What are 1st gen 5.4 tritons so slow?

[Machete]

These are 330 ci blocks. They’re not small V8’s. My truck runs perfectly. It’s reliable and has been garage kept its entire life. Tuning is as perfect as you can get. It doesn’t burn oil and doesn’t smoke. It pulls my 3000lb boat easily and I installed a trailer brake system.

BUT it just feels slow. When I drive my wife’s 2016 Explorer w V6 normally aspirated engine it feels very quick and torquey. I recently drove a Dodge Ram Big Horn on a trip and that truck would blow the doors off my expy.

Now I see why so many people spend wads of money on mods. I don’t think it’s really wortthe cost for modest increases in power for this platform. But I don’t understand why these are such dogs.

I guess if it wasn’t such a dog it’d be the perfect truck!

 

[uscgmac]

These are 330 ci blocks. They’re not small V8’s. My truck runs perfectly. It’s reliable and has been garage kept its entire life. Tuning is as perfect as you can get. It doesn’t burn oil and doesn’t smoke. It pulls my 3000lb boat easily and I installed a trailer brake system.

BUT it just feels slow. When I drive my wife’s 2016 Explorer w V6 normally aspirated engine it feels very quick and torquey. I recently drove a Dodge Ram Big Horn on a trip and that truck would blow the doors off my expy.

Now I see why so many people spend wads of money on mods. I don’t think it’s really wortthe cost for modest increases in power for this platform. But I don’t understand why these are such dogs.

I guess if it wasn’t such a dog it’d be the perfect truck!

Step on the gas harder!

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[Machete]

Running these engines at the upper end of rpm range off starts isn’t really how they’re designed to be run though. Normal start offs the 5.4 feels slow. We all know this.

My question is why? What is it about this enginy design that restricts them or causes it to be slow performance wise?

 

[1955moose]

My 2000 is not slow. As I stated in earlier post, mine lacks big power on steep grades, but part of that is I'm still running original plugs with 102k showing. That and who knows one of my 4 cats isn't probably flowing 100 percent. But normal city driving, it feels fine for the 260 horses it's working with. I guess compared to an 18 year newer vehicle yeah its probably feels like an old 1940's sled. At my age, it's fast enough!

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[Habbibie]

Huh, I actually am thankful it's a slow pig... it keeps me out of trouble knowing how I drive.

 

[Idahokid]

Fords typically have low end torque and not much on the high end of the RPM range. I don’t consider mine a speed demon but it does well in other areas.Mine has 3.73 gears so that might have something to do with it.Runs like a top and happy.And it’s paid for.

 

[1955moose]

I think machete thinks it's supposed to run like a new Coyote Mustang. These trucks are good running for what they have to work with. My suggestion, have all 4 cats checked, you might have a blocked one. Doesn't take much to plug one up. And Habbibie we need to put you in something slower. I keep telling you, your running out of lives. Maybe an old VW vanagon for you. Knowing you, you'd get it up on two wheels in those Chicago snow drifts!

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[ExplorerTom]

What year do you have? In late '99 they started using PI (performance improved) cylinder heads which increased the power some.

Also- is your throttle opening all the way? That cable is known to stretch over time. You think you're hitting the gas all the way but instead you're only at 1/2 throttle. I know mine was significantly "woken up" after I took up the slack.

They certainly aren't race cars, but aren't slouches either.

 

[Machete]

My truck is a 2000 Eddie Bauer w 5.4 4x4.

It runs great I just wondered why they’re slow. What I mean by slow is acceleration from a stop light.

I didn’t realize these were only 260HP engines. That plus the weight prolly the reason these are slow.

I know these engines are dated and 2 valve/cylinder etc but I would have thought these would be a little more peppy.

I will look into both the catalytic converters and throttle cable but I just did a cat-back system and it was thoroughly inspected at the dealer couple weeks ago when I did the diffs and transfer case oil changes.

Interesting to research the 1/4 mile times compared to other similar trucks.

 

[Machete]

Did the research. Here’s why these old Tritons are “dogs” in acceleration and efficiency (aka performance).

These are old school 2 valve push rod engines. In order to make power in this design you need to have big cubic inches.

The newer engines use dohc and vvt which allows quicker time to redline and higher rev limits. This in addition to lighter weight materials is the reason for such superior performance over our old dogs.

Answered it myself. Had no intention on starting a “ ...don’t call my truck slow “ debate.