I currently have a 87 f-250 with a 300 in it. I'm getting about 13 mpg unloaded. I'm wanting something that can pull better that can get close to the mileage I'm getting now. I'm thinking about getting a F-250 or F-350 with a 460 in about the same year the one I've got now. What will be the pros and cons of this change? When looking for the new to me truck what should I look for? What are the warning signs of a wore out 460? The only ford motor I've had any dealings with is the 300. What is the mileage cap on a 460 before they start giving problems?

I know that there is more options out there than a 460 but it isn't going to be a daily driver and I'm wanting it to be sort of a toy to. There is a bunch of old fords with the 460 on craigs list for under $2,000.

 

A 460 isn't going to give mileage close to what a 300 is capable of. Your 300 should be doing better than 13. The 460 I had in an 85 F250 2wd only gave me about 8 in town and 10 on the highway. It had an Edelbrock 600 on it and it was a 4 speed. My dad had a 93 F250 4x4 with an EFI 460 5 speed in it. He only got about 10 in town and 12 on the highway that dropped to 8 if he was towing his small but heavy camp trailer. Thats the biggest reason why so many are being sold right now.

The warning signs of a worn out 460 aren't any different than they are for any other engine. No one can give you a "mileage cap" on problems either because there are too many variables.

Chris

 

why not try a 351w. I use mine for pulling and it gets the job done. Ive pulled my dads construction trailer with a skidsteer on it. thats around 7 to 8000 pounds, not a speed demon but it does it. plus the 460 only has a couple more horsepower then the 351W I thought. Plus what people said is that the 460 has to be rebuilt every 100000 or so, ive got 146000 on my windsor and there aren't any issues. You can buy what ever you want, i just thought I let ya know.

 

The 7.5L engine is very good design. There is no inherent design flaws that would require a rebuild every 100k. There are many good examples of 7.5L equipped trucks running near or over 200k without any major issues. Any of the modern EFI Ford engines will easily go 200k+ if it is properly maintained.

 

All depends on who drove it and how they maintained it.........some people seem to take pleasure in destroying things, others can run them far beyond design life. 460 is one of Fords best motors, no load, light foot, you can get 12-13 mpg. Heavy load working it, 8-11 mpg...........but you can pass anything but a gas station. Under normal maintenance, the 460 should go 200,000 miles easily. Treat it well, I know of one approaching 450,000 miles stock, with nothing done but a timing chain as a preventative measure.

 

My 460 (96 4x4) gets 11 mpg in town, and 13-14 on the highway if I keep it under 70-and thats at 6000ft+ in elevation.
(BTW, DON'T get a 351 in a full size truck if you want to tow anything. I had one, and the power difference is night & day with just a small MPG difference)

 

It's funny how those without the 460 seem to discount the effectiveness of the motor, where those of us with them defend them vehemently. I bought mine new in 89 and have towed the world with it without even a small hiccup. Regular maintenance is key with any motor and these are no different. I ordered mine as it sits today.... motor runs as it did on day 1. There is no secret to the fact a motor that doesnt break a sweat will last longer than one that needs rpm to make power.

 

With a 300 my last tank was 17.8MPG and most of that's done at 60MPH, with probably 35-40% city driving.


If you have the electronic carb on that '87 I suggest junking the carb and going with either a real carb or real EFI.

 

I've got a 351W in my 90 1/2 ton 4x4 and have towed my sisters 25 foot camp trailer up to the Big Horn mountains with it a couple times. I don't get there fast but I do get there. I had a 460 and it was nice but at only 8-9 MPG in town it wasn't worth having to me. My current truck gets almost 14 in town the way I drive. That is more than a small difference to me.

Chris

 

My truck does better than that-I know guys with CARBED 460's that get 8-9 mpg. My previous truck was a 96 F150 with a 351, and it was a slug when towing my Jeep. Even on level ground, it wouldn't stay in OD-it would shift back and forth between 3rd &4th. Keep in mind that I'm at 6000 ft elevation, and go up from there so I'm giving up a lot of power right off the bat.

 

Yeah, lot of folk are scared off by the mpg factor..........but then they will never know the sensation of putting your foot into it, and passing all the traffic on a 7% grade at 6,000 ft with 10,000 grand in tow. In fact the 351s, 350s and 360s will get WORSE mpg in the same scenario, because they are working really hard to do it. The 460 has its place, going to wal-mart and the grocery store ain't it!

 

The 300 is a EFI, the truck has a 4.10 rear and a t-18 trans with LT 235/85r16 tires. I always liked the way it ran, but am looking into camping and fishing options. With this truck I currently have those options are very limited. What I want is a small pontoon boat to pull behind with the slide in camper in. This will be used when me and a buddy go fishing. The wife wants me to get a fifth wheel camper which I will also have to hook the boat behind. I feel that the 300 would be capable pulling a small pontoon with our slide in camper on it, but the fifth wheel camper would be a bit much.

If I can get around 10 mpg out of a 460 unloaded that is good enough for me. It's not going to be used that much. I'm also want to see what that 400 ft/lbs of torque feels like. I suppose that driving boring cars for the last 4 years has gotten to me and I'm looking for something fun. The 460 seems like it could be fun when I need it to be.

 

The 460 I had was carbed, thats why it only got 8-9 MPG. It was an 85 model. My current truck is a 90 F150, 351W, E4OD 4x4. I live at about 4000' elevation now but most of my life has been at just short of 6000'. I know what elevation does to power. If your truck was a slug then something was wrong with it. Mine has enough power, even when towing. I do turn off the OD when towing though. No sense abusing the trans if I don't have too.

Chris

 

My 89 gets 10 loaded and 12-13 unloaded. It is a 5 speed so that helps. You dont have to worry bout towing your boat behind the 5th wheel because even if you had a class a license it's illegal! Towing with the 460 will net you better mileage not to mention get you there everytime. You will never have to look up that grade and think hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

As stated by others. a high of 13 will be doing good. I got it one from a trip from NJ to VA all high way doing between 65-70. I have 3:55 gears and a 5 speed and i had 33" tires.

And to someones statement that the 460 is only a couple of HP more, they re absolutly correct. BUT Hp looks good on paper but TORQUE does the work and that is where the 460 excells!

Gearing has a lot to do with how ANY engine will tow. But THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT. My best friend has a 97 F250 351 5spd 4:10 reg cab 4wd pick up since new. he has NEVER seen over 13mpg empty.He is nearing 120k and while it still tows, it is not the firey truck it used to be. The truck has probaably towed close to 1/3 of the miles on the truck. Now, when it was 3 years old an my 96 was 4 years old with about 40k on them both, my 460 would KILL his truck towing, and my truck has 3:55 gears and weighs 1000lbs more to boot!. I cant even imagine if mine had 4:10s.

460s are built to tow. 351s are built to tow occasionally