Richfaa already knew... - Montana Owners Club

ggranch · 10-31-2007, 02:14 PM

As Rich knows alreay, V-10s rock. Mine was doing really well as it came from the factory with it's 4:10 Posi turning the rubber. As some of you may recall, I recently switched to a 4:30 rear gear. Yesterday was the first opourtunity we had to use the gears in anger. It was as big a difference in towing as the move from the F250 V-8 to the F350 V-10 was. Before, the truck knew the trailer was back there but really didn't care. Now, it knows the trailer is back there and laughs out loud. My fuel useage actually went down. I spent much less time in 4th gear and no time in 3rd. That kept the revs down and the mpg up. Gotta love heavy metal! Bob

simonsrf · 10-31-2007, 03:47 PM

That's great news.

Now, just imagine what would happen if you had a Cummins Diesel...you'd really be ecstatic.

richfaa · 10-31-2007, 03:57 PM

My shinny new 08 6.4L diesel is a brute of a truck and I am warming to it. I had the same truck as you now have in the 05 MY and there are times when I question the wisdom of going to the Diesel. To be very honest as of this time I am not getting my monies worth. As I have said before the big block gas engines are under rated as a TV and the diesels are over rated..If you have driven both you know there is now little difference. The only advantage the diesel has is that it is turbo charged and even with that advantage the big block gas gives it a run for the money. I am glad I got the diesel because I always wanted one but I am not convinced that it was the right choice. Time will tell... Bob you got a good TV and don't let anyone tell you different.

bigmurf · 10-31-2007, 04:19 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by simonsrf

That's great news.

Now, just imagine what would happen if you had a Cummins Diesel...you'd really be ecstatic.

How true. Next thing you will be saying is you can power from the Sun. g

stiles watson · 11-01-2007, 12:06 PM

Rich, when you get 175,000-200,000 miles on that diesel and it is still running like a top, you will know you made a good choice.

richfaa · 11-01-2007, 12:22 PM

Stiles Old friend..I will never get that many miles on the truck..one of us will have expired before then..I will let you know what happened when we hit the WVA TPK..Ran it twice with the V-10..Am interested in seeing the EGT and boost on the diesel..The V-10 pulled it with some effort but no problem.

stiles watson · 11-01-2007, 02:06 PM

Well, I am already at 6500 miles. Have slowed a bit due to Dianna's break. I did pull the Appalachians around Asheville, NC and through Tennessee. The Big Sky didn't offer a problem for the F350 in the mountains. Although the F250 did the job, there was a real improvement with the F350.

Fordzilla · 11-01-2007, 02:37 PM

I have often second guessed myself should I have went for the 4.30 rear end or not. The truck I fell in love with had the 4.10s and I was moving up from 3.73's so it was a big step up going to 4.10s. I can only imagine the diesel with 4.30's pulling would be. Maybe next truck!

richfaa · 11-01-2007, 03:30 PM

I did have the 4:30s in that V-10 and it did make a big difference....that thing could pull. More than one diesel driver that we had been running with on the road was very surprised to see that the truck was a V-10 when we would pull in to fuel.We had been running with a camper for about 100 miles one time and we both pulled in to fuel..The guy came running over and said..Hey you are pumping gas in there..he was shocked to see it really was a gas engine. Am now over the 100 hour mark on the Diesel engine and we are satisfied with the performance and MPG. Running the same interstates that we did with the V-10..not towing we are doing mid 16's to mid 17's MPG.. The V-10 never got better than mid 12's..towing the same roads the 6.4L is now averaging in the low 10's were the V-10 averaged in the low to mid 8's. That is NOT 5300 dollars better...but it IS better. The Diesel has the 4:10's..and this brute loaded for camping with all aboard weighs in at 9217lbs. One heavy truck...

simonsrf · 11-01-2007, 03:50 PM

[/quote]
How true. Next thing you will be saying is you can power from the Sun. g
[/quote]

You can't?

sreigle · 11-02-2007, 03:50 AM

My 1999 F350 V10 did a sweet job but it was screaming at high rpm climbing steeper hills and was laboring mightily to get over Vail Pass on I-70 in Colorado. My diesels pull those same hills with a much calmer demeanor, which I would think will be a good thing for longevity. And, to boot, at least in my case, my diesels get 40% better fuel mileage than did my V10. My V10 was strong but it sure was thirsty. I never got even close to the mileage Rich got with his. But, mine was a 1999, first year for the V10. I averaged 8.2 mpg towing and 11 mpg solo in town and 13 to 14 on the highway when I was feathering the throttle. With the diesel I'm averaging about 11.5 towing, 16 to 17 city solo and 18 to 21 highway solo, depending on speed, wind, and terrain. I guess this is one of those "your mileage may vary" situations.

On edit... my V10 had the 3.73 rear end.

ggranch · 11-02-2007, 05:07 AM

Glad to see all of the input guys. My life time mpg (9800 mi) is 9.7 with about 2000 of it towing the big SOB (dry wt. 10096, GVWR 14000, actual 11500). After I break the 12000 mark on the truck, I will do an in-depth check of the mpgs. It may be true that I would love a Cummings, Dura-Max, or Power-Stroke for pulling but I would have to do it by myself. DW gets nauseated at the first smell of diesel fuel. I have to be very careful when fueling my tractor. See ya'll on the road (Del Rio Tx in 4 weeks) Bob

richfaa · 11-02-2007, 05:24 AM

Bob..We were both the same way on the diesel smell..But the new stuff does not bother myself or Helen. It has a different and not unpleasant smell.

Steve we are approaching the same numbers as you on the 08 power stroke and I think these will be typical numbers with the new Diesels.(We are at 2600 miles) They are not bad considering what we are pulling.

ols1932 · 11-02-2007, 08:29 AM

This argument will go on forever--diesel engine trucks vs. gasoline engine trucks. It's all in what you want. My suggestion is if you don't have what you really want then you should go to the one you do want. As for me, I'll stay with my F-250 PowerStroke (Banks equipped) until it wears out. Pulling power is great on flat as well as hilly surfaces. MPG is highly satisfactory.

Orv

Orv

blarkman · 11-02-2007, 10:43 AM

The dodge owners manual said 10000 miles plus and u shoud see some improvement and I did go from around 9 to 12 and I did add a K&N air filter and now get about 13.7 mpg towing a 3000rk and running at 1700rpm seem like best speed around 63mph My last long trip was 6500 miles. So I don't think you will see much improvement till it breaks in
bob

richfaa · 11-02-2007, 11:46 AM

It is just fun discussing it. There is really no comparison between the two engines..they are entirely different motors.Hardly anything about them is the same.Burn different fuels, burn it in a different manner, One is turbo charged and the other is not. I get a kick out of those who will seriously compare them. My shinny new diesel will do the job I want it to do just as my V-10 did. Like ols1934 I will have this one till one of us wears out.

ggranch · 11-03-2007, 04:05 PM

Once again we got side tracked. The original message was about gearing not motor type. Thanks again for droping by with your in-put. Bob

MacDR50 · 11-04-2007, 04:30 AM

I checked my data and here are some of the figures. These are for a F350 CC LB DRW 4X2 auto transmission.
Tow Rating 6.8 gas 4.10 RAR = 14,500, with 4.30 RAR = 16,100 GCWR is 21,500 and 23,000 respectively.
Tow Rating 6.4 TD 4.10 RAR = 15,700, with 4.30 RAR = 18,200 GCWR is 23,500 and 26,000 respectively. These are taken from the Ford Ca site and I took every precaution to transcribe them accurately but no guarantees. You can download the spec booklet for all the 08's. If I buy a Ford it will be the 6.4 4.30 version above. This keeps me comfortably within all the weight ratings except GCWR if I literally add both the trailer and TV GVWR (15,325+13,000=28,325). I would have to go to a F450 to meet that type of GCWR. I don't expect and won't allow myself to load both truck and trailer beyond a combined weight of more than 26,000. Since the truck has a payload capacity of 5,290 and the trailer Pin weight should be around 3,000 I shouldn't have any problems splitting the weight savings between the two units.

Like a few have said, I expect truck will easily outlast me.

richfaa · 11-07-2007, 03:18 AM

Went to my Ford Dealer for the first time since we purchased the shinny new 08 6.4L. Had a chat with my salesperson. I had said that my 05 V-10 lasted 12 days on the lot... I lied...it lasted 10 days. The person who purchased it said he had been looking for months for just such a truck and was delighted that it was already prepped for a 5Th wheel hitch. He traded in a 03 6.0L Ford 250 which the dealership sent off to auction. The 6.4L is also a very good truck.

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