Diesel VS. Gas Which would you suggest

[Charles Talbert]

You’re welcome.

I believe it’s a common condition among car builders to have regrets at the end of a project. I’ve had my share of them.

They can be painful and costly.

Regrets are hard to avoid, but our best defense is to think and rethink everything…decide exactly what we want and why…look at things from different angles…get the perspectives of those who have gone before us. If we do all of that, we can keep our regrets to a minimum.

You are doing all of that. I’m sure your build will be fine.

Kevin, you are truely gifted with words and expressing a true meaning. I pale in comparision as I'm just a southern country boy who didn't look so much at accomplishment in that area when growing up as I did the hard work and good work ethic that I was raised on. If I could go back and do it over, I would look much more seriously at changing some of that. I know the message I desire to convey; but sometimes it seems extremely hard to present the right words in the right tone. Sitting here typing makes the intended message even harder. You have that gift; I for one envy that.

[MoparNorm]

Would you explain more of what you are meaning there?

One year, Sam and Dwight came to the CA Power Wagon Rally and was kind enough to let MoparTina and I ride along (I suspect it was more Tina than I..ha! ha!) He had re-powered his M37 with a 360 LA. It was powerful, great running, and very smooth. A far cry from the M37's I drove in the Army!
The V8 really transformed the M37 into a respectable truck.

If he decided upon a V8, he could do a lot worse. I'd chose a 360 over any other V8 gasoline engine choice.

[MoparNorm]

The 20 mpg with the 318 Poly you mention; you are meaning an M37 with 5.83 gears?

No, sorry! That was in a Sweptline Power Wagon with 4.10's. M37 would not be much less, weight wise, but an M37 with 5.83 gears would be less, approx 16 mpg +/-, if the math holds true.
Still a lot better than the poorly designed SBC.

[maineSS]

It helps to define "needs" vs "wants early on in automotive projects.

The Isle of Wants is separated from the Shore of Needs by the Gulf of Practicality. In this gulf swim some very large sharks- Time, Money, Loss of Interest, and a host of others.

Now these sharks ceaselessly patrol the Isle of Wants- there is no avoiding them. They're hunting for Project Dreamers who attempt the passage in leaky little boats patched together with little more than hope and a prayer.

These ill-prepared Dreamers meet a sudden, awful end. Their last vision is that Of Money's hideous head punching thru the bottom of their dreamboat as Time and Loss of Interest lunge in over the sides. They disappear in a foam-streaked, bloody maelstrom of snapping jaws and thrashing tails as the ever circling gulls cry in voices of drowned sailors. In the 30 years of observing this scenario, I've never seen the sharks defeated once they began an attack.

If you want to avoid the shark's attention, you'll remain on the Shore of Needs until you've built a sturdy, sizeable craft. You will succeed by ruthlessly separating "needs" from "wants" in your project. You will not start anything you do not have the cash on hand to finish. In the case of a plow truck, there's a LOT of things that come ahead of diesel engine transplant. Things like diff rebuilds, power steering, fully functional hydraulics- fix those first. Exhausting all your time and money on a big ol' engine transplant will leave you with a "to-do" list that will eat you alive- your project will be yet another deep blue goodbye in the Gulf of Practicality.

[MoparFreak69]

Wow, this discussion has gone astray since the last time I peeked at it.

Hope the OP can find the useful info between all the Chevy bashing (Which I am not opposed to by any means).

My advice still stands true, if you do not have the need or the budget for a diesel, a Chrysler small block V8 is a great option for repowering your rig. Unlike some previous opinions these engines can be had for a great price (I am picking up a Magnum 318 complete with warranty for $500) at just about any junk yard across the country. They have a great selection of transmissions that can be placed behind them to suit just about any demand. I have a 318 with a Jeep 5 speed behind it using factory parts. If I was so inclined I could easily put an NV4500 behind it still using factory parts. I can put an old 904 3 speed autp behind it or a newer 4 speed A618 if I was so inclined. Putting a fuel injected one in a rig is a fairly easy task, although not as easy as the much wider supported plug and play Chevy boys. But then again, we are Dodge guys for a reason, we dont like stuff easy!

If you have the budget and can really put a diesel to good use, by all means look into one. There are many options available from the insanely simple 4/6bt platform to the very complex, and somewhat strange, SuperTurbo charged Detroit 2 stroke screamers. You can go with a simple 2 wire hookup guy to a very complex computer controlled new engine that can adjust anything from fuel mixture to rotor vane angle in the turbo.

Its all boils down to how much you want to spend and how wild you want to go. If money were never an issue I would not be scraping knickles and dimes together to upgrade my 90 Wrangler, I would just get the best of everything and be done with it.

[MasterYota]

Charles, I would like to appologize for getting the dispacment wrong, and thanks for the correction. I've never thought Charles that you didn't care about quality, I've seen (in pictures) some of your trucks, and they are very well done, your dedication is obvious. And it has to be, as a business owner you get to play with alot of other people's money. In that sense, quality always goes further than value.

I am still firmly entrenched in the Gasoline camp, and its not due to a lack of knowledge, or understanding, or even a lack of funds. What it comes down to is the smile on my face. I've driven alot of diesels over the years, and not one them puts a grin on my face like a gasser does. To be fair, I did go for a spin in a hopped up Durmax pushing 900hp and 1400ftbs, and that was quite a rush, even had me smiling, until I learned there was over 80K invested in it to make it perform like that. Smile gone. But thats not in the realm of the practical, inreagards to the OP. I think MaineSS summed it up well, cover the needs first, then the wants... Nothing is ever set in stone with these trucks, they can always be changed later...

[Gordon Maney]

I have saved two Oldsmobile 425 cubic inch V8's for over 30 years. I have always wanted to put one in a Power Wagon. I am sure that would go over big.

[MoparNorm]

I have saved two Oldsmobile 425 cubic inch V8's for over 30 years. I have always wanted to put one in a Power Wagon. I am sure that would go over big.

Try to stay on topic Gordon, we are talking about engines, not anchors... = )

Now, ...had you said 340 Buick.....

I suppose those 425's might be worth something to the right person?

[Gordon Maney]

Try to stay on topic Gordon, we are talking about engines, not anchors... = )

Now, ...had you said 340 Buick.....

I suppose those 425's might be worth something to the right person?

Norm, your perspective from the coast is inverted. Buicks are anchors. I will simply recognize that you know nothing about Olds engines. The 425 was a forerunner to the 455. The 425 has a steel crank.

[MoparNorm]

Norm, your perspective from the coast is inverted. Buicks are anchors. I will simply recognize that you know nothing about Olds engines. The 425 was a forerunner to the 455. The 425 has a steel crank.

I rest my case, the 455 was a bigger anchor...ha! ha!

The 340 Buick was unlike any other GM engine, it was a Poly type design, made for only 2-3 years and had nothing in common with any other SB GM anchor motor... = )
Getting snow today?

[MasterYota]

Funny enough, I have a 455 Buick sitting at home on shop floor, its out of a '70 GS car, and there is nothing wrong with 375hp and 500ftb's of torque. Its slated to get transplanted into Dads '36 Buick 3 window coupe. I'll admit, I'm not a Buick fanatic, but I've never seen a 340 Buick. I've seen a 430 Buick, but it was a nail-head design, and obviously not a small block.

Gordon, you go right ahead and put that Old's power plant in. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't have granddad's power in grampa's truck... Variety is the spice of life... If we where all the same, how boring would that be around the campfire?

[Gordon Maney]

We all like certain things. We happen to share many likes, and then we have our own, individual triggers. As I once told a guy, if everyone thought the same, everyone would want your wife, and you know where that would leave you.

I have a long history with Oldsmobile and was involved with them long before I was with Dodges. I would love to have a 1949 or 1950 Olds coupe with a 425 and a 4-speed transmission. I admire street rodders for their skill and craftsmanship. This group already embraces modifications that are not original. Engine conversions, transmission conversions, disc brake conversions.... all that.

I had a subscriber from Montana or Wyoming, I can't remember which, in the very early days of the magazine, in the early 80's, who built a number of Power Wagons using 455 Olds engines, automatic transmissions, and built a front drive shaft using Toronado CV joints. The trucks would go 75 mph all day long, smoothly. He also installed electric wipers using the Olds wiper motor, using a push-pull cable to operate the arms. The trucks looked completely stock from the outside.

I love the sound of an Olds V8. I owned a number of 442's, including a 1966 W30 with tri-power and ram air, a 400 cubic inch big block. It was a factory race car and had the battery mounted in the trunk.

To build such a truck would be meaningful to me and would include a number of interests from my history. If I close my eyes I can hear what it would sound like idling through two glasspacks.

[MoparNorm]

Funny enough, I have a 455 Buick sitting at home on shop floor, its out of a '70 GS car, and there is nothing wrong with 375hp and 500ftb's of torque. Its slated to get transplanted into Dads '36 Buick 3 window coupe. I'll admit, I'm not a Buick fanatic, but I've never seen a 340 Buick. I've seen a 430 Buick, but it was a nail-head design, and obviously not a small block.

Gordon, you go right ahead and put that Old's power plant in. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't have granddad's power in grampa's truck... Variety is the spice of life... If we where all the same, how boring would that be around the campfire?

Gordon, knows I was pulling his leg.
The 340 was only built for two years. It had equal spaced intake and exhaust ports, like the Poly and Hemi, 0-0-0-0, unlike the typical GM and LA motor which were arranged 0-00-0.
The 340 was primarily the motor for the GS California Special, special cam, 4 bbl, 275 HP and tons of bottom end torque. I put one in my first Jeep, because Buick and Jeep shared bell bolt patterns (same as the V-6) which was a Buick, then AMC then sold back to GM to become the 3800 engine.
Because of the exhaust port arrangement it sounded like no other GM motor, more like a Mopar...especially with dual glasspacks.

The later GM 350 was much lesser of a motor than the short lived 340.

[Gordon Maney]

Gordon, knows I was pulling his leg.
The 340 was only built for two years. It had equal spaced intake and exhaust ports, like the Poly and Hemi, 0-0-0-0, unlike the typical GM and LA motor which were arranged 0-00-0.
The 340 was primarily the motor for the GS California Special, special cam, 4 bbl, 275 HP and tons of bottom end torque. I put one in my first Jeep, because Buick and Jeep shared bell bolt patterns (same as the V-6) which was a Buick, then AMC then sold back to GM to become the 3800 engine.
Because of the exhaust port arrangement it sounded like no other GM motor, more like a Mopar...especially with dual glasspacks.

The later GM 350 was much lesser of a motor than the short lived 340.

Leg puller.

When was it built, what years?

[MoparNorm]

Leg puller.

When was it built, what years?

Either 1966 and 1967, or 1967 and 1968, if I recall correctly.
It was only made for two years.

Back in the day, engines had break-in-oil and break in periods, that required a return to the dealership after 500 miles or so.

The donor vehicle was in for it's 500 mile check up and oil change when the dealership's garage burned down...weird huh?
The car was destroyed, the engine was not harmed, but salvage buyers were leery of it. We noticed that the engine only had cosmetic damage and bought it nearly brand new for $300.
It was a great motor, siting in a 1900 lb CJ5, it's a miracle that I lived to see 18... = )