Small Six for Towing

I am picking up a 250 six tomorrow that is almost brand new, I was going to put it in my Ranger but found some rot that may be more than the truck is worth to fix. I was thinking about making an old school daily driver/mild tow truck. Mostly for picking up projects and moving them around. Has anyone ever used a 250 for towing? I am thinking 1960s F100 with 250 I6 and a C6 trans with 3.31 or 3.55 gearing.

how much weight are you planning on towing? personally i would not use the 250 for towing anything, except maybe a small trailer of like a max weight of around 1500lbs.

a better inline six for towing would be the 240 or the 300. these are big bore long stroke motors and make torque. even then in stock form you are going to be limited on weight to around 5000-7500lbs.

Probably 3,000-4,000lbs max, I should add that I will be running about 6lbs of boost and a 2v as well

yes the 3004.9L wuz ina medium dumper the F600 21,000 to 35,000 lbs (w/a Stevens style heavy duty exhaust mani)
https://itstillruns.com/1964-ford-f600- ... 11439.html

My v e r y short wheel base '66 bronk hauls around a 4T trailer/weight. It hasa modern "tqer cam", 4 WD, 33 inch wheel, 411 rear gear and 1st gear transmission at 4:1. The 250/4.1 is a good choice for a light vehicle if U wish to do some light work. It has 250 tq at 1500 rpm just right for keepin my tires from spinnin in off rd situations. Just what I do w/this trailer around the acreage for my boss. (Not open rd/hwy).

To really 'go fer it" take Rich's above suggestion and swap in "the gasser thats a diesel" the quite famous 300/4.9. THEY ARE TALKED ABOUT. My boss just swapped ina 12v if U need an actual truck motor (not ford, a non-computer controlled dodge p/u truck diesel).

Y not tell us the story and allow us some recommendations. That sorta puts the shoe on the other foot and we might be able to help alot more than w/just a tiny pic, 1 idea at a time.

aknott1994":3odocujm said:

I am picking up a 250 six tomorrow that is almost brand new, I was going to put it in my Ranger.

Click to expand...

Bud hasa C-4/302 he wrks good, Duallie w/a large tabletop/flatbed (for a ranger). It duz fine.
The 250 may B too long/hi for the ranger?
Where's Joe when U need him? Sat nite...Not an Idaho barn dance, we got C-19 goin on right now (oh, I forgot they don't have 27K ppl/sq mi there).

The guy I gave my old 170 to had a 250 in his late 80s/early nineties ranger. I should've taken a picture. It fit. And btw, he was towing a trailer that we dropped the 170 on, lol

depends on what yer towin, how far, the terraine,
the stroker (250) should B pretty nice (have not run it long enuff)
amazing counter weights on that 170, 12 yrs in the lill trucks of the era (broonk, econobx...
w/the 170 I plowed plenty Heavy Wet sno, tuged traliers, skidded logs up outa da swamp on a 3/4 mi long steep hill 30 yrs
but glad I got the 250 now, U Seth? Y not the 300?

Yeah, in light weight rig's like ours it works well. I don't know about an F100 though, seem like the big six is a no-brainer there. Although they did drop the 250 in those big ol lead sled land yachts of the early 70's lol

so like every other automotive Q: "What's the final application?"
Its a system so not just the 250 but what gvw, tire, transmis, rear gear, ign, carb...
and all the Qs abt "the work" it actually duz...
...or not. Just get in there w/o much thought'n see. The bronk guys said "A 250?. no, just no."
For all the above Qs re components (33 inch tire, 5 speed) but they use it as a 'rec vehicle', "A bent 8
or nuttin."

It's all about Torque. Gearing and how fast you need to get there...

Don't Forget about unstoppable little IH Scout with a snow plow rig or Farm 'Ton an ah haff' with big wheels, low or 2 spd rear and Torquey' small displacement Six or Four.

I drove a IH 1310 14' Box truck all over NE with it's inline AMC 232 cid humming away while it labored up the Mountains. I actually also kept a spare 232 powered' AMC Gremlin in case truck broke down somewhere. I never used the Gemlin but I swapped rear gears a couple of times. Truck was worn out US MAil truck needed rear gears replaced. First swapped in @ 5.6:1 Dump truck rear and coudn't get above 40MPH safely, but a swap to a high geared School Bus rear @ 4:1 allowed the Granny 1st' gear to be used again and allowed for safer down mountain runs in 4th ...

.

A local dairy farm had an old 'One an a haff' Chev truck' with a McCullogh supercharger not for added HP but TORQUE .. .

Have safe Fun

It's all about Torque. Gearing and how fast you need to get there...

Don't Forget about unstoppable little IH Scout with a snow plow rig or Farm 'Ton an ah haff' with big wheels, low or 2 spd rear and Torquey' small displacement Six or Four.

I drove a IH 1310 14' Box truck all over NE with it's inline AMC 232 cid humming away while it labored up the Mountains. I actually also kept a spare 232 powered' AMC Gremlin in case truck broke down somewhere. I never used the Gemlin but I swapped rear gears a couple of times. Truck was worn out US MAil truck needed rear gears replaced. First swapped in @ 5.6:1 Dump truck rear and coudn't get above 40MPH safely, but a swap to a high geared School Bus rear @ 4:1 allowed the Granny 1st' gear to be used again and allowed for safer down mountain runs in 4th ...

. .

A local dairy farm had an old 'One an a haff' Chev truck' with a McCullogh supercharger not for added HP but TORQUE .. .

Have safe Fun

Econoline":339vvdk7 said:

Yeah, in light weight rig's like ours it works well. I don't know about an F100 though, seem like the big six is a no-brainer there. Although they did drop the 250 in those big ol lead sled land yachts of the early 70's lol

Click to expand...

The US 250 had gross hp ratings of 5 hp more than the 240 engine used in Galaxies, Torinos and F100s till 1973.

155 to 145 hp gross. It was 99 to 102 hp SAE net from 1968 to 1980. The 250 was actually a truck engine option for the Ranchero, which migrated to the Torino name rag from the Fairlane in 69.

Even the 115 to 119 hp 255 4.2 liter Debored 5.0 engine had a stickshift SROD and 2 bbl carb base engine in the F150 in California from 80 to 82 with MCU computer. It was a really good enginee with 195 to 200 ft-lb and a 170 style 244 degree tractor cam bringing the peak torque in at 1800 to 2200 rpm.

The 250 the last year offered (1980) made 99 hp and 185 ft-lbs.

See post #5 29 October 2017 with pictures of the early iron head in a 79 Australian 250 Cross flow F100 truck. Some F250s got this engine with the Dyna axles and carried 4.56s or somesuch with the T18 gearbox with an Australian Top Loader bellhousing from the Cortina 250 six cylinder.

viewtopic.php?t=77441

While the F100 became the F150, your 351M and 400 V8s were decarbed snd took a deap power cut for the Fed Emissions (138 and 163 for 1981 while our 4 bbl 351C made 216 hp from 76 to 85)

From 1977 to 1985 in Australia, the 250 Cross flow with 121 to 147 hp at 3800 and up to 237 ft-lb at 2200 rpm while the 73 US emission spec sedans did 121 to 131 hp and about 230 ft -lbs. Less emissions gear and 9.2 to 9.4 compression with 1 or 2 barrel carb.

For a F100 to tow with definitely go 300. It is a great, durable torque device and low rpm rv style cams and stuff are easily available. And should still be fairly easy to find and plenty of room in the full size F100 engine bay.

Ok, to clarify, it will be a 250 six DUI conversion, 2v conversion with 1.6 rockers, and a mild cam bolted to a c6 running to a Ford 9 inch with 3.55 gears and 31 inch tires. I picked it up today and it is very clean. Car was actually a Comet with 32,983 original miles. MAY run a turbo with 6 psi to come in full at mid range,but haven't decided for sure, if not there will be headers as well.

"...to clarify..."
OK, pretty clear. On 'application'
(the real deal) still not so much.
plenty of opinions ~ what's the Q?
(it is the application)