Most of the people who are driving stovebolts these days aren't old enough to remember when their trucks actually worked for a living. They seem to be terrified to run them anywhere above 2000 RPM for some reason. These old engines were designed to run all day somewhere north of 3K RPM, so the obsession with high rear end gear ratios is sort of silly. P.T. Barnum had a saying about those kinds of folks! Keep the connecting rod bearing clearance down to a minimum (around .0015") and "drive it like you stole it!"
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!