I and my dad know how to divide miles by gallons to get miles per gallon (yes, US gallons). I'm not an idiot, thank you all. And yes, it's when the truck is empty or with a light load in the bed, obviously. Again, I'm not an idiot, thanks. Mileage varies because no one drives the same and trucks are different and are used differently, but 22 mpg out of a 300 six with the right gearing is impossible. Believe what you want, it doesn't change what I've seen.

 

I didn't call you an idiot, I merely thought it. Get out of my head!

I'm joking. What does it matter? The 300 is a great engine. I wish they did get 22 mpg.

 

I don't have to wish

I just got annoyed when two people say something and everyone else says it's impossible. No worries, though, it's just the internet

 

first of all, you brought the idiot thing up.

second, i was referring to the member in canada.

read my post again and you will see i said it may be possible at certain speeds.

hope this cleared it up for you.

 

what other thoughts do you guys have about gearing down a 300? i have one in my truck (see signature) w/ a T18 and 3.00:1 which just makes it doggy as hell. i was thinking 3:73's (i run 33 x 12.5 tires) so i can have a little better acceleration and decent speed yet. any brands for gear kits that anyone would recommend?

 

3.73's would be perfect for you if you drive on the highway often! My gears are from Richmond I think.

 

HA, I don't even know what my gearing is in my F150, I did more research today, my truck is NOT an F250, just has additional leafs in the rear, and it's NOT a highboy, just has a lift.

It's a bummer, but oh well, and while I thought I had a 360 with punched out cylinders, and a 390 crank, is all in all a 390 with a radical cam, thinking of putting in an RV Cam.

it's a great runner though.

unsure if it's gonna make this long trip I've got planned.
and as for EPNCSU2006, I am sorry if you felt offended, i've personally never seen a 300 get 22mpg, but hey, if your dad shift at the right RPM's and keeps off the gas, I don't see it being "Impossible" although i myself find it hard to believe, as well as obvious others, hard to believe does not pan out to putting you down, it just verifys thier opinion that they themselves havent seen that, the guy I spoke with about his 300 6er said it himself, if your getting 22mpg, your a miracle worker, it's a relatively small motor in it's own, but think........have you see the bore size?

 

IIRC, I did the math on a trip downstate with the '88 300 M5OD and got around twenty. Truck's deceased and gone, and it's been a while, so maybe I'm wrong. I know it was definitely better on gas than the same gears and tranny with the 302. Those extra two cubic inches are what use most of the gas in the little Windsor.

 

the 300 will produce more power with less effort when compared to a 302. a general rule is that an I6 configuration versus a V8 setup of the same displacement will produce more power b/c its more balanced than the V8. the 300 is also capable of producing more torque (which in my book, trumps horsepower), explaining how the 300 can out pull equal displacement motors at fewer RPM's. this is also why a 5.9L Dodge I6 Cummins can keep up with a Ford or Chebbie V8 diesel engine. the secret is in the configuration!

 

Well, I knew that about balance, and I6 is in perfect mechanical balance, as are certain V12's, I believe?

 

maybe...ive seen jaguars with v12s but i never researched the balance or the economy of those motors. doesnt audi make a W12??

 

I agree with Snowman about how the 4.9 seems to have more torque than the 5.0 -after driving both of them with the same 3.55 gearing.

But what is surprising is that Ford literature states that the 5.0 will outpull the 4.9 with the same gearing and transmission. Ford has always rated the 5.0 as having more trailering capacity in their literature.

The 4.9 factory standard cam or factory economy cam was never rated at more peak torque than the 5.0. The low RPM torque may be higher-but the peak isnt. And the peak for the 5.0 isnt as low as the 4.9--but the peak for the 5.0 is only 2400RPM. If you have 4.10s and 235/75 x15s and the 5.0-2400RPM comes up fast from idle.

And I am surprised that anyone can't get at least 20MPG,unloaded,with the 4.9 with the special factory "economy" cam that came with the 2.75 ratio package. I can get more than 20MPG with my 5.0,M5R2,4.10s if I try and am careful and don't exceed 55MPH. And must have summer gas in it-not winter gas with the 10 percent alcohol.

Driving a manual transmission for MPG is becoming a lost art. Older guys know how to do this-remember how your daddy drove a manual?? Not like we do now. Anyone can beat the EPA rated MPG on these trucks by careful driving of the manual transmission. And the 4.9 with the factory economy cam and M5R2 and 2.75 was EPA rated at 19MPG EPA HWY. Anyone can beat this-believe me if they try!!!

 

eeeeeh, i'm not sure bout a V12...i've heard of a few peterbilt cabovers having them and they were monsters too, but advantage could have just been from the shear size in displacement they had over anything else...idk much bout they're balance, i'd have to read up on them.

and as far as 20+ mpg's out of a 300? i've never been fortunate enough to experience such a phenomenon, but i don't think it's entirely out of the realm of possibility either. my dad always said that he never owned a truck that got as good of mileage as his 84 w/ the 300 and T18...but that truck is long gone, so i guess i'll never know how full of it he really is. i know my 81 w/ the same setup can't touch 20 much less 18, but i do rod the hell out of it and my emissions are not even close to being hooked up. maybe right out of the factory they may have been capable of such mileage, but this day and age, i doubt you could do it.

 

Ford's lit is confusing. IIRC, my book states the 4.9 is rated to tow more than the 5.0 with the same gearing, if the gearing is high (3.08 / 3.55). However, once the gearing goes to 4.10 in the F-250 class, the 302 is rated to tow more. HOWEVER, FOR SOME REASON, Ford does not include the 5.0 in the F-250 HD class, but does include the 4.9... Yet the 5.0 is rated to tow more with the lower gearing.

Confusing.

The 300 makes better low speed, low end power, but it is an undisputable fact the 302 has more power.

If I wanted a more poweful truck and had a choice between a 300 and a 302, I would pick the 302. With exhaust and a 4.10 gear set it's hard to beat a 302.

I think the 300 is a neat motor and it's one of my favorites, simpy because it's an I6 and it's tough. I love anything realiable and I'm a fan of I6's. I just think they're neat.

 

My Ford 1992 RECREATION VEHICLE AND TRAILERING TOWING GUIDE states that the 4.9 can pull 5500 pounds in the F250 with 3.55 gears and auto and that the 5.0 with 3.55 auto in the F150 can pull 7200 pounds.

And the 4.9 with auto and 3.08 gears in the F150 can pull 4700 pounds . And the 5.0 F150 with auto and 3.08 gears can pull 7200 pounds.

I don't even see the high gear advantage that the 4.9 has per Ford.

The torque peak for the 4.9 economy cam is 265 foot pounds and the standard 4.9 cam has 260 foot pounds. The SD 5.0 has 270 foot pounds and the MAF 302 has 275 foot pounds peak. With the 10 percent individual engine allowance of output -basically the 4.9 and 5.0 makes the same PEAK torque and the 5.0 makes at least 40 more horsepower than the 4.9.

It isnt surprising that the 5.0 will trailer better than the 4.9-once the vehicle is rolling and above off idle engine speed and especially above 2k RPM.