In the past couple of days I've noticed 2 different trucks, one was a hydraulic crane driving down the road, the other a dump truck. Both had some kinda V-8 diesel in them and were older...probably from the 70's or early 80's. I heard them both revving up the RPM's and each time they shifted it sounded like they couldn't accelerate very fast like a regular inline 6. Another thing I noticed is I couldn't hear the turbo at all! Normally on a semi-truck you can hear the turbo singing. I didn't see very much smoke coming out of the stacks either.

Makes me wish I got the Cummins 'cause it's an I-6...more turbo spool-up, more smoke, more of everything in a package that's 1.4 liters smaller than 7.3.

 

Probably dont have turbos on them. The early Fords with corn binders didn't have a turbo or an intercooler. Couldn't get out of their own way. I have a friend that has a Ford powerstroke, 3/4, 4x4, and his son has a Dodge CTD, 3/4, 4x4. Both trucks geared the same. When they run cattle to the stock yard they try to load even and go at each other on the way. My friend stated that the Ford will stay ahead of the Dodge on the flats but when they hit the grades he has to shift the Ford to just keep up with the Dodge which never shifts down. I6 and V8, thats the difference.

 

If they were that old the may have had Detriot Diesels in them. Especially if they sounded like they were really wound up before they shifted. I've never driven an 8V but the 6V92's that I have driven you couldn't really hear the turbo. Also if they were heavy ( the crane is that way all the time) they won't pick up engine speed like our trucks will. Even the 2004 International I have at work, that has a DT466-I6 engine, when I'm heavy takes a while to pick up engine speed in all but the lowest gears.

 

Those old Detroit V-6's and V-8's sounded like they were about to come apart. You had to crank them about 2800 or 3200 to get anything out of them. They had an awsome sound for sure. We have three of the 8-71's at work for back up pumps.

 

yeah the detroit sound is unmistakable whistlin like a tornado. can't get out of their own way until ya put a load on them, seemed the way they were timed it wouldn't run good untill it was boggin a bit then you could move a mountain. The caterpillar 3208 (a v8 ) motor was popular motor for gmc to stick in their brigadier trucks, without a turbo they were fine until ya really pushed limit of weight like trying to drag a 580 case backhoe up a hill on a trailer then I feel bad for the cars behind ya.... even with a split rear them gears arent close enough together

 

something i have noticed about the cummins. some of them you can hear better at idle. and its not because one is a 2valve and the other is 12. i mean liek soem 12 vavle are louder than my 12 vavle. mine is pretty quiet at idle. what coudl thaat be

 

Injectors, valve lash, fuel return valve. Lots of thing contribute to the clatter.

The Detroits we ran in outr APC's in the service had blowers on them. Ours had a heavy targeting station that should have slowed us down. We were usually a tad quicker off the line than the others though. I guess the extra weight may increase drive pressures and help with power. They would only get to 26 mph on level ground, but could just up do that at a verticle climb too, if the track didn't slip.

 

I think that one of the reasons that the old DD's were quicker off the line had to do with their being a 2 stroke.

 

They cound have been a 903 CUMMINS V8 they were rated from 250hp to 375hp painted black. They were very popular in the late 70 early 80. They were mostly used in almost every thing heavy duty. Also Mack made a V8 diesel for HD construction truck use.

 

We have a 8V-92 in a Semi truck with a bunch of tanks, use it in the orchard now, yeah it sounds totally wierd like its crushing something and its about to blow up the same time.

Anyway about the Cummins not having to change gear up a hill and the Ford does. I think the reason for that would be the TQ curve, the Cummins has bigger cylinders, and a much longer stroke which contributes to more torque. The Ford has smaller cylinders, smaller stroke, and can be spun at a higher rpm b/c it has a lighter rotating assembly then the Cummins 5.9. Which means the Ford has to downshift, and bring the rpms higher to pull the hill.

 

A lot of old Fords had non turbo Cat V8's in them that had no top end power in them at all - especailly when stuck in front of a big 'ol slush box auto!