My 1989 F-250 lightduty has a 302(EFI), ZF 5 speed, and also it's 4 wheel drive. I'd like to put a carberated 460 in it. Is there a company out there that makes an adapter that will allow me to put a 460 in place of my 302? As most of you guys already know, the ZF manual transmissions has fixed bellhousings and I'd like to save some money by buying somekind of adapter rather than a big block 5 speed.

 

I haven't ever seen a adapter plate for the swap, and I think it would be more trouble and money than it's worth.

The better choice would be to use a 351 based engine and buy a stroker kit. I know there are some kits out there that can take a 351 out to a 427, so that should be pretty close to your goals hp/tq wise.

I think something like a 392ci with some good heads would be nice for what you want, though.

http://www.scatcrankshafts.com/PDFs/ScatCrank07.pdf

Here is a link to the Ford racing 392ci crate motor. http://www.fordracingparts.com/crate...eightliter.asp

 

Basically I need a heaver pickup that will pull a 20k goose neck trailer. The light-duty F-250, basically more of a 1/2 ton than a 3/4 ton, that I'm using now isn't man enough for the task. I'm torn between dumping a lot of money into trying to make my light duty into a real 3/4 ton. Or, going down to the dealership and buying an over priced new one. Any thoughts?

 

I was gonna say.. even if you do manage to find an adapter to mate the 460 to the existing tranny, the stock powertrain won't handle any more load so it'll still be a light duty truck. To pull a gooseneck reliably you need a lot more truck, but instead of throwing away $40G in depreciation, start searching for a used 1ton. Given the price of gas lately I'd be inclined to look for a diesel too.

 

$40,000 plus for a new pickup, can you believe it. How in the hell does Ford and all the rest think that working class people, like myself, can afford to drive their pickups, with that price tag. Isn't that why they make pickups to begin with, for the working class? It seems that the only people who can afford to drive new trucks are, city boys with fancy desk jobs. The only thing they haul, is their big egos.

Back on the topic, I have been looking for a good used 3/4-1 ton truck for the longest time. I've never found one with the right mileage and price. Even a pickup with 100,000+ miles on it, the seller still thinks it's worth gold.

 

It would be cheaper and more fun to do something like a 392ci stroker. Screw $40k trucks and going 460 carb'd would be more work than the 392ci, so I wouldn't bother.

 

get a '95 -'97 diesel. they're affordable. anf some get pretty good mpg. Yes, they'll cost you way more than a gas truck to buy but it'l last for several 100k miles. pulling a 20k gooseneck with a gas truck doesn't sound like a good idea. Gas trucks do not have the torque and don't get good mileage when put under that load. You might get 4-5 mpg with a 460 gas pulling that and 10-11 with a diesel truck. diesel currently is cheaper here by .55 to .60 a gallon.

 

I would have to agree that if you are towing heavy loads the only way to go is diesel. You should be able to find a good used truck for 20% of a new one. And with a diesel you can make your own fuel for about 70-90 cents per gallon.