# Towing ability with a 302 motor in an 87 F250



## Skolnick's Landscaping (Feb 12, 2001)

I am purchasing a 1987 F250 4x4 with the 302 motor in it I know it gets better gas milage than the 351 motor but am curious if it will affect the power for towing if so how much


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

I wouldnt plan on towing a lot of weight very fast,other than that,for a lighter trailer it should be fine.The 302 is a little small,so you might need to keep the rpm's up a little with it.


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## SummitFarmer (Jan 24, 2001)

I wouldn't really bank on better gas mileage either. You are pushing the same size truck with a smaller power plant. That equation gives you higher rpm's/more power required. More power requires more gas.


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## Hometown Landscaping (Dec 13, 2000)

i have an 89 F-250 with the 351 and the C-6 trans, it pulls my trailer(19')with little strain, and pushes those snow piles wherever you want them. also i would agree with the others on not saving gas mileage because of higher rpms


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## matthew Urban (Oct 27, 2000)

my 92 F150 has the 302, and a friend with a 88 F250 with the 302. From what our trucks have done I tink you will be fine with the power as long as you have resonable expectations for the truck.
AS far as gas goes, you will probably get a mile or 2 better than the 351's if you just run the truck stock.
What I did was install a good aftermarket exhaust and air filter, among other goodies.
The exhaust is gaurenteed and the filter is reuseable, so its a one time expense, I now get another 4 0r 5 mpg, and the power has certainly increased.
It was some of the best money I've ever spent on the truck.
thats what i'd recomend.
matt


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## 65hoss (Sep 4, 2000)

302's are awesome motors. They will hold up to abuse. A stock motor will pull just about whatever you want. If you need just a little extra power several easy add ons will tremendously increase its ability. 

Hey if you want more cubes you can always stroke it to 347!!


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## GLC (Dec 21, 1999)

I have a 302 motor and I would like to know some add ons I can provide to assist my motor. It is fine but want to know some add ons to help it out. You know, more power or what have u!!!! Thanks for the help!!!!!!!



GLC


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## 65hoss (Sep 4, 2000)

GLC,
Is it a completely stock motor? 2bbl or 4bbl? How many miles on motor? Auto or manual transmission? Rear end gear?


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## GLC (Dec 21, 1999)

It is completly stock with a 2 barrel carb. It is a 302 with a C-6 auto tranny. With a stock rearend. Everything is still like it came from the factory. Let me know ciz it is going to the shop in a few days.

GLC


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## 65hoss (Sep 4, 2000)

The most important thing and 1st thing to take care of is the 2bbl. You need to get an edelbrock Performer RPM intake and 650 carb. Holleys are good for racing and high performance, but the edelbrock carbs are great out of the box and do not need tuning like a holley all the time. 

2. Change the cam. Nothing big, but the right cam for the setup will make a huge difference. Most street car guys get this wrong. They think the bigger the better. Far from the truth. Do not tell my comp cam guy, but Lunati makes the best street cams. A good RV cam will get you much more power to the pavement than any other street setup. The RV is designed to make tons of low and midrange torque. In a street car this makes for a wild ride light to light. For pulling, you get a huge increase because that is what your looking for is torque. 

3. Shift kit in the trans will not only make it last longer, but because there is no lagging going into gear it will help out. In a stock transmission, by adding a shift kit only will usually give you 1/2 second increase in times. 
4. Ignition system. The new holley annihalator seems to be getting great reviews from the drag racing community. I ran a mallory in mine. My new 347 is going to get the MSD. 

This is pretty simple stuff. As anything, you just need to apply the $$. Of course you can start getting into much more like gears, heads, valves, compression, torque converters, spring, shocks, and the list goes on. But for making good gains on a stock motor the above list will get you the most bang for your buck.


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