While I like the new generation of Ford motors, it was hard for me to see the 460 go. I consider it to be one of the toughest, stoutest engines ever. While I know it's been years since the 460 has been offered in a half ton, I still wonder how the more modern engines such as the Ecoboost or even the 6.2 or the 6.8 V10 really stack up. Obviously, there's a fuel mileage difference with some of these, but put a hundred square bales of hay behind the 460, and it's going to be hard to beat across the powerband. It was apples to oranges, but I still fondly recall the 350 Vortec that stalled unable to back a trailer load of hay up an incline, where in the same spot the old 90 model 460 effortlessly did the job.

 

The 460 in 1990 had 400 ft/lb of torque. Ecoboost 3.5 has 420. Both of them have a very flat torque curve that comes in at low RPM. The Ecoboost gets about twice the gas mileage.

 

I'm aware that the Boost gets better mpg, although my 90 460 pretty consistently got 12-14 highway with the 3:55 rear end. Towing anything pushing wind was 6-8. I was thinking the 460 was just a touch over 400 lb. ft, perhaps 403, but I haven't recently looked it up. The big difference would be the 460's mere 230 horsepower. There's just something about the way a big block and massive pistons make power though. Just wondering if anyone has had both engines. I have a friend who once pulled a single wide mobile home with a 460 F450 with 5 speed.

I think it would be awesome to see what the old big block would do with a modern 6 speed tranny and direct injection. ...

 

It's not really a engine vs engine thing. Weak point in the half tons is the front suspension for heavy hauling. That a a full float rear axle will still always be stronger than a semi float. the f150s still are as best as it gets for a half tons. If they were built any stronger they wouldn't be a f150.

 

I had an '88 F250 4x4 460 5 speed with 3.55 gears. Some ways I liked that truck, but my current '12 Supercrew 4x4 5.0 3.73 will outpull it. When I moved, I had my old Bronco on a U-Haul trailer and pulled a local hill. 3rd gear at 52 mph is all it would do. This new truck will pull the same weight at 65+. I was just thinking today that I would just as soon drop a newer engine (Coyote/EB) into an older truck to make it fun too.

 

Get the 460, I own lots of Exxon/Mobil stock.

 

I'm restoring a '79 F-350 4x4 with Dana 60s front & rear, 4.10 gear ratio. In the process of rebuilding the 460. Has 429 DOVE-A heads, Comp Cams 268H camshaft, Sealed Power pistons, Holley carb and a few other mods. Should be around 500HP when completed. Think it will pull pretty good too.

 

But what mileage will your 460 with 4.10s get? That's where the new engines shine. The EB will get 20MPG when unloaded and drop to 11-12 when loaded up. Your 460 might get 11 when unloaded on a good day with a strong tailwind.

 

I don't know, probably will get less than that. I also have a F-250 4x4 Super Duty with V-10 and 4.30 gear ratio and a 4x2 4.2L F-150 with 4.10 gear ratio. It used to get 20/21 MPG highway before I lifted it and re-geared. Now it gets about 18 MPG highway. If they need gas, I fill them up. Not too worried about it.

 

Bet that 460 weighs a lot more too..

Mitch

 

Two points/questions about this: 1st, the 460 with 3:73 gears would pull the hill faster than with 3:55s. Secondly, how old, and with how many miles did you make the pull with the 460?

I Personally have the 5.0, and it IS a tremendous motor. It's amazing that it will pull competitively with the old big block, and get nearly twice the fuel mileage. But it's doing it with two more gears.

Regarding the statement about half tons versus 3/4 tons, the fact is that the frame under my 2013 F150 is far stronger and stiffer than my 1990 F250's. The new F150 is in fact in many ways more capable than yesteryear's F250s. The 2015 with 5.0 can haul up to 3,000 pounds in the bed. The 90s 3/4 tons would have comparable payloads, and only the F350 of the era could tow what today's F150 can.

I'm not convinced that the new Super Duties actually have as stiff a frame as the F150 since they still haven't had a major ground up redesign in many years.

 

One more thought, the 88 was still carbureted, while the 90 was multiport fuel injected.

 

I don't know if the 460 my dad had in his ranger was as stout as todays 5.0 or eco boost of today. but I do remember it got 10 MPG and no better. it had to have two tanks to go as far as I go with half a tank in my 5.0 with 3;55 gears. I know it would tow like a raped ape but did it do it as efficiently, hell no but it was a good truck for its time.

 

no 88 was first year of efi on 460/351. It's still an inefficient setup though. distributor ignition, heads, intake, etc compared to the current truck line up. That's why it gets almost half the mpg!

 

Correct, the '88 7.5L was FI.

The truck had about 90K on it when I towed the Bronco up the hill. I realize the gearing made some of the difference, but my reality was that I used the truck 90+% of the time empty so I wanted the mileage and not the stump pulling gears. I talked to a guy in Boise that had a cam specific for that motor but I never got it. I had dropped the Cat and installed a Flowmaster muffler and worked over the intake. I had one trip from OR to ID and managed 15.5 mpg on the interstate but usually got about 14.5 commuting in it. I sold that truck to my dad to tow his boat. Once I towed his boat from ID to MT to go fishing, he "upgraded" to an F150 realizing it was plenty of truck for a 70 year old guy. I told him if he needed anything heavy brought to the house it was cheaper to have it delivered than drive around in an F250 all the time anyway.