Hey, I'm looking to get a 4x4 again, and right now i'm looking at both a 95 f150, reg. cab 4x4 with the I6 and 5spd manual and a 93 f150 ext. cab auto with a 351. What combination is better?

I personally prefer the manual trans. for 4wheeling, but 4 wheeling isn't the only purpose for this truck. How would mileage be between the 351 and I6?

 

I'd go with the regular cab, manual and the 300.

milage is about the same.
351 will use more gas around town
300 will use more gas when you hammer it off road.
auto transmission will use more gas than a manual

 

i had a 93 F150 with a 351 and I loved that truck! the power differences are pretty drastic as compared to the gas milegae differences. for that i'd go with the 351. the biggest problem with the F150 having an auto is that the tranny is an e4od which is a hoiorrible tranny. but if it has been rebuilt then it'd be worth it. if not you will want to take it to a shop and have them do all the upgrades to it before it starts giving you problems. after i took my e4od (dropped it myself and saved a good $200) in to have serviced it lasted a long hard life until i sold iut a couple of years ago for my current trail rig!

i'd get the 93 F150 but that's just me, you'll be much more pleased
-cutts-

 

I am a manual transmission fan myself. I was looking for a truck like you describe and ended up getting a later model.

If it were me, I would never even CONSIDER a V8 automatic truck. They are harder to work on and IMHO not as much fun to drive as a stick. The 300 has lots of power in the rpm range where you need it. The engines are pretty bulletproof and with FI are he!! for reliable.

If you can find one of these trucks with a manual and I6 in good shape, you have found a treasure IMHO.

Good luck,
Doc

 

What kinda mileage could I expect out of the 351 w/ automatic or the 300 w/std?

also, what kind of transmission work needs to be done to the automatic to make it ok? I'm leaning that way abit because of the extended cab

 

I have a 300 fuel injected with the M5OD and 3:55 rear gears, and I get about 22 on the highway at 70, and about 16 in town. It is a single cab, 2wd, but that is close to what you should be getting.

 

I would go with the 300 and the manual. The V8 might make more horsepower but the I 6 makes the torque where you need it and you cant kill it unless you try and sometimes not even then

 

I've driven a few I6s with manuals. they are dogs.

If it has 3.55s, I'd go with the I6. All the ones I've driven have sticks w/ 3.08s [=dog].

Easy way to check- look at the axle code tag on the door. 18 = 3.08, 19 = 3.55

31s + 3.08s + 300 = total dog.

 

Yeah, a 300 with an M5OD and 3.08's would leave ALOT to be desired as would just about anything besides a 460. When I forst got mine it had 3.08's, but had an NP435 so it all worked in the end.

If it has 3.5's, I'd do the 300 manual truck. It'll be smoother and have fewer potentials for problems furtehr down the road, plus just good ol' personal preference.

Or if you do pick up the 351/auto truck, install a shift kit. It'll help out in the mileage department and you won't get that slushy automatic feel. (That's what I HATE teh most )

Justin

 

My beater has 3.08s with 235/75r15s.. it tools around pretty good for a 6. but the newer fuel injecteded 300s have a different power band. they have a better flowing head + intake + exhaust which puts the powerband too high for 3.08s.

also, put on a tranny cool for the E4OD. It'll make it last a lot longer too.

 

As far as the e4od is concerned you can improve it to the point it would be a 4r100(supercharged lightnings have these transmiisions).

 

lol how about a 300 m50d and 3.08 with a set of 35x12.50 tires?? my truck pulls good and still takes off decently fast, but I can barelly spin tires in gravel.... I'd go with the 300/6.... I love mine even though I only get near 12 mpg highway.... believe me I have future plans for re-gearing....but I can still take a real steep hill in 5th gear and pull up it at normal speed bellow 800 rpm....

 

personally I really like the I6 engine had a 95 with it, and the M5OD tranny this is the transmission that made me quit driving manual trannies, I am not a real big fan of the eaod, but that 5spd was rebuilt 6 times before it had 20k on it (yes all under warrenty) and almost made me buy a different brand of truck all together after the fights I had with Ford over it I sold it when it went out of warrenty (36 months 21000 miles), I told the guy that bought the truck about it, and it having been rebuilt about 1000 miles before he bought it, he called me about 4months later asking about the extended warrenty because in another 500 miles the tranny had gone out again. So if you look at that 95 find out if the trans has ever for any reason been worked on if so either run as fast as you can or buy it take that tranny out, and bury it somehwere putting in a different setup (since I had mine I found out that if you have one go bad especially if it is the main bearings they can not be rebuilt they will just keep doing the same thing over, and over again adn ford doesn't know why), but other than that I would say the I6 is one heck of an engine.

 

get the 300 and swap out the light-duty std for a old creeper 1st 4spd. bulletproof combination. some 3.73 gears and your good to go.

 

yeah thats my intentions, an older t-18 to go allong with a set of either 3.55 or 4.10 gears....