All the V6 Truck owners out there...

atxwake · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 5:27 pm Post subject: All the V6 Truck owners out there...

Alright, here's the deal, gotta get rid of the Chevy Z71 with the big V8 Crying or Very sad

cause my lease is up. Im looking at a new 2003 Chevy 2 wheel drive with the 4.3 liter V6. My question is will this truck pull a wet boat outta the water? Or am I just going to be spinning freely? Mainly I pull a 18 foot I/O and a mobius LSV (hopefully, my girls family is gettin it!) Let me know what you guys think.

ohsix · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 5:30 pm Post subject:

i think the new vortec 4300 is supposed to be surprisingly powerful. im sure it will pull a boat out of the water as long as it has traction but i would be more concerned with pulling the boat on the highway. those hills around lake travis aren't easy to get up without decent power.

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

My S10 has a 4.3L V6. I'm not sure if it has the power to take hills like Wes is talking about. For the S10 it has more than enough power but it's also a small truck.

Getting it out of the water isn't an issue if you get posi.

Sean_Brinston · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 6:03 pm Post subject:

My Toyota Tacoma has v6 and it pulls like a dream

Swass · Guest

I had a 4.0L Ranger 4 x 4. It did a great job for its size. Since you won't be pulling up any grades, you'll be fine. I had to use low 4 x 4 when pulling out of the water, though. There was no way I could pull the boat out using 2wd.

Butta Seeka · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 6:17 pm Post subject:

my blazer has the 4.3 and i have to say its a damn good engine, more thna enough power to tow the mobius thas the same boat were gonna get so yea, not sure bout urs but the towing capacity on mine is like 5000 lb but umm with tansmision coolers it can tow like 5500 so its more than enough

core-rider · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 531 City: Huntsville, AL

You should be ok on power, but you need to think about brakes too. Smaller truck means smaller brakes... If the boat your towing has trailer brakes then you probably won't have a problem, but if not then those panic stops when someone pulls out in front of you may get a little interesting.

WaKevin · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 6:59 pm Post subject:

i have a 4.OL 4x4 ford explorer i am also interested to see if i can pull a boat. thats if i get one. if i do i will let ya know

Swass · Guest

Mine did OK on braking, surprisingly enough. My trailer has disk brakes, though.

Todd Armstrong · Addict Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 758 City: Battle Ground

I use my Tacoma 2.7 4 cyl., 4x4 . I put it in 4wd to get out the water. 2wd trucks always peal out up the ramp with or with out power at my steep ass boat launch

mobius · Outlaw Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 119 City: Hilliard

yeah it might be a good idea to make sure it has a posi rear-end or a locker or something. my 3.4L tacoma has enough power, but unless im in 4wd or my rear locker is engaged, they just spin. if you dont get a 4wd, make sure the ass can lock up.

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

We pull with a 91 Blazer 4.3 V-6, no problems as longs as you have the transmission fluid cooler. We pulled it short distance <30 miles without the cooler, but on a 6 hours drive the transmission fluid overheated. We then added the cooler and no problems since.

Nick
________
Buy silversurfer vaporizer

Shawn Madison · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 8:41 pm Post subject:

My Tacoma TRD V6 struggles on the hills to build torque and burns excess gas to meet the demand. But, it works for me since I only pull about 4 miles round trip. Four Wheel drive is a must if you will be around steep ramps, drive ways, gravel, etc.

mobius · Outlaw Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 119 City: Hilliard

turk, have you thought about getting the trd supercharger for your taco? it'll give you an extra 75 horse and you'll get better milage.

DRAGON88 · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 9:52 am Post subject:

taco....thats a funny short name.... super chargers dont usually work as well as turbos...but im not really shure how the engine is built...

B-rad · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 10:08 am Post subject:

My friend pulls with a 4 bangger Tacoma as well. He need to use the 4wd as well to get up the ramp at 360 and at Cypress creek. He's pulling a 21' Tige, not sure of the weight, but other than the ramp issue he has no problems with towing it.

68DARKHORSE · Criminal Joined: 24 Mar 2003 Posts: 59

Super charger is better for a gas powered tow vehicle.
They run cooler, and they are always on(no turbo-lag).

I had a Toyota 4x4 before my Bronco. That toy was a POS. It broke both difs, exhaust manifold, idler arm (no steering = scary), clutch lasted only 60k, tranny lasted 80k. My Bronco has 123k on the clutch and every other part in it, including the 8 year old battery.

Any 6cyl will struggle going to Lake Travis, and getting that LSV back out of LT in a small pick-up is a challenge.

68DARKHORSE · Criminal Joined: 24 Mar 2003 Posts: 59

Todd Armstrong · Addict Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 758 City: Battle Ground

Dragon you must be sniffing glue to think a turbo works better than a SC. A SC has torque on demand no lag. Anyone who puts a turbo on a truck where torque is needed is wasting $3k..

Superchargers are the way to go on the V6 Taco's $3 well spent.

ohsix · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 1:06 pm Post subject:

personally i believe a turbo is more efficient than a super charger but there is no deffinate answer. the advantage of a super is instant power whereas a turbo has lag. turbos are a lot more reliable though mainly because they are exhaust driven instead of belt.

Lyte Skin · Outlaw Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 210 City: San Angelo, TX

i would stay away from that little chevy engine in a full size truck.
my buddy has one and it feels like your driving a tank with a 5 hp briggs and straton. just sluggish. no power.
Maybe bump up to that smaller V-8.

Also you should have no problem pulling a boat out of the water with any truck if you do it right. unless you have a chevy luv truck or some small crap like that.

people try to stomp on the gas to get a boat out. keep the brake pressed and slowly give it gas and slowly release the brake at the same time. low rpms get the boat out of the water, high rpms spin the tires. don't gas it, just go slow.

B-rad · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 2:14 pm Post subject:

I think you will be able to do it, depending on where and what ramp you use. 360 should be ok. It is the easiest, less inclined public ramp that I know of. There are a few you might have some issues with, cypress, jonestown, maybe mansfield damn, but I doubt it. If it saves you a lot of cash in the process you should go for it.

DRAGON88 · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 3:33 pm Post subject:

yea todd must be all the glue.. ok immature moment here....

"im ruber and your glue, what ever you say bounces off me and sticks to you".

ohsix · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 3:58 pm Post subject:

otiswunguy · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 871 City: Sammamish

i blew up my toyota v6 pulling my mastercraft locally. chevy next time. anyone want to trade your chevy for my toyota let me know.

Richie Martin · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 6:59 pm Post subject:

I've had little experience in this area...

I've got a mobius LSV and a tacoma 4X4 trd double cab, It pulls o.k. not great...but like Turk said, it absolutely drinks gas when towing.
You should be o.k. braking. The Moomba (boatmate) trailers have better disc brakes than I have ever witnessed on a trailer.

I had a 1997 ford f-150 it had a v-6 200hp+/- 3.55 rearend it pulled and braked great even towing 5000+ pounds.

My 1999 ford explorer v-6 150hp pulled great, braking was o.k. but I destroyed the springs towing my boat.

My 2001 dodge ram 1500 v-6 pulled and braked like crap, really bad.

My dad had a v-6 210p in a full size chevy and it pulled great braking was o.k.

Richie Martin · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 7:11 pm Post subject:

oh, I should add that I tow mostly on flat land, but I did live in the mountians at some point with all of the above mentioned trucks and towed at least a 3500 pound boat or tractor on a trailer.

DRAGON88 · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 8:28 pm Post subject:

Todd, it seems that people agree whtih me here....

mobius · Outlaw Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 119 City: Hilliard

back to the supercharger v. turbo, a ton of my friends have taco's and some are supered and one friend turboed his, my trd super gets way better gas milage while towing or even just regular driving (and because trd is a toyota company, it's warrantied with the truck), and pulls very adequately for a v6, but, when we drag race, my friend with the turbo kicks my ass every time, even with more lift and one size bigger tires. my super's just a little quicker off the line because of the belt though.

mobius · Outlaw Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 119 City: Hilliard

Darkhorse said:
I had a Toyota 4x4 before my Bronco. That toy was a POS. It broke both difs, exhaust manifold, idler arm (no steering = scary), clutch lasted only 60k, tranny lasted 80k. My Bronco has 123k on the clutch and every other part in it, including the 8 year old battery.

you must've beaten the hell out of it to have all those problems. you're probably the first person i've ever heard call a tacoma a pos, seriously, both diffs, and a new MANUAL tranny after 80, i worked at a toyota dealership and never heard of a manual going out even after 200.

Alter Ego · Posted: Mar 27, 2003 1:35 pm Post subject:

any others with S-10's or sonoma's out there. i have the v6 but havent towed with it yet.....i'm a little worried getting up the ramp with the rear wheel drive.....

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

I'm disappointed in all of you, especially you Wes, there is a particular reason why diesels are turbo charged...someone must know it...

Alter Ego,

You'll have plenty of power, the only problem you might have with just rear wheel drive is if the tires start spinning, you'd face this problem with a full size truck as well. If you have 4wd then you've got no worries at all, if you don't just don't gun it too hard when you pull your boat out or put it in a lower gear. On most ramps you don't have to worry about it anyway, only really steep or slippery ones.

Nick
________
Headshops

ohsix · Posted: Mar 27, 2003 2:59 pm Post subject:

OttoNP · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 848 City: MI

I didn't mean to say that all diesels are turbo charged, just that there is a reason why they tend to be turbocharged instead of supercharged. The airflow through a diesel is much more constant than through a regular gasoline engine, which is why it doesn't suffer as badly from turbo lag. This is because a regular gasoline engine should always have the same air/fuel mixture while in a diesel it is variable.

Nick
________
Medical Marijuana Grow

ohsix · Posted: Mar 28, 2003 8:10 am Post subject:

Wouldn't turbo-lag have the same effect on a gasoline engine though? The air/fuel mixture would just be a little rich until the turbo caught up. Why is this any worse for a gaoline engine? I'm probably just not understanding the part about the diesel having a more constant airflow.