Engine Swap-5,8-7,3 Diesel, Urgent help
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Diesels have low HP numbers because horsepower is a function of RPM, and diesel's generally don't "rev". However, diesels often make double, or triple the torque of an equally sized gas engine.
horsepower = rpm x torque / 5252
Year's ago several friends and I were hauling (on trailers) our bracket cars from CT down to NJ for a weekend of racing. At one point on the highway, we hit a six degree incline. Four of us "gassers" downshifted and slowly lost speed, and one of my friends (with a very well tuned turbo cummins) decided to "rub it in" and *accelerated* from 70 to 90 going up the incline, with his flatbed trailer and car. He had about 12K hitched more or less. His truck behind as if nothing was hitched.
Not bad
Let the uninformed worry about "hemi" and "horsepower". Leaves more diesel trucks for those of us that have a clue
horsepower = rpm x torque / 5252
Year's ago several friends and I were hauling (on trailers) our bracket cars from CT down to NJ for a weekend of racing. At one point on the highway, we hit a six degree incline. Four of us "gassers" downshifted and slowly lost speed, and one of my friends (with a very well tuned turbo cummins) decided to "rub it in" and *accelerated* from 70 to 90 going up the incline, with his flatbed trailer and car. He had about 12K hitched more or less. His truck behind as if nothing was hitched.
Not bad
Let the uninformed worry about "hemi" and "horsepower". Leaves more diesel trucks for those of us that have a clue
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,908
Likes: 2
From: West Mansfield, Ohio
Fredric is exactly right as far as diesels, and I've seen cummins's kick some ***. The thing people dont understand is, you have to rev a gas truck up to about 4 grand to get the same amount of torque as 1600 RPM on a cummins.
Point im tryin to make is, that 1600 RPM's are burnin a whole hell of a lot less fuel than a HEMI runnin 4 or even 5 grand. I'll stick with the lower RPM black smoke blowin diesels
Point im tryin to make is, that 1600 RPM's are burnin a whole hell of a lot less fuel than a HEMI runnin 4 or even 5 grand. I'll stick with the lower RPM black smoke blowin diesels
Last edited by handyman43358; Nov 2, 2005 at 09:48 PM.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Thanks
Thanks for all information, Diesel are 1$ less than gas per gallon (In Sweden) but I like Diesel Engines so I think that I'll try to find me a stock diesel truck or go for the 4od gearbox. One of the big problems here are that Ford trucks are not easy to find, Chevy trucks are quite common and all the Toyota, Nissan trucks.
Ford Forever...
Ford Forever...
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,148
Likes: 0
From: Seneca, SC
oh I'm not saying that diesels don't make sense for a truck. They're the best truck motor you can get. The fact of the matter is that the people driving half ton's are more often yuppies now, who know nothing about a tuck, and really want a car that's been "manned up" so to speak. The more manly facade of the suv or truck is all they want. They don't regularly tow or go off road with them, just drive 'em for show. Thus the hemi comment.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,908
Likes: 2
From: West Mansfield, Ohio
Amish you are exactly correct. Its funny to hear people brag about their HEMI powered Dodge, but its even funnier when you ask them just what exactly HEMI means. Most common response I get is "It's where the engine was made..." WRONG. I also get people asking me why the power stroke diesel is called for. They have no idea that its the 3rd stroke in the process of a 4 cycle engine. Oh well.... What can ya do?
Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 1
From: Harrisonburg, VA
you can get a cummins 4bt and an adapter that will adapt it to a zf diesel tranny. Do a google for fordcummins (one word) and they have everything you need. I've thought about doing it to mine but the cost is keeping me from doing it and it would take forever to get it back. Here the diesel is usually a little cheaper than gas, not much though.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,908
Likes: 2
From: West Mansfield, Ohio
Im glad someone was able to back me up there, felt like an idiot when noone knew what I was talking about. I think it'd be a good idea.
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Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 1
From: Harrisonburg, VA
I love my 300 but if I can tow easier and then save fuel while doing it I'm all for it. Today I towed a 16ft cattle trailer that the weight was roughly 7k-8k lbs with my 95 f150 4wd w/mazda tranny and I have to drive over the mountain in 1st gear and on the flats I can drive 35-40 mph in 3rd, but on the way back I can drive 50 mph easy in 4th. I reset the tripmeter and I went 80 miles and I'm just above 1/2 full so anyways I guess it's somewhere around 10-12 mpg but I should fill it back up to see the actual amount that I used. When towing with diesels they really save a lot of fuel when your loaded down vs a gas engine.