Okay... I posed the question on an Australian forum, asked others to look in here and, in particular, if anyone could give you first hand experiences of a Slant in a truck...
Read this one:
Hey Ray
I used to drive a 2 1/2 ton AT4 as tow truck for a living at one stage with a slant and a 4 speed. Was on gas and petrol, couldn't kill the thing. Towed a 12 ton dodge tipper from Villawood to Windsor NSW (about 70 odd kms) as a rear lift with it on gas and had no probs except for cars and buses pulling out in front of me (really needed better than 4 wheel drums) and sat on the freeway doing 100 no probs. Also towed a 38 foot van to Wyong (central coast area) with it. Was passing cars going up grades with it on petrol and this was a used engine pulled from a 5 ton wreck after the 340 kicked a rod out. BTW, the back of the tow truck was 3/4 inch steel plate construction weighed nearly 2 1/2 ton unladen and could still beat a holden 1 tonner to a prang when it had the 340, was only slightly slower with the slant, due to the winding roads in the area.
But I get the feeling this guy is convinced the cheb is the way to go why not sell him on a 350 cat or a perkins then he will have no trouble pulling his 1 ton load plus about another 4 trucks as well.
Peter
