Hi,I'm building a 68 F-250 to be used for pulling an 18' car hauler,or my 69 aristocrat 16' travel trailer.All other things being equal,(trans,rear end) would I be better off with the FE or with a newer 385 engine(460,etc.).I'm going to have to rebuild whatever I use,since the old 360 is plenty tired.I hoped I would get a more objective viewpoint on this forum,as opposed to one dedicated to one engine or another Thanks,Mike B.

 

I'll start things off by championing sticking with the FE-series. You can make your 360 into a 390 by changing out the crank & rods, so you are off to a cheaper start. You need to decide what your driving style is. If you are not going for the most acceleration and are willing to gear down for grades, a 390 will get the job done. If you want more acceleration, there is no substitute for the cubic inches you can get inexpensively with a 460, especially if you can get a deal on one that does not need to be rebuilt.

Let me suggest that you need to consider compression ratios carefully if you build an engine. Ford kept the compression ratios of the FT engines down so that they would pull at low rpm's for a LONG time because of the reasonable combustion temperatures . If you are going to tow for a lot of miles this is the way to go. There is a price for this longevity - such an engine is a "doggy" engine - it seems sluggish and is not so much fun to drive. This is why many on these forums will suggest going the hot rod route. I have towed both ways and I prefer the engine that can pull for the long haul rather than one I have to run premium in and down-shift sooner to avoid problems. If you never have to deal with any grades (I see you are in IA), the low compression option is not so critical.

Check out the following thread for both sides of this discussion:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...2-exhaust.html

 

There's no substitute for cubic inches. I would rather have a 460 than my wimpy 5.8L and it likely couldn't get any worse fuel milage. On the other hand, any money spent on upgrading engine performance is IMO better spent on upgrading axle ratio to match the towed load and power available for towing. So a little spent on 4.10 axle gearing could make the 360 a real nice tow rig too. Depending on how heavy a load you plan to tow on the car hauler. How's that for an indefinate answer?

Glad you found us and thanks for joining us in the Towing forum!

 

Thanks for the input,guys.I'm probobly going to rebuild the FE as a 390 (or bigger),and I'm looking into an aftermarket overdrive unit as well.Thanks again.