2010 Ford F350

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I had the opportunity today to talk to 7 Ford dealer mechanics all at the same time today away from their shop. They were headed into a restaurant and I was able to talk to them outside before they went in. I told them I wanted to clear up a couple of issues that have been discussed here. Here is the condensed version of our discussion.

- First I asked if there were an appreciable difference in the F250, F350 and F450. They answered the F250 and F350 are the same truck except the F350 has 1 more leaf on the springs. The F350 DUALLY has bigger brakes than the F250/350 single rear wheels. They advised the F450 is a totally different truck as it has a larger frame, heaver axles, brakes and much more. They all agreed the 450 is a much heavier built truck and no comparision to the 250/350.

- I asked if it would be worth putting an exhaust brake on my new 2010 F350. They all said the tow/haul transmission is designed to slow the truck while towing heavy loads down hill. They also advised to NOT make any modifications to the truck as everything is tied into the new emission system and even changing out the air cleaner to an after market high performance air cleaner can void the warranty or at least cause problems. The truck is designed to perform the very best in a stock condition and as such any modifications are tracked by the computer and could cause problems.

- I asked what their opinion was of this 2010 F350. They all agreed it was a very technologically advanced very well built vehicle. The also said that it is very powerful, and with the tow package set up to tow and do a very good job within the design limits. They all said the 6.4 twin turbo diesel is a very good and reliable engine.


There you have it. This is not my opinion but that of the 7 Ford (2 of which are diesel specialists) mechanics from the local Ford dealer (I won't name the dealer). Now I know the differences between the F250, F350, and F450. Hope this answers some of ya'lls questions too.
 

superduty08

Tennessee Chapter Leaders
I wish they had released the secret to milage on the 6.4. I love my '08 350 but the milage is not as good as my old 6.0. I barely got 9 mpg combo driving from Bartlett TN to Sandestin. I added a free flow air filter and 4" from the filter back and it didn't help much at all.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
So far I have been getting 12.5 not towing but it really is not even broke in yet. Only have 3500 miles on the truck. Once again I was cautioned by them not to make any modifications on it (2010 model) as it has systems in place which record what modifications are made including an after market air filter.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
To compound on what the ford guys were saying, I had a '06 F-350 dually park next to our "06 F-450 and was SHOCKED by the size difference. The 450/550 are wider, taller and longer than the 350's. If I remember right the Super Dana 60 used on the 450/550 are 10" wider the the Dana 60 on the 250/350, This allows for a much better turning radius and stability on the road.
 

cableman

Well-known member
I didn't really buy the '04 350 for the milage. Went on trip from western pa. to Va beach. 10 mile to the gallon at best, pulling the 24RL 5ver.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
We get 10.5 to 11 mpg pulling the Sundance. 15.5 mpg without a load. At $2.70 a gallon that adds up quickly.
 

nhunter

Well-known member
Not bashing here, but ....... they were basing that on what, the past 3 diesels Ford used?

The new Scorpion does look promising though,
My 6.0l is a very good reliable engine. And so were my 7.3l's for that matter.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I cannot complain about my 99 7.3. 235000 miles and all I did was change oil and filters. Not bad.
 

porthole

Retired
My 6.0l is a very good reliable engine. And so were my 7.3l's for that matter.

Not referring to the 7.3, my comment was based on product knowledge-reliability on a new - just out engine.

Besides, the 7.3 is not a Ford diesel, just like GM and Dodge trucks do not have their own respective diesels.

Dodge is on their 2nd aftermarket "reliable" diesel.
The 1st was a very good engine (Mitsubishi), problem with it was that it was in a junk vehicle.
 

nemo45

Well-known member
I cannot complain about my 99 7.3. 235000 miles and all I did was change oil and filters. Not bad.

Now, wait, you must have had to replace tires and do brake work on it too, in that many miles. I will say though, from the people I've talked to that have them, the 7.3 is a great engine.
 

nemo45

Well-known member
Dodge is on their 2nd aftermarket "reliable" diesel.
The 1st was a very good engine (Mitsubishi), problem with it was that it was in a junk vehicle.

Didn't know the Cummins was a Mitsubishi. What in the world are you talking about?
 

nhunter

Well-known member
Not referring to the 7.3, my comment was based on product knowledge-reliability on a new - just out engine.

Besides, the 7.3 is not a Ford diesel, just like GM and Dodge trucks do not have their own respective diesels.

Dodge is on their 2nd aftermarket "reliable" diesel.
The 1st was a very good engine (Mitsubishi), problem with it was that it was in a junk vehicle.
You did say "compared to the last 3 diesels". The 6.0 and 6.4 are also Internationals as well.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I was just on the 2010 Ford Truck site, checking specs. Front rotor diameter on all F-250 & F350s is 13.66in. F-450 is 14.53in. Rear is F-250 & F-350 is 13.39in. F-450 is 15.35in. So it looks to me like all F-250, F-350, and F-350 DRW still have the same brakes. And they all have the same brake pad numbers too. Jon :) :) :)
 

Paul_in_MN

Active Member
Mitubishi in Dodge

Yes Dodge did have a Mitsi diesel back in the 80's. It was a small 4 cylinder diesel with turbo with aluminum head, maybe cast iron (IIRC) block. One of my brothers had the little D50 pickup with this engine, and my other brother had many of the same vehicles in his fleet of 500 vehicles. They gave incredible mileage, somewhere near 40+ mpg, but did have a failure mode. When worked too hard either the head gasket failed or head would crack and dump antifreeze into the oil. With the heat, the oil quickly turned to a semi-solid and the engine was destroyed. I know this to be fact because I had a few of these toasted engines in my barn for robbing external parts from. Thus this engine was not offered as an option for more than 2 or 3 years. And Dodge went back to gasoline engines (including Mitsubishi) in all their vehicles until about 1990 when they brought out the Cummins in their big 250 & 350 series PUs. Interestingly, they were experimenting with other diesel engine manufacturers for their bigger vehicles back in 83/84 when they fitted a few Onan diesels in their full size vans. A friend had one of these experimental vehicles, and liked it, but Dodge did not continue in that direction. I think it was a few years later that Cummins bought out Onan.

A bit of history, eh?

Paul_in_MN :)
 

truknutt

Committed Member
Didn't know the Cummins was a Mitsubishi. What in the world are you talking about?


He didn't say that. What he meant to say was that Dodge first used a Mitsubishi Diesel and in 1989 went to the Cummins-supplied engines.

"When the fuel crisis hit, Dodge was not prepared, and it took some time to fit pickups with a Mitsubishi diesel; that rare model appeared around 1978, the same year the D-150 and D-250 were introduced. The diesel engine used in 1978 (and possibly later) D150s, D250s, and Power Wagons was the Mitsubishi 6DR5, 3950 cc, with 105 hp at 3500 rpm; it was reportedly virtually identical to the Land Cruiser diesel engine of the time. This factory option (VIN code H) was a straight-six and came without a badly needed turbocharger, providing good mileage (reportedly over 20 mpg) but limiting top speeds."

"In 1989, Dodge garnered another industry first by shoving a massive Cummins turbodiesel - designed for tractors and big rigs - into their full size pickups, greatly increasing the truck's capacity to compensate for the massive, torque-filled engine. Far more advanced than the Navistar diesels used by Ford or the GM diesels, it required a greater truck infrastructure, and it could be argued that it was not fully used until the extra-heavy-duty 1994 Ram appeared in 1993. Like all modern diesels, the Cummins was turbocharged for higher performance (also helping it in high altitudes), using direct injection for greater efficiency and lower emissions; neither Ford nor GM had diesels with those features."

...(allpar.com - "History of the Dodge Ram and Other Dodge Pickups, 1921-2010")
 

truknutt

Committed Member
Here is a quick history on Ford Diesels if anyone is interested:

http://www.musclemustangfastfords.com/tech/mmfs_070025_power_stroke_diesel_history/index.html

So now you have the Dodge and Ford histories. GM has used so many variations of diesel engines throughout their auto, light, medium, and heavy duty truck lines, that their diesel history is all over the board. With respect to Light Duty trucks it appears to begin with the 5.7L V-8, 4.3L V-6 & another 4.3L in a V-8 used in the Olds 88 & 98 in the late 1970s. In 1978 Olds V8 diesel engines were released for 1/2-ton pickups. Poor performance and reliability resulted in early cancellation.

As far as main-stream full-sized light duty trucks though, it began with the 6.2L in 1982 then replaced in 1991 by the 6.5L; used in Blazers, Suburbans, C/K Series trucks and the HMMMV.

DURAMAX - 1998 Joint venture between Izuzu & GM:
Duramax LB7: 2001-2004
Duramax LLY: 2004-2005
Duramax 2006 LLY: 2006/Duramax LBZ (used only in Classic style trucks): 2006-2007
Duramax LMM: 2007-Present using ULSD

Whewww, the fingers are tired...enough learning for the evening. :p
 

porthole

Retired
Didn't know the Cummins was a Mitsubishi. What in the world are you talking about?

The first modern day Dodge diesel was a straight 6 Mitsubishi, 1978 if I recall. They use to break torque converter flex plates about every 10-15k of miles. We use to joke around that the real problem with the diesel was that it would easily last 2-300,000 miles but you had to replace the truck every 100. And Chrysler wouldn't sell you a truck with no engine :D


HP was around 100 and the trucks were slugs, but they sounded cool.
 

porthole

Retired
Since you brought it up, Dodge had 2 diesel pickups. The one you mention was the full Japanese compact pickup with the 4 banger in it. And it was a piece of junk, typical Japaneses rust bucket of the 70's

The diesel I was referring to was a 6 cyl, 243 CI stump puller with all of 165 foot pounds of torque :eek: that was available in the full size pickups.


Yes Dodge did have a Mitsi diesel back in the 80's. It was a small 4 cylinder diesel with turbo with aluminum head, maybe cast iron (IIRC) block. One of my brothers had the little D50 pickup with this engine, and my other brother had many of the same vehicles in his fleet of 500 vehicles. They gave incredible mileage, somewhere near 40+ mpg, but did have a failure mode. When worked too hard either the head gasket failed or head would crack and dump antifreeze into the oil. With the heat, the oil quickly turned to a semi-solid and the engine was destroyed. I know this to be fact because I had a few of these toasted engines in my barn for robbing external parts from. Thus this engine was not offered as an option for more than 2 or 3 years. And Dodge went back to gasoline engines (including Mitsubishi) in all their vehicles until about 1990 when they brought out the Cummins in their big 250 & 350 series PUs. Interestingly, they were experimenting with other diesel engine manufacturers for their bigger vehicles back in 83/84 when they fitted a few Onan diesels in their full size vans. A friend had one of these experimental vehicles, and liked it, but Dodge did not continue in that direction. I think it was a few years later that Cummins bought out Onan.

A bit of history, eh?

Paul_in_MN :)
 
Top