Driving low power tractors?

When you are over 140000 and have a 60's era 200 horse Mack... It's quite the problem.

I consider anything less than 500 low power today. It has to be able to carry 80000 up a 5% at speed, 55 to 60 and that means torque, alot of it at least 1750 pounds feet. The more the better.

When I put the 350 Cat up against a 25% in Vermont in the past, it is seriously inadequate. The result was lowest gear, less than walking speed with tires barely moving. Anything burns up that's it we have a problem. Im not doing that ever again. Ive actually quit two companies from orientation when they handed me more 350's

 

Ran 350hp Macks for years grossing 106000 pound tanker loads in NY and VT. I guess since it was the norm back then you thought nothing of it.

 

I run low-weight freight, so I don't really have to pay attention to this as much. But my 350 hp Freightliner at companies past really frustrated me.

 

Don't mis understand me. I loved the 350 mack, the new version of 1994 onwards and the nice 425 Cat which I consider to be one of the best little !... engines of their time. I owned one for a short time. When you love something and it goes, then you are better for it to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

I tolerated the 300's 50's and 400's in their day. There was nothing better for what I did. It's the container work that was consistently heavy 110, 140 or whatever thousand gross against a small mack. You learned to shift really good because you could destroy the truck and transmission if you forced it with those weights. I keep coming back to a truly horrible day going to harrisonburg and back to baltimore the hard way. Part of the problem had two sources. First Harrisonburg did not give a #### what I put into that container going to Europe. Fill it up they said. Second I knew nothing. Which really made for a dangerous situation. It was not a good day.

Anyway.

I also believe from flying small planes that if you have the horses to get up stairs to cruise, you burn less fuel doing it per hour. It's the same for trucks lifting the weight say 2 miles up and over the rockies. I had one tractor that was pretty close to a 530 HP for a while which was also really fast, monster torque and all that. What a truck. Go up milesburg like a elevator at 90 most of the way. (10 mile pull. Approx 6%) Fuel mileage was really bad. About 5.4 or so. You put in fuel and spent the money (At that time I think 1.80 to 2.20) who cares as long you have the fuel. (What a attitude back then.)

And it's easy to understand how... corrupted or outlaw rather, I had become by 1996. I was ready to get into a 650 cummins, 600 cat or whatever new engine coming out in those days. Then I found the 505, 515 detriots which were a good fit for me. (Speed limited 72 or so, but plenty of room to work I think 2150 on the red line, they are not red line engines. they like to lug as long you don't abuse the lugging.) I had many little detriots probably two stroke and fours in macks prior and what engines. OF that time period.

There was a small group of owner operators pressurizing fuel, adding turbos, super chargers and other goodies at a shop near Pittsburgh I believe which was a custom shop for big rigs. The result was they could be at 70 loaded to 80000 on Fancy Gap (I-77 between VA and NC.) put the hammer down and be at 100 in a mile upgrade.

 

I drove a 250 hp Hino , pulled pups, sometimes two. 90 mile run. One morning it was -38. Took about 25 miles to get it up to 55 mph.

 

I have a 350 HP that has rears for flat straight land.

Trial and error has taught me to stay out of the mountains when not running light. And even if I get a light load going into the mountains, chances are whatever comes out will be heavy. So I just stay out.

Now, if I'm 78,000 and it's a Sunday and I can get up to speed and stay up to speed, it's fine. But, if I'm running hills in traffic and I lose momentum, it's hell on earth.

Can't wait 'til pre-Christmas power only loads start coming in. Light and pay well.

 

Like old R model E6s? The 300 maxidyne was a puller 1425tq @1050 and would lug there all day. 4v 350 econodyne had 1150 or 1200tq.

237 maxidyne had right about 1050 for tq mated with a 5 speed. Triple countershaft trans and top loaders with camelback was indestructible. Mack made that entire truck front to back.

Their down fall wasn't keeping up with the hp in the otr segment and egr was nail in the coffin

 

That elusive 25% grade again........maybe someone on here will discover it one day

 

I am working on locating that hill. We will resolve that particular myth in time.