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.

 

[Plati]

Off topic slightly or probably but is there a tradeoff between hp & torque? In other words does a given hp translate directly into a corresponding torque number or is increased torque done at the sacrifice of accelleration? Don't even know if I said that right. I was thinking these big tank not huge hp beasts need torque to get moving and haul so they use up hp to get that. And, more hp means faster acceleration but more torque doesn't. Was thinking that's done by gearing, sort of analogous to using leverage to lift something with a given weight.

Back more on topic, I really feel like my 2014 5.4 EL has a lot more get up and go than my 2003 5.4 XLT. I'm driving down in FL this month and I find myself needing more aggressive acceleration just to keep from getting run off the road by the drivers down here.

 

[Trainmaster]

Used a 2000 as a first responder for six years. I thought it was pretty quick for a heavy truck. Kicked ass, actually. I mean, it's a truck, and I carried 800 lbs of metal in it too.

 

[Flexpedition]

Crouch down with the drivers door open and look up under the dash. Push the gas pedal by hand. You'll see how it pivots to pulls a cable. Now with your fingers, pull on that cable end to see if there is much slack. Like ExplorerTom eluded to, chances are good that cable is stretched. Its a common mod to install a couple zip ties between that cable end and the pedal assembly. You'll notice an immediate improvement in acceleration.

Random google images to give you a before and after idea:


Looks like this guy was able to install about 4 small nylon zip ties:

 

[johnboneske]

You answered your question when you asked it... You said the 1st gens are slow compared to your wife 16 Explorer and a new big horn Dodge. Go to a car lot and drive a 2000 Explorer V6, see how peppy it feels? Newer engines flow and breathe better, they perform better, have more HP per pound of vehicle, etc. Technology isn't always awesome, but it is in this case!

 

[1955moose]

Well Machete, couple of corrections. 1, I have exact same year, same engine, same 4x4 SUV. Last time I checked my Eddie Bauer is not a pushrod engine, but a single overhead cam engine with 16 valves, 2 per cylinder. It produces 260 hp off the crank, in reality around 205-210 to the rear tires. Not a lot to propel a 5800 pound vehicle. Second the newer 24 valve, or 3 per cylinder, started in 05 for Expeditions, 04 for F150, are still single overhead cam engines. The horsepower got bumped to 300, due in part to the better breathing heads, and variable valve timing. The Lincoln engine in the Early Navigators used a dual overhead cam engine rated at 300 hp. Lincoln switched over to the same 300 hp single cam motor as Expedition in 2005. Actually 2005 they still offered both engines. 2006 was the switch to the 300 hp sohc Expedition engine. 2009 Ford bumped hp to 310. The 96 Bronco was the last year full sized SUV from Ford that used the pushrod motor. They offered the 5.0/302 or 5.8/351 engine. They actually we're very tried and true motors. I've owned 5 302 engines, 3 mustangs, 2 Lincoln's, all were bulletproof.

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[ExplorerTom]

I came from a 4 cylinder Saturn VUE. That’s slow.

 

[Machete]

My original question was “why”.

The most defining aspect of a pushrod engine is the fact that it uses a pushrod to actuate the valves. It is also commonly referred to as an overhead valve engine. The block houses both the crank and one camshaft, with the camshaft sitting above the crank. Connected directly to the crank via a chain, the camshaft rotates at half the rate of the crank.

 

[Machete]

https://www.wardsauto.com/news-analysis/ford-54l-sohc-triton-v-8

I stand corrected. The 5.4 Triton was designed intentionally by Ford engineers to be a low end torque machine to appeal to conventional truck crowd.

Good article.

My original question is answered. Thanks to all as this was very educational and I feel better about my truck.

It’s slow by design.

 

[1955moose]

There you go, that says it all. Expeditions in life are supposed to take time, who wants to rush it!

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[JExpedition07]

Back more on topic, I really feel like my 2014 5.4 EL has a lot more get up and go than my 2003 5.4 XLT. I'm driving down in FL this month and I find myself needing more aggressive acceleration just to keep from getting run off the road by the drivers down here.

Well your going from a 5.4 2V/ 4 speed to a 5.4 3V/ 6 speed. Even with the extra weight of the EL I’d think it’s quicker...