I was told that a 351w gets better mileage than a 305. Ford made that motor for that reason. Does anyone know if this is true? I have a 88 4x4 5 speed the 302 needs lower mains and rods. Would put a 351w if it did get better mileage...

 

I don't think that the 351 gets better gas mileage than the chevy 305. All v-8's get around the same milleage. By this I mean between 12/18 mpg. Your gear ratio will make the biggest difference. 2 wheel drive is another difference. People who say they can get over 20 mpg out of a 4-wheel drive
v-8 are full of it. Tell them to prove it.

 

The 351 from that period had a reputation as a gas hog.

I used to have an 88 F250 4x4 with the 351. A friend who had a 460 got the same mileage as me and had more power to boot.

Ian



------------------
99 Expedition EB
5.4l, 4x4, 4.10'S
WMS Tube, Bassani Cat Back Exhaust.
Superchip Flipchip on Order

 

I had an '87 5.8 H.O. (351ci) 4x4 Reg. Cab. The best mpg that truck ever got was 10 mpg. Around town, it was closer to 8 mpg.

 

The 351w definitely gets much better mileage in a 4x2, I get 13-14 around town and 16 on the highway in my 93 Lightning (4.10 gears, underdrive pullies, k&n cone, flowmaster single exhaust)

Of course if i'm in a bad mood, mileage slips to around 9mpg due to lots of full throttle action.

Funny thing is, my 94 inline-6 truck never got better than 16 mpg.

 

Come see for yourself. My '95 4x4 Supercab with a 302 and 3.31s breaks over 20 on almost every highway trip I take.

Of course it rarely did before the ignition upgrade.

With the right gears, I've seen other 4x4s get over 20 on the highway.

The 351s use more gas than the 302s but not a lot more. I have seen some smog era 351s that consumed fuel in a very bad way. Don't go to the 351 looking for better economy. If you can afford to lose a little mileage and want the extra torque, the 351 is a good choice.