Choosing an Engine

[Deleted]

Normally I build my trucks with whatever engine comes in the box, but a couple of threads have got me wondering how do you pick an engine/transmission for a resin conversion. For example (I'm going to pick on Jerry here for a second), Jerry is making a White 9000 concrete truck with a Detroit Diesel 6-71N. Is that engine big enough to deal with a full load of concrete? I'm planning on a 1996 Ford LTS9000 dump truck, and I want to put a Cummins L-10 under the hood. That should be big enough, right?

How do real truck buyers decide?

[plastictrucker]

Smaller engines are fine for construction trucks.They will have lower transmission and differentials gearing to get them going.They normally don't run hi ways.OTR tractors have high horsepower to maintain a good speed on grades

[Deleted]

Ok, so that being said, a 6-71N or a L-10 would be good for a dumptruck, or the like. What about a heavy haul tractor? Go with a bigger engine? Where does the NTC-350 fall?

[plastictrucker]

In the early 70's a 350 would be one of the biggest you could get,I don't think the same thing could be said by late 80's.
Go to hanks truck pictures,log in and go to the nuts and bolts section of the forum and ask.I found it very helpful when changing my 250 cummins to 335 h.p. engine.

[78KW]

Your idea for the L10 in the 1996 Ford dump is fine. Another place you can go for ideas is www.truckpaper.com. You will see how trucks are spec'd. Now for a dump, many operators chose bigger engines, but I've seen tri-axles with big bodies that didn't have much horsepower. It's more about torque than horsepower. As for a heavy haul tractor, I tend to go with big power, but at the end of the day the name of the game is torque, and gear ratios. gear ratios are really important when dealing with trucks that end up doing the hard jobs.