Ford's 5.4L V8 (2v vs 3v)

[Jayo]

What would be the pros and cons of Ford’s 5.4L V8 (2v vs 3v)

3 - Valve Specs:
- 300hp * 4500rpm
- 365ft-lbs * 3750rpm

2 – Valve Specs:
- 260hp * 3750rpm
- 350ft-lbs * 2500rpm

I would appreciate your inputs as I’m planning to acquire a ’04 eddie bauer expedition that is a 5.4l, V8 2-valve version.

Please don’t include fuel consumption and maintenance issues, concentrate only on the technical aspects of hp and torque at their given engine speeds which I think is quite significant.

Thanks, I hope I didn’t sound rude.

[niky]

Well, if you can't get a 3v... the point is academic.

The 260hp lump in the Expedition is muscular, providing you with smooth, linear acceleration throughout the rev range. It won't go like a rocket, simply because the Expedition has a lot of mass, but you won't be left wanting for power at highway speeds.

If you're asking for a comparison with the newer 300 hp Expedition, truthfully, I wouldn't know, but from driving new Ford vehicles with similar ECT (electronic throttle control) systems, it'll probably feel more sluggish at tip-off, and the extra power will be felt only slightly. Then new gearbox is much better, though, so acceleration through the gears is faster. That, combined with the extra power, makes it faster to 100 km/h. In highway driving, it should feel smoother and more effortless, but in traffic, the differences might even out.

[Jayo]

The Navigator uses the 5.4L but has DOHC, not sure though if it has 3 or 4 v/cyl. I also read about drive-by-wire systems, most comments where "sluggish on launch" as you mentioned but this '04 uses the conventional throttle linkage.

In this comparison, the older '04 motor, reaches peak hp & torque at lower rpms when compared to the newer version. The '04 - '06 5.4L V8s Expeditions have identical drive trains, i.e. same gear ratios from the transmission to the differentials, but the '04 uses the old 2v motor while the '05 & '06 have the 3v valve version. All else being equal, the 2v motor that peaks earlier will accelerate quicker as it peaks, shifting to 2nd gear earlier too. The 3v at this stage is still accelerating and has a long way to go with 1,250 rpm more before peak torque meaning it will out pace the 2v since it is still in 1st gear accelerating. Is this right?

I'm just thinking specs and performance, it's a nice feeling when you know you got all that power under the hood...

[deedee]

agree with both.the advantage of the 3V would be from a roll and not from a dead stop.given that everything is the same(vehicle weight) the 2V will walk the 3V from a dig(maybe half a car at most) but from a roll maybe 50MPH or more,the 3V will easily walk the 2V.the 15 torque difference isnt much to actually gain a big lead but a 40HP difference has a bigger impact on speed when the car is in motion already.
since you also mentioned that youre looking to get the 04 expedition..there were older 2V 5.4 that came out with forged pistons(my engine came with one stock) but theres really no way to find out(it doesnt even show in the VIN numbers) unless you physically open your engine.im not sure if it went all the way to the 04 versions but it was plenty on the 00-02 versions of the expeditions.
if you want to get that extra 40HP difference..just change to a full 3 inch exhaust,quality shorty headers,high flow cats,K&N intake and a tune and youll get 40HP(if not more) and roghly 20-30 torque(did that to my 00 expy)
the 2V triton can easily handle upto 450HP without any internal modifications.(im pushing 600+HP on mine )
the older navigators were using the 3V DOHC

[Jayo]

Thanks, but I don't have plans to go extremes for now. I almost forgot the spark plug spitting issue. Was this corrected in the '04 motor?

I was initially offered an '05 eb but somebody got it before I can decide so I was left with the '04 eb and '03 xlts. The '03s here have the 4.6L motor same as my 2K F150 Lariat flareside. I find it lacking in power especially in tight passing situations so that I will only go for the Expedition with a 5.4L considering the heavier body when compared to the F-150.

[niky]

Well, like I said, if the brand new 3v Expe is out of your price bracket, the point is moot. Personally, in the Philippines, the 2v is powerful enough. I know what you mean about it being nice to have the extra power, though.

Still, a V8 sounds awesome with a high-flow exhaust kit. If you feel the 2v 5.4 doesn't have enough "oomph", you can readily buy a K&N filter for the Expedition, and have an exhaust kit fabricated locally. There are local shops that do mandrel-bent iron and stainless steel (not crush-bends, like Nodalo's does). Like deedee says, that's good for at least 30 hp... 40 hp may be possible if the kit is well designed.

[Off-Topic] Yup. "Sluggish on launch" is a common issue with new ECT vehicles. It's to do with the computer slurring throttle opening and closing to prevent sudden lean (on throttle opening) and rich (on closing) conditions that cause pollution. Word is, grounding kits help to mitigate this, by providing a quicker circuit to the throttle, but the differences are probably slight. [/Off Topic].