Hey guys, I signed on here over a year ago when I was looking to buy a vehicle. I ended up with a jeep, and now I want a truck so I can haul stuff and tow my boat. With that said, which would y'all choose for towing/hauling: 302 or 351? Auto or stick doesn't matter to me, but if either have major problems, please let me know! I've been a Ford truck guy all my life, and eventually will have a diesel, whether it be Powerstroke or Cummins. Thanks in advance for your help and/or opinions!!

 

Definitely a 351, and unless it's a real old one it will have an auto. The M5OD transmissions behind the I6 and 302 are not suitable for heavy towing and hauling.

 

Thanks for the quick response. Since I'm looking at getting back into the truck/V8 world, how long does the 351 last? I see one that has 160k miles. Is that towards the end of it's life, or is that in the middle? I know the I6's last forever, and my jeep has 156k, and I'm not too worried about it dying anytime soon. I know auto tranny's are kinda crappy, so how is the auto tranny behind the 351? Also, what would you guys say is a maximum safe weight to tow and haul with the 351? Sorry for asking so many questions.

 

A 302/351/460 will last as long as they are maintained till they break.

Trans behind the 351 in an F-150/Bronco before 90 is the C6 three speed, and since 90 was the E4OD.

Your motor isn't the limit of pulling, the size of the truck being able to control the load is. People have been spoiled with modern big diesel tow numbers, but with a halfton truck, I don't like to tote more than a 5ton trailer.

Adrianspeeder

 

Ok. I don't think I'd be hauling anywhere near 5 tons. The most, at the moment, I'd be towing is around 2 tons (my jeep) plus trailer. The boat I have is pretty light, but I wouldn't mind getting a bigger one, but not anywhere near 5 tons. So, I think until I'm out of college and save up to get a diesel, a 351 would be great for my needs. Is the E40D reliable or is it prone to failure?

 

95+ have all the updates from the factory. Costs shy of 2k to build one up right if they blow. They don't last long if overheated. I've twisted the guts out of it's replacement the 4R100 with a hopped up 7.3L PSD.

Two tons seems light for a jeep and trailer. I think that's what my flatbed weighs alone. Never weighed my YJ though, and I ain't a Jeep expert.

Adrianspeeder

 

When you say the 95+ have all the updates from the factory, what do you mean? If I were to get a 94, and kept it maintained, would it be ok for towing?

 

300 or 351 not 302 for towing trans id go with a t18 or zf5 people like the e4od trans but i could never get much use b4 blowing them up never had a problem with a stick except rears. actualy i just noticed the pinion bearings are gettin wobbly in this truck
also id go with a 3.55 limmited slip rear im pretty sure the door code is 19 so u dont have to crawl under the truck

i tow alot long distances and with a 300 with t18 3.55 2wd i have no problems except if im on loose stone it spins bc i dont have 4wd
ive had a 2 auto matic truck in a 2.5 year spand and blew 6 trans missions never have i burnt a clutch or wrecked a stick trans

 

Is it possible to find a 351 with the zf5? I know it would be quite a bit of work to swap them.

 

I hope the above post with 5 tons was a type-o and really meant 5,000 lbs. A regular cab 90's truck shouldn't be towing more than that safely.

A 351W will go 200,000 miles without a rebuild as long as it is taken care of and serviced regularly. An upgraded valve body on a E4OD trans is a must. A vendor at www.NLOC.net builds valve bodies to your wants/needs.

The only downside to a 351W is their leaking rear main seal's. Some do, some don't, most do.

 

I'd be going for an extended cab mid 90s. 5000lbs would still be good for me, except if I wanted to tow my jeep, with jeep and trailer, it might be slightly over 5000lbs.

 

in a f250 or f350 but its harder to find atleast it is in jersey u find them more behind 460s great towing motors but they will suck a gasstaion dry

but if ur going to use it for towing not to much daily driving a t18 is great just dont have od but u dont need it towing

my 2wd 300 t18 3.55 gets 16 mpg around town i can run the highway at 85 but it goes down to 12 mpg but at a constant 50 mph i get clost to 20 mpg and i can tow damn near anything

if i was u id look into a 300 4x4 with a t18 but thats just my opinion t18s r easy to tell put it in first and fi the stick almost hits the dash its a t18 plus it has a bent stick to clear the seat when in reverse.

if u go with a t18 and ur driving unloaded its better just to start in second first is to low for normal driving

 

The 300 is decent for towing?

 

i out tow 302s any day of the week 300s make all there toque under 2000 rpm ware v8s are after 2000 ive put over 6000 lbs on the back of my truck and had no problem

ive towed dual axle 35 foot campers try axel dual car trailers but it got my stock half ton leaf springs plust 1 ton coil springs under my truck but stock 8.8 rear

the 1 ton coils were $35 for jcwhitney and they made a huge diffrence in towing

but if u find a 4x4 modle its better for offroad towing i get stuck on lose gravel or stone some timesbut also i didnt have much tread on my tires

 

The ZF5 was never available in a F-150 - as long as you are looking at pre-97 trucks, why not look for a 98 or earlier F-250 or bigger? The ZF5 was available across the board in those - 300, 351, 460, and diesel.