I would look for a 94 + 302 with the roller cam and mass air......

 

I've got the '95 in my sig below (5.0, E40D, Ext Cab, 4x4, 138K miles) and I absolutely LOVE it! Runs good on the highway, VERY driveable & has plenty of pep off the line. I haven't hauled with it out here yet but wouldn't hesitate to. Towing in hilly country it'd be nicer to have more bottom end than the 5.0 has but other than that I think it's a great combo. 32" tires and I can cruise the highway at 70 and still be at a fuel conserving 1800-2K rpm with the OD. Really, any of the three engines mentioned above are gonna give you real good service and performance if taken care of properly.

 

I have a 96' 150 auto with the 302 4x4. It has never run into anything it couldn't pull when it had good tires. The 302 also is quite quick off the line and can get pretty fast on level ground(for a truck). It takes no effort at all to spin if you want too. The mpgs aren't even terrible(for a truck). I get 15-17 empty.

 

Honestly, the 300 and 302 are pretty evenly matched in these trucks. IIRC, the 302 has a little more HP, but the 300 has a little more torque. When I had my 93, a friend of mine had a truck that was identical to mine, except he had a 302 and I had a 300. Both trucks had 3.55 gears, Mazda 5 speed, and 31" tires. We raced our trucks several times and they were always neck and neck. Gas mileage was pretty much the same too. Either engine is a good choice, but I would say the 300 wins when it comes to durability. 351 is also a good choice if you want more power and don't mind giving up a little gas mileage.

 

Amen, brother. You don't see Ford putting I6's or 351's in their new trucks and stangs.

 

Ever 302 I ever drove was gutless. I had a work van with one and it wouldnt get out of its own way unloaded or loaded. Im not a fan of them at all, power needs to be down low not up top. I much prefer the straight 6 or 351.

 

And they don't put the 302 in them either.

The "302" in the new trucks and Mustangs is the 5.0 Coyote, which is a modular DOHC V-8. It has absolutely nothing in common with the old pushrod 302 other than the fact that it happens to have the same displacement.

 

351. You'll never wish for a bigger engine, and if you do you need an F250 or F350 to handle it.

 

off topic but are you on the vannin form?

 

i like the my i6. my dad has one and hauls skid steers and round bales and what ever else he can fit in the tralor and box of his 94 f150 5spd.

 

I have a 302 E4od, it's OK but if I had my choice I would go for a little more low end torque in a larger engine. The 302 is ALWAYS kicking down going up hills. I have learned how to gas it a little here and there to minimize this but it would still be nice to have a bit more low end torque. Once you are on the highway your mileage difference isn't that dramatic unless you are a leadfoot or are traveling a long distance. If this is your daily driver and you live in a flat area the 302 would be fine. I have to negotiate 6 miles of an area called "the Pine Hills" every day to work so the 302 is not optimal for me. But hey, I still love my truck and the setup has been dependable so overall i have no big complaints about it, just a wishlist. The terrain where you live, your driving habits, the use you will make of your truck and also the deal you get, the condition of the truck etc are big determining factors in your overall satisfaction with your purchase.

 

Agreed, I've only had one 302 with any real *****, until I realized it only had 4.56 gears, and 21,800 miles, that was in a 90 F150 standard cab long bed M5OD 4x4. The 300-6 in the F250 standard cab long bed with 3.55 and a ZF5 had more off the line grunt and got better fuel economy on the freeway.
P.S. I have sold both of those light duty trucks.

 

I've drove my fair share of '80-96 F150s through out the years, they're all fairly even matched and and pretty gutless in stock form by my standards. Gearing in my opinion is the biggest difference maker. A 300 backed by 3.55s will feel stronger off the line and during pulling then a 351 backed by 3.08s.

Honestly you'd best off just buying the truck that speaks to you, and modify it to make it your own. I'd take a rust free (or close to it) 2wd with a 300 and 2.73s over a beat to hell 4x4 with a 351. These trucks are like legos, just find all the pieces you want and put one together the way you like. Auto to manual swaps are simple, 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive is fairly straight forward, theres really no difference in frames other then wheel base, pretty much every swap in a bolt in.

Anyone who claims a 302 is weak hasn't operated either of my rigs. My 94 has a stock 302 with basic bolt on's backed by a ZF5, dana 44 soild front axle, np205 transfer case, and 4.10 gears with lockers. With the stock e40d, 3.08s, and open diffs it wouldn't pull my 7,000lb boat and trailer across wet grass in 4lo. With its current setup it'd pull a barn off its foundation and drag it down the street like it wasnt there. My 96 F150 has a GT40 headed 306 with a e303 cam, trickflow intake, headers and exhaust, 4.30 gear, ect ect. If I can get traction it'll hit 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, as far as "passing power" goes theres not a stock or mild built 300 or 351 that can touch it. It's also fun seeing the confused looks on the faces of hemi dodge drivers as they disappear in the rearview mirror.

Like I said just find a truck you like and make it your own, stock is boring,

 

i would say the 300 is the best choice if you dont want a whole lot of hp but more than enough torque....i love the way my truck climbs hills without downshifting i cant say the same for the 302's ive ridden in...... but if you you want that added hp and torque you cant go wrong with the 351 its a great motor!

 

So basically what we have come up with here is it really doesn't matter which engine you get, as long as it has a blue oval on the front you are good to go.

After owning two of them, I am kind of partial to the 300 though. Something about the satisfaction you get when you drag a Chevy out of a mud hole, turn around and drive right through where they couldn't, and then have to pop the hood because they don't believe you only have 6 cylinders.