How loud is diesel in Ford van?

[photographix]

Now you guys are making me think my 6.0 is the oddball here. I swear I've been next to older Ford PSD pickups at stoplights with my windows down and I can't hear their engine over mine.

I'm pretty sure my doghouse is down tight. I also run Diesel Kleen and OptiLube Summer. Sound-deadening the doghouse is on the To Do list.

But outside the van, when we leave a campground before dawn, I'm sure all the neighbors would like to strangle us.

[BajaSportsmobile]

Originally Posted by photographix

But outside the van, when we leave a campground before dawn, I'm sure all the neighbors would like to strangle us.

It is the exterior noise that is of more concern to me - wanting to escape to the peace and quiet of nature in a diesel is an oxymoron of sorts.

[scummy]

I can hear my turbo more than anything else on my 6.0.

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by BajaSportsmobile

It is the exterior noise that is of more concern to me - wanting to escape to the peace and quiet of nature in a diesel is an oxymoron of sorts.

Sorry, but what a load of crap

Like a Ford V-10 gasser purrs like an electric motor. Give it a break guys. Face the facts. The van is a means to an end. It doesn't matter what the drivetrain is. If you want the peace and quite of nature park the dang thing and get out and go hiking. Experiencing it from the inside of your $100,000 rig is an oxymoron of sorts

[Pntyrmvr]

Wow oxymoron twice in one topic. This is getting serious.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

[ShuttlePilot]

I installed the Quiet Ride kit on the doghouse/cover per 86Scotty experience found in this thread http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...-3l-15332.html

I will agree with 86Scotty that the Quiet Ride is a viable solution. Now my 6.0 is pretty quiet in the cockpit. I've gotten used to it because now when I don't want to hear the engine I roll the window up. I also have noticed that the volume I used to listen to the stereo at seems too loud now.

As for the outside noise it seems like any other diesel. So far I have never had anyone come up to me and say, "too loud, your van sucks". However I have heard folks complain about the highly modified pickups being to loud and rolling coal. Perhaps a discussion for a different forum.
Fortunately there are choices in motors and vans to best fit whats important to you.

-Eric

[REDOVAL]

Not to derail this thread, but for reference the V10 is very quiet until you want to make power and the RPM rises accordingly. I would argue it sounds like it's trying to escape; it can be quite loud at that point. The power is definitely there, but it works pretty hard to make it that high in the RPM curve (305hp@4250rpm).

Scott

[daveb]

Mine (6.0) is fairly noisy. I don't know the difference between a 7.3 pickup and a van with a 6.0, but it sure seems like the pickups are a bit more quiet when comparing the 7.3 or the 6.0 PSD's. What made my engine noisy was the cold air box/air filter design and the new turbo.
Lastly nobody has mentioned the 6.0's fan. I drove a 3 axle class A International several years back and was surprised how friggin noisy the fan was when it engaged. The day I picked up my van from Fresno I headed home and about 20 miles down the highway I quickly learned my van sounded like my work truck...not thrilled about that.

[WhitH]

I also put the Quite Ride kit in my 6.0 a couple of years ago and it was well worth the time and money. While my van is nowhere near Lexus-like, there are no problems holding conversations, listening to music, kids watching a movie, etc. At freeway speeds the wind is much more of an issue than the engine. I also agree that having the doghouse properly sealed matters, a LOT, and that the engine is also much louder until it warms up. Like Scummy mentioned, I actually hear the turbo more than anything once its warm.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by daveb

Lastly nobody has mentioned the 6.0's fan. I drove a 3 axle class A International several years back and was surprised how friggin noisy the fan was when it engaged. The day I picked up my van from Fresno I headed home and about 20 miles down the highway I quickly learned my van sounded like my work truck...not thrilled about that.

Some may remember that I had the pleasure of riding about 60 miles across the desert last summer on a AAA rollback (with my ecstatic wife and my SMB on the back). It was an F550 with a Cummins, the driver was very quick to inform me about a minute after he scooped me up. Anyway, the fan in that thing kicked in full speed almost constantly and was REALLY loud! I drive tractor-trailers at work and they are no where near that loud. I could barely hear the diesel but the fan sounded like being in a tornado. This is really irrelevant to the conversation except to say there are a lot of different aspects of a 'loud' vehicle to consider and everything is relative to personal taste. Idle, highway cruising, exhaust drone, wind noise, fan noise, etc. My 460 gasser is pretty loud only under load but as soon as you come off the power it is as quiet as a kitten.