Ford E350 Used Engines

These are engines for the Ford E350, the one-ton van in the family Ford sold as the Econoline and later badged E-Series, with passenger versions carried as the Club Wagon. If you came here looking for a Mercedes-Benz E350, this is not it — these listings are all Ford vans, and the Mercedes saloon of the same name is an unrelated vehicle with nothing in common.

This is the widest engine range in the family, running from 1990 to 2019, and it is the only E-Series van listed with both of Ford's big diesels and the V10. Through 1996 the engines are pushrod: the 4.9 litre inline six, the 5.8 litre Windsor V8, the 7.5 litre big block and the 7.3 litre diesel. From 1997 the range turns over to the 5.4 litre Triton V8 and the 6.8 litre V10, with the 6.0 litre Power Stroke diesel from 2005 and the 6.2 litre V8 at the end of the run. One gap is worth knowing about before you search: there are no 2003 or 2004 engine listings for the E350, so the range jumps from 2002 to 2005.

Ford E350 Econoline used engines — options by year

Three things in that table trip people up. The two 7.3 litre diesels are not one engine: VIN M through 1994 is the mechanically injected IDI, and VIN F from 1995 is the electronically controlled Power Stroke. They share a displacement and almost nothing else. The 6.2 litre V8 at the end of the run is listed in three separate fuel versions — gasoline, CNG and LPG — which are distinct parts, not trim variations. And VIN characters get reused across decades, so a code on its own means nothing without the year attached to it.

The 5.4 litre also appears in dedicated alternative-fuel forms that do not interchange with the gasoline engine: CNG units under VIN M, bi-fuel units under VIN Z, and from 2010 CNG, LPG and E85 flex-fuel versions listed apart from the plain gasoline engine. The 6.8 V10 is listed the same way from 2010, with CNG, LPG, E85 and gasoline as separate entries. The 4.9 litre six has LPG versions for 1995 and 1996 under VIN 9 or VIN Z, identified further by engine ID EK-256-AA or XK-258-AA.

How to pick the right one

Year and the eighth character of the VIN together, never one without the other — that is the whole method on this van, and it matters more here than on the lighter models because the E350 carried more engines over more years than anything else in the range.

Beyond that, this chassis carries more build-date and emissions splits than any other van in the family, and they are real parts differences rather than paperwork. The 7.3 diesel is listed by emissions specification — California, Federal and Low emissions are separate entries — and from 1998 it divides again on whether an exhaust pressure valve is fitted. For 1999 the 7.3 splits on build date at 12/6/98 and 12/7/98. The 1995 7.3 divides on engine serial, through 501-174666 and from 501-174667. The 6.8 V10 splits at 1/11/98 and 1/12/98 for the 1998 model year. From 2000 both the 5.4 and the 6.8 are listed with and without an EGR valve. On the early six, listings separate engines built for the E4OD transmission from those without it, and divide again by whether air injection sits in the head or the manifold. Send the VIN and we confirm the engine code against your vehicle before the order ships.

What usually goes wrong on these engines

The 6.0 litre Power Stroke is the one to understand before you buy, because it is the most replaced engine in this range and for good reason. Its head bolts stretch under cylinder pressure and lift the heads, which shows as coolant loss, white smoke and a pressurised cooling system. The EGR cooler fails internally and pushes coolant into the intake, and the oil cooler silts up and starves the EGR cooler, so the two failures travel together. A 6.0 that has had head studs and an EGR delete done properly is a different proposition from an untouched one, and it is worth asking what has been done to any unit before you commit.

The 7.3 Power Stroke is the opposite reputation and deservedly so — the bottom end is strong and these run to very high mileage. What fails on them is peripheral: injectors, glow plugs, the camshaft position sensor, and the injector driver module. None of those needs an engine. The earlier IDI diesel under VIN M is a simple mechanical engine whose usual exit is a cracked head or bore wear after a long life. On the gasoline side, the two-valve 5.4 and the 6.8 V10 share the spark plug thread failure — the plug is held by only a few threads in an aluminium head and one ejecting under load damages the casting. Both also wear timing chain guides and tensioners, which rattle on cold start. The 4.9 six, the 5.8 Windsor and the 7.5 big block are the durable end of the range and generally go for overheating damage rather than any design fault. Every unit we list is listed as tested and ready to install.

What ships with every unit

• Condition as listed — each product page states the condition and the mileage options, which are priced separately.
• VIN matched fitment — send us your VIN and we confirm the engine code against your vehicle before the order ships.
• Written warranty — 3 months on units up to and including model year 2000, 6 months on 2001 and newer, extendable to 3 years, parts only. Labour is not included unless you buy a separate agreement.
• Free freight anywhere in the lower 48, shipped on a pallet to a commercial address or a terminal.

Related reading: Ford 7.3L Power Stroke engine guide, Ford 6.0L Power Stroke engine guide, Ford 5.4L Triton engine guide, Ford E350 used transmissions, Ford E450 and E550 used engines, Ford E250 used engines, Chevrolet Express used engines, GMC Savana used engines, all engine guides.

Ford E350 used engines — frequently asked questions

Is a Ford E350 the same thing as a Mercedes E350?

No, and they have nothing in common. The Ford E350 is the one-ton Econoline van, also badged E-Series. The Mercedes-Benz E350 is a saloon from an entirely different manufacturer. Everything listed here is for the Ford van.

Which engines did the Ford E350 use?

Through 1996 the 4.9L inline six (VIN Y), the 5.8L Windsor V8 (VIN H), the 7.5L V8 (VIN G) and the 7.3L IDI diesel (VIN M). From 1995 the 7.3L Power Stroke (VIN F), from 1997 the 5.4L Triton V8 (VIN L) and the 6.8L V10 (VIN S), from 2005 the 6.0L Power Stroke diesel (VIN P), and from 2017 the 6.2L V8 (VIN 6).

What is the difference between the VIN M and VIN F 7.3L diesels?

They are two different engines that happen to share a displacement. VIN M, listed through 1994, is the mechanically injected IDI. VIN F, from 1995, is the electronically controlled Power Stroke. Neither substitutes for the other, and the VIN character is how you tell which one you have.

Why is the 6.2L listed three times for the same year?

Because it was built for three different fuels. The 2017 to 2019 6.2 litre V8 appears as a gasoline engine, a CNG engine and an LPG engine, all under VIN 6. They are separate parts and the fuel system is the difference, so the one you order has to match what the van was built to run.

What comes with a used Ford E350 engine?

Each listing states its condition and its mileage options. Fitment is matched to your VIN before the order goes out, every engine carries a written warranty of 3 months on units up to and including model year 2000 and 6 months on 2001 and newer, extendable to 3 years, parts only, and freight is free anywhere in the lower 48.