Gas vs Diesel

it sure would be nice to put the allison behind it and avoid the dodge tranny problems... unless you want to go with the dodge 6 speed stick.. it's pretty much bullet proof..

Mac

How much traffic do you drive in? City traffic and freeway traffic. I really don't mind driving a stick, but pumping a heavy clutch is not my idea of fun. If its not too heavy of a clutch, or if your able to just ride the rpms a little then I would actually prefer the manual, for just the reason you said.Also, your able to shift EXACTLY when you want to a manual, instead of having that lag with the auto.

Know why a Cummins is called a cummins? Cause they sould like there cummin apart!!! LOL LOL

I haven't driven a diesel pickup yet, but on the bobtails & semi's, you shift a lot less than you would with gas, because you have a much narrower rpm range and a lot more torque..

We're considering the stick if we go Dodge, so we can get the jake brake option..

Mac

Seems to me to be the other way around. Since the diesel has a narrower rpm range you have to do more shifting.

Hi Demon:

I did some checking, and if you put a stock 6-71 GMC blower on a 454, with out overdriving it with the pulleys, it should work fine.

A friend of mine that's just about an authority on putting 6-71 blowers on everything said: get it gone over by a blower specialist, like Blower Drive Service, and don't use 11.0 to 1 pistons, otherwise you'll see a nice head explosion at about 6,000 RPM.

Maybe I talked more than I should have?

But it has all it's power throughout that range. I have a friend that says he doesn't get below 3rd in his Ford after leaving his driveway for work. The diesel will pull out of the bottom of the rpm range without complaining.

I only notice that my transmission (Allison) goes through all the gears as I speed up, but the engine rpm stays right about 1800. But whatever gear I am in has lots of torque. Even at idle, at about 1200 rpm, it will back up a pretty steep incline.

Thanks for the double check. That is what I'd thought too.

I have a detroit specialist at my shop (he apprenticed at Waterous Detroit/ Allison dealership in the early '70s, 35 years with detroits now) He's done a couple blowers for local monster trucks too. He's shown me how to overhaul a blower. Plus I've got the detroit service manuals at the shop. I'm doing mine myself, as that's what I get paid to do. Overhaul and work on this type of shtuff. I've actually got five 6-71 blowers to harvest best parts from.........cause a set of new blades from Detroit.......$900.00 CAD.....ouch. Not going to do that.

I'd also planned a 8.5-9:1 CR.

I was still unsure on the belt drive ratio ie underdriven, 1:1, overdriven. Now I think it's 1:1 as my best bet.

Thanks again.

This guy said 1 to 1:

He also said: "If it's not super tightly clearanced, to where it's going to make a 17 psi boost at 1to1 at 6,000 rpm, he'd go 10to1 compression"

If it was a Ford, he said 9to1 compression, because Ford heads do a disappearing act sometimes, BBC's are almost as good as a Hemi. He also said spend a few extra bucks and use head studs, get the block honed with the studs in and block plates.

Refinish King

PS He has a 70Mach1 429 with a blower going to a show, in New York some time next month. That I painted 15 years ago.

overdriven.

I would like to have a Diesel with a Jake brake... but also like the remote start option, so the engine can be warmed up or at least warmer, by the time I get to it. I hate just jumping into my truck staring it up and going. Auto start with a manual can be rather exciting if you leave it in gear. I would think they would have a sensor to see if tis in gear or not though. Just how effective are the Jake brakes? how long can you ride the Jake? are they hard on the engine?

Well I don't think Jacobs brakes are any harder on the engine. I mean rigs million mile the engines before first inframe overhaul with jakes. And Banks has a slick exhaust brake, aids in engine heat up by shooting the back pressure way up. Same exhaust principle on the braking side.

ok, now time for the big question! having a jake on the Dodge Ram, does it make that rumbling sound like the big rigs????? ;-) thats all that matters really. Actually, I like the idea of saving the service brakes, especially when it comes to long decents when you just need to scrub off a little speed now and then.

you'd think so, but you actually shift less... might be because you have so much more torque, or maybe it's just semi's, where you're up against the governor most of the time...

Mac

I've been doing a lot of research on the jake, (exhaust brake), in the dodge group and the RV forum.. Seems that the folks that have them love them.. but most don't have them because they have the automatic..

A couple of folks in the dodge group said that they use them when their not towing, just for more control and that gasser feel of compression when you let up on the throttle..

It would seem to me that since they cause back pressure after the turbo to slow the engine that long use could tear up the engine, but I guess it doesn't because Dodge warranties them on a stick..

Mac

I have to really hit the "as I understand it" thing here, but I think that the jake for the pickup is an exhaust brake and the one for semi's is a true "engine brake" that involves valves and stuff...

Anyway, from what I've read, they don't raise the noise level near as much as a semi..

We're thinking that it would be a great thing to have when going down grades with our TT, but I guess that a lot of folks feel that you don't need one with the larger brakes on the newer trucks..

Mac

Its best to have it installed BEFORE you need it, instead of pushing the pettal to the floor and thinking "gee, maybe I should ahve gotten one after all" Also, reduces brake wear, so you dont that to replace those gaint brake pads as often. Your right, I was reading up on the Jakes last night, and the big rig Jake brakes are at teh valves, thus causing that burbling sound, the exhaust brake is pretty much silent. The Banks Exhaust brake is all computer controlled, so you dont even know its there really, except for the improved engine braking. It also helps speed up the warm up in cold climates.

I know its sales material, but it IS informative,