Bill Schwarz from Florence, Oregon, Asks … Which Ford Gas Engine Can Replace the Stock 6.9L Diesel in a 1985 Ford F-250 Pickup?
Q: I have a low-mileage, showroom condition 1985 Ford F-250 two-wheel-drive pickup that has water in the oil and has been diagnosed as DOA. It has been sitting in a garage since 1990. The engine is a 6.9L diesel that I would like to replace with a gasoline engine. Do you have a suggestion that will bolt up to the four-speed manual transmission?
I would like to go simple—carburetor, distributor—just a good old engine that I can install and work on and keep running. The truck would be a fun driver, so it does not have to be a workhorse hauler or pull trailers, etc.
A: Possible Ford engine choices to replace the original International Harvester-built 6.9L diesel engine in your 1985 Ford F-250 pickup include Ford’s 300 inline six-cylinder (boring!), the 302/351W small-block Ford V8, or the 429/460 “385”-series big-block Ford V8. All except the earlier 429 were stock options in 1985. In my opinion, for the heavy ¾-ton F-250, the 460 is the preferred choice, whether for work or for play. A 460 stocker makes an S-load more power and torque than the early 6.9L diesel, yet even though it’s a big-block, the 460 is still about 250 pounds lighter than the 6.9L—so that’s what we’ll be discussing in detail here. Nevertheless, for any of these engine series there are differences in the engine mounts and frame perches, front crossmembers, and the bellhousing/rear engine face-bolt pattern compared to the unique diesel.
The Shadetree Budget Approach
Go to the wrecking yard, find a 1984 to 1986 Ford pickup or similar vintage Ford truck, and pull the entire engine and transmission “module” of your choice out of the
