Towing with a slant six

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SISUSIX (Jack M. Minnesot

Post subject: Towing with a slant six

PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2001 9:32 pm

Months ago, I added some comments to this board about using the slant six for towing trailers etc.
Since then, I made a significant and CHEAP alteration to my truck you should know about. I tow with a 1984 Dodge D-250 with the 225 S/L6, with the granny first gear four speed transmission (which means NO OVERDRIVE), 3:55 gears, 29 inch tall 8:75 by 16.5 tires, one barrel carb and stock electronic ignition. All this detail is crucial as it keeps the slant six in the right torque range at 55-60 MPH when towing. The CHEAP alteration was to replace the total exhaust system with a new exhaust for the truck slant six and I ordered it for a 1977 slant six truck!. The muffler is a smooth sounding "Turbo". The 1977 exhaust eliminated TWO catalytic converters on the 84 system. I tow a 27 foot 1967 AIRSTREAM trailer, a 16 foot runabout Starcraft boat, and a tandem car hauling trailer with a 66 Dart or 64 A100 pickup on it (hopefully you recognize that these trailers are not towed all at the same time!) Just by changing the exhaust and getting rid of two catalytic converters I gained enough power to consistently cruise at 60 MPH and I even had the 27 foot Airstream screaming along at 75 on the freeway for @ 30 miles last week on a windless day. I even passed a suburban!! Now, you know that since I took the cat's off, I am just using this exhaust system temporarily to test things out....Getting the whole rig up to speed is still a leisurely event but once it is there, it stays there now. By the way, the 1967 AIRSTREAM is for sale as I am going to a pop up pickup camper so I can tow other things at the same time. I'm also going to sell a couple of 8 3/4 rearends for the A-Body in the next couple of months. I always enjoy the chat on the board, Jack

mayalalang@cs.com

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Tim

Post subject: Re: Towing with a slant six

PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2001 12:42 am

So we don't need a Cummins to tow ! The slant is a torquey little motor. Years ago Dodge had small and larger trucks with flathead six motors. Gearing is the critcal factor. When towing, brakes can be as important as the torque of the motor.

I'd like to have a Gear Vendors o/d, but so pricey

Quote:

:
: Months ago, I added some comments to this board
: about using the slant six for towing
: trailers etc.
: Since then, I made a significant and CHEAP
: alteration to my truck you should know
: about. I tow with a 1984 Dodge D-250 with
: the 225 S/L6, with the granny first gear
: four speed transmission (which means NO
: OVERDRIVE), 3:55 gears, 29 inch tall 8:75 by
: 16.5 tires, one barrel carb and stock
: electronic ignition. All this detail is
: crucial as it keeps the slant six in the
: right torque range at 55-60 MPH when towing.
: The CHEAP alteration was to replace the
: total exhaust system with a new exhaust for
: the truck slant six and I ordered it for a
: 1977 slant six truck!. The muffler is a
: smooth sounding "Turbo". The 1977
: exhaust eliminated TWO catalytic converters
: on the 84 system. I tow a 27 foot 1967
: AIRSTREAM trailer, a 16 foot runabout
: Starcraft boat, and a tandem car hauling
: trailer with a 66 Dart or 64 A100 pickup on
: it (hopefully you recognize that these
: trailers are not towed all at the same
: time!) Just by changing the exhaust and
: getting rid of two catalytic converters I
: gained enough power to consistently cruise
: at 60 MPH and I even had the 27 foot
: Airstream screaming along at 75 on the
: freeway for @ 30 miles last week on a
: windless day. I even passed a suburban!!
: Now, you know that since I took the cat's
: off, I am just using this exhaust system
: temporarily to test things out....Getting
: the whole rig up to speed is still a
: leisurely event but once it is there, it
: stays there now. By the way, the 1967
: AIRSTREAM is for sale as I am going to a pop
: up pickup camper so I can tow other things
: at the same time. I'm also going to sell a
: couple of 8 3/4 rearends for the A-Body in
: the next couple of months. I always enjoy
: the chat on the board, Jack

Tim.Keith@billserv.com