F350 with a 302

[Phil]

Hello everyone. I need a little advice here. I'm considering buying a 1994
F350 duelly that looks like it has a 302, with a 5 speed manual trans. I will sometimes be hauling a tandem trailer, so am concerned about the power. I'm not a speed demon, but don't want to hold up traffic either. If its a 302, is it a poor choice? Is there a reasonably economical way to increase the power, besides an engine upgrade? Its a very low mileage engine, and otherwise the truck is perfect. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Lost]

Probably a 351 .Does it have a 5.0 or 5.8 on top intake ?

I have seen 302-300-6 in the f F350 but not dually .

If it is a 302 . Tho they r all I run . You dont want them if hauling all time. But in a F350 that will be hauling NOPE . No grunt bottom end like 351 460.

If its real cheap truck in A++ shape. A 351 Will go in easy and r easy (for me at least ) TO find with decent miles.

 

[Lost]

Welcome by the way

 

[conanski]

I don't think the 5.0 was even offered in a truck that size so if it really has one it was probably swapped in at some point. The two motors use the same engine mounts and transmission, and even though you need a complete 5.0 or 5.8 to do a swap like this it will look factory once it's in there.

Bottom line though... I don't think the 5.0 should have been installed in anything but regular cab 2wd F150's, it simply doesn't produce the TQ a heavy truck needs and doesn't tow well unless the truck is equipped with steep gears and you rev it like it's a two stroke.

 

[Blue Goose]

Bottom line though... I don't think the 5.0 should have been installed in anything but regular cab 2wd F150's, it simply doesn't produce the TQ a heavy truck needs and doesn't tow well unless the truck is equipped with steep gears and you rev it like it's a two stroke.

That's what I was going to say, Paul. To tow anything that would require a 3/4 ton truck, you'd have to drive it like you were mad at it...

 

[SuperCab]

It can be done though. Dude I worked with had a F250 with a 302 in it once...

Right foot goes down. Not a big deal unless you're hauling with it alot...

 

[flareside_thunder]

I agree.....I don't believe the 302 was ever offered in that chassis style.

 

[F 150Cobra]

i know a guy with a 302 in the F250 he is on this site.. but in a 350 i doubt it!

i doo know a f350 dually with an 300-6 in it.

btw just run the vin and you will know for sure what it came with and if they swapped it

 

[94supercab]

btw just run the vin and you will know for sure what it came with and if they swapped it

i will make it even easier, look at the 8th position of the VIN
Y = 4.9L
N = 5.0L
H = 5.8L

 

[rickpilgrim]

Our 82 F-150 came with a 302, aod and 3.70 gears. She had a hard time getting up to speed with a 10' single ax trailer with 3800 lbs on it.
If I was interested in it I would buy it with the intent of selling the 302(who knows how that got there) and putting in a 351W or making a 393W for it as we tow alot and know the more cid you have the easier it is to get and keep moving and also the bigger motor lasts longer because your straining it less.

 

[flareside_thunder]

Our 82 F-150 came with a 302, aod and 3.70 gears. She had a hard time getting up to speed with a 10' single ax trailer with 3800 lbs on it.
If I was interested in it I would buy it with the intent of selling the 302(who knows how that got there) and putting in a 351W or making a 393W for it as we tow alot and know the more cid you have the easier it is to get and keep moving and also the bigger motor lasts longer because your straining it less.

By that logic the 300 inline six should never have been used in a large chassis vehicle. In fact, what makes the vehicle strain less is the gearing in both the transmission and rearend as well as the torque output of the engine itself. The CID has no bearing on the amount of pulling capacity....you could make a lawnmower pull cypress stumps if you wanted.

 

[rickpilgrim]

We had a 300 6 in an old f-250 4spd a long time back. She was geared to pull, and did okay at it considering top speed(by rpm) was 61 mph and it did take a mile or two to get there when loaded. We rebuilt the first bottom end around 60K mi in that one.
I suspect a 302 in an F-350 would fare much the same. It would need to be geared so low(like my 94 F-Super Duty was)that it would be running at high RPM most of the time.
Now take my 87 F-250 with a 460 and c6 with 4.10's and hook my 11K lb 24' trailer up. In 7/10's mi I'm doing 70+ on the highway, no shifting up/down, no speed variation on hills or anything. I can even show you the ticket one of my guys got with that truck and trailer, 89mph in a 65 on a flat highway!
I have yet to see a 300 or a 302 that could drag that trailer around like the BIGGER CID 460!

 

[flareside_thunder]

I have yet to see a 460 drag around a trailer like that and get the same fuel milage as the smallblocks.

 

[wizzard351]

heck the only truck that a 302 shouldve ben offerd in would be a ranger. ive had probably 5-7 trucks over the years with 302s and they wher and are big pooches. ive got one now and even with only 35,000 miles it cant hardly do a burnout goin around a corner! when i look at older hd trucks ill try to find 460's or 300's(at least itll get better mpg's while being a slug) or a powerstroke

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

I'm betting it's really a 351W. Don't be knocking the 302, ask Brad about a 351W compared to a 302.

 

[flareside_thunder]

I have to agree wizzard......I love my truck but the 302 just is too much of a slug.

 

[flareside_thunder]

I'm betting it's really a 351W.

My thoughts as well and with the ZF behind it it'll be an awesome pulling truck.

 

[wizzard351]

I'm betting it's really a 351W. Don't be knocking the 302, ask Brad about a 351W compared to a 302.

well they are good for just cruzzin around back and forth around town but to pull big loads ya just work'm to death and crack exaust manifolds. oh im shure towin a small fishin boat it'd be arlrite but i wouldnt recomend towing a truck across country with one.

 

[rickpilgrim]

When you are towing fuel economy is around 10-13. You take a 460, you get 11, take my 05 F-250 w/5.4 auto and you get 10. Had a GM 1-ton w-350 and it got 11. The 302 I had got 13, but that was only 6500 lbs behind it. All of my BB trucks are about 1 mpg behind the smallblock ones with same trailer wieght.
302 is a good motor, but a 351 is much better for HD work.

 

[flareside_thunder]

No argument there.......I'd rather have the W in my truck as well.