Hi All...

I am a long time 76 Ford 390 FE engine buff and going to look
at a possible purchase of a 96 F-150 and want to get some
knowledge on what type of engine or block went into this year. The
ad that caught my eye just says V-8. I love the FE series engines
and would like to get some idea if what I might find is a brother
of the FE or a totally new engine design in the 96.

Oh yeah, the ad says 4 speed with overdrive.

I am going to check the engine forums next to see if I can figure
out what was what in 96.

Any thought, info, links etc. appreciated.

Thanks....

 

it is either a 302 or a 351w.

 

Neither one of which shares anything at all with an FE. They are still very good engines, just nothing like the old iron.

 

Pardon me, but in '96, I believe the 4.9 litre/300 cu. in. "Big Six" (ahem) was still available.

In most, if not all, years, it actually offered slightly more torque than the 302, though the latter topped it in horsepower, slightly.

 

Why, yes it was. But the vehicle the OP requested info on has a V8.

Compared to the FE motors, the Windsor family is smaller and lighter. All trucks from about '86 on were fuel injected, and with the OD tranny and favorable gearing these trucks will return anywhere from 10-20mpg, 12-16mpg being the typical combined milage. The I6 often gets better milage, it's a low rpm motor with good TQ, but even the V8s can get into the high teens depending upon tune and the load they carry. The 5.0 v8 is the weakest motor in the stable, it was smothered with restrictive exhaust and a tiny cam in the early years(pre '94), but with 3.73 gears and a stick it's a great all around motor in the lighter trucks. Both V8s share the same heads, and while these small port heads produce good low rpm TQ, they become restrictive to the larger 5.8 and ultimately limiting it's HP potential to under ~275. All these motors respond to traditional hot rodding, you can bolt on headers, change the cam, port the heads. The stock computer will accept minor modifications like these, but significantly increasing the airflow through the motor usually requires custom programming. The Mass Air EFI systems are much better at adapting to aftermarket parts, sadly very few of these trucks got that system, it was mainly after '94, and the new truck came out in '97. There are kits available to convert the older speed density to mass air, or it can be done DIY with junkyard parts from a Mustang. The electronically controled trannys are a stumbling block for this upgrade however since the original type computer has to be retained to control the tranny. There simply isn't a factory mass air computer for some engine/tranny combinations.
Compared to a carburated vehicle these EFI trucks are a joy to own. The motors will go 2-300k with regular maintenance, and daily drivability in all weather conditions is top notch. There are a few known weak points but overall the EFI system is very reliable and robust. Drivability problems that are suspected to be the fault of the EFI are often traced back to a vacuum or gasket leak. The system has some on-board diagnostics to help troubleshooting and the codes can be easily retrieved with a paperclip.

 

he was asking about a v-8 not the big six.

 

Many thanks for the response and info...just exactly what I was looking for. My
main holdback is I got a 28 year bond with my 76 and the FE engine. Oh, its
not going any where I just want to make sure I have enough time so it doesn't
feel neglected. Thanks Conanski..that was a long and informative post.

 

Paul and Frank,

My bad...I misread "...what type of engine or block went into this year..." as asking about all possible engines--didn't realize he had specified the truck in question as having a V-8.

Interesting post, Paul--thanks. I have an '88 Big Six, which I know uses a speed density EFI, but I didn't know there were conversion kits nor exactly when the Mass Air systems came out--sad there's only '94-'96 to choose from. I had thought they came out a little earlier, at least for the Six. Oh well. But since I'm in the market for another Ford, that helps me out, as I'd like to add headers one day, and not have to jigger the fuel system. So, I'll concentrate on those years.

Hey, not to hijack the man's thread, but is there an easy way to confirm that a truck has in fact got a Mass Air system, and not speed density?

I love the Big Six, btw. Everything you said about it was right on!

Thanks again,

Peter

 

A mass air system will have a mass air flow sensor mounted to the air filter housing (single tube) and will split to two tubes for the throttle body.

 

Eric,

Ah! I have no electronics in the airbox, and the incoming charge travels through two tubes, right from the airbox, into two throttle body throats.

Is the mass air sensor a "hot wire" affair, set up with a temp. probe to track the change in hot wire temp, as a means to extrapolate the "mass" of air that has passed into the induction system, similar to other mass air systems I've seen on some foreign autos?

Thanks,

Peter

 

You got it . Ford used a heated wire type mass air meter on all their mass air vehicles around the time period of these trucks. (this excludes mazda-based vehicles with Ford badging, as some of them used a flapper type air flow meter)

 

Cool--thanks again, my brotha!