I found a van that is very similar to the one I'm replacing. The only
notable difference is that the one I found comes with a 460 vs. my 351. I'm
not against the bigger engine, but I also don't really need it. My main
concern is the effect it would have on mileage. First thought is that the
mileage would be worse, just because it's bigger. OTOH, in a
thermodynamically perfect world it should be identical because the energy
being used is the same. Finally, maybe it's better because the engine isn't
being pushed as hard to do the same work. I looked on the governments fuel
mileage site, but they don't list E350's, presumably because it is over the
6000# GVWR that defines a passenger car. So - what kind of mileage impact
could I expect from the bigger engine.
Also - is the 460 a decent engine? My 351 with 200K on the clock didn't
leak or burn a drop of oil. It would sit for a month, start on the first
crank, and run reliably. My only experience with a 460 is that my dad had
to replace a cracked head on the 460 that was in our 1974 LTD Country Squire
wagon (aka Family Truckster) when I was a kid. I'm willing to give Ford the
benefit of the doubt though that they made some improvements between 1974
and 1994, but overall, could I expect the same 200K+ trouble free miles from
the 460?
I'd love to find a diesel, but a diesel Clubwagon seems to be rarer than a
happy ESP Camaro driver. I suppose I could get a diesel work van, buy my
Clubwagon back, and convert the work van into a Clubwagon. That seems like
a lot of work for a car that I prefer not to work on.
Thanks,
Dave
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