You know what I was thinking?
Wait I gotta set this up a little bit;
I have never owned a pick-up, and with my personal vehicles, I have never towed anything more than a utility trailer. But three times a week I haul garbage to the landfill, at a usual scale-weight of about 12,000 pounds; with a 5.2LS/ 4-speed auto.
So I was thinking; and this is all ....Just My Opinion;
Some of us remember;
1) how sluggish a 225 (3.7liters) is in a 3200 pound car. And those run about 25 pounds per horsepower
2) how eager 340 Dusters were at about 10/11 pounds per horsepower
3) how Grandpa's 74 318 Swinger shook not the World, at about 17/18 pounds per horsepower
* All numbers calculated from Crank hp
So I was thinking what a good power target might be for a tow-rig. It wouldn't need to be like a Duster, but dangit, those Smoggerteen Swingers were not exciting . So Ima thinking somewhere in the 12 to 15 pounds per hp, might be worth considering.
By the same reasoning, the engine size (gas engine) might be no more than 10/11 cubes per pound.
So that brings us to something like 10,000/11= 900cubes and 900 hp
So that takes care of acceleration.
Next is cruising;
your engine, to move 10,000 pounds down the hiway at 70 mph, might take 100hp, which at 70 mph maths to about 8/9mpg, so 100hp might be in the ballpark. Here's the thing, geared right;
>the slanty might do it, but it's gonna be at WOT,
> the Teener might be at 50/55%.
> the 360/5.9 might be down around I'm guessing, say 35/40%
So it should be sorta obvious that;
1) any of these engines can pull the load.
2) The difficult parts will be getting up to speed, passing, and climbing.
3) none of these will make 900hp in this application
4) there ain't no 900 cuber in the Mopar line-up
Which leads to the conclusions that the engine you chose, should be;
1) for reserve power; as big as possible
2) for economy; as small as possible
3) and that leads to super charging.
So then, again, the supercharged (which includes turbo-charging) engine would seem to best fit the needs.
absolute power, for this application is sorta meaningless.
so what I would want is ;
>a big enough hi-torque engine that can cruise at least mostly, in NA mode but
> that has a great kick for accelerating, passing, and climbing. And
>one that won't blow up when I pour the coals to her.
>I'd stay away from tiny engines, super/turbo charged or not. And,
>KISS; Keep it Simple. No Variable Valve-timing/Direct Injection/ wizardry/ etc. These things are nice to have, but when they quit, any money I saved in fuel useage will usually be more than used up by the repairs. And
> if an interference engine, I would make sure it has a robust cam-drive system. None of these multi-serpentine air-cooled belt systems. And
>before I sign, I want a brake test to see if the dang thing can stop! And
>finally; the spark plugs better be one piece, and actually come out when I want to change them.
Ok so there is my drivel....
Now having said all that; My company GMC with the normally aspirated 5.2LS, 4-speed auto, does pretty good on all counts, until it gets to third gear, at too low an rpm say below 2400. But to be fair, it doesn't have towing gears in it either, being geared about 65= 2400rpm in LU. And even worse is the company I work for, installed four super tall 8-ply tires on it, that rub as they get to full-lock
