360 engine vs 352 or 302?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 80
From: tujunga, calif
I think another difference is the crap they sell us for fuel now as compared to the old leaded when the trucks were new. I know both of my trucks and my car dropped about 2mpg from what they use to get.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 80
From: tujunga, calif
I'm sure it is. I don't know what they put in the fuel in Arizona but my truck hated it. On my way to New Mexico I had to stop and retard the timing twice
. It ran alright in New Mexico but I had to do it again on the return trip when I filled up in Arizona..
. It ran alright in New Mexico but I had to do it again on the return trip when I filled up in Arizona..
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Forget an engine change unless you already have a donor vehicle sitting there to pull a complete powertrain from, without changing anything else on the truck the single best thing you can do (meaning the best gains/cost ratio) is to swap in an overdrive transmission. No that probably won't make as much difference as swapping in a more modern EFI motor with an OD trans, but that's a lot more money and work and will take much longer to get your return on investment back in saved fuel.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
When I first bought my truck it had a 390-2V engine with a 3-spd Warner T-85N overdrive tranny and what I believe to be a 3.54:1 rear gear. Before I rebuilt my engine I was curious about what kind of mileage it was getting. I checked it using the "run it dry, add one gallon and see how far it goes" method. Yeah, I like doing things the hard way. LOL. Anyway, I found that it was getting 11 mpg (city) in light evening traffic.
After rebuilding my engine I added dual 2.25" exhausts with turbo mufflers. I also added an open element chrome air breather, an Accel Supercoil, new plug wires and a set of Accel "U-groove" spark plugs. I also remember experimenting and going down one or two jet sizes.
All of these changes gave me around a 2 mpg increase in fuel economy and a noticable increase in power.
After rebuilding my engine I added dual 2.25" exhausts with turbo mufflers. I also added an open element chrome air breather, an Accel Supercoil, new plug wires and a set of Accel "U-groove" spark plugs. I also remember experimenting and going down one or two jet sizes.
All of these changes gave me around a 2 mpg increase in fuel economy and a noticable increase in power.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
Better mpgs out of a 352...probably not since they're the same basic engine..just longer stroke. As said before..a 302 is more of a car engine. In these heavy bricks..a stock 302 would probably not be much better..maybe 3-5 mpg difference since it would be straining to get it moving more. A nice tune up and clean out should get you up to the 11-14 mpg highway on a good day. A food can of seafoam through the oil and fuel would do good to degum the lines. Proper tire size and inflation help too. Sparkplug..timing..wires..etc also help and it all adds up little by little. I had a 360 and it got 12 highway..I was never worried because I knew that this truck wasn't a hybrid or a 4 cylinder Hyundai. It is a 68 ford f100 with a granny 4 and 360 Fe and whatever mpg it got..it got. As mentioned dozens of times..these are lead sleds. We drive them for nostalgia..not mpgs!
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
When I first bought my truck it had a 390-2V engine with a 3-spd Warner T-85N overdrive tranny and what I believe to be a 3.54:1 rear gear. Before I rebuilt my engine I was curious about what kind of mileage it was getting. I checked it using the "run it dry, add one gallon and see how far it goes" method. Yeah, I like doing things the hard way. LOL. Anyway, I found that it was getting 11 mpg (city) in light evening traffic.
After rebuilding my engine I added dual 2.25" exhausts with turbo mufflers. I also added an open element chrome air breather, an Accel Supercoil, new plug wires and a set of Accel "U-groove" spark plugs. I also remember experimenting and going down one or two jet sizes.
All of these changes gave me around a 2 mpg increase in fuel economy and a noticable increase in power.
After rebuilding my engine I added dual 2.25" exhausts with turbo mufflers. I also added an open element chrome air breather, an Accel Supercoil, new plug wires and a set of Accel "U-groove" spark plugs. I also remember experimenting and going down one or two jet sizes.
All of these changes gave me around a 2 mpg increase in fuel economy and a noticable increase in power.
New User
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Don't know why you guys call these trucks "bricks" Mine is not a brick. It runs hard. I had a 70 2wd long bed sports custom with 428 6V and it ran hard. I had it up 125 MPH plus racing a new, at the time, Chevy truck in 1994 down the interstate in Wyoming. The Chevy "like a rock" was left behind. My 69 Shorty Ranger with high perf 390 will blow over a 100 mph fairly easy and fast. If yours is a brick that is your fault. Gas mph is 10 -12 with what ever motor you put in. Get over it or get a Prius.....
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Don't know why you guys call these trucks "bricks" Mine is not a brick. It runs hard. I had a 70 2wd long bed sports custom with 428 6V and it ran hard. I had it up 125 MPH plus racing a new, at the time, Chevy truck in 1994 down the interstate in Wyoming. The Chevy "like a rock" was left behind. My 69 Shorty Ranger with high perf 390 will blow over a 100 mph fairly easy and fast. If yours is a brick that is your fault. Gas mph is 10 -12 with what ever motor you put in. Get over it or get a Prius.....
Sorry bub, your 69 like all others of this era is a brick. Most of the FE powered ones would run the numbers on the speedo, mine does, but it aint splitting the air partials & getting 25 mpg.
John
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
OK Nottabrick. You made a reference to a term that we use and referred why. You don't like the response. None of the Ford trucks have much aero design.
You can call your truck a her if you want.
John
You can call your truck a her if you want.
John
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
My 133" '75 F150 360FE +T18 is a Bump under its ugly-Dented skin. ;)
With 3.25 Traction Lok rear axle ratio, 235/85-16E's on 7" wide wheels.
A fresh rebuild + 252/252 Comp "economy" cam I got a solid 13+mpg.
No kidding, that's compensating for the odometer being off by 12.8%.
As the engine's got tired (~95k on the rebuild) it's dropped to ~12mpg
and that's the best it -ever- did from brand new! But it's still got more
power and starts better and gets better oil mileage and just plain runs
better than it ever did from new still... with ~95k miles on the rebuild. :)
Hey, the original cam timing sucked, what can I say? LOL :)
If I were to swap engines for MPG, I'd swap in a 300-i6 :) !!
YMMV <-- like puns? ;)
All I'd need is a bellhousing to match the 300i6 and T18, easy enough to
find I bet. But don't -know- that. ;) If you got-and/or-like automatics...
You're on your own. ;)
Engine perches are the same. FE = 300i6
Alvin in AZ
With 3.25 Traction Lok rear axle ratio, 235/85-16E's on 7" wide wheels.
A fresh rebuild + 252/252 Comp "economy" cam I got a solid 13+mpg.
No kidding, that's compensating for the odometer being off by 12.8%.
As the engine's got tired (~95k on the rebuild) it's dropped to ~12mpg
and that's the best it -ever- did from brand new! But it's still got more
power and starts better and gets better oil mileage and just plain runs
better than it ever did from new still... with ~95k miles on the rebuild. :)
Hey, the original cam timing sucked, what can I say? LOL :)
If I were to swap engines for MPG, I'd swap in a 300-i6 :) !!
YMMV <-- like puns? ;)
All I'd need is a bellhousing to match the 300i6 and T18, easy enough to
find I bet. But don't -know- that. ;) If you got-and/or-like automatics...
You're on your own. ;)
Engine perches are the same. FE = 300i6
Alvin in AZ
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
Don't know why you guys call these trucks "bricks" Mine is not a brick. It runs hard. I had a 70 2wd long bed sports custom with 428 6V and it ran hard. I had it up 125 MPH plus racing a new, at the time, Chevy truck in 1994 down the interstate in Wyoming. The Chevy "like a rock" was left behind. My 69 Shorty Ranger with high perf 390 will blow over a 100 mph fairly easy and fast. If yours is a brick that is your fault. Gas mph is 10 -12 with what ever motor you put in. Get over it or get a Prius.....
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
My 133" '75 F150 360FE +T18 is a Bump under its ugly-Dented skin. 
With 3.25 Traction Lok rear axle ratio, 235/85-16E's on 7" wide wheels.
A fresh rebuild + 252/252 Comp "economy" cam I got a solid 13+mpg.
No kidding, that's compensating for the odometer being off by 12.8%.
As the engine's got tired (~95k on the rebuild) it's dropped to ~12mpg
and that's the best it -ever- did from brand new! But it's still got more
power and starts better and gets better oil mileage and just plain runs
better than it ever did from new still... with ~95k miles on the rebuild.
Hey, the original cam timing sucked, what can I say? LOL
If I were to swap engines for MPG, I'd swap in a 300-i6 !!
YMMV <-- like puns?
All I'd need is a bellhousing to match the 300i6 and T18, easy enough to
find I bet. But don't -know- that. If you got-and/or-like automatics...
You're on your own.
Engine perches are the same. FE = 300i6
Alvin in AZ
With 3.25 Traction Lok rear axle ratio, 235/85-16E's on 7" wide wheels.
A fresh rebuild + 252/252 Comp "economy" cam I got a solid 13+mpg.
No kidding, that's compensating for the odometer being off by 12.8%.
As the engine's got tired (~95k on the rebuild) it's dropped to ~12mpg
and that's the best it -ever- did from brand new! But it's still got more
power and starts better and gets better oil mileage and just plain runs
better than it ever did from new still... with ~95k miles on the rebuild.
Hey, the original cam timing sucked, what can I say? LOL
If I were to swap engines for MPG, I'd swap in a 300-i6
!! YMMV <-- like puns?
All I'd need is a bellhousing to match the 300i6 and T18, easy enough to
find I bet. But don't -know- that.
If you got-and/or-like automatics...You're on your own.
Engine perches are the same. FE = 300i6
Alvin in AZ
Comp Cams cam..lifters..springs and steel gears..dual exhaust..Offenhauser 4bbl intake with a 600 cfm edelbrock carb..the only thing I have yet to do is shave the deck and do a little porting on the head..but that engine will be anything from economical now haha. I had a hard time at first finding a bellhousing..but a 302/351w bellhousing is the one to use. All their manual trannys have the same butterfly square pattern to bolt to the tranny.
And I agree about the cam timing..most engines were so retarded (no pun intended) that they ran worse and got less mpgs.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,522
Likes: 11
From: Townsend, MT
A small 4 barrel would be better. When cruising, the air going through the venturis is at a higher velocity, increasing efficiency and throttle response.