Ford 7.5 gas engine- how long do they run?

I'm gonna be in the market for a truck this year, to replace my 88 F150. I'm looking for a 3/4-1 ton extended or crew cab, early to mid 90's. Nothing special, just need it for occasional use (I only put about 2500-3000 miles on my truck in a year) and pulling heavy loads and heavy implements.

I'm seeing a few with 225-250,000 miles on the gas engines. I'm wondering how long they'll run, or if they're near the end of their useful life. If I could get a manual w/ 4x4, that'd be about right. Automatic is ok too, as the wife would probably drive it once in a while. She's done stick, but not well.

How long do the gassers run? Deisel is an option, but it costs so much more and I drive so little with my truck. The price would have to be right.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Have a 90 with over 300000 and counting. Bought it
with 79000 in 96. Oil change every 3000 and going
strong. Pulls whatever needed when needed. 97 has
130000 and counting. Put new oil pump and timing
train when I got it. 7.5 is good to go. Plenty of
power and gets same milage unloaded as loaded.

The 460 has been around for along time, think 1968. Its a decent engine, I have had few of them over the yrs. Sure likes fuel, but for couple 1000miles a yr it will fine.

Mine is a 1991 and has 215,000 on it. It runs like a top and has never let me down. Its a 4x4 auto ext cab long bed heavy duty. Ive grossed 27,000lbs with it many times hauling hay bales. In my opinion its the best big block V8 ever made.

they are pretty tough stout engines. they drink a lot tho. but they are a powerhouse. whats the plans for the 150

Not sure what i'll do with the 150. The cab is rotted out, not really safe to drive anymore. The it's got the 300 w/fsp. transmission behind it. The engine is getting loose-has to run 15w40 to get some oil pressure, and it has a fair knock to it before the pressure comes up.

Donovan from Wisconsin

10 mpg.

Glenn

I have a 1988 F-350 4 door dually with a 460 and a 5 speed..I
bought it a couple of years ago and really have no idea how
many miles it has..It doesnt burn any oil and has plenty of
power..I only use it 2000 miles per year...

10 mpg empty at 70 mph
9 mpg pulling an empty 25 ft gooseneck trailer
6.5 to 7.5 mpg pulling a loaded 25 ft gooseneck trailer..

It all depends on who's been driving it. The 460 is a big lazy engine that will run for 300K as long as you keep the oil fresh and don't over rev it. The problem is they are getting so old that they've been passed on to people that don't take care of them and abuse the **** of them. You need to keep them running under 3K RPMs and never rev them past 4.5K RPM. You do much of either and skip an oil change every now and then and it needs an overhaul at 150K.

(quoted from post at 07:09:59 01/30/13) It all depends on who's been driving it. The 460 is a big lazy engine that will run for 300K as long as you keep the oil fresh and don't over rev it. The problem is they are getting so old that they've been passed on to people that don't take care of them and abuse the **** of them. You need to keep them running under 3K RPMs and never rev them past 4.5K RPM. You do much of either and skip an oil change every now and then and it needs an overhaul at 150K.

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That's not really true. The Chevy 454 didn't relly like RPM's very well. The 460 is about indestructable. I've known several people who have drove em real hard and had well over 200K on em. I've been told by a former Ford mechanic that the 460 will turn over 5K RPM"s without any problems.

THe gearing is going to determine mileage. I had a 77 with 4:73s that got around 13 empty and 11 pulling close to 10K . I also know a cuy with one now, mid 90's, 4X4 Auto who claims with EFI that empty he's getting 18 (I'd really like to be able to prove/disprove that) empty on the highway.

RIck

I ran a 88 Ford F350 4X4 cab and chassie with a 460 for 287000 miles with better then 50% of them pulling a 28 foot goose neck . The only problems i had with the truck was computer problems the biggest , 1 clutch due to a throw out bearing failure several clutch master cylinders and several clutch slave cylinders , and one ring and pinion due to the crush spacer colapes . Solved that problem with doing away with the crush spacer and making up selective fit spacers to set pinion preload . Changed oil as close to 3000 miles as i could and i ran Castrol 10-40 in the winter and 20-50 in summer . Never hauled more then i could stack on the trailer and never dove it any faster then it would go . In other words i ran the bag off that truck. There were weeks that the oil got change twice due to the miles i was putting on it . always carried a spare computer and hyd clutch parts and two U/Joints as for awhile i was eating u/Joints like M&M's till i stopped buying them from NAPA and went with Spicer joints . Napa joints were to soft and with the pull power of the 460 it would embed the needles into the crosses . To be totally honest here i like the 460 better then i like my Dodge with the cummins as the 460 out on the open road got better fuel milage then my Cummins

OH really ??? geee i wish you would have told me that years ago as i would not have held mine to the floor pulling long hills in third running here at 5 grand or better keeping my speed at 50 mph . and besides a 460 builds it torque at 3400 RPM . when ya float the valves on a 460 then you know your twisten it a bit hard . and while i was pulling my goose neck she got wound up and was usually running 32- 3500 RPM in forth as i did not run O/D when i had the trailer on and it had 4.10 gears in the rears and some nights it sat there at 4 grand for five or six hours on the trip home with a load of either tractor s or impalement's a normal load was two 706's setting on the trailer or two to four semi mount plows and a couple transport disc's and what ever else i could stack on up to 13 foot high .

Longer than the frame, body, electrical/electronics and
emissions equipment lasts.

Ive had two trucks with 460s. No complaints other than how much gas it liked. Durable and tuff engines. There like any other engine and they last depending on how well they have been maintained.Ive had a diesel pickup of some kind for along time and Im thinking about goin back to a gasser. Theres no doubt diesels are meant to pull heavy loads and will run longer than a gasser but the extra cost of fuel upkeep and parts and the aggravation in the winter Im not sure if you dont pull a heavy load everyday its worth it to have diesel.

Jasper rebuilders jasper ind years back started genration their own electric. They decided on the 460 they rebuilt. had a bank of several generators seems about 20 running 27 hours day. Their experience was 460 was best motor of the era

Quoting "That's not really true. The Chevy 454 didn't relly like RPM's very well."

Please explain where you came up with this, I would be real interested to read.

I've heard some tall ones, but that's a first. My '89 superduty 1 ton dump w/ EFI 460 and manual trans got 6-8 mpg, highway, around town, loaded or empty. Current farm truck is 1 ton cummins, steel flatbed dually, 5 spd and it will do 12-14 mpg pulling 10k trailer.

they both are big blocks and are designed to make power at low to medium rpm's, if you are trying to twist a 454 hard then either you don't know much about big blocks or don't know much period, a 460 has a tougher bottom end and I liked the one in my 92 F250, it never got better than 10 empty but never got less than 5 pulling and pulled quite well and they say the late ones had more power, If I ever found a nice 96 or 97 I would be tempted to buy it.

Quoting "That's not really true. The Chevy 454 didn't relly like RPM's very well."

Please explain where you came up with this, I would be real interested to read.

dboll,
That is why I asked the question, and yes I think I do know a lot about big blocks, Chevrolet and Ford. I have built 3 454s that all will go over 7000 rpms and finished a 460 that will pull well past 6500 rpm. This is all with factory parts.

Your statement is just as non-descriptive... "big blocks are designed to make power at low to medium rpms"

What are those rpms?

Factory Big block chevys and Dodges all make their peak torque over 4000 rpms, Ford is the only one below 4000rpm. I dont consider 4000 a low rpm.

Rick

Always have your boots on when tractorvet is posting.

(quoted from post at 10:08:00 01/30/13)
Quoting "That's not really true. The Chevy 454 didn't relly like RPM's very well."

Please explain where you came up with this, I would be real interested to read.

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Hands on experience.

Most 454 owners I knew back when they were a popular engine started spinning bearings around 5,000 RPM's. The 460 didn't do that. I'm talking stock production units in full sized pickups, not the muscle car engines. Now these were guys playing in the mud with stock 4x4's

Rick

Agree with you 5000rpm is pushing the limit on all stock parts. Maybe seen 1 spun bearing. We usually ended up destroying the cams first.

Rick

Never really saw one trash a cam. Seen a few cams that have been trashed but those were on engine running way more than 5K RPMs. My play toy at the time was an IH Scout. Most of the guys with the big engine trucks went in was worse places thatn I would go. I did winch a few out though :lol: .

Worse one I saw was a guy with a 454, about 50K on the engine. Got stuck and trying to drive himself out spun 2 rods and a main. That was while I was at (note AT not IN) Leavenworth.

Rick

I don't know how long they last, but I've had one for 15 years and it runs just like it did when I bought it new. 13mpg hwy empty is my best. Engine not touched. only 105k miles but it sets unless I'm pulling or hauling.

I am dead serious on what that truck did on fuel mileage . that truck made two trips a month from eastern Ohio to Stilesville In. plus all the smaller sales . I would fill the truck up the night before and drive home that evening and the next morning i would leave the house and go hook onto the trailer and head to the sale . The 88 had the dual tank set up and that was 36-38 gallon , that would take me to stilesville and get me back to the state line or the 10 mile marker in Ohio then i would fuel up and use one tank the rest of the way home . I am not tryen to pull your leg as this is what the truck did . Now why mine did better then yours ????? i have no idea Other then i did change the cam timing and i had a different computer in mine and i had the timing set up . The cam shaft was stock put was set heads up with a Cloyes double roller with the timing of a 70 460 and i ran hightest . My truck and trailer weighed in at 15000 empty . Now i will say this , IF you doubt what i say about this truck you can talk with the old shop forman for Donnell Ford . as the one time that truck was on a massive recall and THEY DID a bunch of work on that truck and Wally told me that he had never driven a one ton that ran like mine did . and he will also tell you that he learned more about 385 block engines from me . At one time i was a Ford master tech and i was the head wrench for a Ford dealer's performance program . Now as to my Dodge i have done everything to it with out spending money and getting to wild with it it is fine tuned as i can get it , the pump is maxed out as far as you can take it stock with out buying a fuel plate and getting crazy with a Gov. spring . And i can tell you this that when they switched from the old high sulfur to the ultra low sulfur fuel the mileage went down around a mile and a half a gallon .

Just for fun
460 time