Powertrain Regrets?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 316
Likes: 29
Powertrain Regrets?
Ok so I've seen a couple threads on gear ratios powertrains and plenty of 3.5 vs 5.0 threads. This is not meant to become another discussion about what engine is better but just a place to share your experiences to help others in future buying decisions.
That being said let me start this off. I love my truck the 6-7 months I've owned its been great minus the hiccup I had when installing the Fox shocks. Now that that's been all worked out I've come to a few conclusions after 6000+ miles. I love everything about my truck except for my decision to get the 5.0 over the EB. Ever since I put 34" heavier tires all of what was left of my low end torque is gone. I got 3.73 gears specifically because I knew I wanted bigger tires and I read and heard some horror stories about the EB engines from past owners I talked to so that's why I stayed away from the EB. Now that I've driven it for some time I love the top end giddy up the 5.0 has above 3-4k rpm but I just hate always having to rev for it.
Even with the horror stories I've heard firsthand i know now with 100% certainty I should have just taken the risk. I bought a nicer truck hoping to hold onto it for awhile but now I'm not so sure that'll end up happening. The best way I can describe is that the truck either likes to accelerate at 2k rpms slowly or I push on it harder till it drops down a gear and wham it downshifts. It gets kind of annoying having to do one or the other with no in between. I like driving it better in sport mode I just don't like having to switch back and forth from regular to sport mode as it never seems to shift into 6th gear unless your above 65mph and I don't like driving 55 mph in 5th gear all the time.
The risk reward doesn't seem to be there when it comes to tuning the 5.0 as the gains aren't anywhere near what the EB can churn out with a tune.
My question for others out there is that do you regret any of your decisions having owned your truck for awhile?
That being said let me start this off. I love my truck the 6-7 months I've owned its been great minus the hiccup I had when installing the Fox shocks. Now that that's been all worked out I've come to a few conclusions after 6000+ miles. I love everything about my truck except for my decision to get the 5.0 over the EB. Ever since I put 34" heavier tires all of what was left of my low end torque is gone. I got 3.73 gears specifically because I knew I wanted bigger tires and I read and heard some horror stories about the EB engines from past owners I talked to so that's why I stayed away from the EB. Now that I've driven it for some time I love the top end giddy up the 5.0 has above 3-4k rpm but I just hate always having to rev for it.
Even with the horror stories I've heard firsthand i know now with 100% certainty I should have just taken the risk. I bought a nicer truck hoping to hold onto it for awhile but now I'm not so sure that'll end up happening. The best way I can describe is that the truck either likes to accelerate at 2k rpms slowly or I push on it harder till it drops down a gear and wham it downshifts. It gets kind of annoying having to do one or the other with no in between. I like driving it better in sport mode I just don't like having to switch back and forth from regular to sport mode as it never seems to shift into 6th gear unless your above 65mph and I don't like driving 55 mph in 5th gear all the time.
The risk reward doesn't seem to be there when it comes to tuning the 5.0 as the gains aren't anywhere near what the EB can churn out with a tune.
My question for others out there is that do you regret any of your decisions having owned your truck for awhile?
Worst hairday ever...
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 283
From: SE Wisconsin
Drive what you like and like what you drive.
I would say my only "powertrain regret" was I would have liked the 3.73 gears over the 3.55 with the 2.7L EB, that would be fun. Months of browsing I saw very few 2.7LEB with the 3.73, and none with the sport and FX4 with 3.73. I didn't want to order.
Besides that, I'm pretty damn happy with my truck.
If it really bothers you that much, consider a slight financial hit and get what you really want. It's only $$$
I would say my only "powertrain regret" was I would have liked the 3.73 gears over the 3.55 with the 2.7L EB, that would be fun. Months of browsing I saw very few 2.7LEB with the 3.73, and none with the sport and FX4 with 3.73. I didn't want to order.
Besides that, I'm pretty damn happy with my truck.
If it really bothers you that much, consider a slight financial hit and get what you really want. It's only $$$
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,733
Likes: 627
From: Winfield, IN
Driving in sport mode or tow haul mode acts like a makeshift tune. Your truck should hold gears longer (you have more time to step on it without having to downshift 2 or 3 gears) and it will have a more aggressive downshifting strategy. A tune may not net you huge peak gains but it will help greatly with drivability. Shift firmness, holding gears longer, etc. It sounds like you would be a good candidate for a tune to recoop some of your lost power with the big tires.
Some other viable options would be to regear to 4:56s or add a supercharger. Both would be a lot cheaper than the depreciation hit you would take on tr are in. Whenever I get bored with my truck, I try to add more mods to tie me over.
I do have some regrets about my truck. I wish I would've gotten a Lariat instead of the XLT that I have. I also wish I would've sprung for 4wd, although it was $3800 more for 4wd when I bought my truck and I bought what I could afford at that time.
Some other viable options would be to regear to 4:56s or add a supercharger. Both would be a lot cheaper than the depreciation hit you would take on tr are in. Whenever I get bored with my truck, I try to add more mods to tie me over.
I do have some regrets about my truck. I wish I would've gotten a Lariat instead of the XLT that I have. I also wish I would've sprung for 4wd, although it was $3800 more for 4wd when I bought my truck and I bought what I could afford at that time.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 750
Likes: 209
Powertrain Regrets?
For the same reason I never regretted buying my 2013 Mustang GT over a Honda Civic fourbanger or even the Mustang EB. It's a lot more than a simple engine choice or wheels/tires package, or even hard performance specs.
The vehicle I own must have the overall feeling for me. It means an "idea" sort of thing.
Maybe I'm older now and I'm no longer into maximum performance and extreme modifications where I dump tens of thousands of dollars into a single vehicle to upgrade turbos and build out the bottom end. I honestly probably would prefer a bigger displacement V8 than the 5.0 but to me a half ton pickup needs a V8 in its cavernous behemoth of an engine bay.
I popped open the Ecoboost 3.5 and saw that puny engine and it just didn't sit right with me. It looked almost like a 4 cylinder in the huge bay. I know that it'll bug the shiiite out of me driving it because there's a sense of pleasure I get from knowing that I have a V8 in a big truck.
As for low end torque I've yet to come across a hill or rocky climb that my truck couldn't make it if the front cleared it. I pop it in 4L and lock the rear diff and up she goes. It's not even tuned and is running 33" trail grapplers with 3.55 gears.
I fawking love this truck. Even more than Mia my Mustang lol. That is until I fire up Mia and hear the exhaust and feel the rumble and dump the clutch at the light...
Damn Ford sons of beeches. Between the Mustang and the F150 they're costing me over $100,000 all said and done on vehicles not including the mods of them. Shiiit I........ must stop.... this love of automotive of mine
The vehicle I own must have the overall feeling for me. It means an "idea" sort of thing.
Maybe I'm older now and I'm no longer into maximum performance and extreme modifications where I dump tens of thousands of dollars into a single vehicle to upgrade turbos and build out the bottom end. I honestly probably would prefer a bigger displacement V8 than the 5.0 but to me a half ton pickup needs a V8 in its cavernous behemoth of an engine bay.
I popped open the Ecoboost 3.5 and saw that puny engine and it just didn't sit right with me. It looked almost like a 4 cylinder in the huge bay. I know that it'll bug the shiiite out of me driving it because there's a sense of pleasure I get from knowing that I have a V8 in a big truck.
As for low end torque I've yet to come across a hill or rocky climb that my truck couldn't make it if the front cleared it. I pop it in 4L and lock the rear diff and up she goes. It's not even tuned and is running 33" trail grapplers with 3.55 gears.
I fawking love this truck. Even more than Mia my Mustang lol. That is until I fire up Mia and hear the exhaust and feel the rumble and dump the clutch at the light...
Damn Ford sons of beeches. Between the Mustang and the F150 they're costing me over $100,000 all said and done on vehicles not including the mods of them. Shiiit I........ must stop.... this love of automotive of mine
Last edited by DallasTXF150; Nov 5, 2015 at 08:04 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 552
Likes: 109
From: Central Indiana
Ok so I've seen a couple threads on gear ratios powertrains and plenty of 3.5 vs 5.0 threads. This is not meant to become another discussion about what engine is better but just a place to share your experiences to help others in future buying decisions.
That being said let me start this off. I love my truck the 6-7 months I've owned its been great minus the hiccup I had when installing the Fox shocks. Now that that's been all worked out I've come to a few conclusions after 6000+ miles. I love everything about my truck except for my decision to get the 5.0 over the EB. Ever since I put 34" heavier tires all of what was left of my low end torque is gone. I got 3.73 gears specifically because I knew I wanted bigger tires and I read and heard some horror stories about the EB engines from past owners I talked to so that's why I stayed away from the EB. Now that I've driven it for some time I love the top end giddy up the 5.0 has above 3-4k rpm but I just hate always having to rev for it.
Even with the horror stories I've heard firsthand i know now with 100% certainty I should have just taken the risk. I bought a nicer truck hoping to hold onto it for awhile but now I'm not so sure that'll end up happening. The best way I can describe is that the truck either likes to accelerate at 2k rpms slowly or I push on it harder till it drops down a gear and wham it downshifts. It gets kind of annoying having to do one or the other with no in between. I like driving it better in sport mode I just don't like having to switch back and forth from regular to sport mode as it never seems to shift into 6th gear unless your above 65mph and I don't like driving 55 mph in 5th gear all the time.
The risk reward doesn't seem to be there when it comes to tuning the 5.0 as the gains aren't anywhere near what the EB can churn out with a tune.
My question for others out there is that do you regret any of your decisions having owned your truck for awhile?
That being said let me start this off. I love my truck the 6-7 months I've owned its been great minus the hiccup I had when installing the Fox shocks. Now that that's been all worked out I've come to a few conclusions after 6000+ miles. I love everything about my truck except for my decision to get the 5.0 over the EB. Ever since I put 34" heavier tires all of what was left of my low end torque is gone. I got 3.73 gears specifically because I knew I wanted bigger tires and I read and heard some horror stories about the EB engines from past owners I talked to so that's why I stayed away from the EB. Now that I've driven it for some time I love the top end giddy up the 5.0 has above 3-4k rpm but I just hate always having to rev for it.
Even with the horror stories I've heard firsthand i know now with 100% certainty I should have just taken the risk. I bought a nicer truck hoping to hold onto it for awhile but now I'm not so sure that'll end up happening. The best way I can describe is that the truck either likes to accelerate at 2k rpms slowly or I push on it harder till it drops down a gear and wham it downshifts. It gets kind of annoying having to do one or the other with no in between. I like driving it better in sport mode I just don't like having to switch back and forth from regular to sport mode as it never seems to shift into 6th gear unless your above 65mph and I don't like driving 55 mph in 5th gear all the time.
The risk reward doesn't seem to be there when it comes to tuning the 5.0 as the gains aren't anywhere near what the EB can churn out with a tune.
My question for others out there is that do you regret any of your decisions having owned your truck for awhile?
I do feel the same as you with acceleration performance, except, I thought the 3.73 gears would have solved it for me as I have 3.31.
Now I'm thinking the answer is a tune, like from Livernois. It specifically addresses the throttle lag and low power at low RPM. It will never approach the hole shot of a tuned Eco boost, but it will help it feel like it can get out of its own way.
I'm glad you wrote this so I didn't waste my money on a gear upgrade.
Trending Topics
5 Year Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 561
Likes: 163
From: Maine
My only choice was the 5.0 because I needed the plow prep package, but I'm very happy with it. I have the stock 18" rims and tires with the 3.55 gear ratio. I never tried an ecoboost because I didn't want to fall in love with it and then not be able to get it. Besides, the 5.0 sounds great!
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,090
Likes: 263
From: Maine
No regrets. I sort of wanted the 5.0, but Ford wasn't and hasn't built 5.0 RCSB. I figured if I ordered it, it would never get built. They ended up cancelling all the 5.0 RCSB last year. I did not want a turbo engine, I want to keep the truck a long time and I question the long term reliability. So I got the 3.5 base engine. It's fine, totally adequate, not slow.
