Diesel vs. Gas: Dyno
The crew at G&J Diesel are some pretty relaxed fellows, so they let a couple of gas vehicles spin the rollers of their Superflow dynamometer. This also means we had the makings of a diesel versus gas shootout on our hands-and the first battleground was the dyno. This blue Chevy C-10 impressed the diesel crowd by making more than 700 hp at the wheels with a supercharged big-block Chevy running 10 psi of boost. Not to be outdone, CT Performance stepped up with its diesel drag truck and topped 900 hp.
Score: Diesel 1, Gas 0.
Diesel vs. Gas: Dragstrip
Next, it was on to the dragstrip for round number two of the Diesel vs. Gas battle. G&J Diesel brought out its own drag truck, which was fighting torque converter issues in the Lenco/Bruno transmission. That meant very little of the Duramax's power was actually making it to the ground, and the truck was stuck in the low 10-second range, despite running mid 9s with an Allison transmission last year. It looked like the gas crowd got a break here, as one of the quickest door-slammers (this early Ford Maverick) was also running low 10s, albeit with the front wheels about 3 feet up in the air. We'd say this one's a tie-both get a point.
Score: Diesel 2, Gas 1.
Diesel vs. Gas: Sled Pull
How about two old Fords goin' at it? The catch? One has a Cummins in it. Diesels are known for torque, and they don't disappoint in sled pulling. The engines also weigh more, which means more weight over the front of the truck, and diesel trucks usually come with tougher parts to begin with. This one's a no-brainer, and also gives us our final result.
Score: Diesel 3, Gas 1.