Answer a newbies questions?
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Answer a newbies questions?
I just purchased a 84 F-150 with the 300 L6 and 3 speed automatic. It served its previous life as a service truck for a tractor company. Surprisingly, everything works on it...I do mean everything. Nice having air in my tow vehicle! This brings about my questions. I know these motors are known for their torque and pulling power. 1) what is the torgue #s on this motor? everything is stock stock stock. 2) Is the 3 speed auto a decent towing tranny in stock form? 3) What is the tranny #s, type? 4) The rear is a 8.8 3.08 I think...sound right? 5) What if anything is the weak area for this setup? I will be towing a car hauler on occasion to and from the races. Probably be driven less then 2000 miles a year. Could be the best $900 I ever spent.
Any help would be appreciated. First Ford F150 I have owned. Blows the Jeep Cherokee XJ 2.8 V6 away in pulling. Now if it will just last as long. Jeep got 239606 miles before I exploded the tranny. F150 only has 166000. 70000 to go!
Any help would be appreciated. First Ford F150 I have owned. Blows the Jeep Cherokee XJ 2.8 V6 away in pulling. Now if it will just last as long. Jeep got 239606 miles before I exploded the tranny. F150 only has 166000. 70000 to go!
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Answer a newbies questions?
Take care of it and it will last alot longer than your j**p!
As for torque #'s I believe it was 265 ft/lbs @ 2800-3000 rpm
but the horse power is only 120-140. Can't remember.
As far as the tranny goes, post your vin here and the forum can decipher it for you. Its either a C5 (good), C4(better),C6(best).
If you are planning to tow that car hualer you will want lower gears (higher numerically). 3.08 were an economy gear, you need to get some 3.83:1 or even 4.10:1 gears for towing something that heavy. I know that in my previous 87 f150, 4speed I6 2wd, 3.83's @60 MPH was right at 3000 RPMs (right in the sweet spot). I still got about 13 MPG unloaded city or highway. If you tow with the 3.08's, you risk damaging your gears and tranny from the extra torque required to pull a heavy load @ speed.
just a thought or two.
Oh, by the way don't just tow in 2nd either. that takes the rpm's too high. The 300 is good only until about 3400 rpm, then power and torque drop off dramatically. Most of us never reach 4K rpms with the 300. (All noise and not much Go!)
As for torque #'s I believe it was 265 ft/lbs @ 2800-3000 rpm
but the horse power is only 120-140. Can't remember.
As far as the tranny goes, post your vin here and the forum can decipher it for you. Its either a C5 (good), C4(better),C6(best).
If you are planning to tow that car hualer you will want lower gears (higher numerically). 3.08 were an economy gear, you need to get some 3.83:1 or even 4.10:1 gears for towing something that heavy. I know that in my previous 87 f150, 4speed I6 2wd, 3.83's @60 MPH was right at 3000 RPMs (right in the sweet spot). I still got about 13 MPG unloaded city or highway. If you tow with the 3.08's, you risk damaging your gears and tranny from the extra torque required to pull a heavy load @ speed.
just a thought or two.
Oh, by the way don't just tow in 2nd either. that takes the rpm's too high. The 300 is good only until about 3400 rpm, then power and torque drop off dramatically. Most of us never reach 4K rpms with the 300. (All noise and not much Go!)
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Answer a newbies questions?
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
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From: Memphis, TN
Answer a newbies questions?
1 - built in USA
F - badged as a Ford
T - (light) truck chassis
C - 4-5,000 lb brakes & GVWR
F - standard pickup cab
1 - 1/2-ton chassis
5 - 2WD
Y - 300ci/4.9L engine
X - VIN check digit; no significance
E - 1984
L - built at the Wayne, MI, truck plant
A4... - serial number
You'll get MUCH more interesting info from the door sticker codes, including the TRANS code.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/2003/9.php
http://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/...7/c42_46_p.pdf
F - badged as a Ford
T - (light) truck chassis
C - 4-5,000 lb brakes & GVWR
F - standard pickup cab
1 - 1/2-ton chassis
5 - 2WD
Y - 300ci/4.9L engine
X - VIN check digit; no significance
E - 1984
L - built at the Wayne, MI, truck plant
A4... - serial number
You'll get MUCH more interesting info from the door sticker codes, including the TRANS code.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/2003/9.php
http://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/...7/c42_46_p.pdf
Last edited by steve83; Jul 25, 2003 at 11:27 AM.
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From: North of Toronto, Ontario
Answer a newbies questions?
If you plan on doing a lot of towing, invest in a quality tranny cooler. This may save the tranny from blowing up like on your jeep. The torque numbers posted above are correct, but the rpm's given are for peek HP. I believe that the peek torque is at 2000-2200RPM.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
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Also for the tranny, change the fluid regularly. I like 25,000- 30,000 intervals (sooner if a lot of heavy towing). Another thing that can help the tranny last is a mild shift kit to firm up the shifts. A shift kit will eliminate some of the heat-generating designed-in (for smooth shifting) slippage on gear changes.
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Answer a newbies questions?
Thanks guys....will do. The tranny shifts so smooth now that it is hard to even tell that it shifted. I think I have found my overheating problem listed in other posts here. I have replaced the rad cap and flushed it out well with a quality flush and it seems to be doing much better. I have towed one car (Fiat x1/9) so far and it did well on a 45 mile trip. Going to add the trans cooler first so I will let you know how it does. As I said before, best $900 I have spent....so far.
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