Horsepower and Torque

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>Ron:
>
>The 5.0 l Ford into IH might be cool. But it lacks the basic requirement of
>a Scout. That is torque. Part of what makes the IH motors unique besides
>their massive size, is that they were designed as truck motors with longer
>strokes than other manufacturer's engines of similar displacement. This
>gave them a "leg up" in the torque department although they suffered in the
>high RPM/Horsepower area to say nothing of the deliterious effect the
>longer stroke has on fuel economy.
>
>Tom H.

Well said, Tom. You've stated exactly what I think is involved in IHC's 
truck motor vs. somebody else's car motor. John L. and I were talking on 
the phone the other day about why my 318 GC engine pulls a trailer so 
much easier than my Scout's 345. (There really is no comparison) Looking 
at the horsepower ratings, and the rpm where these horsepower ratings are 
achieved, of the two engines, it becomes very clear why although the 
345's long stroke makes it a vehicle that can climb almost straight up at 
an idle, on a long 8% grade the engine gets comfortable at about 2200 
rpm, and you can forget being able to keep going 60 mph as you pull your 
trailer on up the hill. My Travelall with the 5 speed tranny, at least in 
retrospect, dealt pretty well with this problem, but I suspect that if I 
still was towing with that Travelall, I'd not think it was the world's 
greatest tow vehicle as I did then. 

I realize that my Scout weighs half again as much as my GC, but this 
added weight isn't, in my opinion, a major factor. My best buddy when I 
was teaching worked on teaching-days off for his father-in-law who owned 
a corn chopping operation, that used a lot of large IHC trucks. His 
trucks all had 345's or 392's in them, and they were perfect for that 
job. These engines compare to car engines kind of like draft horses 
compare to Arabians. 

I love my Scout, and I'm not mean-mouthing it, It just kind of tickles me 
intellectually to explore the whole question. Straighten me out, John 
Stricker.

Regards,
John H.