I'd like to see some conversation here, and this seems to be a good topic. With all the new stuff Dodge added last yr and GM will for next, anyone see Ford responding with more powerful trucks that get better fuel mileage with or without cylinder fire management?

Not sure myself, but I do think they'll be hurtin' if they don't at least add something to the 4.6L(like another set of heads w/ added valves) and 5.4L engines. The 4.6 is way behind where it should be and the 5.4L is 8 valves away from 350+hp without a supercharger(consider the 2000 Cobra R). At very least, they need a new Lightning or S/C'd H-D CC model.

I know they plan a new diesel SD for the '08 model. I just hope they aren't putting that engine so far ahead of everything else, they forget the bread-n-butter F-150.

 

im not really sure on the lightning. but from what i am seeing and hearing they arent doing anything.

 

I'd like to see'em do something with a larger bore diameter.
Even the "5.0 Cammer" is only 3.7" and, to me, that's just too small. And 3.66 is ridiculous.
Valve clearance isn't the only thing that matters! Gasoline combustion has a "perfect atmosphere" and 3.66" is not part of that equation.
I'm no a guru on this stuff. But, even I know they dropped the ball, performance wise, on this one.
I've seen and read and heard about "big power" from mod engines and that's just great. But, I can't help wondering how much better it would be with even a 4" bore.
However, we'll never know because the bore spacing of the mod engine is only 3.937!
Also, I'm not impressed with the 5.4's (1.598) rod ratio. The 4.6's (1.67) is better.
However, given ALL the technical information at the finger-tips of these engineers BEFORE the mod engines were designed, I can't understand what they were thinkin'!
Don't get me wrong; I know their main interest was emissions, but they could have done much better IMO!

 

Emissions rules suck for everyone in America, and the mod motors are like emission kings. That said, they really need to make some changes and I think the best thing they could do now is offer a 4 valve engine and drop the 2V entirely, going with a 3V as the base version. It already happened with the 5.4L and the Mustang version of the 4.6L so it should continue where these are used. That should also save money.

I also think they really need to implement better fuel management, which has been available for over a decade already and for no good reason, left unused with these mods.

The only thing they should do now is USE the technology they have. A good bump in power cannot hurt sales, no matter what the accountants have to say. I really doubt they'l be onboard with this until about '09, but they'll have no choice, given the competition.

 

they (Ford) are really dragging ***, Chevrolet has the SS, TBSS and SSR. Dodge boys have the "HEMI", Rumblebee, SRT-10, Daytonas, umm still have R/T Daks?? i dunno, anyways, Blue Oval boys are down to some slim pickings. I dont think the have the ability to tune like us (that i am aware of..) i really dont know SH#! about fords. i havent seen any cams or anything besides S/C or some sort of F.I. do mustang parts swap out?cams, heads, intake?

i guess i cant offer up any true "ideas" upon which they could improve. Seems i dont have enough knowledge on them in the first place

 

The Fords can be tuned quite a bit, with stock ECMs. But, tuning will only go so far.
Like I said before, IMO, the root of the problem is the damn engine.
I'll give credit to those who have made big power with them. But, I have no choice. I mean hey, I can't polish a turd and they can!
And yes, parts do swap ... The mod engines all have the same basic architecture. But, I wouldn't bother.
After-market cams are offered for the mod engines. If one wanted "PI" heads for an older version. One would have to swap H/C/I and headers to match.'The only after-market intake I've seen fits the "PI" heads only.
Anyway .... Well, it's still not what I would choose to make big hp.
I just can't uderstand why they didn't use ONE deck height (prefferably 9.5-9.6) AND a 4.125" bore (with something like a 4.5" bore spacing) on all of them. If they'd have done that, they'da had somethin'.
They're pretty good truck engines and the seem to last a long time.
I have a '97 Grand Marquis with over 225,000 miles on it and the valve covers have never been off. Oh, and they're crazy smooth.
Hell, these engines are everything I wouldn't want in my hot-rod! The ol' lady loves it, though. And I have a Dart block (4.125" bore) 347 option!

 

Ford needs to get back in the game gm has the 367hp 6.0 dodge the 345hp 5.7 and ford is shy of even the 5.3 wich has 16 valves instead of 24. I heard a rumor of a 350hp 6.2 but the would get kicked in the pants by the 400hp gm 6.2.

 

I'd actually like to see a 32V engine in the 1/2 ton. Even if it's the diesel! Ford could simply use the 2000 Cobra R engine in the F-series for a 385hp start. They probably should too, but it seems their best bet over time will be more cubes. Maybe a 7.0L would help. They could also drop the 462 or whatever hp V10 into the 150 if they really wanted, and it would make sense to a degree, but I still wouldn't buy one.

I guess they'll need to cast a new block with more end to end distance and maybe less top to bottom, but nothing that would ruin the deck height. Seems the mod engine is excellent really, but they're not making enough power sans supercharger as compared to the larger displacement, more conventional engines.

Dodge has multiple models, as mentioned above, but the Hemi is available in all but the SRT10, and that means the others are all about distinctive looks. I think the Hemi is also avail. in the Dak, but I don't recall an R/T for a few yrs now, since the 360 left. Even that would be a change for Ford and that's what I'm wondering.... when will they change something again?

 

I hope, for Ford's sake, it doesn't take as long as this (mod) took! My guess is, we won't see a mod replacement until around 2012. Of course, that's just a guess.
I haven't seen the 3 valve 5.4, but it seems like folks are happy with it.
From the dyno numbers I've seen from the Hemis, I don't think Ford should us that as a mile stone.
It's been a while, but I seem to recall very low rwhp #s from the hemis with autos (like 26x). Someone dynoed a 3 valve that made more (I wanna say 28x rwhp). But, I can't remember who it was, so I can't prove it.
Still, the platform, while proven to be a good one, is not conducive of "big power", easilly.

 

not to wander off the Ford trail too far... Hemi HP aint bad. they lose ALOT thru D/T, especially the transmission. if i am not mistaken, which i most likely am... the Smaller dodge trucks 1/2ton and whatnot use the 46RE. i THINK. anyways, the loss they see from the trans is like 25% so i have been told. 60E/65E is like what... 17.5%? so -25% from 345, and you get something similiar to 86-87 HP gone. 260 hp aint **** in one of those fat-*** trucks. no offense.