Marlin Mike

Hi everyone. My 91 F150 4x4 4 speed 6 cyl gave up the ghost so I have to buy a 17. I need some advice as to which engine to get. 3.5 6 cyl (non ecoboost) or 5.0. I am pulling a medium size camper 4700 lbs. My 91 300 6 had 455,000 miles on it when it blew the engine. As such I am looking for longevity in the engine department. I am leaning towards the 3.5 6 cyl. But with these new fangled engines I'm not sure which way to go. Is the 3.5 enough horsepower and torque to pull my camper at a reasonable speed? Say not over 60mph. Thanks for any info in advance.

Jethro1972

That inline 6 you had was a beast! I would (and did) go with the V8 out of those two options. I do not pull anything bigget than a utility trailer so as far as being able to pull, I will leave that to someone else.
I have to admit, I only shopped for the V8. I knew I would want to hear the rumble! I have not had even a car without a v8 in years.

flamehead16

the 5.0 has been proven time after time to be a great engine.

CBFord

That 300 is hard to replace, I had a 14 5.0 and put 200k hard miles. Idk if I can live up to the 300 but it's probably your best option. My guess is you are going to run it stock, run amsoil they don't make them like they used to.

jd50i

Since you keep a vehicle for a long time like I do, go with the 5.0.

JLTD

Towing lots? V8.

LoneWolfTrucker

Interesting word choice. My wife would be all over me if I said it that way.

BadAV

Totally disagree with this statement. The 3.5 ecoboost blows the 5.0 away for towing.

Today's engines have a lot more power than your 91 300 straight 6 had. They are also much more complicated so in my opinion they will not have the long term reliability (years, not necessarily miles) of your old setup. Any of the engine choices - regular V6, 2.7 eco, 3.5 eco, or 5.0 V8 will pull 4500 lbs without too much trouble.

My suggestion is to hook you trailer up to each of the engine choices and go for a short spin, then decide which choice you like best. My bet is you will pick the 3.5 eco as best for towing.

tcp2

I had an 88 e250 van with a 300 I6. Other than the fibre timing gears(replaced with metal gears) it was totally solid. I would try all the engines and see which one puts a smile on your face. Life is too short. Any of them can be adequate for your need, but which one is also enjoyable.

5.0 Probie

For you, I would go with the 5.0 because the Eco is not one of your choices. But...

We have owned a 2016 XLT with the 5.0 and we now own a 2018 Lariat with the 3.5 Eco.

Originally I tested the 5.0 and the 3.5 Eco before we purchased the 5.0. Our testing was an 8500 pound TT and we drove about 375 miles on a loop up to and around Mnt. Rainier. We did the test on two different days. In my real world testing I was able to get about 2 miles per gallon more out of the 5.0 than I did the 3.5 Eco.

TO me it came down to the 3.5 Eco felt more labored and need more "Right pedal" to go up the hills and maintain speed than the 5.0 did at the time.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when we traded it in for the 2018 (Our 2016 was a lease BTW, the 2018 we purchased).

To be brutally honest. We instantly fell in love with the new F150 front end and the new Magma color. When it came to the engines...

We all know that Torque is king. And the 10 Speed trans should help keep the 3.5 Eco in its best power band (Compared to the six speed).

That is why we chose the 3.5 Eco. The engine feels slightly snappier than the 5.0 it is replacing. And we absolutely love the consistent power that the 10 speed is helping the 3.5 Eco get to the ground.

No, we have not towed with this one yet... We will in two weeks.

Yes I miss the sound of the V8.

However, this truck is quickly becoming our all time favorite. Time will tell on longevity...

Good luck with your choice!