Ford 385 engine

Ford 385 V8
Ford Mustang Boss 429 engine
Overview
ManufacturerFord Motor Company
Production1968–1998
Layout
ConfigurationNaturally aspirated big-block V8
Displacement370 cu in (6.1 L)
429 cu in (7.0 L)
460 cu in (7.5 L)
Cylinder bore4.05 in (102.9 mm)
4.36 in (110.7 mm)
Piston stroke3.59 in (91.2 mm)
3.85 in (97.8 mm)
Cylinder block materialCast iron
Cylinder head materialCast iron
ValvetrainOHV 2 valves per cylinder
Compression ratio8.0:1, 8.5:1, 11.0:1, 11.3:1
Combustion
Fuel systemCarburetor (1968–1987)
Multi-port fuel injection (1988–1997)
Fuel typeGasoline
Cooling systemWater-cooled
Output
Power output375 hp (380 PS; 280 kW)
217 hp (220 PS; 162 kW)[1]
Specific power53.3 hp (39.7 kW) per liter
28.8 hp (21.5 kW) per liter
Torque output500 lb⋅ft (678 N⋅m)
365 lb⋅ft (495 N⋅m)[1]
Chronology
PredecessorFord FE/FT V8
Ford MEL V8 (Lincoln)
Ford Super Duty truck engine (heavy trucks)
SuccessorFord Windsor V8 (cars)
Ford Triton V10 (trucks)

The Ford 385 engine family (also called "Lima"[2]) is a series of big-block V8 engines designed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company. The family derives its 385 name from the 3.85-inch (98 mm) crankshaft stroke of the 460 cubic-inch V8 introduced in 1968.[3] A 429 cu in (7.0 L) version was also introduced the same year, with a 370 cu in (6.1 L) variant appearing in 1977.

Produced until 1998, the 385 engines replaced the MEL engine entirely, along with multiple engines of the medium-block FE engine family; in truck applications, the engines succeeded the much larger Super Duty family.

The 385 engines were used across multiple applications in North America. In cars, the engines saw use by all three Ford divisions in full-size cars, intermediates, personal luxury cars, pony cars, and muscle cars. In trucks, the engine family was used in full-size trucks and vans, along with medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks.

Produced in Lima, Ohio at the Lima engine plant, the engine family was the final big-block V8 designed and produced by Ford during the 20th century. After 1978, the engines were phased out of Ford cars as its full-size cars underwent downsizing (intermediates last used the engines in 1976). Following its shift to truck use, the 385 engines were joined by multiple diesel-powered engines.

In 1997, Ford introduced the overhead-cam Triton V10, which replaced the 385 V8 engine family after the 1998 model year; the next overhead-valve big-block V8 produced by Ford is the 7.3 L "Godzilla" V8 introduced for 2020.

  1. ^ a b "Ford Gran Torino Hardtop, 1975 MY US.CA". Carfolio.com. 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  2. ^ "1979 Ford F Series Trucks Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  3. ^ "Ford 429 Super Cobra Jet - Engines - hobbyDB". www.hobbydb.com. Retrieved 2020-01-13.