Six-Cylinder Trucks any Good?
October 30th, 2008Speak Up
I keep seeing F-150s and Silverados with 6-cylinder engines for sale, cheap. Does anyone know if these trucks are any good? I like the idea of the lower maintenance and repair cost of a 6-cylinder, but I don’t want to have problems with inadequate power. And who doesn’t love V-8 smoothness?
I know some 6-cylinder engines have high horsepower ratings, but those ratings can be very deceptive. If the horsepower rating on my T-bird meant anything, it would do the quarter in under 14 seconds.
I have mentioned my dad’s desire to get a pickup and a trailer; just to be clear, I am not planning to haul his trailer behind my truck.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:34 AM
A 6 cylinder full-size truck, such as the F-150, can be tolerable if you take a minimalist approach and get the single cab and preferably a manual transmission. It’s pretty easy to get into power shortfalls with the expanded cabs or if you put a lot of stuff in the bed, or tow much of anything. I know people that do use 6 cylinder trucks for that, but when they have a load of any sort they have the patience to deal with 0-60 acceleration on the order of geological epochs. If you have the patience and traffic in your area doesn’t require much in the way of acceleration, or you don’t plan to haul much, it might work out for you.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:36 AM
I have a 4-year-old Kia Sedona with a V6. I think it’s a 3.6. It’s got pretty good power and pickup. Oh, you’d never mistake it for a sports car, of course, but it’ll accelerate pretty fast. According to the owner’s manual it has an 1800lb towing capacity.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:42 AM
I have a 1998 F-150 six-cylinder and I love it. I only need to haul stuff for real two or three times a year, and it’s simple homeowner type stuff, but I’d be lost without this thing.
It performs well enough that you won’t be embarassed in traffic, and the bed capacity is rated at 1750 lbs. (It will take more.) You’re correct in thinking that serious towing is out of the question, though, particularly with a manual transmission.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Old straight 6 engines were known for a good combination of power, economy and relability.
I don’t know anything about current ones, or V6’s.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:11 AM
I know, funny for a chick to weigh in on this topic….
But I agree with John about getting a manual transmission, especially if you get the 6 cylinder and plan to haul heavy stuff.
Look at and test drive both 6 & 8’s though. You may be surprised by horsepower on the 6’s. I’ve been shocked by the power of my mom-mobile Toyota SUV (measly 4 cylinder, no idea on HP but hauled majorly heavy loads during the move without any issues).
And you already know the story regarding my Toyota beating a flat 6 cylinder mid-80’s Porsche during some silly road racing at a red light…
October 30th, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Ford sixes are a pain in the ass. They have a cast iron block, and aluminum heads. The heads, being aluminum, have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the block, so they expand at a different rate, and over time, this scrubs the damned head gaskets off. I know very few people with Ford sixes that haven’t had to replace their head gaskets. And it’s a royal pita.
The “Modular” ford v8s are similar, though some have aluminum blocks as well, and they seem to have improved (though I doubt solved) the head gasket problem.
I’m a big fan of the Ford 302. (called the Windsor V8) It’s a cast iron block with cast iron heads. It’s been in more vehicles for longer than about any other engine save the Chevy 350 (another very, very fine engine). I get 16-17 mpg in mine, which makes hippies cry, which is good. They stopped putting them in trucks in 2001, but you can still buy the complete crate engine. An Inline six is a srong, durable engine as well, but sadly you can’t find many of those either.
At this point I think I’d be looking at a Modular 8 and get as much warranty as you can get, or get a pre-emissions v8 or inline 6 and have it restored.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:32 AM
I had a 1999 Silverado with a 4.3L V-6 and I loved it. Even with the automatic transmission and the extended cab, it had plenty of power for what I needed. The most I weight I had in the bed was over 2200 lbs. of dry concrete. I was sitting low in the rear, but I got it home with no problems. I’ll echo John’s comment about the 0-60 time, but if you are towing or hauling, you shouldn’t be doing jackrabbit starts anyway. Never towed a trailer tho…can’t speak for that.
It got 20mpg on the highway too.
Hope this helps, Steve.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Like someone implied: the 6-cyl love stuff dates from the old in-line six days. Those engines were “all of the above” and more. The V6’s never were. At this point, 6 luv-stuff is just myth.
What the old 6’s had was torque and low end. What you wanted to mate them with was a granny 4, where their strength was (I was bewildered by the first 4 speed “truck” that you didn’t ordinarily *start* in “second” with: hey, where’s my low gear). Since I was *often* pulled a 900 gal water trailer (we drilled water wells, which take a lot of water to drill *with*), their “lack of towing” ability is simply bogus talk from the uninformed. You just go slower. There was NO hill I wasn’t able to climb (including back country, back-40 no-road-at-all hills).
The economy part wasn’t the gas mileage (barely better, for *some* kinds of driving), but the simplicity of maintenance. It was in how cheap they were to rebuild. And how easy it was to replace an engine (when it finally wore out). Oh yes we did: I lost track of the number of brake rebuilds I did on the 1960 F-150 I learned to drive in …but I do remember we put in at least 4 engines over the years (and we’d rebuild an engine a few times, to various degrees, before we’d replace it).
Longevity? You bet. How many miles? – Dunno. Odo broke at a quarter million; never fixed it. – And my step brother still owns that pickup (I think a dozen kids learned to drive in that truck …I still recall MY first attempt to drive it). Gosh. I think we repainted it at least four times. (Never, not once, was it in an accident of any sort.)
Funniest part? – Dad thought he was royally screwed when he bought that truck (new) and the door seals went out after only two years.
I think we got our money’s worth though.
And. Mate a cast iron block to an aluminum head, and longevity (or rebuild-ability) isn’t what you’re engineering for (problems? – sure).
October 30th, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Depends on which 6-cylinder engine you are talking about.
Inline 6s are great for pulling – better low end torque than V-engines. It has to do with the length of the stroke – an inline 6 can have a longer throw on the crankshaft than a V, so there’s a longer lever for the combustion pressure to work against.
Remember – torque is what gets the work done – horsepower only determines how fast it gets done, once it’s moving.
I’d guess at least 90% of the Class 8 tractors on the highways are using some sort of inline 6 – Cat, Cummins, Detroit Diesel and now, Mercedes. Of course, those are big displacement Diesels, and you’re talking about a gasoline pickup truck engine.
Ford’s inline 6 hasn’t been used in light trucks since the mid-90s but we ran the crap out of them – 300k miles wasn’t unusual before replacement or retirement, depending on the the condition of the rest of the truck. The block and head were both cast iron. The timing gears would crap out at about 100k so we’d replace the nylon gears with steel gears and run ’em another 200k before they started pumping as much oil thru the rings as they did thru the oil pumps.
V6s are popular now because they take up less length in the engine compartment – allows more room in the cab for the same wheelbase.
Unfortunately now you see a lot of aluminum heads on cast iron blocks, and yes, the differing expansion rates can cause problems with head gaskets, although teflon coated gaskets and torque-to-yield headbolts have done a lot to reduce the issues. To be honest, though, I’ve seen more problems with sealing the intake manifolds – too many pieces expanding at different rates and going different directions between the block, heads, and intake manifold.
Here in the Midwest finding a mid-90s Ford F150 with an inline 6 is getting tough – the deicing chemicals are taking a toll on older vehicles – but for a long time the I-6 with a ‘three on the tree’ or four- or five-on-the-floor was a popular package.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:56 PM
I wrecked my Dad’s old ford extended cab truck with a straight-6. He replaced it with the same truck except in a v8. He thanked me later for totalling the 6-banger. The 6 was hopelessly weak and the v8 actually got better mileage.
I had a 4 cyl tacoma 4×4 that gave me 18-20 mpg. Traded it for a v8 Tundra that gave a reliable 15-17 mpg and had lots more power (the tacoma was ok everywhere but on the beach where it struggled – although it never got stuck), Never towed with the tacoma however…
Traded the Tundra for a Titan. Way more power, but alas worse mileage 12-14. So the Titan costs me ~$75 more per 1000 miles than the Tundra. And it’s worth every penny.
Are you really gonna drive it enough to care about the mileage? If not, buy the v8. Enjoy the power. And piss off the hippies.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:57 PM
A Cummins 5.9l or the new 6.7l engine is an I6, and with a manual and not being driven like a stolen car will get 18-20 around town and 22+ on the highway. Oh, and it also has 450-600 foot pounds of torque. It will easily go over a million miles with modest maintenance.
The old and new ones are both excellent. The new ones are just much quieter.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:02 PM
As an aside, if you want to keep a truck for 25 years for occasional use, I have to concurr with the posters who mentioned that cast iron block and heads are the way to go. I am not aware of any aluminum/aluminum block/head V6s, but perhaps one of the GMs is built this way.
And by modest maintenance, I meant a coolant filter, a bypass filter on the engine, a filter on the transmission and one on the power steering, high vent lines, and taking the time to allow the engine to idle for 30 minutes from a cold start to let the oil circulate. That and synthetic lubes should keep everything just fine for decades.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Perhaps I am spoiled, but letting a diesel truck idle for 30 minutes before making a 15-minute trip to Home Depot sounds like a lot of aggravation.
The torque sounds nice.
Not sure I want to drive around for twenty minutes, looking for a place that sells diesel.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:29 PM
I am suffering from too little coffee — I meant 30 seconds. I need to go make a pot. The idea being to get the oil to the top end and the turbo before scooting off. And when you are there, let it idle for the same time. Synthetic oils make this all much easier to do by flowing faster and by not coking under heat as badly.
Or you can get a pre-oiler that will also pump oil to the turbo to cool it for a minute or two after you park.
The torque is very nice. And Cummins makes pretty good stuff.
Now off to get some coffee…
October 30th, 2008 at 3:52 PM
If you get a diesel truck then you should move to San Antonio. Nearly every gas station here sells diesel.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Moxie:
And you already know the story regarding my Toyota beating a flat 6 cylinder mid-80’s Porsche during some silly road racing at a red light…
No, do tell!
October 30th, 2008 at 3:58 PM
And about finding a gas station with diesel — with a 55 gallon fuel tank you will be able to go 1100 miles between fillups. That does give you some time to find that elusive gas station.
And I don’t know about Florida, but in Houston, in suburbia, one out of every three or four stations sell diesel, and you would probably know almost all of them right away. I know lots of people with diesels and they never have issues finding diesel these days.
October 30th, 2008 at 4:43 PM
We have a ’97 Dodge Ram V6 5-Speed. It is used for the hubby’s sign business so it does a fair bit of hauling, but that said, it doesn’t haul a camper. Did I mention that my husband gets speeding tickets when he takes it out on I-75?
😉
October 30th, 2008 at 5:26 PM
Mike, at the next light (when he caught up) he claimed he “missed a gear” — but the fact is my little 4-banger SUV engine dusted him. Toyota didn’t offer a manual transmission on that model, so I just ran it hard in 3rd. Nice.
And I have to stop with the street racing. That is only one of many stories, though typically I’m in my my 80’s Porsche.
Remind me to blog about the time I lost to an 8 cylinder Lexus. And some other dude made a comment to the driver of the Lexus….about the dumb blonde. And the Lexus driver was my boyfriend at the time. Good times!
October 30th, 2008 at 5:51 PM
For 90% of what you’ll need, a 6 is plenty. Remember, recent 6-cylinder engines make just a much horsepower as V-8’s used to.
Now, if you’re planning on doing a lot of heavy towing, or routinely loading it with 2,500 lbs of manure or Bosco, then a V-8 is necessary.
Manual trannies help with the 6, but they are hell on resale. If you plan to keep it for 10 years, then get the gear-jammer. Otherwise, get an automatic.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:38 PM
So,not planning to pull Dad’s trailer with it, eh? What are the odds? Just sayin’
October 30th, 2008 at 6:51 PM
I’m not springing for a 3/4 ton pickup so he can steal it and go to Alabama.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Moxie, definitely good times! You’re quite the speed-demon. Did you lose to the Lexus in your Porsche or in your Toyota?
I wonder how my V-8 Chevy Silverado would perform in one of your drag races.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:36 PM
For what you’ll use it for, a six would be fine. Dad had a 90 F150 with a six, and it was ok except it didn’t pull a load. Windy days made it hunt in OD – it was equipped with an OD shutoff, and it was used a lot. Gas mileage? Not so much.
Just tooling around Miami between your house and Home Despot wouldn’t tax a gas six much.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:47 AM
2001 F-150 5 spd manual, std cab SWB 4wd 22 mpg empty with aluminum topper. 97,000 miles with no service issues so far.
Of course this is a plain-jane truck with cloth seats, rubber floor mat. Had it from WV to Texas 3 times and to Canada 3 times.
It tows a utility trailer and a tent camper nicely.
Wouldn’t want to tow a heavy boat or camper or car hauler without adding an equalizing hitch and trailer brakes. If you did haul something heavy you’d spend a lot of time in 3rd or 4th on any sort of grade, but thats not what I got it for.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:35 AM
I would like to add that even though I was somewhat dismissive of the 6 cylinder in my original comment, I fully agree with the statemts supporting the inline 6. I just don’t know of any new trucks offering those other than the Dodge diesels with the Cummins engine which is probably a lot more truck than you’re looking for right now. Mostly, it will depend on your driving style and how much power/accerlation you find necessary for regular driving. If you’re a patient driver and don’t mind being passed while you’re accelerating into traffic, the 6 would be completely sufficient for regular use and homeowner hauling.
On the other hand, if you continue with your desire to go all the way with your tools, you should probably think about placing an order with Peterbuilt now.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:59 PM
if anybody w/ an 1996 ford f-150 w/ an inline six and 5 spd I would like to hear me a little bit about them.