How much can I tow with my 1992 E150 Econoline Van
It has a 300 cid inline 6 motor. 120,000 miles on it.
Thanks

Jim

 

Welcome to the Towing forum!

If you post back with your axle ratio and transmission, someone with a similar vehicle or an owner's manual for that year may be able to help.

Scott

 

Yes, please more information. I can tell you this, when I LOST a wheel bearing on my bass boat I wouldn't have known had I not seen the wheel wobbling in my mirror. I love my straight six! Oh, and when I say lost I mean only the outer race was left! Couldn't tell anything had happened! F-150 4x4, '93, M@z!a 5-spd, 3.55 rear, I-6, and a few TWEAKS! Post again please.

 

Can't find my 92 tow guide, but the 94 guide shows:
2.73 ratio no towing.
3.08 ratio 9000 gcwr 3800 tow
3.31 ratio 9500 gcwr 4300 tow
3.55 ratio 10000 gcwr 4800 tow

I always consider these ratings optimistic. All E series are auto transmission in later years.

 

my old truck had the straight 6 and it sucked at towing. Even little hills and it would bog down so bad I would be in 1st. You wont break any land speed records, but off the line it was preatty good.
Lars

 

All depends on gears in rear and transmission.

I have a F150 4.9L w/ 4.10LS, even with E4OD, it pulls great. But I am also limited by the size(weight) of the my truck and brakes.

 

my 1990 f-250 with the big six, Pulls like a dream, It has 4.56 gears and a C-6 Tranny. It will pull a house but it only tops out at 65mph.

 

I have been driving a F-350 longbed crew cab pickup for near 24-years with a 4.9L 300 inline Six.
I run 4:10 gears (mis-matched ring and pinion in rear Dana 60) and a NP 435 4-speed manual trans.
I built the engine myself, but hired out the balancing of the rotating assembly. It is bored .040" over.
For Towing chores I elected to install Clifford 4-bbl aluminum intake with a 600cfm Holley universal carb.
For exhaust I installed a set of Clifford headers to match, and have never had to change the intake / exh manifold gasket !! That speaks highly for the matched set and gasket.
Anyway, I opted for the 4-bbl carb and intake for purposes of winding the engine to upper rpm's to keep the water pump and cooling fan doing their best. Another thing too, is with good breathing, and a rich fuel mixture, the engine never over-heats even without a fan shroud. Initially I installed a mid-range Comp cam, but i had a lobe go flat on no. 1 cylinder, so i installed an '60's grind Clevite cam.
I purposely left the shroud off to see if I could bust the myth of 300's running cool even without a shroud.
End results of towing heavy loads (6k lbs) over the coastal mountains to the Pacific Coast and back to the Sacramento Valley without protest, was no overheating issues ever. These long skinny engines dissipate heat very well not having a valley like a V-8.
Best tank empty on the open road is 13-mpg. I could use an overdrive trans. Therefore a 300 in a Van probably runs along happily.


Ford 300 inline Six engine with Holley 600cfm 4-bbl removed.
Clifford intake and headers.