what motor for best milage????

[johnnybgood74]

well, since my engine bay is empty, i can get anything i want for a motor. im thinking of a 6. i know they are not power houses but they are great on torque. with gas prices going thru the roof, i want something that gets descent mileage. i have a T-18 trans with a 302 bell housing. give me some options here. thanks!

 

[fungus]

I just saw an early to mid 90s FSB with a fuel injected 4.9/ 5 spd manual OD in it and was wondering what it'd take to drop that whole setup in an EB. They're torque monsters and I've heard of guys getting 20 mpg outta them in the 90s F-150s. I know there's a few guys w/ 300s (4.9) in their rigs but not sure if they're running them injected or not. Might be a problem finding an upper intake that'll work in the EB as I believe it has a truck style upper.

 

[br0nc0xrapt0r]

I just saw an early to mid 90s FSB with a fuel injected 4.9/ 5 spd manual OD in it and was wondering what it'd take to drop that whole setup in an EB. They're torque monsters and I've heard of guys getting 20 mpg outta them in the 90s F-150s. I know there's a few guys w/ 300s (4.9) in their rigs but not sure if they're running them injected or not. Might be a problem finding an upper intake that'll work in the EB as I believe it has a truck style upper.

My 89 EFI 300 wasn't much taller than my 86 carb'd.

By the way come over and play today John I have a s$!t load of stuff to do Like the heim steering and shock mounts plus brake lines.

 

[JohnT]

I've been thinking about the same thing . I would love to get a 16 to 18 mpgs out of the ole steed . 6 banger is my choice of weapon . I have a 302 thats pretty much stock other than a set of headers .
There is a guy here on CB he goes by Revelation , that is running a 6 cylinder and 435 he said he getting 16 mpgs with a set of 35" , with a 2 barrel carb .

 

[Steve83]

If you romp on it, a small engine gets worse mileage than a big one. The newest, most-powerful engine you can find in a junkyard will give you the best fuel economy, IF you drive it like a limo in a parade.

 

[RustyShackelfor]

The gas prices arent going to stay up forever.

Why not a diesel?

 

[.94 OR]

Do the new 4.6/5.4 modular engines fit well in the EB? I have a 2008 F150 SuperCrew with the 3V 5.4 and I can get close to 18 and it weighs 6400 pounds.

The amusing part is when I park it next to the EB the EB and the cab of the Supercrew are the same size.

 

[Thomas H.]

4btswap.com i've seen them in EB . can get 25 mpg easy. the swap is not too hard .

4bt is a 4 banger cummins like the dodge less two pistons, i'm planning on the swap.

possible to get 25-30mpg

 

[NYLES]

dont forget to figure up what this swap is gonna cost, because until it pays that off you aint saved a penny!

 

[broncnaz]

A well tuned 302 will get you high teens. I can pull 17mpg out of my carbed 73 at 65mph as long as there's no headwind. Dont remember or it hasnt been reported as to what the 300's are getting for mileage. might not be any better than a 302. The 300 does take a fair amount of frame mods to install in a EB I'm not really sure its worth it.
Basically the engine and all components need to be matched to get the best mileage there are few engines you can just swap in and get a mileage increase. About the only one is a desiel engine but you still have to match gearing to keep the RPM's in the best area for the engine.
There's a lot more to gaining fuel mileage than just swapping in a engine.

 

[NYLES]

I had a 300 in 94 f150 302 in dads got better milage

heres on that kills me "Im gonna go get a new truck for better gas milage"

let me know when youve saved 30k in gas mileage

 

[73stallion]

honestly, IMO a bronco is the wrong vehicle to use if you want mileage. i learned that long ago, my daily driver is a honda civic. 36 MPG on the highway all day long, and picked it up for $1400. way cheaper than a engine swap.

but if you're gonna spend the money and do a swap, 4BT cummins diesel is the way to go. james miley recorded 27 MPG highway in denver, and you can burn filtered french fry oil or used ATF mix to save fuel costs.

 

[fordguy]

fuel injected exploder engine, should be able to get teens. all the 300 inlines i have had have not been gas savers. If you get lucky and find one in a pull a part you can really come out ahead.

 

[bmbm]

mileage

It seems the tire size and lift affects the mileage quite a bit. The stock 3 speed trans is not a help either if you live in in the mountains. A 200 with a nv3550 and proper axle ratio might get pretty good mileage and I think certain year 200's can be drilled for a small block bell housing. Go to fordsix.com for further info. I have a 250 and nv3550 in mine but the speedo does not work so never checked the mileage.
The Explorer injected 5.0 with the nv3550, no or low lift, smaller tires and a light foot may get surprisingly good mileage.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

A 30 mpg motor/trans combo from a newer vehicle will net you about 15 or 16 MPG in a Bronco , which is about the best you will get with a 1969(or any other year for that matter) 302. So newer motors will not net you any gain , it is far easier and cheaper to do a tune up than it is to swap a motor.
The reason why , aerodynamics , the A#1 reason why your EB gets horrible fuel mileage.
Other than that , a diesel is the way to go.

To get the best mileage from an EB:
DO NOT LIFT IT.
DO NOT put bigger tires on it.
use tires that offer the least rolling resistance IE : not AT's or MT's or other offroad tires
Keep the motor very well tuned.

 

[Stroppe-Envy-77]

To get the best mileage from an EB:
DO NOT LIFT IT.
DO NOT put bigger tires on it.
use tires that offer the least rolling resistance IE : not AT's or MT's or other offroad tires
Keep the motor very well tuned.

Also, paying attention to tire pressure can help.

Last weekend my wife and I did a road trip with the Bronco (stock engine; 3.50 gears) and for fun, I increased the air pressure in the tires from 35 to 40 psi. They're BFG A/Ts in the stock-ish size of 235/75R15LT.

On the initial all-highway leg of the journey, I recorded 15.6 mpg, the best it's ever gotten. That was keeping it between 60 and 65 and not doing any full throttle passing, etc.

After that fill-up, we did a mountain section up to 5200' and back down on twisty roads, some around-town driving, and some blasts on the freeway in the wind at speeds of 70 and above at times. Mileage dropped to 12.4, but still better than I would have done with the lower tire pressure.