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Suggestions for making the 3.5L sound better?

BlackKnight21

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I’ve never owned a Ford but I’m sure I’ll be buying one soon. Actually just listed my 2019 Ram so I’ll be ready to buy when some rebates show up. I test drove a 5.0 and 3.5 and I’m a little torn. I love the torque and acceleration of the 3.5 but hate the sound! I’m used to my hemi with a muffler delete. Am I the only one that feels this way? Any suggestions for making the 3.5 sound better?
Buy a Coyote 5.0L V8.
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Fisher24

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I’ve had 3 f150’s with the 5.0...
I made the switch to the 3.5 EB this time around and all I can say is wow.
my sales lady said that the only reason Ford still makes the 5.0 is for old hard headed people. Guess that was me for many years lol.
 

PungoteagueDave

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Preferences are just that, heartstrings ignoring progress and reality. The fact is that turbocharging and improved low end bearing tech/tolerances and oils have improved efficiency and power from smaller engine packages, such that it no longer takes the brute force of large displacement to get the job done, and our smaller EB and PB engines are superior at doing the power and torque thing than the 5 liter and larger engines. Just fact. But Ford gets the allure to old-school buyers, so keeps the option open. Eventually they will run out of ways to meet the regulatory hurdles, even for the turbo engines, and we’ll all be driving electric.

As to sound, yeah, the aural experience is a real loss. I love my wife’s C4S, downshifting through the PDK, hearing the Porsche six wail, and even though my Tesla will leave it in the dust, it isn’t quite the same experience. We’ll have to get over it - because if we were all driving electric, no way would anyone propose that the absurd complexity of internal combustion was superior - the idea of loud exhaust systems created by thousands of explosions is great for those of us who grew up on hot rods and sports cars. I’ve got cars in my blood, have switched out plenty of stock exhaust systems for straight pipes or headers and open packs. We own antiques and a have full two garages of cool stuff, some great motorcycles, have ridden round the world, wouldn’t change a thing, but it’s all dinosaurs, including what we’re buying today, which is just transitional, filling time toward full electric - even the amazing new Powerboost. And it will be fine. As much as I love my ICE anachronisms, every time I get in the Tesla, there’s a huge grin and a feeling of driving the future - a space ship experience. Every time. So there’s no sound? Push the pedal. Whoosh. 1.5 g’s says it all. No sound required.
 

SuvE

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PDave... for what it's worth, I had a Tesla Model S for 4.5 years, and used it extensively. Fabulous Car and it would run circles around almost anything. No engine sound.

You are missing my point... both the 3.5 and the 5.0 produce almost identical power, but they do it differently. One uses forced induction with additional complexity, and puts lots of stress on the engine components. The other breathes more easily and uses size to accomplish the same thing. EPA ratings are just about identical as well. Torque curves are a little different, but based on horsepower and overall torque, they are about as close as you can get.

Given that they are almost equal, I choose the less complicated, less stressed mode of power. The 5.0 Coyote is as modern in design as any of the other options with all the latest tech, minus the turbo. The sound is merely a bonus, but a welcome one.

Part of old-school is keeping it simple.

I do agree with you that in the not too distant future, we will all be driving electric.
 

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Rapid Red

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5.0 is the only way to go! Just talk to the mechanic @ the dealership? Turbos put out a lot of heat, & when you are freeway driving. The V8 gets better gas mileage. 22mpgs I can get.
 
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Rapid Red

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Mystery numbers? Working @ an Assembly Plant, I know what this number is. Do you people know???
Ford F-150 Suggestions for making the 3.5L sound better? 3FA7D7CF-5BD9-4759-86E1-315072C931A8
 

Stubblejumper

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PDave... for what it's worth, I had a Tesla Model S for 4.5 years, and used it extensively. Fabulous Car and it would run circles around almost anything. No engine sound.

You are missing my point... both the 3.5 and the 5.0 produce almost identical power, but they do it differently. One uses forced induction with additional complexity, and puts lots of stress on the engine components. The other breathes more easily and uses size to accomplish the same thing. EPA ratings are just about identical as well. Torque curves are a little different, but based on horsepower and overall torque, they are about as close as you can get.

Given that they are almost equal, I choose the less complicated, less stressed mode of power. The 5.0 Coyote is as modern in design as any of the other options with all the latest tech, minus the turbo. The sound is merely a bonus, but a welcome one.

Part of old-school is keeping it simple.

I do agree with you that in the not too distant future, we will all be driving electric.
Actually the 3.5 ecoboost produces much more torque, and it produces it at a much lower rpm, so in fact their output is very different. Producing much more torque, at a much lower rpm, makes the torque much more usable for everyday driving/towing.
 

Gen14

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PDave... for what it's worth, I had a Tesla Model S for 4.5 years, and used it extensively. Fabulous Car and it would run circles around almost anything. No engine sound.

You are missing my point... both the 3.5 and the 5.0 produce almost identical power, but they do it differently. One uses forced induction with additional complexity, and puts lots of stress on the engine components. The other breathes more easily and uses size to accomplish the same thing. EPA ratings are just about identical as well. Torque curves are a little different, but based on horsepower and overall torque, they are about as close as you can get.

Given that they are almost equal, I choose the less complicated, less stressed mode of power. The 5.0 Coyote is as modern in design as any of the other options with all the latest tech, minus the turbo. The sound is merely a bonus, but a welcome one.

Part of old-school is keeping it simple.

I do agree with you that in the not too distant future, we will all be driving electric.
You missing about 100 lb/ft. of torque compared to the 3.5L Eco and that's just the non powerboost......I've owned a 5.0L and 2 Eco's, low end power and towing is not even a comparison.
 

Bryan Simon

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Mystery numbers? Working @ an Assembly Plant, I know what this number is. Do you people know???
3FA7D7CF-5BD9-4759-86E1-315072C931A8.jpeg
the blend number?
I have a few stickers under my hood with the blend numbers and date on them
 

BLoflin

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One thing I rarely see mentioned in comments pro/con EB vs V8 is altitude driving (particularly with heavy load, like Travel Trailer). Probably because for most people not a scenario they are in a lot. A forced induction (turbo) at 7k feet climbing to 9k with a trailer will still get all the Oxygen it needs, a normal aspirated engine may find itself gasping...
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