2003 Ford F-150 power

Tiny
MURPHDAWG210
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 FORD F-150
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 128,000 MILES
My truck is underpowered and poor gasmileage. Exspecially when I pull a trailer. My truck was tuned before but I returned it back to stock. I had the computer reflashed and the transmission inspected. Still cant figure out why. I put new plugs in it 3 months ago and change the oil regularly. Any ideas?
Saturday, April 10th, 2010 AT 8:14 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
MATHIASO
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,209 POSTS
There have been consumers complaint about 4.6L V8 248HP for very power gas mileage and grossly under powered and more reviews on 2008 F-150 4.6 L V 8 again for the same problem with gas mileage.

If your truck is not a 4.6 L, The rings may do not seal well and may allow excessive blowby and reduce the engine power 10 to 20 horsepower or more. Blowby also dilutes the oil in the crankcase with fuel and combustion byproducts, which can shorten the life of the oil and lead to premature engine failure. It will also increase crankcase emissions and the load on the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. So one way to check ring sealing is to measure blowby.
Less blowby means more usable horsepower. Being able to baseline the actual blowby in an engine means you can then go back and try different ring configurations, ring types (conventional or gapless), different ring end gap settings and cylinder wall finishes to see which combination gives the best seal and the least amount of blowby.
Measuring blowby has been one of the best kept secrets with performance engine builders because it allows them to see how well the rings are or are not sealing. It also allows them to detect any ring flutter that may be occurring within a particular rpm range, and to then change the mass or end gaps of the rings to minimize the problem.
Ask your dealer to perform the blowby test.
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Sunday, April 11th, 2010 AT 6:34 AM
Tiny
MURPHDAWG210
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thanks for that reply I guess I didn't mention it was a 2003 f150. It looks like I paid for a general reply you send everyone. Yeah it was only 5 bucks but thanks for your timely reply like you promised, oh wait it was last week I wrote you. Not very timely. Erase my profile from your website.
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Thursday, April 15th, 2010 AT 4:56 PM
Tiny
MATHIASO
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,209 POSTS
I was referring to all F150 4.6L V8 248HP before and 2008. Have your rings checked for maximum horsepower.
Thank you for your donation and for visiting 2CarPros. Com we hope to help you again the next time you need us
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Friday, April 16th, 2010 AT 1:17 AM

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