I know I have looked at ways to modify and even went down the path of replacing with an eight which I am gonna probably do if I don't just leave it alone and get something else. I moved last week/ this week and in the process really found out again what my old 95 inline could do. Man alive when you use it for the intended purpose it really shines. I loaded my truck down with furniture and other crap to the point of nothing else would fit even if it were taped to the side of the truck ha ha. What I found out was that under load the rpms are right were they need to be in a hurry and with the stick I was able to drive it like nothing was there, I had someone follow me each trip just in case something were to come loose or fall off even though I covered the bed and tied it down with rope you can never be too sure and they would ask if I realized I was hauling something. If I didn't know any better I would swear that it had more get up with a load than without, sorry about the stupid post but I have been smiling like an idiot for about a week after going up steep hills like nothing in overdrive with a decent load on (I know not the best idea with the mazda tranny).

To let you know how much was on the truck the bed really sagged to the point that I was rubbing the curb with the spare tire when I would exit the grass onto the street and the curb only sits about 4-5 inches of the ground, how did I find this out? I went driving around with my wife after the moving and was crusing through a small town and all of a sudden I heard the awfullest scrapping sound followed by a rubber burning smell when I came to a stop, I thought for sure the tranny was gone but come to find out the spare tire was dragging talk about freaking someone out. On the last trip I had someone watch and sure enough that is what was happening it would hit the tire and eventually moved it enough that the eye of the bolt passed throught the hole , oh well life goes on, still happy though this truck can haul just as good as a chevy 8 trucks which I have had a lot of experience with like to see their old 4.3 v6 work trucks top that yeah right

 

I have been driving 300 I6's for 24 years, mostly empty. And while that is great fun, I never had such a good time with my 300 I6 as when I pulled a 2000 pound trailer all through Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park. It was beautiful feeling that thing work its way up the 6 and 7 percent grades. It really does seem to run better when it is carrying a load. I think I'd run a thousand pounds of junk in the bed just for the feel if it weren't for the poorer fuel mileage that would result. Maybe the reason I like my 95 so much more than my previous 300s is not only the fuel injection, but also that it weighs about 800 pounds more (with extended cab) than did my '84, so that with the extra 800 pounds it runs that much better.

 

You really don't appreciate the six until you work it. Re-landscping my yard I hauled dirt, trees etc. When I was about done I went to get sod. The sod farm put a pallet of sod on the truck, it sagged and the rear was low but all I did was put it in first, let out the clutch and away I went. Unbelieveable driving the truck. Didn't go fast because of the weight but hills were no problem. As long as I can get traction the truck will pull anything.

 

My dad has a 95 150 with a 300 i6 and hauled 1 1/2 tons of topsoil and stone combined up a pretty steep grade and it hauled it like it wasnt there. And there was a chevy following him and couldnt believe his truck could pull a hill with that much load on it. So when i went looking for a truck i got a identical truck as my dads, but mines a 93 and different color with less miles , neway the 300i6 is a workhorse of a motor and even thought its not the fastest, it'll pull all my chevy n mopar buddies out when thier stuck.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-Mar-02 AT 04:21 PM (EST)] I'VE GOT A 82-F150-300inline 6, with 377466 miles on her, and she's still the work horse she was ment to be.I've got overload springs on her,& I've hauled right at 2 ton of GREEN rough-cut lumber up the mountain, when I built my home on the mountain. And although she's an AUTOMATIC, she pulled that load up there like she did'nt have a load at all. True there not the fastest motors ever built, but for my money, they are the toughest, strongest little motors on the market.with a lot of proper care they should last a long time, and give you years of satisfaction..........Mike_H

 

I pulled a bass boat out of some pretty steep ramps with my 84 I6 with the 4 speed granny. Never gave me a problem.

One of the things about this truck that amazed me was during a snowstorm in W. Ark. I was going to work and had to go over some rather steep hills, all with curves at the bottom and top, so you couldn't get a run at them. The road was completely covered with fresh snow (no salt trucks in Ark. either) I had good passenger car tires, no weight in the back at all. I let the truck slow down to about 5-10 miles an hour, shifted it into 3rd (!) gear and the thing crawled over that hill--didn't spin the tires once. Hard on the clutch, I know, but a Chevy Silverado dually was right behind me and he didn't make it over.

I did this a couple of times. In snow and ice I could get to the top of the hill we lived on while my step-father's GMC, 350, automatic never could. Used to make him so mad he couldn't see straight.

I have a 91 with the I6 and 5 speed. I love it!

Marty

 

I hauled a half a cord of plus some about 55 miles earlier this winter. I was totally amazed at how well the engine handeled. The bed was dropped way down by the weight, and I never went over 55 MPH. But like everyone else was saying, the engine seemed to like the extra weight. It was saying, "'bout time you put me to work!"

:-)

 

We use to have an old saying , 6 in a row don't go, I know now thats not true.

 

I gotta add to this.

Wife and I went to Home Depot to pick up a load of brick. The truck's rearend sits much higher thant he front end. The farmer that owned it must have added extra leaf's for extra hauling capacity.

Anyway we figured it at about 1500lbs of brick. The lady driving the forklift didn't think the truck would hold it. I asked her to try anyway. First load went in, truck sank a little. OK not bad. Second load went in right behind the tailgate. After all was said and done the backend was at the same height as the front end. But what impressed me was that it drove a whole lot better and damned if it didn't seem to have the same power as when empty. I was shocked. I knew then this was one hell of a work motor. With 213,000 miles it's still going strong.

 

I geuss i'll add a story too.

A bud of mine needed to go to maine from connecticut to pickup his fiance to move her down here. The trip was 531 miles. On the way up (empty but with three grown men in a standard cab, wheres the air freshener!) I didn't stop at all and on the highway didn't come off 85mph till my exit. On the way back with 2000lb of Ryder trailer and the bed completely stacked with her junk, we averaged about 82mph on the way back. The only reason for the slowdown was because I had to stop on the way back for gas and I didn't on the way up. I would mention how much the rear was sagging, but it would be an unfair comparison as i've broken the right-rear shackle so she was ridin reeaaaal low.


-=Whittey=-

 

I also find that the low end torque on the I-6 pulls right where one wants it. We were backing a Medium size camping trailer into my graveled RV space. Initially the guy who drove it down tried to push it back with his old Chevy C20 with a 350. He would back it so far and then the truck couldn't push at low RPM or would spin the tires if given too much gas. He also had to have a running start to get over the curb.

I got him to stop before he destroyed my yard and hooked up my 95 F-150 I-6 to the trailer. Pulled it out, and walked it all the way back in with minimal tire spin.

While some of this may of been technique, it also seems the low end, torque as compared to the higher HP and torque of the V8 at higher RPMS makes a big difference in these tight situations.

Not the first time I've seen the I-6 do the low speed pulling situations better.

My Grandad had a 1969 F-100 StepSide with this engine. My first truck was an 1975 F-100 with the 3 speed on the "tree". Love these things.

 

I also have an I6 in my 1992 F-150. I don't have as good of stories as some of the other guys here but i must say it is the best motor ever made, i have never heard anyone say a bad thing about it. I have personally towed a 1500# air compressor with it, no biggie, except the truck has 35" tires with the original 3.09 gears and auto tranny. I pulled it over some pretty steep hills (6% grade), without being able to tell i was hauling anything. A coworker following in his passenger car had trouble keeping up on the hills!

-Jon

 

I love my 90 f150 I6. My brother had a 95 150 I6 and used it for a lot of hauling. The motor handled everything great. His problem was he blew out his rear wheel bearings hauling rock. At least I know my limits of the truck. If I need to do heavy hauling, I will borrow his SDv10.

 

i have an 88 150 300/mazda 5 speed/4x4 and just the other day in work i had to use my truck to move around a 37 foot camp trailer that had to weigh about 12000lbs with a tonge wait of atleast 1000lbs. i used low range(no need to burn out the clutch) the rear end was brought down to stock hieght with 1 ton shocks and 3/4 ton leafs. and you know i dont think i had to even give it any gas to let the clutch out.

any one ever look at were the peak tourqe is on chevys 6.0l v8?? it's up around 4000 RPM!! tell me thats ment for pulling

 

All of Chevy's V8's are like that! I always tell the "Chevy people" at my school that the Chevy trucks suck because all of their V8s torque is at 4000rpm! Ford, on the other hand, has much lower end torque. Ford's 5.4 Triton has 350 lb-ft@2500rpm. Chevy's 5.3 has only 325 lb-ft at a much higher 4000 rpm. So which is the better motor? FORD ALL THE WAY!! I am 16 also. And I can't wait to get a truck! My best friend has an '87 F150 4X4 with the inline six. And he loves it! And so do I. That's what I want, F150 4X4 with the inline six and a manual!