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Eskimo Auto & Truck Parts

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Remanufactured Ford 7.5L V8 Engine - E-Series Vans, F-Series Trucks

7.5L · V8 · Part DFA3

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We'll confirm availability and your price on this remanufactured engine — warrantied, with a refundable core.

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Platinum Warranty: parts and labour, four years, included on gas engines in non-commercial use

4-year no-fault nationwide warranty — includedOn gas engines in non-commercial use, at no extra charge. The builder’s standard cover is 3 years, parts only. Every gas engine we sell includes the 4-year no-fault warranty with labour, at no extra charge.

  • “No fault” means we do not investigate why it failed — if a covered engine fails inside the term, it is covered.
  • Labour is paid up to CAD $95.00 per hour — a cap on the rate, not a flat payout — and only for the remove-and-replace hours in the Mitchell labour guide. Diagnostic time is covered up to 2 hours, and fluids up to CAD $200.00. Towing and a rental car are not covered. Anything not listed here needs to be agreed with us before the work starts.
  • The 4 years start the day the engine is installed, and a claim needs proof that a professional shop installed it.
  • Unlimited kilometres, and no deductible.
  • Call us before any warranty work starts, so we can authorise it. Labour paid on a repair we were not asked about first is not covered.
  • A claim starts with a call to us. We file it with the manufacturer, and the manufacturer pays it.

Diesel engines, and engines put into commercial service, are not covered by this 4-year warranty — the terms vary by engine, so call us for the terms on the unit you’re pricing.

Full warranty termsInstalling the engine

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Fits

  • Ford E-Series Vans, F-Series Trucks 1985–1987 · 7.5L V8

Not sure it fits? Call (780) 473-2424 with your VIN and we'll confirm.

4-year warranty included

Refundable core

Ships Canada-wide

Engine guide

Ford 385-Series Big-Block V8 (370 / 429 / 460)

Also known as: 385 series, Lima big-block, 460, 429, 370 truck V8, 7.5L V8

Overview & history

The 385 series was Ford's final big-block V8 family, introduced for 1968 to replace the MEL and, eventually, the FE. It debuted as a 460 in the Lincoln Continental and a 429 in the Thunderbird, and its name comes from the 3.85-inch crankshaft stroke of the 460. Early on it had a genuine performance chapter: the Boss 429 built for NASCAR homologation and stuffed into the 1969-70 Mustang remains one of the most collectible Ford engines ever made, and the 429 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet were serious street engines. Emissions rules ended that phase quickly, and from the mid-1970s onward the 385 settled into the role it would hold for two more decades: a big, torque-rich truck and motorhome engine. The 460 powered F-Series pickups, E-Series vans and countless motorhome chassis right through 1997, and a 370-cubic-inch (6.1L) version served in medium-duty trucks. Propane and natural-gas conversions were common in fleet and industrial service, which is why LPG-specific versions of this engine still turn up.

Specs & engineering

  • •Cast-iron block and cast-iron heads; a physically large, heavy engine with a skirted block and thick main webs.
  • •90-degree V8, pushrod OHV, two valves per cylinder with hydraulic lifters.
  • •Three displacements here: 6.1L (370 cu in, medium-duty truck), 7.0L (429 cu in) and 7.5L (460 cu in).
  • •The 460 name comes from its 4.36-inch bore and 3.85-inch stroke — the stroke is what gives the family its 385 designation.
  • •Canted-valve, semi-hemispherical chamber heads were used on the Boss 429; all other versions use conventional wedge chambers.
  • •Late 460s (1988 onward) received electronic fuel injection in F-Series and E-Series applications, replacing the four-barrel carburetor.

Generations & variants

  • •Performance era (1968-1973): 429 Cobra Jet, Super Cobra Jet, and the NASCAR-derived Boss 429.
  • •Passenger car era (1968-1978): 460 in Lincoln Continental, Mark series, Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis.
  • •Truck and motorhome era (1973-1997): the 460 becomes a workhorse in F-250/F-350, E-Series and motorhome chassis; carbureted until 1988, then EFI.
  • •370 (6.1L): a smaller-bore version of the same block used in Ford medium-duty trucks.
  • •LPG and industrial versions: propane-fuelled and stationary variants were widely used in fleet, forklift and irrigation service.

Vehicles it powered

  • •Ford F-250 / F-350 (1973-1997)
  • •Ford E-Series / Econoline (1975-1996)
  • •Lincoln Continental / Mark III-V (1968-1979)
  • •Ford Thunderbird (1968-1976)
  • •Ford LTD / Mercury Marquis (1968-1978)
  • •Ford Mustang Boss 429 (1969-1970)
  • •Motorhome and medium-duty truck chassis (1973-1998)

Did you know?

  • ★The 385 name refers to the 460's 3.85-inch stroke, not to a displacement — there is no 385 cubic-inch Ford engine.
  • ★The Boss 429 was built to homologate a NASCAR cylinder head; Ford had to send Mustangs to an outside contractor to widen the shock towers enough to fit it.
  • ★The 460 became the default motorhome engine of the 1970s and 1980s, which is why so many surviving examples are found in RV chassis.

Sources: [1]