[updated:LAST EDITED ON 05-Oct-02 AT 03:22 PM (EST)]Well before I start puttin $$ into my truck I was looking to move up with the big boys. I'm looking at a 97 F250 HD w/ a 460, E4OD, 4.10. What kind of life can I expect out of this engine, and what should I expect for mpg - Highway? Also, I've never had an auto (thats the only downside) Is this a good combo, good year, any history of problems? Thanks

1995 F150XLT XCab 8'Box 4X4
w/ a 302 - 5spd

 

My grandpa used to have that exact same setup. He since then traded it for a 2002 V10 4.30 gears. In his old truck he got 14mpg highway and that is with a huge on board gas tank and a tool box filled with heavy chains/tools and more tools. He claimed the 460 had way more power than his new V10. Same configuration weight and truck wise with the V10 even having the gearing advantage. Before you buy just make sure you know if it has been used extensively for heavy towing or not. The E4OD is strong trans but it still can be problematic behind the mercy of a 460 and a heavy load.

 

Don't know much about the 97 but I'm guessing it would be similar to my 91. I have the 460 with the automatic in it. I have 186,000 miles on the truck and have never opened the engine. I did replace the trans at 136,000 miles but my rig has been used hard. I am the third owner, the first pulled a 24' enclosed trailer for a lawn business in the summer and plowed in the winter. The second owner was a carpenter, sold the plow to pay for toolboxes(dammit he kept the boxes). He pulled a 22' enclosed trailer all the time with his shop and materials. And yes I know it hasn't been apart because I am friends with both the previous owners. In it's life the truck has had these replaced. Three batteries, one alternator, one water pump, one eec relay, more brake pads than can be counted(see towing above),the aforementioned trans, six sets of tires, exhaust once. I am replacing the tie rod ends now and amgoing to have the suspension rebuilt. The only ongoing problem is that both tanks leak. And I am just to lazy to pull them and replace them. Oh yeah, it's an xlt and the power windows and locks still work, slow, but they still operate. So if taken care of it should run for at least another 100,000+ plus miles. Even though my truck has been a work truck it's whole life all maintenance has been kept up at the proper intervals which has probably helped tremendously with it's reliability. Did I mention the starter is original.
Lots of luck and enjoy your Big Ford
T. Roberts
UFD Local 1147

 

for work i use a 1993 f 450 with a 460 and a 5 speed transmission
the gvw on it is 14500 kgs
the truck now has 230000 km on it and its on its second engine
the biggest problem we have with it is exhaust manifolds cracking
weve put about 10 on it since new
they seem to get hot and crack towing the load
when they do crack anytime the engine is under load (always)you get a loud tickign like a stuck lifter noise
the truck is being used to tow a triaxle flatdeck trailor with a backhoe on it
backhoe alone weighs 18000 lbs
so u can imagine the life this truck has had
when it comes to power it has alot of it
itll pull the side off a barn
we had a 7.3 diesel before this truck and it doesnt compare to the power of the 460 in this application
oh its also a pig on gas
i can burn up 180 litres of fuel in a 4 hour drive
about 210 kms

 

The life of the engine and drive train is going to depend on how it has been treated. I will tell you that my own '96 F-250 460 has 140,000 miles on it now, it doesn't use a drop of oil between changes and it runs great. We use it as both a daily driver to job sites and to haul trailers, double-axle flatbed or horse trailers. Sometimes as much as 3,500 pounds of hay stacked in the bed (thank you, Air-Lift). Drives 4 miles of dusty dirt and gravel road every day. It's definitely not a suburban take-the-kids-to-the-mall truck with an easy life.

I do my own regular maintenance on it, regular oil and filter changes, change the tranny ATF and axle lubes once a year, etc. That's the key to long life out of any vehicle. Trucks that have been worked hard, maybe abused and not maintained will die early.

The E4OD is a fantastic, long life transmission, it has only one issue that I know of, dirty or contaminated ATF will KILL them. Ford has issued bulletins about this, Ford dealers (and others) sell an add-on oil filter kit for the E4OD that goes in the line to the cooler. When you change the ATF it needs to be kept clean, no dust or dirt allowed in the pan. If you DO kill an E4OD, it'll cost you the better part of $2,000 to get a rebuild installed. I love the E4OD, as much as I am used to manual transmissions, it's a great match to the 460.

Power? More than enough to do anything you want, especially with the 4.10. The truck will peel the asphalt topping off the road. They are torque monsters. Stock, they are slightly slower than the new V10s. With a few bolt-on mods the 460/4.10 combo will pull away from a new V-10 F-250 at a stoplight drag (heh-heh-heh).

Mileage? Terrible! Up to maybe 12.5, 13 MPG driven with no or light load, highway driving only, around 10 to 11 mix of suburban and highway driving, and as bad as 7 to 8 towing trailers on a mix of town and highway driving. Do NOT buy the truck unless you plan to use it as a truck, without a load in the bed the earlier-generation F-250 HDs ride is terrible off the paved roads, they'll bust your cojones. (The redesigned '98 and up ones ride MUCH better).

1997 was the last year of the tried and true 460 (and the classic Ford truck body style on the HD trucks) which has a long heritage. It's a good engine with no recent history of minor or major problems other than for the cracking manifold issue. Too much heat, too much pressure on those logs, maybe 10% to 30% of 460s will eventually crack them, from what I've seen. If there was ever an engine to put headers on, it's the 460.

If you get a well-maintained good one, and you don't mind a ride like a lumber truck and can afford the gas, you can't go wrong. Subscribe to Carfax and do a complete background history on the truck before you put the money down and ALWAYS have it checked out by a GOOD Ford mechanic. Brakes, drive train, tranny, emissions. Since you don't own one, you have no idea what a good one is supposed to run like. If you are in an area with emission tests, make sure you have it tested yourself before buying. That will spot a good many problems. A hundred dollars well-spent, a person will almost always miss something someone else might spot right away.

Way too many words...Hope I helped and didn't put you to sleep!

-Bill in Colorado
Two Easters Ranch

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1996 S/Cab F-250 4x2 Long bed 460
E4OD auto, 10.25" 4.10 posi, Air-Lift suspension, K&N filter in modified intake box, modified ignition advance curve, Edelbrock 2x61 mm throttle body, Bosch Platinum plugs, Champion truck plug wires, L&L 4 into 1 headers, .060 milled heads, 3" exhaust system, cat & Flowmaster 70, modified MAF meter, Michelin LTX 265/75/16E, Mobil 1 10W-30, Red Line D4 ATF, Red Line 80W-90 in axle. Reese hitch. 7,700 lbs GVW, 5,700 lbs empty.
10 to 12.8 MPG
{E\...F}

 

Hey thanks for everyones input. Now I REALLY got the itch. I tell you that life expectancy and gas mileage really surprised me. I get around 12mpg now so I got no complaint there. I do use my truck as a truck (got a disposable rice burner for the daily commute). I figured the 460 was the way to go, and I still think the pre '97s look better. It's real tough though to find and XCab w/ 8' Bed. I'm also lookin at an '89. Well I'll probably have more questions later. Thanks Again

-G

1995 F150XLT XCab 8'Box 4X4
w/ a 302 - 5spd