I'm still looking for a very nice E-250 or E-350 with a 460. Under 100,000 miles.
If that falls short what about doing a conversion?
I have a really nice 1982 E-150 XLT Club Wagon garage kept. Powered by a 351.
I need more power to pull a 6000 lb. car trailer. ( I live in the mountains of WV) How much work would there be in making this van a 460? Or should I just keep looking for the factory equipped one?

 

It would be easier to upgrade the 351 then swapping in a 460.
A better carb & intake, better heads & cam, long tube headers and you will have all the power you should need. Adding in a higher ratio rear like a 4:10 will also help you climb those hills in WV.

If the short block is in good shape you can do all this without pulling the engine.

 

If you are pulling a car trailer, you might be better off finding a E250 or E350.

There is a lot more to towing then just the power to pull it. The 250 and 350's have much larger braking systems and the heavier suspension. A half ton will tow but a heavier vehicle does it much safer. I use to tow with a half ton. But the one trip I was hauling a pretty heavy load. I was on a hill that ended at a very busy 4 lane interstate highway. Let's just say skidding towards an interstate with 8 wheels locking up can put a little scare in you. I ended up stopping with the nose of my truck about 2 foot into the closest lane of the interstate. After that I made the decision to not tow with a half ton.


Now back to your question. If you need more power like jimbbski mentioned you could modify the 351 or go with steeper gears. The plus side to modifying the 351 is. When you are running empty you will get quite a bit better mileage then a 460. But while towing you will get close to the same as the 460. The other thing is the 351W is much easier to work on in a van then the 460 is.

If you want to swap in a 460 it can be done. I'm not positive but being an 82 I think your van should have a 351W. If that is the case then you will also need to swap your transmission out at the same time. If your engine is a 351M then you can use your current transmission with a 460. And you will have to find the correct motor mount frame brackets/perches for the van along with a few other things.

But if it was me I'd be hunting down an E250/E350. Even if you find one that would have to have a 460 swapped into it.

 

Do yourself a favor and seriously consider the V10.

Before I recently bought my 07 E350 V10, I was searching for months for a big cubic inch gas engine. I wanted either Ford 460 or Ford V10 or GM 7.4L or GM 8100.

I couldn't find ANYthing. I learned that each of them is offered in a van, but each combo was extremely rare.

The V10 is the perfect answer:
*415 cubic inches
*10 cylinders ("wow factor")
*mass produced and reliable.
*E350 with factory Tow package= worry free towing without aftermarket upgrades. Everything from transmission, driveshaft, rear end, wheels, brakes... Everything is just ready to go tow...
*upgrades available if you want them ("chip" tuners, exhaust, air intakes..)
*modern vehicle- (fuel injected engine, quiet idle, low emissions, reasonable fuel economy, A/C, power locks, windows, cruise control, etc)

You can't go wrong.

 

I forgot to mention :
* the V10 is the least rare of the engines, therefore I had more options (condition, mileage, price. Etc.)

* the factory tow package has a plug in ready for brake controller and proper plug on exterior. Factory hitch rated at 10,000 lbs. also a dual battery set up and extendable mirrors.

Can you find a 460 van with all this?

 

Good advice so far-----I'll add an opinion or two.......

The '82 E150 would be completely inadequate for any sort of two vehicle regardless its engine. Add in your's is a conversion van its probably running right at its max GVWR with its current curb weight--throw in a few passengers and/or cargo and you've potentially exceeded any safe weight limitations.

Since you've not mentioned any sort of upper limit budget-wise its a bit tough weighing whether extensive engine, transmission, springs and brake modifications against another van better suited to your anticipated towing needs. I'm of the thought money and labor wise you'd be far far ahead to simply find a good new-to-you van. A E350 with the V10 would be an excellent choice.

The 12 and 15 passenger Club Wagon's would be excellent choices since those tend to be more plentiful than the cargo-only versions. As long as you're not stuffing them full of riders and baggage you'd have a great tow vehicle. I see these on eBay almost always---far less than I'd expect the cargo-only versions simply because they seem quite a bit more scarce.

While the 460 was a great engine in its time the computer controls of the V10 AND availability of a custom tune from 5 Star Tuning is hands down a vast improvement in most every measurable economic and performance parameter. They're somewhat easy to maintain and as mentioned are quite reliable.

For my money and sincere desire to avoid working forever and spending tons on a questionable conversion scheme gimme something new-to-me, off-the-shelf that's ready to drive the day its purchased. Simpler is better IMHO!

 

Thanks for all the speedy replies.
I was leaning toward a factory set up.
If anyone knows of a 460 or V-10 van that is nice please let me know.

 

Find Your Car: Used Listings Near Sutton, WV 26601 - AutoTrader.com

 

Where are you located and what is your budget?

 

Very good questions! Along with knowing: "how far are you willing to travel for the right vehicle?"

 

Depending on how frequently you tow and how many miles you plan on keeping the van for, a diesel van is always an option.

I have an '88 E250 diesel that I daily drive and also use it as my tow vehicle on track weekends. It pulls my 5000lb car/trailer set-up like it isn't even there. The previous owner pulled a his 7000lb travel trailer with it and said it pulled easier than his 454 gas truck.

 

My travel range would increase by the price and condition of the van.

 

I've never owned a diesel anything. In a van I'm not sure?
I know gas motors and know zero about diesels. I guess if a real good one came along I would at least check it out.

 

Each has their positives and negatives.

Diesel MPG is usually better (especially when towing), though you would have to figure out how much better since the price of diesel is higher. When worked hard diesel engines usually hold up better than gas (in general), though modern gas engines have gotten better at this. Maintenance maybe a little more on diesel depending on the model due to coolant and oil capacities being more, though the oil is cheaper.

I had never had a diesel until I purchased my van and now I love it. Though my IDI diesel is much simpler that the modern diesels.

My dad has a 8000lb 5th wheel that he has been pulling for a number of years. He has now retired and will be using it more frequently. He is currently using a Toyota Tundra as a tow vehicle, but has begun looking for a diesel truck to replace it. He can get 20mpg unloaded, but it drops down to 8-10mpg when towing. He is also worried about lack of torque when towing in the mountains.

Basically, if you work your vehicle a lot and plan on keeping it for 400,000 miles hen a diesel is the way to go. If you are not going to, then the extra cost isn't worth it.

Here are a few listings.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-DIESEL-EXTRA-CLEAN-12-PASSENGER-EXCELLENT-CONDITION-CLEAN-CARFAX-/181296877179?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2a3622ce7b&item=181296877179&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-xl-E350-4x4-7-3-Diesel-/191023722107?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2c79e6ae7b&item=191023722107&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-E350-XLT-2004-ford-e-350-van-diesel-auto-11-passenger-rear-ac-new-egr-cooler-one-/181296963493?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2a36241fa5&item=181296963493&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

 

Like to add my 0.02 here because no one has mentioned tires. Your 150 may have 4 ply car tires on it. Big difference between those and 10 ply truck tires that usually come on 250's and 350's.

I towed an 1800lb tandem axle car hauler rated for 7000 lbs gross but overloaded with a 6500lb E250 on it for a total of 8300lbs with a half ton suburban wearing 4ply tires. Very scary, wouldn't do it again on the interstate or anything above about 35 mph. I put the same rig on the back of an E-350 wearing 10 ply $300 a piece Michelin XPS rib tires and talk about world of difference. I could still feel that the trailer tires were wishy-washy and needed to be upgraded to 6 or 10ply truck tires, but the Michelins were in control and all in all it was a stable rig up to 65mph or so.

Lot of folks talking about engines. Personally I've never had a problem with the 5.4 gas V8 engine. I guess if you're constantly hauling the fifth wheel through the rockies maybe you need a v10 or diesel but for my purposes the 5.4 V8 does fine.