Ford 385 engine
The Ford 385 engine family (also code-named "Lima") is a series of big-block V8 engines designed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company. The family derives its name from the 3.85-inch (98 mm) crankshaft stroke of the 460 cubic-inch V8 introduced in 1968. 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.
| Ford 385 V8 | |
|---|---|
Ford Mustang Boss 429 engine | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1968–1998 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | Naturally aspirated big-block V8 |
| Displacement | 370 cu in (6.1 L) 429 cu in (7.0 L) 460 cu in (7.5 L) |
| Cylinder bore | 4.360 in (110.7 mm) |
| Piston stroke | 3.59 in (91.2 mm) 3.85 in (97.8 mm) |
| Cylinder block material | Cast iron |
| Cylinder head material | Cast iron |
| Valvetrain | OHV 2 valves per cylinder |
| Compression ratio | 8.0:1, 8.5:1, 11.0:1, 11.3:1 |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Carburetor (1968–1987) Multi-port fuel injection (1988–1997) |
| Fuel type | Gasoline |
| Cooling system | Water-cooled |
| Output | |
| Power output | 375 hp (380 PS; 280 kW) 217 hp (220 PS; 162 kW) |
| Specific power | 53.3 hp (39.7 kW) per liter 28.8 hp (21.5 kW) per liter |
| Torque output | 500 lb⋅ft (678 N⋅m) 365 lb⋅ft (495 N⋅m) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford FE/FT V8 Ford MEL V8 (Lincoln) Ford Super Duty truck engine (heavy trucks) |
| Successor | Ford Windsor V8 (cars) Ford Triton V10 (trucks) |
Produced until 1998, the Lima 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 Lima 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, 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 Lima engines were joined by multiple diesel-powered engines.
In 1997, Ford introduced the overhead-cam Triton V10, which replaced the Lima V8 engine family after the 1998 model year; the next overhead-valve large-block V8 produced by Ford is the 7.3 L "Godzilla" V8 introduced for 2020.