I am looking to purchase a f150 between the years of 90-94 and I would like to know if either the 302 or the 351 would be more reliable, maintenance, etc... I will be using it for camping/hunting, pulling 20ft boat. There may be an occasional pull of a bobcat or min excavator but rare. Further down the road I may put a lift on it but mostly using it for remodeling the house and general home maintenance and landscaping.

Any comments on either motor would be greatly appreciated.

 

If you are going to be towing, I'd take a serious look at a 300 inch 6. They run forever. It's a true truck motor, the V8's are essentially car motors.

 

A co-worker back in the early 80's bought a Bronco with the straight 6 and had problems with the cam gears self destructing. May be an anomaly but nothing is perfect.

Both the 302 and 351 are very reliable engines as well as the 300 6cyl.

 

If you are towing, then I believe the best bet would be the 351. Will get about the same mpg, but will handle the load better.

 

Based on the first part of your post hands down a 300/6 more torque better mpg and a 500,000 mile motor with reasonable care. Easy motor to turbocharge for more power later. My brother had a 79 F150 4X4 with one and it was a off road beast great power curve and torque band meant very few shifts when four wheeling. I have owned several and they are hard to beat. 2nd choice would be a 351 less torque but more build options down the road and being a V8 lots more options built for it. But don't over look the 300/6 there is a reason Jeep stayed with the 4.0 /6 for decades and it is mostly in the torque curve and midrange performance.

 

300 I6 is the way to go...best engine Ford ever made, one of the most reliable engines ever made by ANY company. Had a '95 that I inherited with 72,000 miles on it when the original tranny blew out reverse and once repaired drove it for 4 years. Sold it at 203,000 in 03 and the truck is still going strong today with almost 250,000 miles on it (the new owner has some bed damage but is actually gonna put a new bed on it for its birthday in June lol)

 

Ideally, whatever you get, it should have the E4OD automatic tranny. The M5OD 5 speed stick is a light duty box and the AOD/4R70W found in most 302's is not as strong as the E4OD.

 

Thanks for the information. The unfortunate thing is that I have a limited budget right now and the 300/6cln are a hard find. Almost all the trucks here are either the 302 or the 351.

 

Between those 2, the 351 WILL have a E4OD and will tow a lot better than a 302. It will be a gas hog though.

 

I like the 351 a little bit better then the 302, Same basic engine like the 4.6 and 5.4 only real difference is the 351 has a taller deck-longer stroke. I've had 351's that seemed to last forever.

 

I used to have a 94 F150 SWB 4x4 with the 302. It also had the E40D automatic. I bought it with 35k miles on it and traded it with 94k miles. Only problem I had was one universal joint had to be replaced. I used it at my jobs in the frozen north so it saw quite a bit of snow/salted roads.