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Ford 385 engine

 
Ford 385 Engine

 
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Ford 385 engine
 
 
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The Ford 385 engine family (the name coming from the 3.85 inch crankshaft stroke of the 460 V8) was the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company is an United States multinational corporation and the world's List of automobile manufacturers#World Motor Vehicle Production by Manufacturer based on worldwide vehicle sales, following Toyota, General Motors, and Volkswagen Group....
's final big block V8 engine
Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a combustion chamber inside and integral to the engine. In an internal combustion engine it is always the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases that are produced by the combustion which apply force to the movable component of the engine, such as...
 design, replacing the Ford MEL engine
Ford MEL engine

Ford Motor Company developed the MEL engine series for use in their line of Mercury models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln 's unique Lincoln V8 engine....
 and gradually superseding the Ford FE engine
Ford FE engine

The Ford FE engine was a Ford Motor Company V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978....
 family. This design was a departure from the paradigm utilizing thinwall casting methods and a skirtless block to reduce weight.

It was available in three sizes in production vehicles; 370 cu in (6.1 L) in medium-duty trucks only, 429 cu in (7.0 L) and 460 cu in (7.5 L).






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The Ford 385 engine family (the name coming from the 3.85 inch crankshaft stroke of the 460 V8) was the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company is an United States multinational corporation and the world's List of automobile manufacturers#World Motor Vehicle Production by Manufacturer based on worldwide vehicle sales, following Toyota, General Motors, and Volkswagen Group....
's final big block V8 engine
Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a combustion chamber inside and integral to the engine. In an internal combustion engine it is always the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases that are produced by the combustion which apply force to the movable component of the engine, such as...
 design, replacing the Ford MEL engine
Ford MEL engine

Ford Motor Company developed the MEL engine series for use in their line of Mercury models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln 's unique Lincoln V8 engine....
 and gradually superseding the Ford FE engine
Ford FE engine

The Ford FE engine was a Ford Motor Company V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978....
 family. This design was a departure from the paradigm utilizing thinwall casting methods and a skirtless block to reduce weight.

It was available in three sizes in production vehicles; 370 cu in (6.1 L) in medium-duty trucks only, 429 cu in (7.0 L) and 460 cu in (7.5 L). A 514 cu in (8.4 L) crate engine
Crate engine

An automobile engine replacement is an engine or a major part of one that is sold individually without any other parts required to make a functional car ....
 was also available from Ford SVO.

The engines were sold between 1968 and 1997. They were manufactured at Ford's Lima Engine
Lima Engine

Lima Engine is a Ford Motor Company automobile engine plant located in Lima, Ohio. The factory was opened in 1957 as the site of production of Ford's Ford MEL engine V8 for the Edsel car....
 plant at Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio

Lima is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately 72 miles north of Dayton, Ohio and 78 miles south-southwest of Toledo, Ohio....
. This manufacturing line replaced the Ford MEL engine
Ford MEL engine

Ford Motor Company developed the MEL engine series for use in their line of Mercury models from 1958 through 1967. The MEL also replaced Lincoln 's unique Lincoln V8 engine....
 line in the Lima plant. The FE engines
Ford FE engine

The Ford FE engine was a Ford Motor Company V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978....
, manufactured in Dearborn, continued in production but saw reduced applications and volume as the 385 engine gradually took over in the Ford line up. The FE went out of production in 1976, leaving the 385 as the only big block. The 370 replaced the 361 FE in 1978 and the 429 replaced the Super Duty(401/477/534) engines in 1982.

Besides service in large luxury cars in the 1970s and in trucks throughout its life, the 385 series engine was also popular in motorhomes, marine, and industrial applications. Over 50 varieties were produced in any given year.

As with the FE line of engines, Ford also offered Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet versions of the 429. The Cobra Jet, rated at , was equipped with a Rochester
Rochester Products Division

Rochester Products Division was a division of General Motors that manufactured carburetors, and related components including emissions control devices and cruise control systems in Rochester, New York....
 Quadrajet
Quadrajet

In automobile mechanics, the Quadrajet is a 4 barrel carburetor made by the Rochester Products Division of GM that was widely used in General Motors motor vehicles until 1990....
 carburetor, larger camshaft, 11.3 to 1 compression ratio and a special set of cylinder heads. The Super Cobra Jet, rated at , had a 4-bolt main block, a Holley carburetor, and a larger mechanical camshaft. In 1971, the CJ engine also used a 4-bolt main block. However, these engines were actually underrated and produce power in the 440-460 hp range. This was done to deceive insurance companies (common practice in that era), so that buyers did not have to pay higher insurance rates.

See also


  • List of Ford engines
    List of Ford engines

    Ford EnginesFord Motor Company engines are well known throughout the world, not only in Ford automobile but in aftermarket, sports, and kit applications....
  • Lima Engine
    Lima Engine

    Lima Engine is a Ford Motor Company automobile engine plant located in Lima, Ohio. The factory was opened in 1957 as the site of production of Ford's Ford MEL engine V8 for the Edsel car....


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