OK so I have installed a tach and tranny temp gauge to keep an eye on things. The tranny with the larger cooler send to be doing much better. I moved the timing ahead 3 degrees. This did not give me any additional power, as I was hoping, but did make the engine run hotter.

I can now say when traveling at 65 without the overdrive on the van runs about 2800rpm with no trailer and about 3000 with the trailer. The major difference I see is that the gas peddle is nearly to the floor when Towing which gives little too no room for hills.

So my question now is could this be caused by bad computer not giving the right fuel air mixture a bad O2 sensor or egr valve? Any other sensors computers modules that might cause this?

Michael

 

If the trans seems to be working well with the cooler and all your maintenance is up to date it could be time for some performance mods. I believe the way the o2's work is that they cause more fuel to be added as they get weak, Does the engine seem to be running rich?

As far as performance mods, I am not familiar with the specific 460 mods......but a good place to start on just about any motor is the intake and exhaust. Then you could look at a set of cams specifically designed for towing with your motor.

What is your power band like? 245hp at what rpm and what does the torque curve look like. Torque is going to get the load moving, but the 245hp is going to slow you down some up hills and at speed.

 

How would I figure out the power band? I have been looking on the web to see if I can get the stock power band but I have not found anything? The only way I can think of right now is to bring it to a dyno. Is there any other way?

Michael

 

A stock dyno graph may be difficult to find, unless someone did a before and after run. For general discussion purposes, where are your peaks at (hp and TQ) as well as the motor redline. Look at where your shift point are and where your rpm's are during towing at speed. Powerband adjustment is going to have more to do with cam choice. I would start with a high flowing intake and exhaust.....then see where you are at.

It sounds like you have a pretty large trailer with quite a bit of drag. With the type of tow vehicle you have you may just have to accept that you won't be able to hold higher speeds on inclines until you do quite a bit of motor work. Reliability while towing is the biggest thing.

If you really want something to pull with little effort you would want to get a turbo diesel of some kind....van or truck.

 

My best friend had an almost identical E-350 and it always had trouble towing anything over 6K unless it had a very low profile, like a flatbed. We finally made it somewhat better by going to a 4.56 rear gear, but it still struggled on the hills and worked best at about 60 MPH. Just for your info the OD lockout button does NOT work like the TOW/HAUL button, tow/haul changes shift strategy and does use OD. The OD button just disables the use of OD.

 

I had a 25ft class 'A' with the 460 and a 3 speed transmission. That gas guzzler was not particularly powerful. In fact, I'd say it barely got out of it's own way. Crossing the mountains was an exercise in patience.
It's unfortunate that you are already into this thing for 8 large. You might have been better off using that as a down payment on a newer 4 door truck.
If you are confident this van isn't going to leave you stranded at the side of the road, you are probably simply going to have to carefully plan your trip route and take the ascents slow and easy.

 

I didn't see this thread earlier but have a few things to add.

The 460 in an effort by Ford to meet and control emissions was timed via the timing gear and chain, 8 degrees retarded. That in itself will make an iron hulk out of a formerly great performing engine. Then to make that situation even worse, Ford used ~8.5 or thereabouts compression ratio cylinder heads with very small valves plus they shrouded them with the casting itself. The cure for these two is a 'straight up' timing set which is relatively inexpensive and a set of different heads - either aftermarket such as Edelbrock or a set of salvage yard OEM D0VE-C heads which will breathe life into that engine. Then there is that FI. My history with fuel injected 460 engines is scant but pretty good with a carbed version, having had three. Ford did not do a very good job with carbs, as they only pass about 500 CFM and my guess would be that the FI is as bad. Recall that an engine is really a big air pump and if the inlet to that air pump is too small, then all you will be doing is sucking lots of fuel just trying to make it do the job you asked it to do.

OK - that's the engine part - now that distributor/ignition system ain't the best. It can be recurved and made to work but an aftermarket such as MSD, DUI, Pertronix wil help lots getting the spark to the plugs and fire off the mixture better.

Next - that OEM exhaust system is strangling that meager air outflow. There are very good aftermarket systems or your local exhaust shop can build one for you and even be legal. You WILL need a cross over pipe as that engine WILL shatter mufflers (yep, a personal historical item).

A 460 with an E4OD, tho I prefer a straight C6 instead of its OD b@@@@@@ized version for strength, and a 4.10 final gear ratio should pull that trailer nicely. Unfortunately you will need to spend a bunch of bucks to be happy while doing that chore.

 

I haven't been on this site in a long time, hope my comments are revelant. But, I couldn't resist chiming in, as I have just completed my annual 2500 mile round trip from FL to MI and back. My route is I-75 through the hills of KY & TN. This is in my 1998 E-350 conversion van (curb weight ~6400 LB w/190K miles) bumper towing a 18X8 flat nose, twin 3500LB axle, cargo trailer with gross wt. of ~ 7000 Lb. I make the trip every year and one year was over the axle limit on the return trip. In this instance I towed 10,000+LB. There are several difference between my van and trailer and the one the posters has asked about. Mine is a 6.8L V-10 gas and I am not pushing as much air with the front of my trailer. (Some may see other differerences) I can run easily from 65-75 MPH, most of the time. I'm usually in OD with ocassional down shifts on minor hills or with heavy head winds. Needless to say, in the TN. KY. hills I will be down two gears from OD, but still easily bypass the 18 wheelers struggling in the right hand slow truck lane. If you need a van vs a pickup, as I do, I would look for a V10 gas or a 7.3L diesel. Right now I am trying to find a replacement for my E-350 in the form of an SUV that has the trailer towing capability of my E350 V10. Since the end of production of the Excursions with the V10 or 7.3 diesel, I don't really see any choices.

 

Funny thing, I had the exact year van with the 460 as yours but the only difference was it had a 3.55 rear end. Mine was the extended van and it towed great when we had our 19' trailer that weighed @ 7000 with all our equipment in it.

Had the same ECU problem with it running rough at one time. I had 8 noid lights on the fuel injectors at the same time and could watch them all light up at the same time every 15-20 seconds.

The thing that offered me the most power is opening up the tiny intake it has from the air box to the underhood area where the air supply is and a different muffler.

When we bought our new 28' trailer it was the same weight as our 19 footer home built trailer by someone, but wow that extra height and size of the side walls really caught more wind and it made towing it with the extended van spooky!

Found some worn out front end parts on the van and had it all rebuilt. Well that made a large difference but then it was only scary driving.

Bought an expensive Hensley Arrow hitch and it made towing bearable.

Then to fix the problem I purchased my 2012 F250 and with the Hensley hitch, not that it needs it, but I can let go of the steering while passing semi trucks on the other side of the road and it doesn't move a bit.

All in all, the van never had enough power to do the job even though I spent all that money to make it right, I wish I hadn't as it also had the exhaust manifold problem that would creep up on them and leak also.

Now my local church has it and runs all the kids around on Sundays, and I see it driving by once and awhile.

 

Not up on the trannies as I always had manuals, but is it a 3 speed, 4 speed?? What gear are you towing in and what are the engine rpm's? Can' tow in OD with the setup you describe.