352 For The Highway

[chris401]

Ill look into that carb. DP be a little much for my 359 in a 3/4 ton.
Thanks

[FirstEliminator]

 I have a 78 F-150 with a 460 C-6 and a 2.75 gearset. Back when it had a good engine in it, .040 over, zero decked, Reed 252/260 advertised with a 112 lobe sep, roller rockers, stock intake, an Edelbrock 750 leaned out on the cruise mode to just before it was surging. Had stock exhaust manifolds and dual 2 1/4 with flowmasters. The best mileage I got with the truck was 16.4 mpg's on flat highway at 60 mph towing an empty open car trailer.  This mileage was not computed from my odometer. I topped off to the top of the filler neck, drove 100 miles going by mile markers and topped off again to the top of the filler neck. I was surprised at the mileage. I did the mile marker/top-off test several more times and came up with similar results.
     Unfortunately later on the engine was severely overheated which started the downward spiral and one day I heard a noise which lasted for about 2 seconds and the end result is the #8 piston ended up everywhere else in the engine. I put in a stock 460 from a 78 Lincoln. With the same carb, intake and ignition settings the best I can get out of this engine is about 13. My feeling is the compression and .040 quench was a big factor in acheiving better mileage.
      I have been really happy with the Edelbrock carbs. I've been running the same 750 on my F-150 for 9 years. I haven't touched it after the tuning was done----about 8 years ago. They are pretty much set-it and forget it.   

[chris401]

That's good mileage for a 460 in a truck. The current build is a .040 over 64 352 and C7 heads. Plans are to save the complete original 352 for a future upgrade. Probably one of the scat cranks with wide rod journals. Through a 3.54 and NV4500 I will have a over drive of 2.76, in this case about 1890rpm @ 70mph. I would like to modify the original carb and intake to match the build but that's way down the road.

[FirstEliminator]

   I've thought about making one of my trucks a manual trans. An NV4500 has never crossed my mind. I guess because a ZF5S42 will bolt right to the 460. I do like the idea of an NV4500. It's a good trans. I think I've rebuilt two of them in the past 7 years----I own a tramsission shop.  Does the NV4500 bolt to the FE behousing?
      The overdrive ratio in the NV4500 is .73:1. If your rear gear is a 3.54 the operating ratio in OD will be 2.58:1.
    With your current ratio of 3.73 would make the OD operating ratio a 2.72.   Honestly, I would leave the 3.73 in place and save the money. You probably wouldn't get any measureable gas mileage gains going from 3.73 to 3.54. Infact, you might find that with carrying a load the mileage gets worse as the engine is below peak torque and lugging. Then you're back to driving in 4th gear. No performance gains and an empty wallet doesn't increase gas mileage very much.

    Mark

[chris401]

Your right, I didn't remember correctly. The RPM figures are actually 1887 at 70mph. What I have in mind (future build) is to set up a Doug Nash Under Drive case behind the NV. It will give me a 4.24:1 ratio for towing and a 3.54:1 when running empty. Until then it will remain stock 4spd/4.10. Personal email sent.
Thanks

   I've thought about making one of my trucks a manual trans. An NV4500 has never crossed my mind. I guess because a ZF5S42 will bolt right to the 460. I do like the idea of an NV4500. It's a good trans. I think I've rebuilt two of them in the past 7 years----I own a tramsission shop.  Does the NV4500 bolt to the FE behousing?
      The overdrive ratio in the NV4500 is .73:1. If your rear gear is a 3.54 the operating ratio in OD will be 2.58:1.
    With your current ratio of 3.73 would make the OD operating ratio a 2.72.   Honestly, I would leave the 3.73 in place and save the money. You probably wouldn't get any measureable gas mileage gains going from 3.73 to 3.54. Infact, you might find that with carrying a load the mileage gets worse as the engine is below peak torque and lugging. Then you're back to driving in 4th gear. No performance gains and an empty wallet doesn't increase gas mileage very much.

    Mark

[zukinut]

An nv4500 will bolt up to an fe with an adapter plate. Advance adapters makes an adapter plate to mount a dodge pattern nv4500. I'm gonna use a late model Chevy 4500 because I wanted the fixed rear output. I have to change over to dodge input and non hydraulic throw out . A dodge is pretty much a bolt in with the adapter.

Hope this helps.

Will

[chris401]

I have paused the budget build for now. After 21 years of shelf life the .040 352 pistons turned out to be worn too much. The budget build was pushed over the limit at this time. I'm refreshing a 68 2v 390 to power my daily driver while the 401 gets inspected and detuned. After the 401 is back in Ill sell the 390 and resume the 352 build.