wanting to buy a truck to pull my airboat, tired of using gmy wifes explorer, not sure if i should go with a v8 or a straight six. my explorer is a 5.0 awd, pulls fine if you stay under 65, over that and watch the needle fall, about 8mpg. any help would be great, Lee

 

Straight 6, 351 or 460, forget the 5.0. Whatever truck it's in, make sure it has 3:55 gearing minimum, 3:73 or 4:10 even better for towing if you have any hills to climb. And anything over 60mph will suck fuel, there's no way around that unless you can somehow make the truck and boat as aerodynamic as a small car.

 

I second that, although with the 460 you may not do much better than 8 mpg. Either the 300 I-6 or the 351 V8 should do the job just fine with the proper rear gears. I'd lean towards the 351 for the towing, but it will be more of a gas hog unloaded than the 300.

Jason

 

thanks, no real weight ,just some wind drag from the cage

 

I'd go with the 300 Six if weight is not an issue, then. With the right gears, it has plenty of torque to get your boat to the water, and will do a bit better on mileage than the 351 (another excellant tow set-up, btw). Like was said above, I would'nt look too hard for a 302. They're a good motor for what they are, but if you're going to do any towing, the 300 is a bit better suited, and if weight is an issue, then you'd need to step up to the 351 or 460. It's just a matter of deciding what feature you need or want most.