I've gotten my new-to-me 1969 F100 safely home, and we are getting acquainted with one-another. (The trip home was quite an adventure -- a two hour drive in a torrential downpour, with so many unknowns haunting me the whole way...).

The 360 it has in it will require some TLC to get it running well. It doesn't seem to want to idle, dying out at most intersections (extra fun with a battery bad enough to require replacing on the way home). And I'm not totally enamored with the 10 mpg I got with it on that trip.

So on that point, what kind of mileage are others of you with 360s experiencing? Is mine 'normal'? Or might I expect that obviously needed TLC to make a significant difference?

As I was searching for this one, I had actually been hoping I might find one with an inline-6. I don't plan to do any towing, and don't need a lot of strength. The presumed economy and simplicity of the Six would be appealing...

So as I ponder the things that will need doing to this engine, my thoughts are flitting back to the idea of the Six. Would a 300 CID L-6 bolt to this trans? (I don't know specifics yet, but it's a three-speed manual -- column shift.) If so, how challenging would that kind of swap be? I'm thinking it wouldn't be too complex... (I am reasonably mechanically inclined... This truck is replacing a 1999 Diesel Suburban that I converted to run on used cooking oil. I put 125,000 miles on veggie oil, so the project worked out very well. The "Burban-and-Fries" still runs well -- but with our kids grown and left home, I need a truck now, more than the big family ride...)

Finally, IF I decide I might move that direction, what might be the best source for an engine? I'm thinking re-man at this point...

Thoughts?

 

Welcome to the site. Nice truck. Check out joining the NC Chapter.....tell Josh that I sent you so I can collect my commission
The 300 is a good motor, you would need a 3 spd bell (AKA clutch) housing , flywheel etc. CRS-don't remember if the engine perches are the same or not.
Ed (Razputin) (sp) is a NC member and has a thread on rebuilding the 360 in his truck. 10 mpg is about it for the 360 although there are a lot of little things that can be done to slightly improve that. A 6 wouldn't get much better. I had a 360 in my 75 F250 SC, got 11 mpg full, towing, empty, even when it dropped a cylinder.

If going to a 300 you probably look for a donor to get the little odds and ends you would need for a replacement/installation if going a re-man engine.

If keeping the 360 (some will say convert it to a 390 but that's up to you) Check reman prices VS rebuilding it yourself. Biggest hassle might be the breakage of the exhaust manifold bolts in the heads.

 

engine stands the same I think may have to bolt them in different holes, not sure.
look at fordification site under technical articles. I have a 240 3 speed and it don't get any mileage either.

 

Engine perches/stands are the same as you add the required motor mounts, and slide the perches to the next hole. The 360 is of the FE engine family so the bell housing is the FE pattern. The 240/300 use the Smallblock V8 pattern so you will have to source a Six, or a 69-79 302
bell housing.

 

Drizzle I sent you a PM.

 

in a 69 f-100 i had years ago it had the 360 in it. the valve guides were so bad i could drive to work which was only 2 miles from my house, and on my lunch break i would clean the plugs so i could drive home. and then clean them again so i could go to work the next morning. over my Christmas Vac. i swapped in a rebuilt 390. problem solved. imo. i would Not swap in a 300 six. i would look for a 302 and put on an aftermarket fuel Injection sys. but that,s just me.

 

What rear end gears do you have and what size tires are you running? My '66 with a 240, 3.50 rear, three on the tree gets over 15 in the city. My '64 with a swapped in 390 gets around 13mpg with 245/75/R16 tires and a 4.56 rear end. I'm actually planning on swapping the 390 to a 300 after I rebuild my 240.
john

 

Check out Hio Silver's thread on his v-8 and the MPG he gets with fuel injection. Taller tires and/or rims will be the easy way to increase mileage, if your not going to do a lot of hauling.