5.4?

[PDXDave]

I've been looking mostly at diesels, specifically bulletproofed 6.0's, but found an awfully nice 5.4 truck in my area.
For those of you with the 5.4, is it enough?
The o e I'm looking at is an Rb51 with 146k chassis miles and 25k on a dealer installed crate motor.

Thoughts?

[Twoxentrix]

Van weight, Tire size, and gearing play into that equation - also is it an RB or EB, and are your plans (after seeing what you’re getting) to make any modifications to the Van (larger tires, adding to any current buildout that may increase weight, or planning on Towing?
Be helpful if you could answer those questions.
Many people have no issue with the 5.4, but may find yourself in the right lane on mountainous areas.

[PDXDave]

It's a an RB51 and I'm waiting to hear back on axle ratios and tire size.
They look like a 35", but I'm not sure yet.

We're currently traveling in a 96 Landcruiser and pulling a 2000 pound teardrop, so I'm no stranger to the right lane over the passes...

[1der]

Well, here are my experiences over the years:

2003 EB v10 4x4 3.73 on 31's mild build out (sold)
2002 EB 7.3 4x4 3.73 on 33's w Hydra Tune / Full build out
2006 EB v10 2wd 4.10 on 29's - EB50 layout (for sale soon)
2014 RB 5.4 4x4 3.73 on 33's mild build out currently

Had a 2wd 6.0 /4.10's / 29's a short while. Impressive power and response. Not long enough to comment on.

No towing to speak of on any of the rigs. All mpg's are gps adjusted true miles traveled. Most at avg speed closer to 62 to 66 mph.

The v10 is silky smooth, lots of power. mpg in the 12 to 13 range, best 14.9, worst towing is in the 9's and 10's.

The 7.3 is nice w a Hydra, lots of torque toss up on gearing between 3,73 and 4.10's for our usage. mpg in the 13 to 15 range, best high 17's, worst is in the 11's/12's.

The new to us 5.4 surprised me on the loaded trip from PDX to SFO with its willingness to move the van along. Smooth downshifts and happy moving up in rpm's. Never felt strained. I have not tried steep high elevation passes yet, so perhaps that is going reveal its lack of cubic inches. mpg in the 13 range, best 14 not enough usage to know worst yet.

I would bump the 5.4 to 4.10's if going to 35's. Might consider a Five Star tune in the future just to see what it does.

All of the rigs would benefit from a gearing change if consistently towing a 4 to 5k trailer.

Certainly, my expectation was going to be disappointment in the 5.4. It was anything but that, although I thought the mpg would be a bit higher.

I think you just have to drive it and see how it feels to you. Get some climbs in and see if it meets your expectations/ needs.

[blair]

Great info posted.
I run real heavy, and have only owned E350 w/7.3 and C3500 w/6.0.
Wish you the best of luck.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by PDXDave

For those of you with the 5.4, is it enough?
The o e I'm looking at is an Rb51 with 146k chassis miles and 25k on a dealer installed crate motor.

Thoughts?

New motor is good, the fact that it's an RB helps. Is it 4wd? As stated above you'll feel the lack of power more with weight, bigger tires and something not mentioned yet, frontal area/wind resistance. Is it a high top, SMB pop top or otherwise? Big racks with lights are known mileage killers as well.

I've had several 5.4's and V10's, no diesels. The 5.4 will get almost the same mileage as a V10 if it fits any of the criteria above (tall roof, rack, big tires/lift). The only 5.4's that get in the 15 range are lightly loaded, aerodynamic 2wd's.

You can do a LOT for a 5.4l with gearing and a 5-star tune. Night and day difference IMO.

I would not shy away from a clean 5.4l van with a fresh engine if it meets all your other criteria.

[dhally]

We have an RB with high top, 5.4, and 4.11 rear end. Stock driveline and suspension.

We tow 1500 lb sometimes.

We've never had to slow down for lack of power, including the Rockies, although we use 2nd gear and high rpms on the steepest parts. I do slow down because of handling and fuel use. Usually do 68 mph on freeways, but can cruise at 80 if in a hurry.

We get 14+ mpg, 13+ when towing.

We had a motorhome with the v10 and that would be my choice if we had 4x4 or were towing more.

Overall, ours is perfect for Oregon and Washington, but not so perfect on i80 in Wyoming where the trucks are racing over 80 mph.

[carringb]

The 5.4L has slightly more HP than a stock 6.0 PSD. And a complete reman motor barely costs more than a set of Powertroke injectors. And the 5.4L is infinitely less likely to need a tow out of the middle of nowhere. In the unlikely event something does go wrong, you can most likely still limp a Triton home.

[BrianW]

I’ve had two SMB e-vans (98, 2011) with the 5.4. Both were EB pop-top 2wd with 3.73 gears and the 245/16 stock tire size (AT tires). Usually travel with three adults and are out for 2-4 weeks with a full load of stuff, including bikes on the back, etc. I tracked MPGs on two of our cross country trips (6-8,000 miles each) and consistently averaged 14.7mpg with a combo of fast highway driving (70mph), small roads, dirt roads, the occasional mountain pass, etc. Never had any issues with pulling up a pass even out west. I like the engine!

[PDXDave]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm going to go drive it and see how she feels.
This one IS a 4x4 with a low pop top and no huge racks.
We won't be towing at all, and the load out is just my wife and I, plus two 45 pound dogs.