duty though I am sold on Ford. Just crawl under and look at a super duty. The radius arms are like double as beefy as dodge, and chevy ifs... well my neighbor just bought a plow and chevy doesnt even make a truck with a high enough front axle rating for it (well last I looked anyhow!).

The new F150 are nice trucks and I could have probably gone the route of a half ton but with as much wood and other supplies I haul I really do make use of the payload of the one ton. I dont recommend ever being overweight but I had a bit over 6,000 in the bed last weekend. Thats a bit much but it hauls the rated 4000# just beautifully. But my big thing was to get a crew cab and 8' bed and that pretty much limited me to a 3/4-1 ton. And I preffer mechanical over electronic anywere I can so with the 1 ton I could still get a manual transmission, transer case, lock out hubs, although ford and most of the others are phasing those out even on the heavy duties now.

I run a V-10 at work. Quiet, doesn't stink of diesel idling all day in the winter.You can get some usable heat in the cab out of those ten cylinders at -40. Same mileage pulling or not. Loads of power and has been reliable as hell. The tritons need to have the plugs re and re,ed now and again as they have been known to strip in the heads. My personal truck is a Dodge Cummins and I save it for pleasure towing...Travel trailer, Boat etc... and towing a flat deck tandem haulin wood and water. Every day work use and winter idling I will take the V-10. You just can get in it and drive.

 

[djblech]

I just figured that was 2 more cyl to maintain and possibly have problems with. I really liked the old 460 engine and would have bought one if it hadn't been dumped. In all fairness, I have a cement contractor that works for me that owns a V-10. He has had no mechanical problems at all with his truck. He said he usually gets 8-10 mpg which is the only complaint that he had. I will be watching this new V-6 engine and I hope it is as good as they say. I will be in the market for a new pickup in about 2 yrs if not sooner.
Doug

 

[TX-L]

I don't mean this to be a Ford bash, or hate them, these are just my own experiences.

I drove Ford trucks throughout the late 1980s and 1990s -- they were all poor in quallity and reliability. I moved on to Toyota after my last Ford truck (a Powerstroke diesel, lots of power WHEN it was running), and have never looked back. I have had less problems with my old clunker 1983 Toyota 4x4 over the entire course of ownership than just a couple of years with every one of the 90s era F-series I owned (4 of 'em). I hope Ford has improved over the last 15 years; based on my own experiences they really needed to.

I like the fact that they didn't take any government assistance bailout funding, and think they look superb, but I am still leary of the Ford brand after so many negative experiences back then. I'm sure others can report just the opposite of what I encountered.

 

[moosetrek]

Congrats on the new ride - have a good time putting it to work! I've had several 80s - 90s Fords, like them all, and driven a couple of the new ones and they're really nice too.

 

[Mcbride]

That is a pretty cool video. I had Ford trucks for years till they came out with the V-10. I just could not buy one of those.

Why did you decide against the V10? There seems to be a stigma about them that as far as I can tell is completely unfounded. Everyone I talked to about the 10's loved em and since I had ordered my truck built and with a 5.4, I actually called in to have em change the order to a 10 and they were able to. Best decision ever. It gets nearly the same milleage as my little v6 F150 does.

I'm a ford fan though I'm open to anything, we have had just about everything out there. And they all have advantages over others, and they all have weaknesses. For a heavy duty though I am sold on Ford. Just crawl under and look at a super duty. The radius arms are like double as beefy as dodge, and chevy's ifs... well my neighbor just bought a plow and chevy doesnt even make a truck with a high enough front axle rating for it (well last I looked anyhow!).

The new F150 are nice trucks and I could have probably gone the route of a half ton but with as much wood and other supplies I haul I really do make use of the payload of the one ton. I dont recommend ever being overweight but I had a bit over 6,000 in the bed last weekend. Thats a bit much but it hauls the rated 4000# just beautifully. But my big thing was to get a crew cab and 8' bed and that pretty much limited me to a 3/4-1 ton. And I preffer mechanical over electronic anywere I can so with the 1 ton I could still get a manual transmission, transer case, lock out hubs, although ford and most of the others are phasing those out even on the heavy duties now.

As a former V10 owner twice, and now one as the power in our current motorhome, as well as being a shop owner/mechanic, I concur that the triton V10 is an extremely good engine.
For anyone needing a powerful engine, this is a great choice.

 

[Mcbride]

I don't mean this to be a Ford bash, or hate them, these are just my own experiences.

I drove Ford trucks throughout the late 1980s and 1990s -- they were all poor in quallity and reliability. I moved on to Toyota after my last Ford truck (a Powerstroke diesel, lots of power WHEN it was running), and have never looked back. I have had less problems with my old clunker 1983 Toyota 4x4 over the entire course of ownership than just a couple of years with every one of the 90s era F-series I owned (4 of 'em). I hope Ford has improved over the last 15 years; based on my own experiences they really needed to.

I like the fact that they didn't take any government assistance bailout funding, and think they look superb, but I am still leary of the Ford brand after so many negative experiences back then. I'm sure others can report just the opposite of what I encountered.

experiences change with the person, and the worst truck i ever owned was a toyota i bought brand new.
And the ones i see in my shop, well they have sealed the deal in confirming to me that never again will i own a toyota.
their quality has slid way below the standards of most other car makers now.
The shocker is the hyundai sonata IMO.
I have 2 customers that own and abuse their hyundai sonata cars, yet they always run, and seem to be a great car.
Amazing considering the old hyundai vehicle in my opinion were pure junk.

 

[bpirger]

Funny thing to me is I've never seen a skidder pulling a single log....usually a half dozen or more... Are they trying to compare the truck to the skidder? That's silly!

 

[granpajohn]

^The marketing department is almost always silly.
(Horses seem to pull a single.)

 

[Mcbride]

Funny thing to me is I've never seen a skidder pulling a single log....usually a half dozen or more... Are they trying to compare the truck to the skidder? That's silly!

You are correct, I ran a skidder for a summer, and logs that small, i would usually be pulling 7 or 8 most likely at a time.