I have a few questions that just need some answers to pleease.
I read the builds, look at the pics, drool and imangine like so many other people I am sure, yet I never see a few answers I always have running through my head... so here goes...


1. if you have swapped to a Diesel.... what MPG are you getting if you drive it like a normal sane person? 20? 25MPG??


2. if a 460 is built to a reasonable level ( not 500+ hp) and you drive reasonable what MPG are you getting?


3. has anyone seen or read or heard of someone swapping a newer SD front axel setup in a dent side? (I searched but didnt see any)


I look at other web pages sometimes, but honestly I am leary of the info . thanks for the replies


Fert

 

The 460 I have in my '75 (which is dead now) got at best 8-9 mpg in stock form (235ish hp? 365ish lb ft? from what I've read) back in 2005-6 ish. I had it rebuilt as a 466 (bored 30 over) with lots of goodies and dyno'd prior to install at 427hp 510 lb ft torque. and driving it as a model citizen (which was rare at the time as I was 24 in 2007 when it was done) I would see 10-11. I got 11 mpg while towing my 4 door '65 coronet with it from southern Idaho to SLC Utah on a U-haul tow dolly doing 70-75 mph the whole way. From my experience with a 460 and from what I've heard is that people like them not only for the power but for the predictable mpg. It'll get similar mpg loaded or unloaded and with your foot in it or out of it, but that's just my experience. It's not a mpg warrior. Of course if you do burn outs all day it'll get crap mpg regardless of how much hp it puts out. I can't offer any insight on your other questions though, sorry!

 

In the fall of 2013, I bought a 1976 F-250 2WD standard cab (with Ford's "box cover") with a 460 and C6 and a 3.07 rear gear and 58K original miles on the odometer in northern CA. I drove it back to S.E. Louisiana generally staying within the speed limit and using a reasonably steady right foot. Fuel was 87 with max.10% ethanol. Engine lubricant was a recently changed non-synthetic. The air filter had been recently changed. The portions of the truck that would affect fuel economy were completely stock. The Motorcraft 4350 carburetor was "original" and had never been rebuilt. The automatic choke was not functioning properly. The front disc brakes were "dragging" a bit. New radial tires were inflated correctly. I didn't use the A/C. Overall it got 12.5 MPG.

 

In stock form, my worn out farm truck '77 460 in a supercab F150 got maybe 11mpg highway and was a dog around town. This was even after an upgrade to an Edelbrock 1411 carb.

Rebuilt it back in April because the oil pressure **** the bed. New rings, bearings, cam (Summit K3500 I believe), straight up timing set, stock intake, heads, and exhaust manifolds. Dropped on one of those fancy Summit house brand 750cfm carbs and added dual exhaust with an H Pipe and cherrybombs.

No longer a dog at all! Town mileage is maybe around 8-10mpg if there aren't any punk *** Honda's around. Highway mileage is approximately 14-15mpg.

Granted, my truck is 2wd, has 235/75r15 tires on it, and a 3.25 rear end.

Burns tires off, eats Honda's, idles like a new truck, all on 87 gas with lovely ethanol.

 

Double post

 

I have a '79 Bronco with a 460, so that's as close as I can come to answering that part of your question. Its actually a 473 (+0.060), and it's got a mild cam, performer 460 intake manifold, L&L headers, MSD ignition, Holley carb, ported DOVE-C heads, and gets about 10 around town, but with retarded timing and a steady foot with no traffic, I've knocked down 15mpg on the freeway.

I can hopefully have those other numbers for you soon, as I've got A '78 Supercab with a 12V Cummins. Pretty eager to see those MPG numbers myself.

 

My 460 is about 300 hp and mid 400s torque. I have 35 inch tires with 3.50 gears with a c6 auto. At best I can get 10 mpg typically 8-9 mpg. Until I used a wide band afr gauge to assist with carb tuning it was 8 at best.

I have seen a build thread on a 78 or 79 bronco that is white in utah or nevada and the guy put a sd axle in the front of it but it had a custom suspension. It was rolled and I believe he was replacing the body with an early bronco body. It was on 7879blueovalbronco.com which I think is defunct now. Plus with photobucket pulling its crap alot of good build pictures are now lost forever.

 

Jut some opinions.

 

I about have my 460 ready to go in so no mpg numbers. Really I say do it if you want and it is what it is just enjoy it. As long as I don't get 2mpg I don't care but I don't daily drive mine.

I tossed around ideas of diesel swaps but decided against. For me it was about the noise in these old trucks, I rode in one Cummins swap that wasn't insulated which I knew but still deal breaker for me. I have one diesel truck now and I do like it but I like 70's tech.

 

people build what they like, some for toys, some for fun, some just to show at the "events" and some for a DD. but for all there has to be some return of value... enough trophies, head turns down the highway, girls waving, or hondas smoked... but we all pay at the pump. I just never see the numbers for a diesel is all & yes if you keep your foot out of a 460... big IF...
thanks for any and all input


Fert

 

New member here. I've browsed the forum for years and just signed up a few days ago. I'll have to post some pics of my rig. I just moved to a tablet and have to transfer them. Anyway, I have a 78 F50 custom with the factory 460, E4OD swap and 3.50 gears. I daily drive mostly in town to work and only get into the overdrive for a few miles. I get 8-10 in town and 12-14 highway. I have always driven pretty conservatively though. My uncle had a silver '79 with a 460 in it. I think it was a "pace truck"? I remember it only got 8 or 10 as well. I've wanted one ever since and I looked for a 460 factory truck for a while until I found one.
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I have a '78 F-250 Super Cab 4x4 Camper Special. It has a warmed over 460, C-6 and 4.10 gears. I have never seen 10 mpg. 9.9 mpg on a number of road trips, but never 10.

Sounds about the same as most of the others responding.

 

2-460s and a 351m. All get about 7.5-8.5 around town and 10-10.5 highway. Loaded or unloaded doesn't seem to matter

 

so now we need some Diesel numbers:
I believe that a diesel geared correctly, driven decently wold get 25 mpg+
I come up with that number due to other "newer" trucks that weigh alot more getting around 20 mpg if the emmisions are removed or werent present to begin with.


what yall think?


Fert