[allan5oh]

tracer the advantage of a direct drive transmission is not the fact that you receive "all the torque" from the engine, but rather that there is less losses in the direct drive transmissions.

Torque at the wheels is what moves the truck. With a direct drive transmission, you would have a higher(lower numerically) gear ratio in your diffs. This would cancel out the fact that the final gear is 1:1.

If both engines were 1650 torque, and both spun 1500 rpms at 60 mph, the amount of torque received at the wheels would be exactly the same, not counting the slightly more losses the overdrive 13th gear would take.

[Collard Greens]

I have the 370/430 HP but had it turned up to full 430 it pulls fine average between 6.3 to 7.1 Fuel mileage. Was pulling potatoes going over Fancy Gap average speed 35 to 40 mph grossing 79,800. Go Detroit Motors. My rears are 370 super ten tranny 697000 miles and still going strong. Oil change every 15,000.

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by no_worries

It means it's set up to run at the higher horsepower when you have the cruise on but derates to the lower hp when the cruise is off...another fuel-saving feature.

Ok I have to come back to this post because I'm confused. I read about people trying to "uprate" the engine etc but from the above quote it seems to be that it uprates itself with the cruise control on. So what are people uprating? Is it so it will consistantly run at the higher rate even with the cruise control off?

Thanks.

[Ian Williams]

Originally Posted by no_worries

I believe those are both Detroit Series 60, they have a 12.7 and a 14.0 Liter. The 370/430 is what many of the big fleets like Schneider run. You'll get better fuel mileage but be slower on the hills. As long as you don't have a huge ego, it's plenty of power to do the job.

Every line run from Reno either involves going over mountains (Donner on 80 or Conway on 395) or pulling heavy triples.


Our Sterlings have a 12.7L turned down with a 7speed (yes they are still made) and they do the job.

Unless you plan to be running heavy in difficult terrain go with the smaller engine.

[uncleal13]

I had a 98 Detroit 430/500hp. The higher rating is only available on cruise. However when I looked at the horsepower/torque charts you only got the higher horsepower if you wound it up to 2100rpm.
430 hp is perfectly fine, I wouldn't even be afraid of a 350hp if you liked the truck. I have a 06 Century with 450hp Mercedes. I've hauled 139,000 lbs in the mountains of southern British Columbia on grades as steep as 11% and it still worked fine as far as I was concerned. Although all of the traffic behind me on the two lane roads may have had a different opinion.
Fleet averages show that smaller engines average 0.5 to 0.75 mpg better than large engines. But the large engines last longer.

[volvo7702007]

Hey merrick4
Pm me I have less then 50 post so they wont
allow me to pm anyone yet.I also live in florida