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Why did Ford detune the 5.0L in the F150 to support EB technology?


meyeste

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So the 5.0L is making 444hp / 380 ft-lbs torque in the BOSS, 420 HP, 390 ft-lbs torque in the GT, and a suspicous 360 HP / 380 ft-lbs torque in the F150. Now first of all the F150 spec engines' numbers are nothing to scoff at and I understand current owners are pretty happy with them, however being 5 HP down to the EB six is awfully convienent. Now I will own a 5.4L F150 4x4, I will say that by simply installing shorty headers and a cat back dual exhaust my truck has noticably more HP and will now average 15+ MPG HWY while running ~ 75 mph, prior to the update exceeding 70 while cruising on the highway meant 12 mpg. Therefore it seems to me a more cost efficient fuel saver would be a 5.0L engine with improved exhaust and DI. More or less the GT version of the 5.0L would do it, let the engines stand on their own vs. purposely handicapping the spectacular engineering Marvel that is the 5.0L (taking nothing away from the 3.5L EB).

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There is a reason for restricted air intake and exhaust.

 

What worked for you doesn't work for all.

 

After all, if a dual exhaust was the simple, no downside answer to a 3mpg gain, don't you think Ford, GM and Didge would have done this 15 years ago?

First, yes you make the same mods you'll get the same results. I did more the put on dual exhaust, also ford racing shorty headers. The downside to this setup is that because it'll rev up much quicker, it can get much worse mileage. I am sure cost is part of the answer, it's far cheaper to put on single exhaust and cast exhaust manifold. All the same it took an effort to drop sixty hp from the 5.0, especially considering the true output of the GT spec engine is over 430.

All I'm saying is the EB engine should stand on it's own, why hobble your V8 to make it look better?

Edited by meyeste
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The tune is different so that the engines longevity is intact while under heavy load. I think this is similar to the idea that you can retune a diesel, but can not tow as much when the power is cranked up on the diesel due to the EGT overtemping under load.

 

Yep, which is what I was referring to in my earlier post.

 

If torque numbers are similar at lower RPM, then the peak ratings really don't make a hill of beans difference in something like the F-150. You're not going to be operating it at the RPM those peaks are at anyway in most cases as you would be in something like the GT or Boss.

 

Precisely. Peak numbers don't mean much in a truck, it's the area under the curve that really matters.

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  • 1 month later...

The F-150 5.0L has a lower redline (7,000 > 6,000 rpm), lower compression (11.0:1 > 10.5:1) and shorter duration cams, and a different tune. Also consider the top horsepower and torque numbers for the Mustang mill are based on running premium fuel, not regular fuel as in the F-150. The Mustang's 5.0L is only rated at 377 ft-lbs on regular.

 

The lower redline explains the major drop in horsepower. The torque is not an issue when similar fuel grades are used, in fact its greater than in the Mustang. When you consider the lower compression it's easy to see that there are other things designed into F-150 5.0L that favour torque production.

 

In short, the F-150 5.0L is built for torque and is not giving up much on the Mustang 5.0L.

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In all honesty, this was a dumb topic I put out, I don't have an issue with the 5.0L in the F150. And I do know the cam is different, compression is lower, exhaust manifolds are used vs. headers, all of which makes for a better truck tune. I do see at least one other person finds the 360HP number being down 5 HP from the EB engine is convienent, perhaps a coincidence. What I do wonder is, if Ford didn't have a 3.5L EB, how do you think the 5.0L would have been tuned for the F150? Would they have made an effort to get it to at least match the 5.3L in MPG's, or would it have been tuned to complete with the 5.7L engines from RAM and Toyota? Ford typically ups the performance numbers of engines 2-3 three years after their initial release, I'm curious what 2014/2015 will bring for the coyote.

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The engine is made for a truck, that's why. If you look back at the 4.6L 2V's the Mustang made 260hp and the F150 was something like 225hp. I haven't seen the torque curves, but I would assume the F150 would have its curve skewed to the low to mid range. Horsepower is overrated in trucks. Torque is where it's at. That's why the EB kicks most V8's ass's.

 

Oops. Only the original post showed until I posted. Doh!

Edited by dbmstng
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  • 3 weeks later...

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