360,351 or 302?

[James]

I have a '94 with a 300-6 and I love it. I get around 18-21mpg average.
At least enough pull to them to drag a 60's farm tractor with the wheels locked.

Other than that, most things are easy to get to.

[Fordlorn]

Yeah, I'm still thinking six. Of course I won't have nearly as good of fuel mileage with a carb set-up though. However, I will prolly run a header and an aftermarket intake. That should help even things up a little huh? As often as I'm gonna tow/haul anything (rarely) I think a nicely done 300 sick is the way to go. By the way, is it header or hedder? Anyone really know for sure? I used to get riled when I heard someone call it a "motor' until I looked it up in the dictionary. I can sleep at night now because motor and engine are actually interchangeable terms.

[willowbilly3]

Other than the sound I would take the six any day. Go over to Fordsix and scout around, you can get some good ideas. Some people might argue but I don't think the efi six really gets any better mileage that a decent running carbed one.
I have one in the waiting with a comp 260 cam. I also have a complete efi one that needs gone through. I just scored a Clifford dual carb intake with a pair of 360 Holley 2 bbls and I have a Dual Port Offy with a 390 Holley 4 bbl. Headers too but I will probably run the efi dual exhaust whenever I get around to finding a decent recipient.
I have a whole set of 390 flat top pistons that will go in a .050 over 300, all the rings, bearings ect.

[Fordlorn]

Uh, oh! Now you got me Jonesin for a screamer six! Ok, not really, but I really do like the 300 six so I'm pretty sure I will get one soon. Besides, today I found out my 360 has a LOT of blow-by. Looks like bye bye time for the 360! I'll do a compression check tomarrow just to make sure.

[fomocoguy]

... Sorry. 360 is a slug. Always has been, always will be.

302's are good engines, just not for towing. Take 2 identical trucks one with a 302, the other with an equally built 360 and tow 3000 lbs up a 6% grade and tell me which engine is a "slug."

That being said, I wouldn't put a 360 in place of a 302 in a mustang either. Two good engines, two different applications.

You hit the nail on the head. If my crew (5400 lbs) had a stock 302 instead of a stock 360 it wouldn't hardly pull itself, let alone a load. I had 2500 lbs in it the other day and it barely knew it. That being said, my old swb 72 (3400 lbs) was pulled around quite nicely by the 302 when empty, and would eat up some rpms. One day I put about 700 lbs in it and I thought it was going to croak Just two different designs, plain and simple.

351w is a nice compromise between the two, but don't expect much better mileage than the 360.

[willowbilly3]

I have had them all. I had a 96 F150 with a 302 that I did a fair amount of towing with. It would average around 15-16, 19 with a tailwind and 12 with a head wind. Had a 72 shortbed 302 and it got about 14. I had a 74 Highboy with a "slug" 360. It got around 13 and I put a set of headers on, really woke it up and I got over 15 a couple times after that. It also went from an 80 mph top end to burying the needle. I had another 74 highboy 360 that a friend bought new and it ran really good, towed the race car all over the state with it. I have had several 351W including a brand new one and never got over 12 with one. From all the owners I talked to the best of them might have done 15, you will never see 20 from one, ever. I have owned a couple 300-6s that would do 20-21 if driven 60. Push them to 75 and they get 15. Overdrive really doesn't help, it just makes them a dog.

[Fordlorn]

Well, I did a cold compression check today and here are the results. I emptied the carb Thursday and (elect. fuel pump allows this) tied the carb to WOT and pulled all the plugs.
dry - w/oil dry - w/oil
4: 95 / 120 8: 95 / 120
3: 0 / 30 7: 110 / 120
2: 95+ / 120 6: 95 / 120
1: 95 / 120 5: 110 / 120

As you can see there is a problem with cyl. #3. I never did get it to pump up at all. I poured ATF down the carb after I buttoned it back up hoping that the rings on #3 are just gummed up or something. I ain't holdin my breath though! Now I gotta decide if I want the 360 or if I'm gonna go the extra mile and do the 300 six. I could do a re-ring and just run this for a year or so and save up the bucks for the 300. Well, maybe I'll get lucky and she'll bust loose and save me some dough!?!?

[OldRedFord]

i say the 360. This coming from a guy that has never owned a FE engine, and is installing a 460.

[willowbilly3]

A dead hole, ouch. It would run a long time on 95 but o-30 isn't good. With the bad blowby I'd bet it has a burned piston in that hole, might be a valve too but either way it is time to replace it. If you even bother tearing it down expect it to need a full rebuild.

[papabug71]

Since you already have the 360, I say keep it & do a full rebuild. Do that & its good for another 200K miles.

Dont expect much from a 360FE. They were NOT built to be screamers. Sure you can wake it up a little, but dont demand the impossable from it.

God luck to ya'!

[Fordlorn]

Well, I'm either gonna just do a quicky re-ring and drive it a year or so or just save a little coin and get me a six. I'm not gonna do a complete rebuild on an engine I'm prolly not gonna like. Remember, I've been a Chevy guy for years and from what I'm hearing, I'm not gonna get the kind of perfromance I'm used to getting from that many cubic inches. I'd just as soon have the six instead. Not doggin the 360, I'm sure it's a fine engine for some things but I'm not willing to have a gas guzzlin dog. If it were a hotty that'd be a different story. Please no flames about my decision, and the Chevy comparison was not meant to be inflammatory either, it's simply what I have the most experience with. And let's not forget, I got me an old Ford now!

[fomocoguy]

Well, I'm either gonna just do a quicky re-ring and drive it a year or so or just save a little coin and get me a six. I'm not gonna do a complete rebuild on an engine I'm prolly not gonna like. Remember, I've been a Chevy guy for years and from what I'm hearing, I'm not gonna get the kind of perfromance I'm used to getting from that many cubic inches. I'd just as soon have the six instead. Not doggin the 360, I'm sure it's a fine engine for some things but I'm not willing to have a gas guzzlin dog. If it were a hotty that'd be a different story. Please no flames about my decision, and the Chevy comparison was not meant to be inflammatory either, it's simply what I have the most experience with. And let's not forget, I got me an old Ford now!

Just fyi, if chebbie small block like performance is what your after then the 302 or 351w would be the best choice, as they most closely resemble the sbc in the type of power delivery you'll get. As for the 6 cyl, compared to a chebbie straight six the 300 ford is a step up in power and torque, and with some mods is a little torque monster.

[FLATBEDFORD]

Over the years I have owned Ford trucks with 4 different engines.
'83 F250 300 six carb T19 4x4 3.55 rears (dead)
'96 F250 351 EFI 5spd 4x4 3.55 rears (sold)
'70 F350 360 T18 4x2 4.10 rears (current)
'00 F250 V10 Auto 4x4 3.73 rears (current)

All were/are completely stock.
The 300 would if I had the time pull a house across town. Mileage was about 13-14 mpg
The 351 would pull a smaller house, but much faster. 11 mpg
The 360 would pull the same house as the 300, but considerably faster. 8 mpg
The V10 even though we aren't even considering it, would pull both houses and the three trucks, no problem.

300 is a torque monster at idle, but runs out of breath pretty quickly. 351 had plenty of torque, adequate hp, but needed to be at 2000+ rpm to make any power. 360 has the torque of the six with the hp of the 351.
There's my

[Fordlorn]

Now that's what I'm looking for, an explanation I can wrap my mind around. I agree with the 302/351 as apples to apples with the SBC. The little bit of contact I've had with buddies with 351's and 302's gave me that impression. And Flatbed, that is the best comparison I've ever read, and I believe you know what you are talking about. Maybe I'll keep my "slug" 360 anyway. After all, as has been mentioned, I already got it.

[willowbilly3]

The 360 is a much maligned engine. I have had a few, some really sorry and a couple really good. If you do a rebuilt you can wake it up a lot with some better breathing.
One thing I recommend with the 300 or the 360 is spend a day with the die grinder cleaning up the heads. It is time well spent. You don't have to hog them out, just do a gasket match and clean up, smooth things out. You will be glad you did.