Posted by Marty on Friday, April 30, 2004 at 12:33PM :
In Reply to: Re: I'll bet they come close! posted by Russ Roth on Friday, April 30, 2004 at 10:34AM :
I'm with you guys & understand what your saying but we need to be somewhat realistic here since a Cummins 6BTA won't fit in these trucks. So other than a 413 or 440(which are questionable how a guy can fit & still maintain a stock look without crazy electric fans etc)...which engine can produce more torque than a 318 poly or 360 magnum?
Torque is torque...the only difference between the 360 magnum that Mopar sells over the counter with 400+ ft/lbs of torque & the 1993 Cummins with 400ft/lbs of torque is the Cummins makes it at 1750 where the gas engine makes it at like 4000rpm.
Many different modifications lower the RPM at which a gas engine will reach max torque...cam being likely the best option.
Here's my thoughts on this...yes, a Cummins BT4 can likely be made to have 400ft/lbs of torque with serious modifications but it will reach that at around 1750rpm...how's that going to help you in a Power Wagon...the gears are so low you're still only going to be able to go 35mph up that hill...see what I'm saying?
I think in a FFPW you'd be BETTER with an engine that reaches max torque around 3000rpm which will give you the added wheel speed these trucks so badly need.
If you can't keep the rpm's in the 2500-3500 range...that's driver error not an engine problem.
Any of these engines will live longer than the miles we will ever put on a flat fender so that's not an issue.
As far as what Lucien is aying about HP being measured different between a diesel & gas engine..well that is sort of true but the facts are that if you take your 2004 Cummins & pull 600ft/lbs of torque out of it 24/7 I'd give it about a month or less also!
If this wasn't true the highway trucks would be installing 6BTA's & not Cat 3208's & 8V92T's.
That's my last & final rant! Ha Ha!
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