Which engine is best?
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Which engine is best?
I have a 1986 Ford F-250 4x4 that I'm getting ready to tear apart and turn into a mudding/ off-road recovery truck. Right now it has a 351W HO that has 160,000 miles on it. 150,000 of those miles are towing with at least 75,000 of them being 5th wheel trailers. I am wanting to take the engine out and replace it with a bigger engine. My question is this, what would be my better choice for what I said the truck was going to be used for, a 460 big block or 6.9 diesel? Out of all the stuff I'm wanting to do this is the only part I can't decide on. Would anybody be able to help me figure out what my better choice is? This truck will have a 4" suspension lift, 35" Baja WideTrack M/T's, hopefully a metal flatbed and a very heavy duty winch on the bed (25,000 lb). And it will still have to tow every once in awhile but not as often. It has a C6. Any info would be very helpful! Thanks Alot!
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From: Virginia
You will not be impressed with the non-turbo 6.9 acceleration. Don't get me wrong, it will chug-a-lug happily all day long, and probably last longer than your 351w, but I have driven a 351w(2bbl version) and a non-turbo 6.9, and they were about the same as far as acceleration(seat of the pants).
Cargo Master
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From: Seneca, SC
I'm on the 460's side for muddin, not for towin. The 460 will spin up to keep those 35's spinning, but the 6.9 will tow like there's nothing back there. make your choice based on which you will use more, and of course there's gas mileage. That 460 will probly get about 5mpg, wheras the 6.9 non-turbo should be in the high teens.
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PS neither engine you are thinking about will be able to use the C6 you allredy have in your truck.The 460 and 6.9 will need a tranny with the BB bell housing bolt pattern.Your C6 behind the 351 has the SB bell pattern and cannot be used.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: iowa
460 would be the easy choice here, I have a race engine built off of a 460 (stroker 528, at around 900hp) and I have a PSD, I love my diesel for towing nothing better, but I wouldn't even consider it for mudding, first due toe the rpm intensive nature of running mud, and secondly and most importantly in your application even as heavy as it is the 460 is still lighter than even the 6.9 diesel and when you add the extra heavy winch and appropriate bumper on there that sucker is gonna be reallly nose heavy.
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I'm wanting to get into the diesel world. The place I work at, my buddy has a 1986 Ford F-350 4x2 6.9 with many many engine mods including some banks products as well. One day we were working at a location and it was muddier than I have ever seen. The boss got his Chevrolet 3500 dualie buried, so he went down the road and got his buddy to try to come pull him out with his GMC 3500 dualie, it got stuck. Both of these trucks are 4x4 too. So the they get a really long chain and hooked it up to the dump truck which is a F-550, it started pulling them out but than quickly came to a halt after it had gotten swallowed up by the gooey stuff too. We decieded to try the F-350's capability. It pulled all three trucks out like it was nothin, 1st we pulled the F-550 out, then the GMC, and then the Chevy( I thought it was quite funny that 2 GM's got stuck and only 1 Ford did!) This is why I really want a 6.9. The truck I am making is going to be used for pulling more than anything. Thanks alot though, I really appreciate it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Wisconsin
well the 460 had some advanges over the 6.9.
1. there lighter. that 6.9 is very heavy and you are going to sink more.
2. the 460 will rev 2x higher that taht 6.9 and that will be a big help in that gooey stuff.
but the diesel also has its highs.
more low end power. for those steep hills. and thats about it that i can think of.
even though i have a 351M and a 7.3 power stroker... for mudding id take out the 351 anyday over my stroker.
stick with the 460.IMO
Mitch
1. there lighter. that 6.9 is very heavy and you are going to sink more.
2. the 460 will rev 2x higher that taht 6.9 and that will be a big help in that gooey stuff.
but the diesel also has its highs.
more low end power. for those steep hills. and thats about it that i can think of.
even though i have a 351M and a 7.3 power stroker... for mudding id take out the 351 anyday over my stroker.
stick with the 460.IMO
Mitch
