8.3L Cummins Transplant

Easy guys I started my trucking career in a screaming 8V71 318 Detroit, they did make decent power for a small displacement engine. That cab over Trans Star got 4 mpg and the truck had 75 gallon tanks so every 450-500 miles we stopped for fuel and added a gallon of oil.
When I bought my first truck, cab over Trans Star with VT903 Cummins, after the third fuel stop and it still didn't need any oil added I called the dealer to see if maybe there was a problem.
I'm sure they laughed at me after they got off the phone, but I was only 23 and it was my first truck and first of many Cummins engines.
One of our local fire depts has a older model Pierce pumper with a 6V92, whenever they talk on the radio and I hear that Detroit screaming in the background I know exactly which engine is responding
After I got out of school I worked on river boats that had 671's powering pumps on the fuel barges and generators on the boats, the large EMD's that powered the boats where also two cycle engines.

I don't miss those engines but I remember them well. May be part of the reason I have bad hearing today.
 
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Destroked 450 said:
Easy guys I started my trucking career in a screaming 8V71 318 Detroit, they did make decent power for a small displacement engine. That cab over Trans Star got 4 mpg and the truck had 75 gallon tanks so every 450-500 miles we stopped for fuel and added a gallon of oil.

When I bought my first truck, cab over Trans Star with VT903 Cummins, after the third fuel stop and it still didn't need any oil added I called the dealer to see if maybe there was a problem.

I'm sure they laughed at me after they got off the phone, but I was only 23 and it was my first truck and first of many Cummins engines.

One of our local fire depts has a older model Pierce pumper with a 6V92, whenever they talk on the radio and I hear that Detroit screaming in the background I know exactly which engine is responding
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Wow you went from one POS to another. We had 238's and 318's and 250 Cummins. Had a V903 too and they all just turned fuel into noise. There's a small hill just south of me that my dad said he used to top at 25mph at 80k gross and can do it now at 65mph with 80k net. How times have changed.
 
jfaulkner said:
Wow you went from one POS to another. We had 238's and 318's and 250 Cummins. Had a V903 too and they all just turned fuel into noise. There's a small hill just south of me that my dad said he used to top at 25mph at 80k gross and can do it now at 65mph with 80k net. How times have changed.
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V903 wasn't much, even though the VT903's turbo only added 30 hp it really woke one up. Mine would give a small cam 350 a run for it's money and got better fuel mileage, normally I got 5-5 1/2 mpg and in a cab over with freight box that was pretty good at that time.
I do agree that later higher torque engines where much better.
Big cam 400's and twin turbo 475's where my favorite.
 
Easy now boys. Let's not start the fuel mileage/load size my dad can beat up your dad contest. Jory isn't ready for real trucker talk just yet LOL

Starting to sound like a TA restroom in here.
 
zfaylor said:
Easy now boys. Let's not start the fuel mileage/load size my dad can beat up your dad contest. Jory isn't ready for real trucker talk just yet LOL

Starting to sound like a TA restroom in here.
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I laughed, good deep chuckle...
 
LOL

I'm not going to get into fuel mileage...with what we haul, our mileage SUCKS. If we're over 4..5MPG, we're happy.

Chris
 
Everybody with a 60 series hauls walking floors with 150k on averaging 8mpg is all I know LOL
 
Trucker talk, my favorite.

My Dad hauled steel in the 70's. Those were the days when 2 or three loads at a time were the norm. He laughs when guys are in here talking "heavy"".

My Grandpap drove truck in the 50's. Years ago he was at our house on a Sunday, while my Dad was getting ready to head out that night for Chicago. Grandpa asked Dad when he needed to deliver, Dad said Monday at 1:00 P.M. Grandpa was like Penn, to Chicago !! That used to take us three days! LOL
 
zfaylor said:
Everybody with a 60 series hauls walking floors with 150k on averaging 8mpg is all I know LOL
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Now that is TA restroom talk :bs:

I pulled a walking floor with my 60 series never grossing over 100k :aiwebs_022: and couldn't get better than 5 1/2 mpg :drive:

Company I worked for once told us drivers that load and terrain where not factors in poor fuel mileage, it was all in how you drove the truck so if the truck got poor fuel mileage it was the drivers fault. :confused:
 
Destroked 450 said:
Now that is TA restroom talk :bs:



I pulled a walking floor with my 60 series never grossing over 100k :aiwebs_022: and couldn't get better than 5 1/2 mpg :drive:



Company I worked for once told us drivers that load and terrain where not factors in poor fuel mileage, it was all in how you drove the truck so if the truck got poor fuel mileage it was the drivers fault. :confused:
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You give me an 8mpg truck and I'll show you how to get 3mpg out of it. Lol
 
Used to be some heavy hitters back in the day before fuel mileage became a issue
V12 Detroit, V8 Mack, 3408 Cat and KTA Cummins
Had a chance to buy a KTA525 Cummins in the early 80's but fuel had gone to over a buck a gallon and 3 1/2 mpg just didn't sound to profitable at that time.
I always dreamed of having a 3408 with twin turbo's and 6x4 twin stick transmissions. Found a 359 exd hood Pete in TN with that setup in the early 90's, but it was bright yellow and they wanted $30k for it so I just kept dreaming and making money with my 400 Cummins.
 
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Updates? Smokem just posted some 8.3 injectors for sale, might help wake it up a bit!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
Nope. Got too much going on. Show pigs are on site now, got new rims for the stock trailer, need to get the camper in for warranty junk, need new tires on the pickup....it's just a dayum whirl wind of crap.
 
Destroked 450 said:
Are you done showing those pigs yet.
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Hell no. County show is this coming weekend, then a week off and district, then the very next is the OYE statewide show. Then it's spring break. I might have some free time on the third week of March. LOL

It has been eatin' on me lately. I really need to get it done. I want to stretch my megacab so bad it's killin' me. I don't have the shop to do that until the dumper is out so that's my motivation.
 
06 DIESEL said:
I assume that life is getting in the way of this...
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You would assume correctly. I'm to the point where every single thing needs to me made because nothing factory fits any more. It's mounted. I just need water, air, throttle linkage, clutch rod, radiator, fuel lines, etc.

I so want it done, just no time. I want to put a Kelderman 4-link on the back of the dodge and the long bed....but damn....I'd sure like the room in the shop for that. :bang I need another me or 36 hour long days.
 
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