Social distancing

"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
03/19/2020 at 20:52 • Filed to: None

Because some idiot forgot to take some site pictures after the installation of a new weather station in the flood warning system a couple of days ago(which would make the federal grant administrators who funded this unhappy), that idiot drove back out to the site to take a few pictures. It was also a good way to put miles between me and any other person for awhile today.

Most of my sites use omni-directional vhf antennas, but this one is over fifty miles out from the nearest repeater so it takes a directional antenna to make the radio magic happen with our five-watt transmitter radios. We’re one of those Western counties that is bigger than a couple of states back East combined. This site should be fantastic for us, as many summer thunderstorms roll through this area before eventually getting to the populated areas along the river valley. It will be nice to get an idea of how much watter is coming before it shows up.

There be cows here.

My work truck hit a milestone on the way out. I’ve actually put over 1/3 of the miles on this 2016 in the last four months. It would be safe to say there had been a lot of deferred maintenance in the system over the last couple of years.

Yes, it has the wrong the motor in it. The 5.0 V8 makes wonderful sounds on full throttle on-ramp runs, but it get truly shitty gas mileage for a modern truck. It’s also slower than a comparable ecoboost motor, as all the horsepower magic really only happens above 4k. Anyone who bought a 2015+ F-150 with the V8 bought the wrong motor. The 2.7 ecoboost in my now former personal 2017 F-150 was a vastly better motor under all circumstances. The naturally aspirated V6 ain’t an option in this application, as I’ve got to be able to tow.

In general, current events haven’t had too much impact on my job. The flood commission still has to function, so we’ll make it work. I moved into my new office in our off-site shop building, which was going to happen in a month or two anyway. I just got my new digs earlier out of this. I like literally having a building to myself, and all the toys are here anyway. My work truck gets to live inside now, too. If it comes to it, I can also work from home. The software side of the flood warning system can be run from anywhere with an internet connection. In such a scenario, I’d probably take my work truck home to have a supply of tools and spare parts on hand without having to go into a building in the event something went down out in the field. For other folks in the commission, some are working from home, and some are working rotating schedules to not have more than one person in any area of the main office at a time. I’m happily doing my own thing in my own building.

DISCUSSION (5)

Discerning > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
03/19/2020 at 21:16

“Anyone who bought a 2015+ F-150 with the V8 bought the wrong motor”

I 100% disagree with this statement. But to each their own.

Both great engines with great stock and tuned potential. Different feeling in each.

Shame ford won’t offer the ecoboost with port and direct injection. That, the inability to run e85, and the lower towing capacity of the 2.7 were the biggest deal breakers for us.

That and the V8 felt quicker

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Discerning
03/19/2020 at 21:36

The problem is the 5.0 makes power up high, which you rarely use in a truck. My personal F-150 with the 2.7 got 21-22mpg in the same mixed driving this truck gets about 14mpg doing. When it comes to towing, the 5.0 is way slower (again, power only where you don’t need it up high). My 2.7 got about the same mileage towing 7000lbs of boat and trailer as this truck gets not towing anything. When I put even only a few thousand pounds of utility trailer and side by side behind the work truck, fuel economy drops into the single digits. It does make glorious noises, though.

Discerning > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
03/19/2020 at 21:47

Do you have a pre-2018 V8?

I have a 2018 V8 and the tow rating is higher than the 2.7l. It has no trouble towing a 9k lbs trailer at a 75 mph cruise.

It also gets about 17mpg running e85, so I assume 87 octane would be better. It even averaged 12 mpg towing with e85 at a 70mph cruise in the georgia hills.

The V8 makes plenty of torque on e85. Thanks in part to the high compression ratio and DI. It’s not as much as the 2.7, but its plenty for towing. It’s at 300 torque at the wheels as early as 2500 rpms on 87 octane. That’s plenty.

I don’t think you can even option the 2.7 to tow over 9k lbs.

Edit: nope. You can’ t. Even with 3.73's, the towing package, and the longest wheelbase - you are right at 9k lbs as your limit.

My setup is rated at 10,900lbs - which is more than enough for our camper when its fully loaded and wet (9200 lbs tops)

At the end of the day, I did the whole turbo V6 thing in a car that made more power and torque than the ecoboost (vr30), but I wanted to get back to an NA v8. I like the top end and the turbo engines feel like they run out of breath.

I would like to see ford build an ecoboost with PI and DI and a decent top end though. The latest VAG stuff is DI only but it has decent top end.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Discerning
03/19/2020 at 21:55

This is a 2016, so I guess I haven’t driven the current 5.0. This one is thoroughly unimpressive.

Discerning > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
03/19/2020 at 22:02

So the 2016 is sort of a turd. Lower compression than mustang, port injection only, old tranny.

The 2018 has port and direct injection, high compression, the 10 speed, and is nearly identical to the mustang V8 from 2018+, minus the intake.

5 star tuning put a mustang intake on a 2018, tuned it with e85, and made 467w hp. A 2016 wouldn’t even come close to that.

I really do like the ecoboost though. I would be on board with a 3.5 or a 2.7 with some tweaks.

Regardless, I’m not super happy with the truck in general. We’ve only had it a year but we’ll possibly sell it in the next 6 months.