Mechanic I deal with didn't seem to like the v10s ford makes...likes the one dodge makes and the 8.1 gm has.....anyone no what the specs were for these engines. I no the 8.1 is the 496 but not sure of hp and tq

My cousin in North Evans has almost the same exact truck but color. Its been real good to him. I like Fords v10.

A friend of mine has a v-10 in a ford van he uses for work. He has almost 350k miles and still going last I heard. His mileage is about is around 10 mpg. My f-350 7.3 gets 16-18 mpg.

I agree with the new diesels being expensive and almost not worth it. I thought about trading my 7.3 in on a new 6.7 ford about 8 months ago. 65k for a damn work truck. I did some research and saw were a few guys have been left stranded due to the truck just shutting off. My 7.3 has 265k miles and has never missed a beat so I decided to keep it. Plus it's been paid off for 10 years. The one thing I did like was the interior.

My uncles 05 6.0 is in the shop more then on the road and he bought it new and still doesn't have 100k miles on it. He takes such good care of that thing it's like new. Except its always broken. Lol

The reason I switched to diesels years ago was because they would last hundreds of thousands of miles with out much of an issue (at least my 7.3's have been that way). Today's diesels don't seem to be that way.

All that being said to say you can probably get a deal on that clean v-10 and it will last a long time (from what I've seen and heard) for much less then a newer diesel that won't last any longer then the v-10. Gas mileage will be better but the money saved buying it will offset the fuel bill.

Or you can find a trusty old 7.3 for a deal.

Good luck

The oil change expense is just one more thing that pushes the cost up. I've had nothing but diesels for the last 11 years, and worked on several hundred different trucks.
Just sold my duramax, and drive a 7.3 powerstroke everyday that has 210k on it.
And now I'm looking for a gas job as a spare truck because I can't justify the extra cost of a newer diesel.

I have an 02 excursion with the V10 and love it. It get's 8 mpg. Best of 12-13 highway. It only has 36k on the miles.
Great running motor, very smooth and quiet.
Go for it. It's a nice looking pick-up, nice color.

i too work on diesels. i agree cost of the diesel is hard to swallow. 9k upgrade on a new 2500 hd. i tell people who ask me about them " if you dont NEED a diesel dont buy one" the newer gm stuff is holding together pretty well. few emissions problems here and there but very seldom internal engine failure. if your doing heavy towing or long hauls your not gonna beat a diesel. as for the extra cost of a diesel vs gas.. the diesels seem to hold the money way better than a gas in the used market. take a 5yr loan on a new diesel and after 5 years its still worth something

I have pretty much the same truck. 02 f350 short box. It's used for plowing only. The v10 could have the worst mpg on any engine ever. Mine gets about 7 to 8 and it doesn't matter if your plowing or going down the highway. I actually thought something was wrong with the gas gauge when I first got it. The motor does have a lot of power though and the truck has been very reliable even though it sits for 7 months a year. I couldn't imagine this truck being a daily driver for anyone. I would look around for one of the later 7.3's which is probably the cheapest diesel to own and maintain. But they still take 16 quarts of oil lol

You guys hit it spot on lol, I had a 95 f350 with a 460, c6, 4.10's and 35" mud terrains.... 7 mpg on a good day! It's amazing that something could burn that much fuel and still pass emissions with that little power!!! That 02 with the v10 is a much nicer/better truck than than the previous body style.
A 7.3 would be the best truck to buy but deals on those are all but gone.

FWIW the guy I bought my 2500hd 8.1 off had a V10 Ford in his fleet of construction work trucks towing bobcats and loaders around. he said the Ford got "the worst gas mileage ever, awful" he said the 8.1 got "way better mileage"

intresting how the mileage reports are all over the place with yhis motor