Ford 4.2 V6 vs Ford 4.6 V8 ?

[Silverado12]

The Ford 4.2 will def be better than your Nissan. I had a Colorado 2.9 that towed ok, but the 4.3 Chevy is noticeably better. I test drove a F-150 4.2 back in 2006 and it had decent power. I have a Chevy 4.3 and it tows my 3,000# boat fine. Of course a V-8 will tow better, but you're not towing really heavy loads. I wouldn't hesitate to get a 4.2 V-6, as you can get one cheaper than a truck with the V-8.

 

[DR1]

So you have a silverado with the 4.3 v6, auto trans?

Originally Posted By: Silverado12
The Ford 4.2 will def be better than your Nissan. I had a Colorado 2.9 that towed ok, but the 4.3 Chevy is noticeably better. I test drove a F-150 4.2 back in 2006 and it had decent power. I have a Chevy 4.3 and it tows my 3,000# boat fine. Of course a V-8 will tow better, but you're not towing really heavy loads. I wouldn't hesitate to get a 4.2 V-6, as you can get one cheaper than a truck with the V-8.

 

[macarose]

For what you're doing, any SUV or even a hatchback that can tow 2000 pounds will be fine.

I own a '98 F150 with the 4.2 Liter V6 with only 75k miles on it. For what you're doing, it's overkill.

An old Explorer can do it better. Heck, you can buy a 20 year old SAAB 900 that can tow what you're talking about.

I would focus more on the trailer and hitch. A GM sedan from the 1990s or even a minivan can easily handle what you will be hauling. If it bothers you just add a tranny cooler.

All the best!

 

[BubbaFL]

Originally Posted By: MikeHigg
The 4.6 has both can chains at the front of the engine. If the 4.2 is one of the designs that has one of the can chains attached at the back of one of the cams then stay away from it (I'm not saying this one does, but check on this).


The 4.2L V6 is essentially a stroked version of the Ford 3.8 pushrod engine.

The 4.0 SOHC is the one with a cam chain on the back of the motor. It was never used in the F series trucks.

 

[Cardenio327]

The 4.2 is fine, but it'll just rev way up and scream with any kind of load or mountain driving, which can get kind of tedious after a while.

I can't recommend the chip, the 4.2 already has a very high state of tune. A chip will either give you a tiny gain or drastically shorten the engine's service life.

To give an idea of the stock power density; a 1997 4.2 produces 217 hp, while a 1996 4.9 only produces 150 hp. [51 hp/L vs. 30 hp/L; almost double the density]

 

[Panzerman]

I love the 4.6. They run forever and have enough power. I drove the 4.2 and I wasn't impressed with the power. The 4.6s run longer and got better fuel mileage. I also have a 5.4 and although it runs well, throw the gas mileage out the window now.

 

[01rangerxl]

Compared to a I4 Nissan from the 1990s, anything with a V6 or better will feel like a lot more power at first. If towing daily and your business is growing though, you could outgrow a V6/small V8 half ton pretty quick.

I have driven a 4.2L manual 2WD Super Cab with 250K miles that actually felt pretty peppy, and I have driven auto 4.6Ls that didn't. If the 4.2L isn't enough, the 4.6L probably isn't either.

Maybe you can find an F-250 LD / F-150 7700 package...those are all 5.4s. Look for the 7 lug hubs.

 

[mrsilv04]

Here's a 2010 regular cab long box 4.6 that I saw on a Ford dealer's lot today... that's already starting to rust though.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Here's a 2010 regular cab long box 4.6 that I saw on a Ford dealer's lot today... that's already starting to rust though.

That's probably a 2011, due to the wheels. Also, it's probably been repaired due to a crash. They are not known for rust problems.