What engine do I have
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New User
Joined: Aug 2004
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What engine do I have
I dont know anything about the F150 I just bought I know we needed a truck & I have had luck with Ford's. So I will be asking alot of questions. I have the six cylinder it's an 87 what engine is that? Are there many after market performance parts for it? What are the best sites to get them at? Thnx Jeff
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 341
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From: eastern Ma
Should be 300 c.i. aka 4.9l straight six. Very good engine. Lots'a torque for pulling a load. Easy to work on, plus good reliability. not sure about performance. They only run about 140 hp. The torque is high, and it puts it out at low rpm's. Might try Summit racing, Motorhaven. Take a look at some of the sponsors on the site.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 117
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From: West central Indiana
also try cliffords performance.they,i believe specialize in hi-performance inlines 6 engines. jim
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 341
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From: eastern Ma
I think both Ford, and Chrysler messed up when they dumped their stright six. Now they've got those V6 engines...eat gaskets for breakfast and lunch. I think they just want us to buy more new trucks. I've had both the Chrysler's slant 6, and Ford's 4.9, never had engine troube with either one. So in their infinate wisdom they throw them away. Go figure!
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More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 620
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From: Missouri - Lake of the Oz
inline sixes
Dittoes on the reliability of inline sixes! My son rues the day he sold his 91 F150 with the EFI 300. Low end torque is excellent and, when properly geared, offer respectable performance. We had one in an 88 Club Wagon that would do 18-20 MPG highway, 15-19 around town.
Carbureted units were a little doggy, but EFI has done wonders for both power and mileage.
Chrysler's venerable slant 6 is another great engine. My aunt bought a new 1965 Dart that went to 225,000 miles and was still going strong in the late 1970's when she decided she wanted something different. These engines also saw use in a number of agricultural & industrial applications. John Deere (among others) put them in self propelled windrowers that Dad had on the farm - very reliable and, again, good power/low end torque.
Even the General's I-6s were good. I learned to drive in a couple of them - a 56 GMC pickup & a 59 Chevy Viking 60 2 ton truck with vacuum 2 speed rear axle. (Boy, was that fun learning to use!)
GM has brought back the I-6; how about it, FMC? Maybe a 4 valve/cylinder unit with a nice high, flat torque curve?
dn.
Carbureted units were a little doggy, but EFI has done wonders for both power and mileage.
Chrysler's venerable slant 6 is another great engine. My aunt bought a new 1965 Dart that went to 225,000 miles and was still going strong in the late 1970's when she decided she wanted something different. These engines also saw use in a number of agricultural & industrial applications. John Deere (among others) put them in self propelled windrowers that Dad had on the farm - very reliable and, again, good power/low end torque.
Even the General's I-6s were good. I learned to drive in a couple of them - a 56 GMC pickup & a 59 Chevy Viking 60 2 ton truck with vacuum 2 speed rear axle. (Boy, was that fun learning to use!)
GM has brought back the I-6; how about it, FMC? Maybe a 4 valve/cylinder unit with a nice high, flat torque curve?
dn.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Actually, Chrysler had two super reliable engines. The slant six, of course, which was pretty much indestructable. Also, the 318, which is a sad performing engine, was also ultra reliable. I had a 318 in a 75 Dodge D200 extended cab (Dodge's equiv of an F250) and it went 471K miles before it finally died. Oil pumps weren't very reliable, it generally had to be replaced every 80-100K or so, but thats not too bad all things considered. The head gaskets stayed on and the seeping of fluids in the driveway was minimal until the mileage started getting into the "ridiculous" stage.
When it finally died, I replaced it with a twin-turbo 451 stroker. This particular combination is extremely easy to make too... you find a useless, scored 440 crank and have a shop turn down the journals, and shove it in with Slant Six rods, and 400cid "B" block pistons, all into a 400cid "B" block taken about .030 over.
Fun combination, and the c/r is in the 8.8:1 range which allows you a little huffing room for forced induction.
But I agree, even though I'm *not* a chrysler fan the slant six (and the 318) was a darn good engine.
When it finally died, I replaced it with a twin-turbo 451 stroker. This particular combination is extremely easy to make too... you find a useless, scored 440 crank and have a shop turn down the journals, and shove it in with Slant Six rods, and 400cid "B" block pistons, all into a 400cid "B" block taken about .030 over.
Fun combination, and the c/r is in the 8.8:1 range which allows you a little huffing room for forced induction.
But I agree, even though I'm *not* a chrysler fan the slant six (and the 318) was a darn good engine.
