Slightly OT- F350 7.5 gasser milage

Don-Wi

Well-known Member
The other day when getting some fries at BK across the road was a dealer, and they have a 91 F350 4x2 crew cab long box with the 7.5 gasser & 3 sp. auto in it. only has 104,000 miles on it and the body is imaculate, especially considering this is Wisconsin and my 88 rusted itself off the frame.

I currently drive a 95 F250 2x4 w/ 5.8 and 5 speed manual, regular cab long box.

What would a guy expect for milage out of that big honking 7.5? I know I probably won't buy it, but that's closer to what I want vs. what I'm driving for my occasional use. Main problem with my current truck is room for my boys to ride with car seats. I put both car seats in once, but it was tight (extremely tight) and then they didn't have to ride with me anyway. Now with a 3rd one 2 months out I'm wanting a crew cab even more.

Didn't look at it too long, but I was surely impressed with it.

And of course, this would be a farm truck so I'd be using it to haul wagons and tractors.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Not good. Not good. Power yes, mileage no. Less
than 10 or thereabouts. had a dump with a 460 in
it, it achieved a whopping 6-7, loaded or not.
 
My big block chevy and ford seemed to get around 8 mpg funny thing is it does not seem to matter loaded down or empty ?
Dad had an F350 econoline van and it could get 13 I think it was a 1979 model ? or was it a 1976 ?
 
I had a 97 with the 460 in it and it got10
mpg most all the time. Never pulled any
real heavy loads, but pulled a 14,000
pound trailer with a 9,000 pound tractor
on it a lot. Made a couple trips west to
Wy. snowmobiling with a 4 place trailer at
75 mph and still got 10.
 
My 460 with automatic got 8-9 when it wasn't behind a wrecker being towed to the repair shop. 454 GMC, stick got 11-12.
 
The 95 efi with 5spd and
4.10 around 9 mpg. The
older carburetor models
w/4 spd and 410: 12-14
unless real heavy. Then 5-
7
 
Depends on rear end gearing. I had a 77 F250 with the 460, 4BBL carb and auto. Rear had 3.73 gearing. It would range between 11 and 13 depending on how it was loaded. It's kinda like the 7.3 diesel a SIL drove. 9-10 MPG. Had 4.35 gearing. Man that thing was cranking almost 2500 RPM's at 55. Lot of folks got those and the 454 too with gearing that would make a 300 6 pull a load.

The 460 was considered about bullet proof. Check the VIN to find out factory gearing.

Rick
 
A 91 F350 and 460 with the C6 transmission is going to suck some gas. Never owned one with that set up - all of ours either had the E4OD or the 5 speed manual. It will be fuel injected so its probably 10-14 empty, 7-9 loaded.

I'd be really surprised if that highly optioned of a vehicle only had the C6 instead of the OD transmission. Not that you'll gain any mileage loaded - and just a couple miles per gallon running empty. The C6 is a cheap transmission to get worked on if it ever need it and its extremely tough as long as you keep the transmission oil changed.
 
I have a 97 450 with the 7.5 engine and auto trans. Window sticker says 5 and 5. I believe it. Has duals and a utility bed. 74,000 actual miles. Wish I could sell it,
 
I found the vin- 2ftjw35g3mca85795.

Doing some online searches didn't tell me what the rear end or tranny were, but after liking at me pictures there is a button to disengage the OD do it must have the more common 4 speed.

I get 12 - 14 mpg with my 95 now without a trailer. Last year delivering hay on a 150 mile round trip I averaged 7-8. Definitely ran out of power on some of the longer hills and had to drop down to third gear.

I only drive my truck 3-4000 miles in a year so mileage isn't my biggest concern. Room to bring both of my boys with me is more of a need. Plus it's already got the brake controller and a ball in the bed. My truck doesn't have a brake controller or a goose neck hitch.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
I swear those older fords with the 7.5 460 and the two smaller dual tanks that you could watch the fuel guage moving down when pulling heavy loads. I would be happy if they ever got above 10MPG. For a gasser of their time period they did pretty good work though.
 

I looked at a 460 5-speed 250 once, talked to a guy with same truck with a 460 E40D, said 10 MPG going downhill was probably the best...

If you are LOW mileage driver..and the truck is CHEAP, you might save on vehicle cost and make up for it on fuel..
 
(quoted from post at 03:29:32 10/01/14) I found the vin- 2ftjw35g3mca85795.

Doing some online searches didn't tell me what the rear end or tranny were, but after liking at me pictures there is a button to disengage the OD do it must have the more common 4 speed.

I get 12 - 14 mpg with my 95 now without a trailer. Last year delivering hay on a 150 mile round trip I averaged 7-8. Definitely ran out of power on some of the longer hills and had to drop down to third gear.

I only drive my truck 3-4000 miles in a year so mileage isn't my biggest concern. Room to bring both of my boys with me is more of a need. Plus it's already got the brake controller and a ball in the bed. My truck doesn't have a brake controller or a goose neck hitch.

Donovan from Wisconsin

The VIN doesn't tell you anything about transmissions or rear ends only engines. You have to look on the tag that is stuck on the drivers door frame to get trans and rear end codes.
 

It ain't the engine that hurts the fuel economy. It is the ratio of the rear axle, coupled with the weight of the truck. You could put a 300 cubic inch, in-line six in that truck and the fuel mileage would still be around 8 to 10.
 
If that's what you are looking for the only thing stopping you is the price. I'll tell you what though - dropping out of OD with a load is pretty common with any pickup (including new ones with twice the power).

With only 3-4000 miles a year fuel "economy" would be the least of my worries - condition would be primary.
 
The mileage is that bad... that in nearly 24 years of service the truck has only accumulated 104000 miles....
Seriously, with the 3 speed it will never pass a gas station and may not make it to some.

Rod
 
I have an '89 F250 5 speed 460 and a '90 F350 auto 460 for chore trucks. Don't leave them running at the gas pump or you never will get the tank full.
 
Our Farm truck is a 1992 F250 4X4 with 7.5L (460)E.F.I., 5 speed and 4.10 axle gears.
It gets 10~11 MPG empty, if I cruise at 60~65.
If I push the speed up above 65 or so and I get 9~10 MPG.
Towing anything I get about 7~8 MPG.
It will pass anything on the road except a gas station. :lol:

I keep the old beast because I can work on it, parts are still cheap, and I don't need to drive it every day. We only use it when we need a real truck, otherwise we have other cars and a minivan for other uses.
I keep thinking I would like to try a higher ratio axle gears, but for the cost I think will just stick to what I have.
Andrew
 

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