Talk about responding to an exhaust and intake and carb change watch the video I did about the same thing and used late EFI exhaust manifolds changes were unbelievable were https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1639662-300-mods-and-dyno-results.html
A 302 chevy was rated at 290 hp @5800 and 290 ft lbs torque at 4200 The 300 270 hp @ 5000 and 331 lb ft of torque @ 3100
The big inline sixes were horribly strangled in stock form. A friend used to have a 3/4 ton 2WD Chevy pickup with a 292. I found him some headers and an Offenhauser intake with a Carter 9400S AFB on it, and even with the stock camshaft and compression ratio, those two additions made it feel like it had double the horsepower.
I've had two of them. The first in a 1970 Winnebago class "A" motorhome and the second in a 1995 F150. The Winnebago was purchased well used and smoked like crazy. A ball hone, new rings and a rebuilt head made it run great, although I was a little disappointed in the performance. I used it to haul my vintage dirt mod to races and it struggled to make interstate speeds. An Offenhauser 4 bbl manifold with a Holley 390, an Erson cam, and a set of the later FI exhaust manifolds corrected all of that. Surprisingly, gas mileage also increased (a sure sign it was underpowered previously). The O/P is right about the later exhaust manifolds and they are a thing of beauty too. I never had a problem with the engine in the motorhome (the brakes were a completely different story) and sold it to another racer who had to have it. The F150 was purchased new and traded after 5 years without missing a beat, needing nothing other than oil and filter changes and the tires checked. It was replaced with a '99 F150 with the 4.2 ltr V6 which didn't impress me as much. A truly great engine.
Same thing with my friend's Chevy 292; it not only had much more power after the intake and header swap, but it got in between 2 and 3 mpg more than it did in stock form.
Not as bad as it may seem. The reason for this is on a V8 / V6 the accessories are mounted ahead of the front face of block. On the I6 the accessories are snuggeled next to the block on both sides and do not stick out as far. I once measured the length of a dressed 300 vs a 3.8 L V6 and there was only something like 3 inches difference. My "fleet" of 300s / 240s includes tiny cars like a '33 Willys coupe a '48 Anglia a '49 Anglia two '23T altereds a '30ish RPU and my avatar champ car I also put one in a '64 Falcon Sprint and a Pinto. www.fordsix.com is your go-to site for the best info
As much as I love the SBC, I have a ton of respect for the 300 Ford. In my humble opinion, the best engine the Ford Motor Company ever produced.
I belive the Ford 300 is a 7 main bearing design. Like the Jeep 258 / 4.0 engine. Most 6 cyls are 4 main design. Obviously 7 main is a much stronger design.
I’ve been on the hunt for a good rebuilt 300, early carbed style from the 70s with mech fuel pump. If anyone has one for sale PM me.
I just realized something. Everyone is impressed that they made Ford flatheads for 22 years (23 if you count Canada and Australia). They made the 300 six for 32 years (1965-1996). Thats 10 extra years. I'm kinda fuzzy about SBC's, but that's gotta be one of the longest runs ever.
Over seven million 300s were built. In addition to light and medium trucks they were also used in AIRPORT TUGS WOOD CHIPPERS BOATS MARINE LIFTS SIDEWALK SNOW PLOWS SNOW CRAWLERS STATIONARY GENERATORS WELDERS IRRIGATION PUMPS CONCRETE PUMPS COMBINE / HARVESTERS WHEEL PACKERS DRILLING AUGERS UPS TRUCKS RAIL CAR MOVERS CRANES OIL/GAS WELL PUMPS AND DRILLS SEWER CLEANER PUMP SKIDDERS RR SPEEDERS FISHERY ICE CHIPPER / BLOWERS and elsewhere.
I had one in a 77 Highboy 4x4 , it ran and pulled better than the 351M V8 all day long . Mine would do the strangest thing . Just turn the key to on position , not start and it would take off running . 1st time it did this I turned the key off thinkin WTF just happened . I used to try every time I got it the truck to use it . It started and ran without the starter many many times .
Only thing I could ever determine was there was some fuel in the cylinder and the ignition was a at spark location , when I turned the key to on it lit the wick . Strange but it did it many times after I started testing it . That was made when America had some pride in a product , now it’s all about low tension rings , extra bearing space , less friction for MPG .
The Boss/Company owner had a son that only knew throttle to the floor when driving company vehicles. After many speeding tickets and just flat tearing up trucks, the boss decided that he would buy son a new company truck. A Ford F250 with a 300 six and a manual transmission. I got to install a gooseneck hitch in the bed and the son went to pulling loaded gooseneck trailers with jobsite materials. The son hated the truck and went to abusing it in every manner possible I pulled the truck into the shop one day and there was a new license plate on the front of the truck....it just was "GW" I tried every imaginable letter to name combination of folks that I knew in his sphere...even girlfriends......but nothing with GW I broke down and ask him...."oh, it stands for Gutless Wonder"
People used to do this with Model "A''s all the time. The "Spark Advance" lever made it easy. Just turn on the ignition and run the advance lever through it's full range and the distributor would move, most of the time causing the points to open, and BANG!, you were running. It would take a few more coincidences on a vehicle without the manual advance, but maybe it could happen.
When my boys were growing up they each had project cars. One had a '48 Anglia, I got him when he was 13. I explained to this teen," Now son, we are just going to put a small engine in here (i.e., a Gutless Wonder - a 240ci little brother to the 300). Prove to me that you are a responsible driver and in the future I will build you a beefier motor." Well he's in his fifties now and I decided I had better make good on my promise I made decades earlier. I built a stout 303 six and surprised him with it when he came home for a visit! It screams. The "gutless wonder" ran high 14s. This 303 is about two seconds quicker.
I bought a '92 300 EFI-5spd new. Still have it. 137k miles. Tires are pretty new, the brakes are good and the engine has a heart of gold. Being an around town errand runner and Dog transporter and in no rush I generally skip 2nd and 4th gear.
"Ol' Furd" with its 309 inch inline. With the Pierce Inline's intake, late model dual exhaust manifolds, it has all the power I need. I don't ask much from it though. Built for reliabilty and fuel economy. The fuel mileage is disappointing, but I'm working on that....or trying to. I kinda screwed the pooch on the basic engine build in that regard. The combination of 9-1 static compression and the stock short duration cam demands 91 octane.
I have used a divider for the Offenhauser manifold that separates the front and back half and turn the carb sideways so that one side of the carb feeds every other cylinder hike a 180 v8 manifold the engine seem to like it.
^^x2^^ For me that also worked best. 306 in a '71 Torino, 4spd, fabbed dual exhaust manifold similar to Factory CI but made out of SS flat stock, 351C dual exhaust back. No crossover, didn't sound like a 6cyl. I miss that car.
This is one of those urban legends that Chebbie guys like to spread in order to justify their own decisions. "The Ford FE is too heavy" is another common refrain heard. Here is a turbocharged 300 (305) stuffed into the narrow confines of a '51 Ford F-1 engine bay. No modifications to the fire wall, and still room for an intercooler up front.
I had it happen once in my Chevelle . I had the key on and was in gear with my foot down on the clutch and as my GF got into it I released to clucth to get ready to start it and it fired up . I figured her getting in the and my letting the clutch up must have moved the engine just enough to trigger the points and it was a warm day. Hard to believe there was any compression it the cylinders to fire it but it did happen it was a hot day . we both were like WTF . It had a big yellow Acell coil on it and it did fore very easy at the touch of a starter . Never happened again however . I can see some fuel not under compression in a hot engine maybe igniting and having enough to possibly move the next cylinder up on a compression stroke to to fire it more . do not know but it happened. Car had 5:13 gears at the time so maybe it moved the engine when she got in combined me releasing the clutch at the same time . I had a 305 Honda apart that would not start once after kicking on it for a half hour . I pulled the points cover and stuck a feeler gauge in between them and it fired up . Scared the crap out of me . On that I had just rotated the engine to get the points open so it may have had some compression still in the cyclinders but it could not be much and have seen a lawn mower almost start when the points were messed with .
Funny you say that... I usually start in 2nd, then 3rd, then 5th in my 56 F100 with 300 and M5R2 Same as your 92 F150. My rear end is a 3.92- Maybe the difference....
If I didn't all ready have a 351, the 300 would be my next choice for my 49 F-1..... Don't plan on a turbo though.... LynnW
Eh.... generally the main people I hear bashing fes are Ford guys. As a Chevy guy ever since hearing a guy ripping in a Fairlane with a turned up four barrel 390 I've actually always liked fe engines. Would love a 390 in a 52-57 ford
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