I am a contractor and sometimes pull some heavy equip. I was wondering how much weight that some of you guys have pulled with you early cummins pickups. I have several pickups and one f350 with a built 460, the 460 pulls real well but I only get 6 mpg. I hear alot of cummins get 16 mpg pulling. But how much can they really pull and how do they compare to a built big block?

Go ahead and brag.

 

LOL ok ill blow my own horn, from tuson az to dallas texas the load weighed in at 36,000, never missed a beat. Not that i reccomend that load, but the trucks are capable of pulling them,,did i mention 14.4 mpg...

 

I'm not sure what a one ton dually can haul, I'm guessing that the motor is capable of pulling more more than the truck is rated for. The tranny is usually the limiting factor.

Personally I load up an 11ft camper(1500#) and then my modded '89 Jeep Cherokee(4000#) onto my HD 19ft, 12,000pd rated trailer(2000#). So thats 7500# I pull on my 3/4ton and it does it just fine and gets about 12-14MPG. I reguarly pull thru the rockies into BC with this load. My old Dodge with a built up 360 pulling the same load cost $300 to go round trip Calgary to Invermere BC. This truck costs $100. See my sig for my mods.

Stock these trucks are DOG! Some simple tuning to the pump(free), and an aftermarket exhaust($600) will really wake them up. Add an upgraded turbo housing($150) and you will be in the big block catagory for torque ratings and still get 15mpg pulling!

 

Don't forget the $1000 or so for the tranny for us 727 guys.

 

Yes I guess if you have an older model without overdrive your milage will be significantly reduced BUT it will still handle the power and get better milage than a big block.

 

IMHO Diesels were put in trucks to replace gassers...I have seen guys puul backhoes and skids steers with first gens. Just keep up maint. and have fun.

 

I was talking less about the overdrive aspect of things and more about the TC aspect of things.

You know, this part of the driveline.

 

I have pulled an 10,000 lbs RV behind my 90 w250 with a 3 speed and 3.07 gears . it pulled it ok. but with the pump turned up i saw high water temps, with the 93 rad.in now its better .the torque converter is a piece of junk and will get deep 6ed with the new trans then towing will be better. my ex father in law has a 92 D350 bone stock 4.10 gears and full time RVs, i have seen his scale slip # 22.450 LBS and he has seen 48 of the 50 states pulling that 40' 5er. good luck

 

I thought the 727s and 518s used the same TC. Mine wasn't too bad but I did replace it with a tighter unit when I tore out the center of the flexplate.

 

I also thought the same TC was used throughout the 1st gen years....anybody???...yes/no ????

pb...

 

I don't see any reason why they wouldn't be...


A 518 is really just a modded 727, right? I was lumping the two together...

Anyways, I was told by the previous owner that the TC was replaced a couple of times and from people here that it is the first thing to go, so it seems pretty unanimous that it's the weak link. Right?

 

I losing about 200 ft/lbs of converter

Its converting alright from power to heat

Michael

 

I pulled 13000lb (kubota L35 backhoe and accessories)trailer regularly when doing telecom. The truck was a stock w350 5spd w/a walk in tool body on it. It got mileage over 10 mpg usually. It could get a little warm up long hills. I would just back down to about 55mph in 4th and letter her cool off. I wouldn't have a gasser pulling heavy.

 

The heaviest I've had so far is 14k pounds total (camper on the truck and the Jeep on the trailer). Even pulling some serious hills I averaged 12.6 MPG. The only issue I had was EGTs, but that was before - and why - the 4" exhaust went on.

 

Here's what I pull around to go to tractor pulls.
Figure 7000 for the truck, 5000 for the trailer, 11000 for both tractors. Thats around 23000 lbs. gross combined weight. And it'll pull it better than my stock at the time 2000. It completely blows my dads ford f250 w/460 away.