I may be think out loud here but is the 5.0 really that bad of a truck motor? I understand the general consensus is that its a gutless motor, and it gets worse gas mileage than 5.8 if you run a bigger tire. what about forced induction? Specifically turbos, Is it not possible to get 15mpg on a 33in tire with a turbo 5.0?

 

You'll have to run 93 octane with a turbo motor so you'd be spending enough to make up for your gains.

Turbos do make gobs of torque though.

 

If you have the money to do a turbo set up the right way,you could build a hell of a 351w and do a gear swap for the same money,and have better reliability.

 

The problem with most 5.0 trucks of this vintage is the axle gearing Ford decided to pair them with, the transmissions don't have enough ratios and for some inexplicable reason Ford figured that 3.08 or 3.27 gearing would be a good idea. The motor is soft at lower RPMs but it actually makes more peak torque than the I6 and a lot more horsepower and when geared appropriately(3.73 minimum) pulls just as well if not better.
Forced induction would be an easy way to get a big performance boost from this motor but controlling detonation is probably going to be the biggest challenge, the stock heads aren't a particularly forgiving design so you will probably spend much time and effort figuring out what combination of heads, timing, and boost pressure produces best results.

 

Making a turbo kit is difficult for a truck.

I like the 5.0, a lot, even in a truck. I think folks that have bad things to say aren't always completely realistic.

If you want the turbo for occasional performance, like a 1/4 run at a time, then most builders will be able to figure it out.

If you want the turbo for towing use, its going to be hard to find a builder that can pull it off and it is going to be expensive. Pulling a grade using boost can be really taxing on the setup, if done perfect it works, if one thing is a little off, its a melted engine.

 

• As Conan says, the bad rep of the 302 in trucks is not the engine's fault; it is the pressure put on Ford for higher mileage and lower emissions that's to blame.
  
• The 302 is a legendary platform, one of Ford's (or anyone's) most successful. It has been a staple of their full-size truck line for decades.
• In a favorable setup - good final gearing ratios, free-flowing intake/exhaust, moderation in overall vehicle weight - the 302 will give excellent, reliable service.
• Will a 302V8 ever be a dominating force pushing a full-size truck into a headwind at 70MPH? Pulling a 5000-lb gooseneck travel trailer? Doubtful.
• If a 302 truck in stock form performs adequately, you can keep that same performance with bigger tires by doing the math and compensating with your axle ratio(s). Of course, that's assuming the tires aren't too much for other key elements like axles, steering & brakes.
• If a 302 truck in stock form performs inadequately, and the engine is in good tune, a gearing swap is the #1 tactic. Math & the WWW will provide all the info you need to get the engine into a productive RPM range.
• Stay away from the exotic solutions for power (turbos, superchargers, nitrous) with a stock engine for daily use. Cost is high, and reliability will almost inevitably suffer.
• Despite some claims, raising engine RPM (such as with lower gears) doesn't always mean lower MPG. An engine operating in its powerband can take less throttle than the same engine lugging at low RPM.

 

With that said everyone is looking for the motor that gives you the best power to mpg ratio but no matter what you do it comes with a sacrifice.The 4bt is the closet to that but you would sacrifice too much for. I love my 4.9 but it suffers from no aftermarket support. And you guys are right about the 5.0. I guess if we could have the perfect engine ford would lose money

 

A new 5.0 would be pretty nice. If 4.6l can fit im sure the 5.0 can. But im sure the reat of the drive train will cause problems

 

I ran around in a 94 5.0L F150 on 33s for a while. Even though it was no racecar the power was adequate and I could get 15-16 hwy.

That said I chose a 5.8L to put in my Explorer. If MPG is going to be bad there might as well be a lot of torque to go with it.

 

I have towed a 21' boat (4500-5000lb) with similar trucks many times, 5.8 vs 5.0. Mileage was bad with both, 8-10mpg in the 5.8L and never checked with the 5.0L. The 5.8L & E4OD would cruise in OD no problem, then I'd just click the end of the shifter at the bottom of a hill and she'd go right up at 65-70mph. The 5.0L & 4R70W would not hold OD unless there was 0 wind, bottom of a hill I'd click OD off and stand on it, to crest the hill at 60-65mph. It wasn't pathetic, just made me happy the 5.8L was in my truck and my mom had the 5.0L. IIRC the 5.0L had 3.31 and the 5.8L had 3.55 axle ratios. Empty they got about the same mileage, within 1mpg. Felt like the 5.0L was about maxxed while the 5.8L was ready for more.

Most gutless truck I've driven was an 02' F150 with a 4.6L & auto, felt like I make more torque on my bike. Took that truck through Colorado, it would not hold speed up the mtn passes regardless of RPM. My 5.8L goes up the same passes at 70mph in 3rd gear.

 

It all depends on what your after, but for the things you've mentioned

Conanski is right about the bad rap, that said it's still not the best engine, the heads suck. If your after a gas engine small v8 that will get good power and mileage AND you have the kind of budget it would take to build a good turbo 302 then I'd go about it completely different mostly for 2 reasons, as said Windsor heads suck, and for a turbo you have to drop the compression ratio below ideal for efficiency.

So what would I do? First a 302 Clevor, that is a 302 Windsor with Cleveland heads, more specifically aftermarket aluminum Cleveland heads. Good internals, and a 10.5-11 compression ratio. Then install a performance 5.0 intake and fuel injection system. Depending on cam choice done well that should make an easy and efficient 400-450HP and likely 20MPG in the right setup. If more power is needed on occasion add a NOS system for that rare occasion, it's extra power that only costs when you use it, not all the time with a compromised turbo engine.

You mention 33" tires, it's not so much the 33" diameter, diameter can be good. It's tire width, ***** and low pressure that kills MPG, a 33/15 bias bogger will suck mileage, a 33/10.5 AT radial not so bad.

You mention diesel specifically a 4BT, I think you'd be surprised how large and expensive they are. I like and daily drive a diesel, but as a swap into a rather mild use F150 a 4BT is a big leap. People do it, and I'm no 4BT expert but I've looked into it and haven't decided it's a great option. IMO if you want t go diesel and try and get 30MPG then the stock IDI in 94 and older fords is the way to go, and the best way to do that is to buy a truck with one. But you have the guy in this thread to ask, damarble is doing it.


Really in the end when we are talking about MPG we are really talking Miles Per Dollar, and spending big money so save little money doesn't pay off.

 

I never thought about the ***** on the tire but that does makes sense. Ive spent countless hours looking into a diesel swap and the 4bt didnt seem worth it to me to loose a smooth quiet ride. Plus the cost of maintenance of a diesel was too much for me. Nowadays its better to have a gas burner even if its a big block just for the fact that it cost less in the end.

 

I wouldn't go that far, and diesel maintenance costs are blown out of proportion by people that don't own or understand diesels.

Didn't like my EFI 302 clevor suggestion? It's really just a modern Boss 302.