how much can this slant six pull?

I just bought a truck back. I've been trying to redo my 59 f100 for a few years but I use it too much to take it apart or to make it too nice to be used as a truck anymore. I also can't take my kids anywhere in it.

To solve that I just bought a 1964 Dodge 3/4 ton dually crew cab (gotta stay vintage) that was an old US Navy truck. It's got a slant 6. I'm curious about how much that old slant six cam really pull? Anybody got one that they do towing with?

 

i had a slant in my model a pickup
it was fast but dont know about pulling torque

 

Dont know how much it can pull,but these are tough ,long running engines!

 

A few years ago, I knew a guy that had an 80 Dodge 3/4 Maxi van. Had the slant 6, 5 speed od, and 3:55 gears. The guy had the van loaded to the point it was on the overload springs. With 80K showing on the odomiter, it wouldn't pull up the grade into my shop with out a run at it. The approch ramp going into my shop raised 2 feet in a 5 ft long ramp. I suspect the clutch was slipping, but the motor would not rev above an idle when in gear on the approch ramp and would simply quit moving. Motor had oil pressure, sounded OK, but was tired. Different gearing and a good clutch might have had different results.

Knew a guy that built a roll back on with a 225 with a 4 speed and 4:56 gears. Logged a lot of highway miles on that one, wasn't very fast, but did the job. Gene

 

My only experience with them has been that they are bulletproof. Friend of mine had one that we tooled around with in high school. No matter what we did to it it never lost oil pressure or even overheated. Come to think of it, it never really had any problems whatsoever. I say go for it, it won't break on ya even if it can't pull worth a ****.

 

They make alot of torque, with the right gearing it should do fine.

Check www.slantsix.org.. they mostly talk about speed applications, but you might find some good info.

Enjoy it, I dig mine.

- Joe

 

ahh, the 225 is the best out of the bunch, but in a big heavy truck, i cant imagine pulling much. when i used to drive my dart with the slant in it, it could get up to highway speeds just fine but it really had no power, i could never imagine trying to tow with one. that was in a 3,000 lb car. oh yeah, and i killed it, and 2 of my buddies killed theirs too.

 

I'm not saying it's bulletproof... err well ya I did. Well here's what I'm saying. No oil, no antifreeze, trying to blow it up, foot to the floor for a count of 10 Mississippis and the thing laughed at us.

 

I've got one in my 60 Savoy too and it's great for that but I wasn't sure about the big old truck. I figured the NAVY didn't *****foot around in the thing so it ought to be good for something. I dunno what the rear gears are yet. I was just wondering if it would pull a car on a trailer okay.

 

should pull a car on a trailer just fine, if you only want to go 45 mph

 

yeah, that's kind of what I was afraid of. It's primary duty will be mulch from one block away back to my house and taking the kids to the drive-in where we park backwards, lay in the bed and listen to it on the radio. I was hoping to be able to tote some cars here and there though.

 

The NAVY was probably like the ARMY, with a very low speed limit for trucks, so they'd get them geared to pull weight, at a snail's pace.

Shouldn't be too hard to drop a 440 in it though.

 

I've actually got a spare 413 and 727 but this truck runs and is rust free for $750 five houses away. It seemed a shame to ruin a good thing by spending time and money on it to make it more expensive to drive. I think I need a third truck...maybe a fourth...I really like the other ugly truck...39 ford.

 

Yeah, you could leave it alone, and just plan on taking it easy when you go hauling cars. Make sure the brakes work, and on the trailer too.

 

I had a 225 in a 63 Dart in high school. I put an Offenhauser manifold with dual BBS Carter 1 barrel carbs, Clifford Research header and a good set of rear gears. This thing would boil the Goodyear E7014 Polygl*** tires. The little Dart suprised a lot of small block V8s.

 

they put them in motor homes! i have a 71' cortez motorhome and it has a slant 6 and a stickshift. never have even tried to start it but if they put them in motor homes they must do ok. had them in a handful of old dodge darts and they seemed to run fine and were easy on fuel

 

A few years ago I was pullin out of Portland, headin for Seattle (about 200 miles). A gal flies by me in a Dodge Dart (maybe a 64) at about 80mph. Sounded like she was dragin beer cans full of marbles. The smoke was unreal, I could see it for miles ahead. Lost site of her. Fast forward. I take my exit North of Seattle, pull into a little store and there she is eatin an ice cream cone. I say yer car is smokin a little, she says "Ya but runs like a top". "I'm headin for Vancouver Canada" (another 100 miles) I'm sure she made it. Godamn slant sixes...............OLDBEET

 

I'll bet that the Navy used that truck harder than you ever will. Try it out and let us know how it does!

- Joe

 

I had a 63' dodge parts truck that was a 3/4 ton with a 225 slant six and a 4 speed. It had 4.88 gears in its dana and with the bull low first gear, it could pull a house off its foundations without breaking a sweat. Tops speed was 63mpg however.

It towed many cars to the s****pers...I never did get around to using it for parts.

 

I'm dumb enough to try most anything. I'll keep you posted. This is actually a pretty neat deal. I bought this for my neighbor about two years ago. His son, Cory, loves dodge trucks and just gotten his license. He bought a 79 Powerwagon with his own money and drove the hell out of it. It's a big hillbilly four wheel drive and nothing is good on it but the brakes and headlights but it's his and paid for with his own money. Three and a half weeks ago, Cory was in an accident about a half mile from the house here. It killed his best friend (the driver) and got Cory lifelined to Methodist where he remains in a coma to this day. He's six four and 265 at 18 years old and tough as nails. He was headed for the Marine Corp in June. It's the second time we've had a fatal crash of 18 year olds in this small neighborhood in the last six months. The community is taking it pretty hard. We all wanted to to something besides sit around a pray for Cory (although we do that plenty of that too). His dad decided we should overhaul his old truck and let me be in charge of it. Problem is there's not enough of his old truck left to overhaul so I got him a really nice 83 monster powerwagon and guys from all over the community are chipping in...new wheels and tires from Big O, rebuilt engine from NAPA, paint and body work from Cookie's body shop, and lots of skilled and unskilled grunt labor from Cory's friends. The high school has raised over $2000 to put towards it and we are having a charity car wash with lots of local cheerleaders on June 16th (I'll be there feeling dirty). His dad decided to sell the quad cab to put money towards the new truck and I bought it back (he can buy it back if he ever changes his mind). Still the whole thing is pretty cool. Cory WILL survive this but has a long hard road ahead of him.

 

I was told that Jaguar developed the motor because at one time they were going to use it in the E types. What a combination.

Can anyone confirm this or am I full if ****. Keith

 

WOW, you really have to love the American small town community's. That is amazing.

 

A lot of stuff was hauled by motors that didn't have as much wheaties as a decent 225. It was all in the gearing... four-something, and even five-something rear ends. 45-50 MPH.

I'd expect with 4.56's or better and a truck trans, you could pull a trailer up any grade - given some time. And you'd probably be able to hold 55-60 MPH on flats.

And I highly doubt that Jaguar had anything to do with the development of the Chrysler engine. They had their own design that was working quite well.

A good place to start: http://www.allpar.com/

-bill

 

My 41 ply has had a slant in it for about 14 years. The sedan weighs in at 3600lbs at the co-op. It likes to run great at 60 to 75 on the highway. I don't know what gears i have never looked, still gets me 23 mpg, slow or fast. its all stock, down to the 2bbl. I don't see why you couldn't pull a loaded trailer, It may not be the speed your looking for but it will get the job done. Go for it.

 

What a great community you have! I bet he´s gonna be thrilled.

I had a Dodge Aspen with 225+904 and 2.4 gears.
My friend´s BMW broke down on the side of the road and I went there to tow him home. At 40mph the trans was in third gear with the lockup on and it was like the BMW wasn´t even there.
I´t sure ain´t no rocket but its one stubborn sob.

 

Awesome story. Best of luck to him on his recovery and to y'all on his project truck.

Check out:
www.sweptline.org
www.dodgesweptline.org

They've each got forums and tech info. And if there's anything to know about these old Dodge pick-ups, the guys there will know it. And most all of them actually use their trucks as trucks, so there's bound to be some slant 6 towing experience over there.

I have a '70 Crewcab, long bed 3/4 ton. But mine's a 383, so I can't help much with your question. My guess would be that the truck is set-up with a granny low 4 speed and a beefy rear end, so you'll have all kinds of "mechanical advantage" working for you. But your top end prolly won't be real high...

 

I should add that the fact that it's a dually, is likely a VERY RARE truck, if it came that way from the factory...

Don't think I've ever heard of another one.

 

We had one of these trucks on the ship I was on in 64 ,don't think it was a dually. Even when it was new it was not going much over 50

 

Ron,

Great to hear what you guys are doing for this kid. Glad to hear he will be OK. Keep us posted and lets see some pictures of his new ride when you get it done.

 

Years ago, I had a 64 Dodge Dart GT with a 225 slant 6 and a torque-flite automatic ****** behind it. When I sold it, it had 175+ thousand miles on it, and still ran strong! I sold it to a college kid who drove it from Chicago to Boston where he lived. I swear that drive train was damn near indestructable! It had well over 200,ooo miles on it when it finally dropped after losing crank bearings and seizing. It never had all that much torque, but it was a really reliable and dependable engine! in your case I would opt for a Mopar small block. I don't think that 6 is going to give yoy want you need in that particular vehicle. Good Luck!