Your favorite or least favorite engine, and why

[LEB Ben]

5.0 EFI just needs the right gear combo... I've put more than 330,000 miles on the EFI 5.0's in my 86 F150 4x4 4 spd OD with 3.50 gears. Never lacked for power, but I can always grab a better gear - not something you can do with a slushbox.

I hear guys rag on them all the time, but this one has always been a screamer....and I'm on the 3rd engine in a hard working truck. It's even done 2 hours at a time with the speedo needle buried - they just hit the hp/torque curve at about 2500 rpms.

While I wouldn't necessarily call the ones I've had a screamer, I will back off my original statement a little. The efi 302's are great for around town driving or flat interstate driving. So maybe it's just the work I demanded from them, some light towing (towed a max of 5000#'s and could never exceed 55mph at WOT) or even mountain driving (could never break 50mph through the Smokies). I've had the 302 in Broncos and 150's (about 6 different rigs) with gears ranging from 3.55's to 4.10's. Now these were all A/T vehicles with the weeeeeeeeak AOD (which is another rant of mine, never got more than 80k out of one), so maybe that did make a difference, but I still say the efi 302's are/were majorly underpowered in stock form.

 

[BKW]

oops, your right on the year. i just want a straight 8. not sure why, but thats kinda how i am. thanks for the info BKW, id be lost with out ya

First car to use a Straight 8 = 1921 Packard.

Last car to use a Straight 8 = 1954 Packard.

Other Straight 8's, to name a few: Oldsmobile, Buick, La Salle, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, Studebaker, Imperial, Hudson, Stutz, Hispano-Suiza.

 

[LEB Ben]

Bill...just out of curiousity, but do ever watch Barrett Jackson and for the fun of it determine if the car on the block is actually what the seller says it is. IE, do you determine if all the pieces/color/drivetrain combo are year correct and are accurate for the trim level/package?

Sorry for the hi-jack.

 

[TexasNomad]

Hey Bill, is there any thing you don't know

 

[kustomizingkid]

Fords Mod motors... you just can't kill them, and they last forever!

 

[klatt_89]

Fords Mod motors... you just can't kill them, and they last forever!

Some engines kill themselves....ie the spitting spark plug issue do to poor thread design. Depends on the year of the Mod motor though, but they are a good engine imho with the plug issue set aside.

 

[1970Custom]

Ben, try 45 bags of 80lb cement mix; I could FALL into my 4x4...

 

[mtflat]

Ben, I'll agree with you on towing with a 302/5.0 EFI - they just don't have the torque curve where they need it....and they would be especially lousy with an AT. I've tried it a few times and getting the load moving can be a challenge.
Quit trying - now I grab the D2500 12 valve Cummins turbo w/ 5 spd OD manual trans and heavy things move!

 

[LEB Ben]

HAHA...I hear ya Tim...use the right tool for the job. My towing wasn't that heavy, maybe a boat every now and again, and a u-haul to move stuff back and forth from school...so not much of a load. However, my mom loves the 87 as a grocery getter, so I just have to know the limits of the rig is all. Usually when I gotta move something heavy, I either take the 96 CC or the F700.

 

[BKW]

Bill...just out of curiousity, but do ever watch Barrett Jackson and for the fun of it determine if the car on the block is actually what the seller says it is. IE, do you determine if all the pieces/color/drivetrain combo are year correct and are accurate for the trim level/package?

I'd rather bark at the moon or chase rabbits than watch any of these circuses, where half of the old rolling piles of misery are shilled.

Auctions, IMO, have ruined the old car hobby.

 

[LEB Ben]

HAHA...point taken. I guess you answered my question. There were actually a few Packards that made me want to ask my question...but I guess didn't see them...haha.

 

[Blue Bomber]

I'd rather bark at the moon or chase rabbits than watch any of these circuses, where half of the old rolling piles of misery are shilled.

Auctions, IMO, have ruined the old car hobby.

 

[racsan]

my favorites are the 300 I-6, the 2.3 four (the pinto version that contined through '88 , havent experianced the twin-plug head or later designs) ford 4.0 ohv,g.m. 4.3, the 302 & 400 V8's. least favorites are the 2.8 V6's (both ford and g.m.) the pontiac 3.4 V6, amc 232 I-6, chrysler 400. i drove a '05 dakota of a freinds that had the small V8 (cant recall the displacement, maybe 4.7? wasnst but about 288 cid) was a great performer but had alot of issues.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

My Ford favorites are FE's and the 302 in my 85( thing towed a flatbed with a 77 150 parts truck at 65 no problem).
Worst is Ford M motors and 460 (always felt doggy to me compared to my 390).
Favorite non Ford is Buick 225 (dauntless) v6 in my jeep (burns tires in every gear bone stock).