Editor’s Note: This series counts down the Top 10 engines of all time—see how the voting was done by reading our initial post.
Some are undoubtedly puzzled that this inline 6-cylinder engine landed fairly high on the list.
Others might be surprised it made the list at all.
The rest of you—the ones that have actually owned the Ford 300 inline six—helped place this engine at #4 because of its legendary durability and impressive torque output. Just ask these guys…
Quotes
“Ford inline 6: 300 cubic inches of raw, low-end torque.” –Coty M.
“OK, I’m not a Ford guy, but I have to be honest: the Ford 300 I6. Can’t kill those.” –Lyle G.
“Ford’s inline six–the 4.9L, I think. They may not be for racing, but they never die, and they’ll pull down a house with ease.” –Jaide Z.
“Ford 300 straight 6. The rest of the truck will rot away before you ruin one of them.” –Bobby G.
“Ford 300 inline six. Those motors will never die. Knew a guy who ran one with no oil for 6 months. He put oil in it and drove it for another three years.” –Scott E.
History
Part of the fourth generation of Ford six-cylinder engines, the Ford 300 I6 came on to the scene in 1965 and had a 31-year production run. Although this engine powered Ford F-series pickup trucks until 1996, the 300 I6 also supplied power for everything from woodchippers and generators to tractors and dump trucks.
The reasons for the popularity were simple: big-time low-end torque, extreme durability, and ease of maintenance.
Ford 300 I6 engines have been known to last up to 300,000 miles with no major issues. They produce gobs of low-end torque, including an impressive 265 ft.-lbs. of torque in some instances. That has made the Ford 300 I6, particularly the versions with a forged crank and high-flow exhaust manifold, a popular choice for heavy-duty commercial trucks.
Fun Fact
If you’ve ever received an on-time delivery from UPS, you likely have the reliable Ford 300 I6 to thank. The Ford 300 has been used on those brown UPS delivery trucks for years.
Popular Modifications
The Ford 300 I6’s durability is well documented. To make the engine last even longer, manufacturers offer a wide selection of replacement part and performance upgrades for the 300. According to Summit Racing, here are some of the more popular items:
- Oil Filters
- Camshafts
- Accessory Belts
- Idler Pulleys
- Oil Pumps
- Air Intake Kits
- Fuel Pumps
- Intake Manifolds
- Exhaust Manifolds
- Engine Gaskets and Seals
Editor’s Note: This series counts down the Top 10 engines of all time—see how the voting was done by reading our initial post.
great, strong and reliable engines…even the 200 is still in use on airport equipment. i repaired a old 300 for a gpu..the engine was running with gas inside the crankcase for months…the engine rev up to almost 3000 rpm s every single time it was used…faulty gas pump…replace oil and filter…and another 4 years of service….the electrical part of the gpu went bad last year…but the engine is still running good!!!…i might get it to install it on my Falcon!!
My family put 450,000 miles on one in a 1976 ford F150 4 speed standard truck wore out before engine did
The Ford 300 I6 pulls heavy weight up steep hills with ease. Not made for speed, but the torque output is quite good for a little 4.9 litre truck engine. Change the oil on time and it and it will last 300,000 miles (500000 km). Also, it is a peppy engine, so it’s perfect to have in a daily driver.
We ;own a service dept. which has to travel a great deal. there is one 88 f-150 short bed truck which as of last week has 600K miles on it” impressive? this truck was purchased new and the service documents show from the purchase date to today the recorded milieage. due to this truck still running great and not bad on fuel, we intend to allow it to continue its journey as one of the highest mileage vehicles in the fleet” engine has never been rebuilt, and oil changed with Rotella 10-40 synthetic blend.
I have a 1996 Ford F150 4×4 with 4.9 motor it has 3037,000 miles on it I was thinking about trying to find me something
better but theirs nothing out there that will hold up like this truck does. I have packed it down with lot of hay haling.
Moving family, on going not bad for a 1/2 ton. Further more
I have only have about $2,000.00 in to it . I have owned it for
3 years. It has bought and payed for it self many times over.
somebody told me the same thing the UPS guys used to get that much. my 1995 ford F-150 has a little over 314 thousand on it.
I have a 91 f150 300 six which has been driven (often hard)every day and now has 256k miles. Was bought new and used hard as a farm workhorse till I got it maybe 10 years ago. It’s now used for logging about 6 months a year. it regularly hauls thousands of pounds of logs over and over.its never overheated and always starts instantly. a bit slower in 30 below but me too. Burns no oil and gets 20 mpg (checked that twice. its rusted and looks like hell but pulls like a mule in 4 wheel.lockouts forever! Best vehicle I’ve ever owned.
I am glad to hear your 300 six keeps you happy. I was the final line 300 c.i.d. cylinder block machining Supervisor at Cleveland Engine Plant #1 from May of 1979 to 1996. I never let a block go to the assembly line that I did not want a family member, friend or neighbor to buy.
Bill
Thank you for being a quality individual who took his job to heart. The 300ci six is a great engine. I have owned several over the years and nothing compares to them as far as torque and longevity. I just got a pickup that had been sitting for 15 years. An ’83 f150 4×4 300ci/4spd. I put a battery in it and fresh fuel and it purrs like a kitten.
So great to hear from a dedicated professional who was at the heart of mass production and ensuring quality. That just makes it real. I have an ’87 F250 4×4 300 CID that I am partially restoring. Had the engine out for a reseal. At 80k miles the cylinders had no ridge and looked like they had just been honed. Main bearings were a little worn, but it was obvious the previous owner(s) did not use quality oil or change it frequently enough, very heavy sludge buildup. My dad bought a ’78 F250 4×4 300 CID brand new, I wish I had that truck now.
This (attitudes like this guy) are what made America. I cannot remember either of my parents lying, nor my in-laws; all WW2 generation.
thats awesome! I have one of those!
Thank you Bill. I more than likely had one of yor engines in a 85 econoline 350. My dad bought it new and we used it every day. It was a work truck and was treated as one. I drove it from when i got my drivers license in 1992 until 2017 when i was broadsided by a suburban driven by an idiot that ran a red light.The truck had 588k miles on the clock. Through a few missed oil changes and a constant 2000 lbs of tools on its back it NEVER missed a beat. It always had plenty of power and torque and was the most reliable truck ive ever had or will have. It NEVER let me down. When it was totaled i felt like i lost an old friend (which i did) i miss it terribly. It was a part of our family and the truck we built the family business with. Also it was the last thing of my father i had left. I would’ve kept it forever. Again , THANKYOU for hard work.
Our 1996 F150 is rusting apart but that 300 barely uses oil. Amazing truck with 316,000 miles on it. You guys did a great job!
Engines are BADASS THANKS TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU
Best 6 cyl inline ever made
FORD FOREVER NUMBER. ONE …..
I hope you Americans realise that Ford Australia has been producing an Inline 6 (still is until 2016) since the 1960’s. Its called the barra its a 4 litre 6 cylinder engine which comes turbo charged (270Kw) or naturally aspirated (195KW) its more than capable of doing 1 million kilometers in its life time, we use it in a souly RWD sedan called the Ford Falcon and an Australian developed SUV called the Territory, which is RWD standard or AWD optional.
Hello my Aussie Friend, I think we may be talking about the same motor !
Mike P.
Does the Australian Inline 6 use timing gears instead a belt or chain?
The engines in oz fords used timing chains that’s 6 or V8 the ford 6 stopped using the chain set up in 1988 . Though the 6 with chain did live on in the ford ute range for a few more years.
The 300 cu in aka 4.9 liter used a timing gear setup. No chains or belts. One of the many reasons they lasted so long reliably. Ive never heard of a 300/4.9 to jump time
Some of us realize it! 🙂 The Barra is the DOHC version of the SOHC crossflow 6, which is then also related (or is the same family) as our American “small six”. It’s entirely different from our “Big Six” 240/300 cubic inch. Essentially the Aussie engine is a Ford 144/170/200/250 cubic inch small six (250 c.i. version). We never even saw the crossflow head here, import only, which is a shame as the engine family is quite tough and capable of a lot as Aussies know well. The integral log manifold type heads we had were not very capable of much power. We of course used to have a Falcon as well which popularly had a this variant of engine, but the model was discontinued long ago. Maybe it could make a comeback one day! A modestly sized sporty sedan with RWD is just my thing, which is why I’ve come to love BMWs and mostly left Fords behind.
The early cross flows and the later xflow and the only differance is the alloy had were not SOHC, the SOHC 6 came out in 88 in the EA falcon range of shit boxes, to verify the old inline 6 as used in mustangs etc we had in our falcs so this engine to the last alloy headed cross flow six of 1987 use the same bell housing pattern, same crank, rods, pistons, chain set up, water pumps, I don’t include the 144/170 or the Aussie ford 221 they have there own unique parts but the 200 and 250 engines share many parts even dizzys, fuel pumps, cams engine mounts, some changes like electronic distributors, and the cross flow head itself then lick is different on xflow but internals are samey same
I did an oil change in a Volvo suv and it had a transverse I6 DOHC with Ford all over it. Do you think it could be the Barra?
I think we Americans realize that since we also produced the 6 cyl here in the 60s but I guess we would have since Ford is an American company or was LOL.But like all good things that went along with the breeze..
Screw you, the metric system, and australia. No one gives a shot about your hell hole Co tinent.
BIG franco is proof positive we have bogans in the US.
Donnie, we’d recognize your filth anywhere, no matter what fake name you’re using today. John Barron? John Miller? David Dennison?
The american Ford inline 6 production had seized in 1996. The motor size was 300 cubic inches or 4.9 liters.
Metric system is the gift of Napoleon’s. Barra six is what we engineers with gasoline (petrol) in our veins would have done (or at least imported since it was already being done) had there been any allies in the comptroller’s office.
Every fellow American I know regards the Aussie as our best friends in the larger world. And Oceania the continent is just fine as well.
Big Franco may be related to Donnie tRump, who’s a constant embarrassment to all Americans. His single talent is campaigning, which he’s very good at. But he has no morals, no compassion, and he stopped retaining education at about 14 years.
It’s humorous when someone that is clearly lacking in either education or intellect comes on social media and attacks a multi-billionaire that clearly possess a college degree. If you hadn’t noticed ron, this thread is anything but political which is another black mark on your own mental prowess.
Please send me a falcon to me with an extra 300 I6 , I’ll pull my V6 out of my F-150 and replace it with the 300. Loved my 300 in my old 83 F-150. Just wish we could import them up here.
Had a 300 in a 31 coupe ran vary good surprised many raced my sons in his 64 F100 mild bult 460 was right at his door and still pulling hard when we crossed the line
I put a 1981- 300 out of a big ups delivery truck into my 1954-f-100 after putting in rv cam ,500cfm 4bel. Dual exhaust &5spd out of 86 mustang highway patrol pursuit car 20yrs ago n it still runs grate its a real sleeper
Loved my old short box ford with the 300 and 3 on the tree. One of the best trucks I ever owned. The only vehicle I miss more is my 307 69 camaro.
I’m a ford guy but i had a 69 camaro with a 307 and faded hugger orange paint too.
Just bought a 79 f150. We rebuilt the 6 to factory, used EFI headers, H pipe and a proper muffler. Had to make a heater plate to get coolant up to warm the intake, but she sounds awesome. Wish we had a better market for aluminum blocks, heads, hoods, etc to drop some weight in the old 79.
Just bought a ford f 150 with the 4.9 I l6 it’s a 1996 short bed auto from the state of georgia no rot or rust can’t wait to get it
i have a 95 and is a great truck with 169.000 it still runs good..
Re: ford 300 engine. In a1982 E150 After two years on the blocks, with old gas in the tank, primed with 1/2 oz. fresh gas through a small funnel via the hose pulled off the vacuum manifold the engine started on the first 1/2 revolution. Zero problem in 37 years.
Thank you Ford!!
I own a 1983 F250 with 4.9l I6. Has 120,000 miles! Great for towing my sailboat. About 7500 lbs. No problem at all. Has 4 speed tranny. Many opportunities to sell her, i would b a fool to part with her!! Runs like new, completely stock.
I have a 1968 Ford F100 and was told by the previous owner that it has a 300 ci 4.9 ltr Canadian straight 6. Great old truck that is in original condition that I intend on preserving rather than restoring. No rust as has been in the Queensland out back for most of its life. My question is why does it state on the rego papers that the engine capacity is 384.0? Does that mean it is a 4.0 ltr and therefore the 250 ci?
probably the 240 cid. only difference is the stroke same bore and everything else. I believe that the 249 has a 3.5 inch stroke where the 300 has 4 inch
sorry 240 not 249
I’m selling my 93 ford with the 300 6 complete rebuild except the motor it won’t stop running at 260000 miles great truck anyone interested message me back or call 4439773454
How much do you want for it?
How much
I know USA is huge and Europe doesn’t interest you, but when it comes to 6 inline engines don’t forget BMW. I’ve had 2 325i from 89/90 and have one 330d from 2004 with absolutely no problems, a lot of power and very economical (330d 204hp 400Nm torque, 250km/h and 5.7liters/100km). Even with 100k miles made he wastes no oil, inspection every 40k km and cheaper than every car I had before (not to buy, there you invest a little more but its worth it, I’m talking inspection). Don’t worry I’m not German (Swiss) and don’t work for them, but it seems you’re only fixed to US-cars so don’t call it top10 engines of all times
The old 300 inline six wasn’t supposed to be a passenger truck engine. It was built as a torque monster heavy equipment engine and got put in the pick-ups almost by accident. They were GOING to develop a brand new larger 6 banger for the Ford pick up but shelved the idea when the 4.9 litre was such a hit. This engine has seven main bearings. A crank that looks like it came out of a diesel. And gear to gear timing, no timing chain. Keep clean oil and filter in them, change the air filter, never let it get hot and keep the RPMs south of 3000 and this engine will go till the body and suspension dissolve in rust. ANY inline six has a couple of advantages from the get go. Look at the old Chrysler 225 cu. in. slant six. Put it in the cars with light weight and don’t try to use it as a race engine and BULLETPROOF.
Re:slant six racing – many yes ago these were used in southern dirt trk Mopar cars. The stock 225s did have problems due to all the oil got slung up awaybfrom the crank in the turns( banked) causing crank bearings to fail but put a modified oil pan and pump makes for a hard to beat car in stock form let lone modding the rest of the motor. Also seen a article of a modified slant six used in drag racing. If used on a flat circle track with just a modified oilpan could net you many wins. The one I came in contact with was stock in a 65 dart body it would hold up for hot laps qualifing and all but the last 2 LSPs of the main till one day the guy couldn’t find enuff bearings in his scrap pile because he couldn’t afford new ones I ha a belt that was long due to weight loss was thick had a diamond pattern I cut off along enuff
section that we covered all the bearing section of the crankshaft the guy won that night and for 2 months before those leather bearings wore out so tell us a slant can’t do it. PS I’m a mustang guy mid 80s
I had a 79 Dodge with 225 slant 6 3 on the tree when I would hit 2nd gear it was gone. A buddy of mine had a gmc with 250 inl 6 & I would walk off & leave him!!!
Any inline 6 no matter the size will beat the pants off a V8 for pulling power, beit the small 300 6’s to the big diesel tractor over the road 6’s, manual or automatic transmission. Six cylinder hands down over any other.
I’ve owned both an ’87 Ford Bronco with the 300 and an ’87 BMW 325 with the 2.7L as daily drivers. Both engines were very well built and held up to my “spirited” driving without fail, until both vehicles succumbed to road salt cancer.
Ugh. Why the 6 cylinder love? If longevity is your thing, great, then proceed with the I6. Otherwise, realize that any V8 of similar or greater displacement (that was made properly, like nothing British lol) will make more power. If we didn’t have transmissions, I guess the low speed torque would be a big advantage for the I6’s.
WAY too many old timers who say the I6’s are super powerful, but can’t do 5 minutes of research to find that even the lowliest V8’s handily beat the straight 6’s in power, often by ridiculous amounts. And again, since in the real world we have transmissions that match the engines desired RPM ranges, the V8 wins.
I guess the difference is those of us you call old timers worked these engines. I was on off road crews where trucks that the torque came in at a relatively low rpm and stayed constant thru the rpm band outlasted the V-8’s that had to be revved up to do the same work. At the end of the day it wasn’t unusual for that SUPPOSEDLY under powered I6 to have to pull those V-8 trucks in to town. I don’t care who manufactured the engine or what the cylinder arrangement is if it won’t get you home it ain’t worth having.
Build the crap out of it boar it cam it grind head good pistons valve springs a t5 good set of gears and u got s screamer
I just got a 93 f150 300ci 6cylinder 3/4ton. Has 186k and long story short got it for 550 an fixed with 60$ on a shift fork! EFI cut 1of2cats welded straight pipe out the back an it screams but can I perform it as you’ve said and still have pull power? And would it still last long? What suggestions for giving it more jump an not beating it up?
TIP. if u want yo modify a 300 check clearance oil pump pickup tube to bottom of oil pan no more than half inch u may need to lower the pick screen at higher rpm u could run out of oil then bang!!!
Yeah, I’m an old timer. And a carbureted 300 inline 6 I could make run with no muss, no fuss. The “new” great for new timers engines with the electronic controls have thousands of nit picking problems that the OWNER can’t solve. Neither many times can the dealer. But your basic screwdriver pair of channel locks butcher, like ME, could make those old engines run. Period. And although these engines weren’t HP monsters they did the WORK required of them and LASTED forever. UPS used that particular engine in their delivery trucks till they were no longer available. UPS is ALL about cost effectiveness. Period. And they do the RESEARCH. I’ve personally driven these 300 inline sixes with well over 300K on the clock. Cannot say the same for ANYBODIES V8. I’m talking about 300K without ever pulling a valve cover. NO engine problems, at all, ever.
i bet ups would love them back. neighbor works for them new package car freightliner chassis GM gas engine dont know which auto but they only get 4.5 to 6.5 mpg
i know there older ones got 8 to 10
they did used both ford 300 and gm 292 in past and ih befor that bg 6 cyl
dad an i owned 3 ih 1 ton step vans 2 ih 6 1 v8 sis got 12 city v8 10. ford p350 10 combined and the ford did spin the timing gear
but the truck was cheap to fix
Not a Ford 300 or a Slant six,but my AMC/Jeep inline 6 in a T-Roadster has no problems to outrun a 550 hp big block Chevelle in the 1/8 with more than 1.5 car lenghts,and that’s just a 4.7 litre stroker,stock valves in a ported head and some cheapo pistons and topped of with a hydraulic camshaft,this year it will get a small shot of nitrous to get it to go fast…
Horsepower does not win a drag race its torque!!!!!!!!!!!
Watched a stock ford 300ci or (for those of u don’t know what ci means) 4.9L inline six with manual trans hold then beat a built Chevy 350 /5.7L with manual trans both in pickup trucks until the Chevy guyvstood on his brakes and still almost got dragged over the line because the chain broke
F.Y.I. The I6 is easily capable of reaching 700hp and pulling 7000 rpm’s daily with the right machining and add ons @ a cost of approximately 2400.00. If You do the build yourself. The reason seasoned old schoolers build these engines is due to the torque…Serious bottom end…From the holeshot, It’s a huge advantage. It deserves it’s #4 title in the rankings.
tell me how byron,, 700 hp 300 i6 hell with the cost. some company needs to produce a large valve small cc head and stick with it. i can’t remember the eggheads that started building them and quit. say for a nice 11///12 to 1 compression ratio. i’d love to build a tire roasting 300
Put a one-barrel carburetor on your V8 and see how well it performs. My T-model roadster with a 300 ci six modified for drag racng runs the quarter mile in 9.00 seconds @ 147 mph – normally aspirated, on gasoline. Its been on Pass Times TV and FoxNews Detroit. Don’t believe me? Google “The Frenchtown Flyer”. Other 300s with further refinement have run seven second quarter mile times.
Oh I totally disagree, might be so in the States but here in OZ we developed a Chrysler 6 with a Hemi head that chews up V8 s and spits em out and that’s from a 4.3 litre 265 cubic inch capacity, we’ve been developing 6 cylinders in our local Ford Falcons and Holden commodores that negate the owning of V8s unless u really like the noise, that Chrysler 6 I mentioned was made in the early 70 s and today still regarded as a damn fine motor, We like our rear wheel drive cars here in OZ
I have a 1995 F 150 with the 4.9 300 6 cylinder. Currently at 283,000 miles does not use or burn any oil.
Recently had the motor pulled and replace all new gaskets timing chain cover and the harmonic balancer, as it has cut a hole in the timing chain cover.
The Ethanol is killing my mileage the engine got 17 mpg for live now it about 12.5 MPG.
Brian in Texas
I dont know what your working with but every 90’s 300 six I have the timing is gear drivin and in the trucks(using SeaFoam in the oil) I get, easily 20-25 miles to the gallon, regardless of alcohol content.
Klinger in the NYS Southern tier
The only thing that lets down the I6 is that Ford never mated it with a manual transmission that matched its durability
Yes it did it had three trans that would handle its low end power first the three speed ford top loader second the big brother the four speed ford top loader and third the big truck 4 speed with a granny gear by np
The T-18 will handle the 300, in fact I’m pretty sure the Canadian F100 sold in OZ had the T 18 as an option,
I had the granny gear 4 speed manual transmission in a short wheelbase 4×4. I overloaded that f150 so many times and went across the country. it even sit in seat deep of water for 2 days before I bought the old truck. the last long distance trip I had blocks between the axle and frame to keep the tires from rubbing the bed. I had a 24 foot travel trailer with all of our belongings and had to put 70 lbs in tires that called for 50 lbs. only problem on trip was loss of trailer brakes due to corrosion in the main power wiring in Kentucky. all the old Ford could do to stop it w/o trailer brakes. sure hated trying to figure out what was wrong in rainy 40s weather. sold it with 338000 miles and 300 cid was running great but spring hangers were almost rusted off. now it’s a platform swamp buggy in southwest Florida
I had a mid eighties 4.9 f 150 for a few years . How can you get excited about sub 300 foot pounds? Ate gas like a v-8 Would happily trade for any other engine on this list
I owed a 87 150 with a 4 speed od manual trans. You were able to break the tires loose going into second gear. Used it to pull down trees and pull out tree stumps and ran it for 12 years. But like anything else, if it works good and lasts stop making it.
Another bonehead move on the part of Ford.
I own a 93 f150 6 inline 300cu, for twenty years it’s been running strong with no rebuilt components only minor components like the batteries and alternators. Then family started to come around and my son whose 18 now started to drive it; when he was making a u-turn he hit the rail and for some reason the rail was on the way, had a small damage on dead center of the face. But no biggie, the 6 inline wasn’t touched. well I hope I could get couple of More years out of this 6 cylinder block.
Have a 93 ford f150 4×4 I call the swamp donkey. Truck works in the bush everyday very hard on it has well over 300,000 miles and I hate to admit it but it don’t get the maintenance it deserves. Only every had to replace the clutch. 5 speed manual in 1st gear and 4 low it will out lug anything without having my foot on the gas literally pulling 6000 plus pounds of wood in the bed and dragging 5 big trees out the bush every day.
Just Bought a 93 f150 for 500.00. { 1 owner} 396,000 miles. Runs Very strong. Gonna buy another one or two with that motor as soon as i see one for sale.
I am installing a 1977 300 with forged crank in my 1966 ford econoline frame on resto..the engine came out of a old food truck..3 speed on column and 9inch rear with powertrax..happy days are here again
Eddie. got a 69 econo been thinkin the same as you. love to hear how project is going! You going to trick it out a bit? Be great to get in touch! Pete pgeorge444@yahoo.com
I bought my first new vehicle in 1977, a Ford F-100 300 inline six. Two options back then, radio and heater….no AC, nor power steering and power brakes, no power windows. What a truck….I retired it in 1996 when I bought a Ford Duelly. I should be shot for letting it sit and rust away until 2009 when I decided to give the girl new life. A complete frame off restoration from the ground up. I’m two days away from turning the ignition switch for its first run in 20 years. What a labor of love. These engines are the best Ford has offered. OId school yes, but heart and guts as big as Texas.
[…] Top 10 Engines of All Time (#4): Ford 300 I6 – OnAllCylinders Ford Straight-6 engine – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia […]
I own a 83 f150 with the 4.9 inline with a c6 behind it 4 wheel drive 334k on it still makes runs through the mud bogs along with being a daily driver absolutely love this truck unbeatable
I have the same exact truck you have never had a problem science the day it was built it has a 3 speed overdrive and very low gears does anything and everything and has 386k still runs like a top
[…] BTW these things have been known to go 300,000+ miles (we had a guy in 80-86 with 500,000+ miles) without problems but of course that requires regular oil changes and maintenance. This is considered one of the industry's – not just Ford's – best engines ever and has been used in dump trucks, farm irrigation pumps, UPS delivery vans, all sorts of stuff… e.g. Top 10 Engines of All Time (#4): Ford 300 I6 – OnAllCylinders […]
Do you guys think a truck with the stock engine and transmission would be suitable for towing an Airstream or sliding in one of those Lancer enclosed campers? Mountain passes no problem? Alaska trek?
Tks
Tim
More weight takes more power to climb a hill and that requires torque or low gears. So it depends on how fast you want to go up the hills. As long as you do not expect it to be the same as a lightly loaded passenger car it will be fine.
My 6 routinely moved 32,000 lb loads of fruit from farm to cannery (with 24 forward speeds and a low axle ratio nothing stopped it.
without a problem but expect to only be going around 35 mph up the mountains. done it with a manual transmission and automatic transmission same speed. watch the temperature gauge in automatic because it will get close to the H on a 6 mile pull up the mountain. no problem with the manual one with temperature. 3rd gear foot on the floor with 1 bro. Carter carburetor.
[…] only increased its popularity. It’s not uncommon to come across an inline 6 that’s made it to 300,000 miles or more with no major […]
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/ccrp-1108-1971-ford-maverick/
I have been around this legend since I was a kid on the farm! This engine was in everything on the farm from hay swatters, grain combines, skid loaders, Self propelled balers, 69 Ford F250 4X4, my 67 Fairlane, and when our Allis Chalmers tractors engine blew up I made an adapter plate installing the Ford 300 ci industrial engine in it’s place. This engine just NEVER quit! When I worked for Ryder our forklift had the 240 ic industrial engine in it and the standby generator had the 300 ci industrial engine both running on Natural gas.
I just bought a 1985 ford f-250 wth a i6 engine in it.i had to do some small things to bring it back up like replacing the exhaust manifold,egr valve and other small items.I can’t wait to drive it to see how well it runs.I might want to resell it as i flip vehicles.Henry
I have a ’71 f250, took the 360 out, installing ’89 300 with ’92 efi. First ever engine swap, any, informed tips would be appreciated.
Building a rat rod with 300 from a 77 pickup. 1997 S10 frame, 1941 Chev panel body. I wanted a automatic and had a C4 rebuilt and used 1974 Maverick bell housing and flex plate. Haven’t run it yet. Did Ford ever offer C4 behind a 300 , maybe cars, not trucks?
Although we’re not absolutely certain off-hand, the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same on both a 302 and an inline 6. So, it’s possible Ford mated a C4 and a 300!
The Windsor and Cleveland V8 s use the same bell housing pattern, the 351M to 460 use there own housing pattern, can only speak for Aussie Fords and we used the same engines and some transport here the 6 and 8 don’t share same housing patterns, only motor I know off where 6 and 8 share same pattern is the AMC engines
In Australia the 300 Ford 6 was available in the Ford D Series trucks an English cab over, and also in the Canadian F100 , these were Canadian engines, I would like to know what the bell housing pattern is, is it same as the old 200 cube ie Mustang, Comet etc?
To cover the Aussie Falcon range began in 1960 with the XK model with the little 144, the XL had the 144, the XM gave us the 144 and the 170 pursuit motor both ran happily on standard fuel, the XP gave us the 170 and the 200 super pursuit , the XR falcon still had the 200 though did here the 170 was still an option, there was also a 188 industrial motor used in concrete trucks, the XT gave us the 200 but aso the freaky 221 good revvy little motor with real steel crank but there a freak of there own breed though look like the cousin, bearing differences, crank bolt pattern prevent the swapping of parts, the XW model had the 3.6 and 200 engine, the XY gave us the big long stroke 250 my fav engine, the XA and B 200 and 250 engines, the XC gave us the 250 iron head cross flow, these motors you can really mess with and they scream hard, the alloy head version in the XD to XF a good motor but soft cams and lifters meant if you didn’t change your oil the case hardening of the machine surfaces chewed out some motors were knackered at 150kms, the EA blessed us with the 3.9 litre TBI motor a fine piece of shit that cracked heads, the EA 2 gave us the 4.0l multi point an ok motor but again prone to head gasket failure, the EB and EB2 are fairly reliable engine wise, the EF was a shit heap the EL was slightly better, AU was fords evil child , the later AU3 were a good machine and the last of the 4.0 litre breed going back to EA, the BA series now here’s a good car the VCT 6 or barra is the ducks nuts, we have a 2005 BAXR6 and boy does this thing flog hard, the EA to BA engines trace there bloodlines back to the old 200 I6 but there the similarities lie,
If only you yanks had the Chrysler HEMI 6, originally developed to replace the old 225 slantys in our Dodge trucks of the 70s , three sizes the 215, 245 and the mighty 265 of which in full race trim with a 3 speed manual tranny in a Charger would be bumper to bumper with the Ford HO phase3 the fastest street legal car in the world in 71, Ford developed the phase4 in 72 was faster then the 3 around the track top speed of 180 mph rumoured to be, Chrysler had developed an even faster 265 powered Charger, these cars were killed off in the super car scare bought about by a motoring journo named Evan green,
They say the old Ford 300 had amazing torque levels but the AMC 258 was maybe better in all respects
I have a 1995 f150xl with the 4.9 inline6 and 5 speed manual tranny. Bought it new from dealer. Worked construction (self employed) until a couple of years ago. Beat the living hell out of that truck for 18 years. Never had any problems with engine, transmission or differential. 278,000 miles and counting. Yup, still driving it and except for putting in a new clutch every 100,000 or so never had anything replaced in the engine or drive chain – knock on wood. As a matter of fact the air conditioner still works and has never been serviced except for an occasional refill. Muffler and exhaust pipes are original too as is the catalytic converter and it makes it through emission testing. Hoses are original too. I will say that the day I brought it home from the dealer I drained the oil and put in Mobil1 (used it ever since-change oil religiously every 20,000-30,000 miles or so) and 13 years ago I filled the radiator with 100% anti-freeze. BEST ENGINE IN THE BEST PICK-UP EVER MADE!
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1994 f150 4.9 inline 6 still works everyday starts in cold makes me money passes e test 350000km and counting happy to just wear out my clutch a few times myself love it
had a 1992 F-150 300 with 5 spd ran like top pulled hay wagons with it – sold it because of bad knee but bought 92 300 4×4 with auto runs like a top only has 172000 on it
I had an 02 Ford F-150,, 300 IL-6, Automatic. Straight exhaust. The 300-6 beat, a Chevy 305 V-8 pickup, many times. The short bed 305 Chevy, would not run with the 300-6. I will own another Ford, 300. Good engine!
92?
My first truck was ’79 300-6. Now, 20 years later I buy another one. This time in ’77 F250 4-speed 4×4. It had not moved in 15 years and fired-up with a little starter fluid and battery. Sooo much torque, 1st gear feels like a tractor. Can’t wait to build her up.
I have a 1951 F1 with a frozen flathead 6. I’m considering putting in a 90’s 4.9l ford with the 5 speed manual transmission. Any advice?
yeah use the z5 pr tho 4 speed transmission. the Mazda 5 speed is to high geared. the z5 is like the granny gear 4 speed with a overdrive and the 4 speed that I mean is the granny gear one they last ones that ford used was early 92s
I got to say, my 1995 Ford F-150 with 300 Inline 6 5 speed, is a torquey s.o.b. its lasted 276,000 miles, and still running strong, daily driver, no complaints, rebuilt the front end, sat for 6 months, got the parts, put the new front end together, started her right up on the first crank, I love the truck I would never get rid of it.
Just purchased a sweet 79 F100, granny low 4 sp, 300 6 and could not be happier. No idea how many miles are on it but don’t care.
got an 86 carb 300 over half million on it started to get newer truck over an over but I just cant let her go like part of the family
[…] Top 10 Engines of All Time (#4): Ford 300 I6 – OnAllCylinders The Ford 300 I6 pulls heavy weight up steep hills with ease. Not made for speed, but the torque output is quite good for a little 4.9 litre truck engine. […]
[…] Top 10 Engines of All Time (#4): Ford 300 I6 – OnAllCylinders The Ford 300 I6 pulls heavy weight up steep hills with ease. Not made for speed, but the torque output is quite good for a little 4.9 litre truck engine. […]
My wife and I are wheat and cattle farmers for 50 years this month, 47 years ago we bought a used F500, a 1968 model 4spd 2spd rear axle and have used it hard all these years, only thing ever done to that 4.9 engine was a water pump and fuel pump and still doesn’t use a drop of oil. Had 2 other ford trucks with the 330hd engines and pulling same load and that 6 cyl could run off and hide from them!
people will pay big bucks for the exhaust manifold and crank from your truck. they used a forged steel crankshaft and a oversized exhaust manifold to be able to run in the 3000 to 4000 rpm in them old larger f series trucks. I believe that 71 or 72 was last year that used that crankshaft and manifold.
I have a 1971 F600 flat bed dump with the famous inline 300. It was a yard truck at a lumber mill and has 50,000 miles on it. The only problem I have is someone ran over the oil bath air cleaner so I fabricated a hooky air cleaner and need to replace it with a better system. Other than that it’s hauled tons of rock for ranch roads etc.
I bought brand new in 1967 An F250 with the 300 and T18 4 speed great pick-up and never should have sold it.
Also I had an F600 utility truck from a utility company with the 300 and NP 435 tranny with a 2 speed rear end. It had a diamond plate flat bed with a mip-ship Tulsa winch for pulling power lines over canyons. I used it for pulling logs to
Landings for a small firewood business I had. It didn’t know what quit meant. If I wanted to, I could have pulled that truck in two and the “Big six” would be looking for more. One great truck.
Take it from me the Ford inline six is the best motor ford ever made.
Although will will have to say I have a 1990 F250 4X4 with the 460 CID matched with a 5 speed with 253,000 miles on her pulling a 22 foot flatbed loaded with hay and a stock trailer and she shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Second owner of a 1996 F-150 XL white long bed with the 4.9L straight 6. Bought it in 2017 with only 105K original miles. It was a fleet vehicle owned by the city of Ventura, California used by a supervisor so it was well taken care of. It had no rust, excellent paint and a super clean interior. The engine was and still is in excellent condition. It’s such a great truck I can not bring myself to sell it. Today in July 2018 it only has 123,xxx miles on it.
i stole a 95 ford f450 diesel 5 speed[$250.00}sold the engine and tranny for $1500.00 bought a 300 for $75.00 had a 5spd.and transfercase from 1990 f350 swaped into the f450 {5.18}ratio and get 12 m.p.g.unbeleavable torque. very simple swap
I have read every one of these statements about the I6 . Not one of them mentions anything about the Big Bronco I6 . So I will . Our BRONCO is one 4 wheeling M.F’r . She takes us places that those side by sides go . We absolutely LOVE our I6 BIG BRONCO .
The Ford 300 Inline Six is the most bullet proof engine ever made.
Had a 1985 F- 150 shortbed with a 4 speed onthe floorand 300 cu in.six.196,000 mi.Motor was stilltight after compression test.Amazed my mechanic.Lost truck in an accident in 1999.Broke my heart to see it go.
I bought 81 f100 2wd with the straight 6 300 for $275 with 293,000 back in 2004. It looked like it was already worn out from daily farm truck use. In 2008 I then took the motor and put it in a 84 f150 2wd truck just for the hydraulic clutch. Left it wired like the 81. Drove it daily and drove it hard. From freeway to firewood. No maintenance, barely even oil changes. Tested the compression just for fun… 128lb. Evenly each cylinder. Parked it, still running strong. when I picked up a little ranger for putting around. Still Used it for firewood from then out. Borrowed it to a buddy to do some scrapping. He hauled in on a triple axle trailer, leaving an 8 ton stream roller behind. Had no problem pulling it only issue was stopping it. Unfortunately the weight killed the truck. Not the motor nor tranny. In 2014 I took it and put it in yet another 84 f150 2wd. Still runs strong will still very little maintenance to motor. Almost have it trained to need no fluids except gasoline. And not even much of that.
I have a 1994 F-150 with the 4.9L with 1,208,683 miles on it. I rebuilt the engine at 1,000,000 miles. It has 37 inch tires with heavily modified front & rear bumpers that literally knock down trees up to 6-7 inches thick. Only been stuck once ever because my front tires were bald and it was soupy soupy mud so I couldn’t steer. The main kicker is that it is only 2 wheel drive.
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I owned a 1994 Ford e-150 van brand new. To this date (12.27.2020) it has 865000 mile on it and not any indication of noise. It did have around 450000, the bearing on top of the distributor went bad breaking rotors in the process and a rear main seal. Every once in a while, I visit a local car junk yard and I bought 3 4.9 engines so far and rebuilt one. As one of the commentors above said, the body will rot away before the engine dies.
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I only run one in a industrial application on a CME Auger dill rig and we throttled them like a chainsaw full throttle out all the way and dig it into the dirt to slow down the rpms never saw one die
15 or so different trucks from f350 duallys 250 single wheels and a f100 with at least 5 f150’s that come to memory. A Ford Granada a couple shrimp boats 3 wood chippers and high lift replaced a couple 4 cylinder Wisconsin/ Robbins motors with them on various equipment. The only I have ever killed is one that was in a 4×4 that I ripped open the oil pan on a stump and substituted mud and water for the oil. The things that dumb teenagers do, go figure. Long lasting no doubt resale value unmatched everyone knows what a monster of a motor it is. One of my chippers had one that the block cracked in a surprise hard freeze in weld and then years later and came off the ball on bump head on collision with log truck very little left of chipper but motor swap and still going. l have the original motor and trans in my ’67 100 over a million miles leaks a little oil and isnt as strong as it once was. Hands down motor is unmatched in reliability.
I’ve had two of these Ford engines – one is my current 1991 daily driver. Only problem with the first one was the transmission, and that had to do with how it was treated before I bought it. My current one is a manual 5 speed… will need a clutch someday but my gosh, look at the repair bills on the average car for the simplest things…
Great to hear about the Australian barra inline 6 being such a workhorse. The Falcons I have only seen in pictures, but a 4 liter would seem to move a car that size quite handily.
I did have an Atlas engine, it was the inline 4, but it was a really great engine not one hint of trouble in 140,000 miles. Needed a bigger vehicle, and that’s the only reason I sold it.