1985 F250 460 7.5 ltr 4 spd man 2wd 8ftbed Towing Questions with Information

  Hello. I've done several hours of research, I apologize for asking the same question that everyone else seems to ask!
(Information on my truck and the #'s that I have associated with posted after my questions)
Thank you in advanced for your time in reading and possibly responding to my post!  ;D

1.) My questions: My vehicle is a manual transmisison. 4 speed with granny gear. Previous owner told me the manual trans doesnt require trans cooler, and he sucessfully towed a
10,000 pound travel trailer with weight distribution system/sway bars and brake controller. My research leads me to believe manual transmission fluid works best under high temperatures, so cooling it would actually be ineffective and useless with my manual transmission. Input? Is my information correct?

2.)What size travel trailer/Fifth Wheel will I be able to safely drive, transport and stop with? I will NOT be doing much driving, probably will be very stationary in an RV park for months at a time?

3.) I would love to hear what others are pulling with a similar setup? The f250 Ford big block motor 460 7.5 or similarly equipped?



The 1985 has no stickers on the door, under the hood, or anything..(Faded ?!) I have the numbers ( who knows im im offering the correct viable information?) from the original booklets and paperwork included from the original owner.

1985 Ford F250 Carberated and NOT FI (Spelling), Long bed, Extended cab (only 2 door)
XLT Lariat and Chrome Package
Power Steering, A/C , Heat,  NO ABS!
Manual Transmission 4 speed with granny *2 wheel drive)
gasoline engine 38,000 original miles, All 8 cylinder compression was nearly identical
tow package, I'd assume 18 inch tires from memory, 2 owner vehicle
Heavy and or extra rear leaf springs?
"4.10 Rear end"
PS: I have driven this truck from Colorado, to the west coast, then from the west coast I towed a dual axle car trailer, with a 2800 pound subaru aboard to
the east coast with zero problems. NO brake controller, NO ABS.. I had to be very aware of everything and give myself lots of cushion and room for error, but I
ran into zero problems. Before Towing I got the compression looked at, engine mounts, as well as fuel pressure that all checked out. (I wanted to solve the slight
vibration that somehow I expected an 85 V8 Big block not to have;which I did not)

Rear axle code "35" Shows Ford and "# Capacity = 6250 with its associated 4.10"    Is this the loaded vehicle weight of this 1985 Ford?! Or the 4.10 rear end capacity of some sort?

GCWR 7.5ltr 4.10 "GCWR- 16,000"

1.) My questions: My vehicle is a manual transmisison. 4 speed with granny gear. Previous owner told me the manual trans doesnt require trans cooler, and he sucessfully towed a
10,000 pound travel trailer with weight distribution system/sway bars and brake controller. My research leads me to believe manual transmission fluid works best under high temperatures, so cooling it would actually be ineffective and useless with my manual transmission. Input? Is my information correct?

2.)What size travel trailer/Fifth Wheel will I be able to safely drive, transport and stop with? I will NOT be doing much driving, probably will be very stationary in an RV park for months at a time?

3.) I would love to hear what others are pulling with a similar setup? The f250 Ford big block motor 460 7.5 or similarly equipped?

Thank you so much again..

1. Tranny coolers are not needed with a manual transmission. There is no hydraulic fluid to cool, and no place to install a cooler

2. A newer version of the F250 with a large gas engine would be rated to pull about 10,000 lbs, but older models were seldom rated that high. I would say that it was thoroughly maxxed out at 10,000 lbs.  But the tow rating is not a pass/fail number. It merely indicates the point where the risk of premature mechanical failure is judged to become unacceptably high.  You might be able to tow ok at or beyond that weight, but it might also break down without warning. Clutch? Universal joints? Differential? Who knows what might fail first? It's a classic case of "Your mileage may vary".

Towing anything over 1500 lbs that does not have its own brakes if just plain foolish in my opinion. Every additional unbraked pound increases the stopping distance and risks the well-being of everyone on the highway with you.

First off get a brake controller for your truck. 

The older trucks don't have the same towing capacity as the new trucks.  I would guess that my 04 F150 actually has a higher tow rating than your 85 F250.  This has to do with the braking systems, frame strengths, ect.  You should have no problem with a trailer in the 7000 lb range. The motor will tow ALOT more than that, but the rest of the truck is the weak point, especially the braking system.

I will try posting you question onto a Ford truck forum that I am a member of and see if I can find a better answer for you.

Thank you PHS79! So your saying the specs that I have should be degraded because materials and components are made better nowadays? So if they hypothetically rated the trucks capacity (after the math of course, driver, items, truck bed, tongue weight done correctly) for 10,000 pound actual GCVW trailer that I should deappreciate this value because its simply 20 years old?

The truck is in excellent condition and was barely used (i know, not a good thing)..

So for instance I put really good pads, rear drum replacements, replaced all the ball joints *that are still in good shape* obviously changed all fluids including rear diff, ya wouldnt trust this truck eh?

Brake controller for sure! I apparentally was unintelligent to not use a brake controller when I towed my wifes Subaru.. I wouldnt (even before) have made that mistake with anything heavier..

Thanks Gary,

I apologize for not using a brake controller before, I should have taken the time to do more research. Brake controller is a must unless i'd be towing a small single axle maintenance trailer.

The truck has 38,000 miles single owner and was very well taken care of.. The clutch grabs and holds great, and performed wonderfully across the country..

We all know that even a brand new vehicle or late model can break down just as easily as any other vehicle.. But you are worried since the vehicle is an 85 just to assume with all that sitting and years passing there is an obvious higher percent failure?

phoenixsage911 said:

Thank you PHS79! So your saying the specs that I have should be degraded because materials and components are made better nowadays? So if they hypothetically rated the trucks capacity (after the math of course, driver, items, truck bed, tongue weight done correctly) for 10,000 pound actual GCVW trailer that I should deappreciate this value because its simply 20 years old?

The truck is in excellent condition and was barely used (i know, not a good thing)..

So for instance I put really good pads, rear drum replacements, replaced all the ball joints *that are still in good shape* obviously changed all fluids including rear diff, ya wouldnt trust this truck eh?

Brake controller for sure! I apparentally was unintelligent to not use a brake controller when I towed my wifes Subaru.. I wouldnt (even before) have made that mistake with anything heavier..

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No, you wouldnt deprecate the truck from its tow rating, but you also can't look at tow rating from a similar truck that is a different year.  Any yes I would trust your truck, the 460 is one heck of a motor!  A farmer I use to work for in high school still has a 92 F350 4X4 460, 5spd, with 4.10's, that truck was and still is a tank!!  I loved driving that truck, tons of power.

From what others have posted on the truck forums, a truck like yours should weigh roughly 6000-6200lbs with only the driver and fuel.  And should have a towing cap of 9000lbs with 4.10 gears.

It's the torque converter that makes an automatic transmission overheat under load.  The fluid transmits the engine power between the two sets of vanes in the converter, heating up the fluid in the process.  Under normal loads, the transmission cooler in the base of the engine's radiator takes care of the excess heat, but if you're pulling heavier loads you have to add additional cooling to keep the fluid temperatures under control.

Manual transmissions use a dry clutch.  The only time it generates heat is when you slip the clutch, when the clutch is fully engaged there's no heat being generated.  So manual transmissions don't need external cooling.

But you are worried since the vehicle is an 85 just to assume with all that sitting and years passing there is an obvious higher percent failure?

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Not at all, though and older engine may have lost some of its original power.  It's simply that newer trucks in general have higher tow ratings than a similar but older model. Lot's of engineering reasons for that, but I merely say that you cannot assume a 1985 has the same tow rating as a 1999, even if the engine and tranny appear to be the same.

Gary RV Roamer said:

Not at all, though and older engine may have lost some of its original power.  It's simply that newer trucks in general have higher tow ratings than a similar but older model. Lot's of engineering reasons for that, but I merely say that you cannot assume a 1985 has the same tow rating as a 1999, even if the engine and tranny appear to be the same.

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Maybe I didnt explain it well..

I have ALL the original 1985 F Series documentation.. Every number I am giving you is from the 1985 owners manual that came with this exact truck purchased brand new in 1985...

I line up the 4.10 rear gearing, with the 7.5 lter 460 motor under "Manual transmission Maximum GCWR" and its at 16,000lbs and 7257kg..

I know you emphasized "maximum".. And apparentally maximum isnt always deemed safe.

I would be putting a brake controller, high quality pads and drum replacements, fluids as well as finishing a minor tune up..

Im not sure of the weight of the truck, though there is also numbers for "Rear Axle Codes" Shows Ford 4.10 and 6250.. Is this the combined weight of the vehicle and its truck bed/cab/people capacity?

Thanks. Sorry for the confusion. I am NOT using any other information besides the 1985 Ford owners handbook and original 85 documentation.

Just go to a a scale and weigh the truck as you normally have it loaded, with full fuel and driver. Include the normal passengers too, or at least estimate their weight. Subtract that from the GCWR and you have your actual fifth wheel tow capacity.  Or if you just want a conservative estimate, subtract the trucks GVWR from the GCWR.

Thanks a bunch.