5 Of The Best Engines Ever Put In A Ford Truck

I don't know that I fully agree with this, but thought y'all might be interested in an an article entitled 5 Of The Best Engines Ever Put In A Ford Truck.

Interesting!

I'd have to say they're each iconic.
And, yes. I do have my bias to an engine series that isn't featured.

Maybe 30 years from now the public will reminisce about the Coyote and Godzilla engines?
Maybe they will smite all internal combustion engines?

Are you talking about this engine, Jim? And by the way, their dyno testing misses a problem with this setup - lack of low-end torque. I'm here to tell you that engine won't pull below 1500 RPM as that intake/lower plenum wasn't designed for a wet mix. When I changed to port injection from the carb it was like I had a different engine.

The whole series (370, 429, 460) but I see the article only showcases the 351 and not the 289/5.0, so....

The EFI lower plenum certainly doesn't offer any low end compared to the 'restrictive' dual plane with heated floor found under the carbed models.

460's were in 2wd automatic pickups starting by the mid '70's but went on hiatus in '79 while the 400 was tasked with heavy lifting.
They returned for '83 and ran out after '97.
(We did get external balanced engines with the D9TE block!)

Id like to see production numbers if you include the 370 & 429 which were never found in pickups but in millions and millions of medium duty trucks throughout that time.

In stock truck form these engines aren't hugely impressive on paper, but like the 300-6 they rumbled along quietly doing their job and shrugging off abuse.

It must be hard to pick "the 5 best". At least this author seemed to give it more thought than the last of these articles posted here.

Yes, this article seems to be a bit better thought through.  And the fact that he singled out the 351W and not the 289/5.0 reflects that.

Did some looking for production numbers, and the first place I turned was to Drivingline's A HISTORY OF THE FORD 460, THE BLUE OVAL'S LONGEST-LASTING TRUCK BIG BLOCK V8.  Didn't find any production numbers but did see an article entitled THE 1980-1986 FORD F-150 IS AN OVERLOOKED GENERATION OF CLASSIC PICKUP TRUCKS.  Really?  They sure don't seem to be overlooked on here.    And it says the diesel came turbo'd.    But, it does have the slick graphic below.

Interesting... but the author needs a bit of geography knowledge:
«The massive "small block" engine takes its name from the Windsor Engine Plant that birthed it in Windsor, Ohio».

Time to be chauvinistic and get it back on the right track.


351 Windsor plant is located in Windsor.
Ontario.
Canada.
Hey.


The Cleveland version of the 351 was made in Cleveland, OH.
USA.
Yep.  Our friendly neighbours.
No need to apologize, these things happen.

Good catch, Jeff.  

Author looks to be a tech writer based in London, though American educated.

https://www.slashgear.com/author/danielfeininger/

I don't think he was born yet when the 300, 351, 460, 7.3 or 390 were still in production.

     Windsor, Ohio has a population under 2,000.

Jeff, id like to thank your great nation for their contributions to the altar of internal combustion!  

Jim, I receive these thanks for all my compatriots.


But I need to return this compliment to all US governments that allowed Canadians to participate to the North American automotive industry for decades.  We could have be easily obliterated in this trade.


Maybe Canada is a "great" nation (thanks again), but it remains a very small population (and market), in comparison with USA.

BigBrother-84 wrote

Interesting... but the author needs a bit of geography knowledge:
«The massive "small block" engine takes its name from the Windsor Engine Plant that birthed it in Windsor, Ohio».

Time to be chauvinistic and get it back on the right track.


351 Windsor plant is located in Windsor.
Ontario.
Canada.
Hey.


The Cleveland version of the 351 was made in Cleveland, OH.
USA.
Yep.  Our friendly neighbours.
No need to apologize, these things happen.

I wondered about that, then thought I can't remember squat anymore!

I met a gentleman the other day to return an Eiffel Tower his grandfather made out of wood. It was on display at the Children's Museum here. Amazing work.

I noticed his new Ford truck of course, then saw the "Godzilla" badge. I asked how he liked the engine, he does.

He said he thought about installing a Whipple Supercharger on it, but after towing his fifth wheel RV around, he doesn't think it needs it.

I'm glad we have the trade relationship we do!
Though some of our tariffs and squabbles are ridiculous (IMO)

We may have you outnumbered 10:1 but I am sincerely grateful for our trusty and productive northern neighbors.  

I disagree with the mention of the 3.5 Ecoboost. It's important but the 5.0 Coyote can make way more reliable horsepower with a stock engine and has turned the F-150 into an accessible and potent drag racing option.

tcbaklash wrote

I disagree with the mention of the 3.5 Ecoboost. It's important but the 5.0 Coyote can make way more reliable horsepower with a stock engine and has turned the F-150 into an accessible and potent drag racing option.

I disagree with your disagreement.  

This website says:

Both F-150 engines provide plenty of horsepower and torque, guaranteed to get the job done right. The high-output 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine is rated at 450 horses. This rating is much higher when compared to the 5.0L F-150 V8 engine that is rated at 395-horsepower. Additionally, the H.O. V6 EcoBoost provides 510 lb-ft. of torque, while the V8 is only rated at 400 lb-ft. of torque.

I'm sure that's for the latest version of the 3.5L EB, but my 2015 still has gobs of torque.  In fact I'd rather tow with it than the 460 as it is so effortless.  And my 2015 F150 is rated to tow slightly more than my '85 F250 w/a 460.

As for reliability, mine hasn't had a problem - although I probably just jinxed it.  And it got 11.0 MPG pulling a 25' SeaRay boat on a 2500 mile journey when the 460 turned in 12.1 MPG not towing anything on a similar journey.

I'm really impressed with the 3/5L EB.  The twin turbos keep power available at all elevations but don't come in unless you need/want them, and then do so seamlessly.  It is a great engine.

I have driven a few Expeditions/F150 with the 3.5L EB.

The engine did impress me, it is effortless. no lag and was economical. I was not towing though. the 10speed transmission was interesting.

I did notice the engine braking was not as good as in my 5.4L 3V Expedition, not sure if that was due to the different transmission (I have the 6spd) or lower compression of the EB engine.

So the EB engine may be the most polarizing engine ford has put out. People either love it or hate it. The Marmite of the ford engine line up?

I hear lots of anecdotal stories about whether it will blow up, or is hard to work on, or will only last 100k miles before needing to be replaced..... Usually starting with "my friends mechanic told him...."

My next vehicle will be an Expedition Max, with the EB engine. So I guess I will learn one way or another first hand.

LOL!  Yes, I tried Marmite when in the UK and did not like it.  So that's a good analogy.

I should have said that my 2015 has the Max Tow package, which got an upgraded rear axle with 3.55 gears instead of the stock 3.23's.  Those gears appear to make a huge difference as my truck has a lot more acceleration than the loaner they gave me when mine was in the shop - for body work.

I also have the 6-speed tranny, but my compression braking is pretty good, maybe because of the axle gearing.  When my brother and I took it to FL to get Big Blue he was very impressed with it.  And when we came back from Lake Powell pulling that 25' SeaRay we came down a very steep section of AZ89 where the speed limit is 45 MPH and everybody was riding their brakes.  I tapped the brake pedal a couple of times and it tached up to 4000 and held it at 45 the whole way down - w/o further braking.

I'm sure my gearing hurts my MPG when not towing, but I still get 18 in most cases and can get over 20 if I take it off cruise as the cruise lights the turbos too often.  On the other hand, the turbos give it as much power at 7500 feet on the south rim of the Grand Canyon as it does down here at 700', so I like them.

On the other hand, I hear nice pipes on new F150's and know they have the Coyote.  Don't bother with the 3.5L as it is a six.  On top of that the turbos muddy the sound.  Oh well, if I want sound I'll fire up Big Blue.  

Marmite = no.  EcoBoost = yes.

Gary Lewis wrote

tcbaklash wrote

I disagree with the mention of the 3.5 Ecoboost. It's important but the 5.0 Coyote can make way more reliable horsepower with a stock engine and has turned the F-150 into an accessible and potent drag racing option.

I disagree with your disagreement.  

This website says:

Both F-150 engines provide plenty of horsepower and torque, guaranteed to get the job done right. The high-output 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine is rated at 450 horses. This rating is much higher when compared to the 5.0L F-150 V8 engine that is rated at 395-horsepower. Additionally, the H.O. V6 EcoBoost provides 510 lb-ft. of torque, while the V8 is only rated at 400 lb-ft. of torque.

I'm sure that's for the latest version of the 3.5L EB, but my 2015 still has gobs of torque.  In fact I'd rather tow with it than the 460 as it is so effortless.  And my 2015 F150 is rated to tow slightly more than my '85 F250 w/a 460.

As for reliability, mine hasn't had a problem - although I probably just jinxed it.  And it got 11.0 MPG pulling a 25' SeaRay boat on a 2500 mile journey when the 460 turned in 12.1 MPG not towing anything on a similar journey.

I'm really impressed with the 3/5L EB.  The twin turbos keep power available at all elevations but don't come in unless you need/want them, and then do so seamlessly.  It is a great engine.

Well, what I mean is stock engine with bolt-ons. You can achieve 750 reliable horsepower without opening up the engine. Paired with the 10-speed transmission and off-the-shelf supercharger kits the F-150s are quick for a truck, and they're among the more common late-model vehicles at drag strips. Obviously this is not relevant for daily driving or towing, but I think the 5.0 Coyote's motorsports cred in both the F-150 and Mustang makes it worthy of being on the list.

Yes, I agree that it deserves to be on the list.  But I don't know if it is better than the 3.5L EB.  They are very different engines, with the EB getting its power down low - similar to a diesel.  I think the Coyote likes to rev and gets its power higher in the band.

BigBrother-84 wrote

Interesting... but the author needs a bit of geography knowledge:
«The massive "small block" engine takes its name from the Windsor Engine Plant that birthed it in Windsor, Ohio».

Hahaha...that was funny. That's a significant error in my opinion....but maybe it's one of those things that is common only if known? Or maybe because I'm such a small block Ford fan that I knew this piece of history more than others?...

Cheers to the 300 inline 6 though. What did it run in the f-series trucks? 30 years? 1966-1996? Annnnd was also used in some of the medium duty trucks also. I know they're popular in irrigation equipment (as pictured) and generators and such, but out here on the coast, the old 300 six was also a very common boat engine. They still show up for sale around here in boats...after almost 30 years out of production.