Dan,
For whatever it may be worth (nothing, probably...) In addition to what Grigg said (he's my coach and advisor on this project), let me add that "noise" is in the ear of the listener
I also like the Road Ranger because it will be a challenge to learn how to shift it correctly and will most likely require a lot of practice. And between it and the Detroit, should give me a lot of capability.
I have the Cummins "Death Rattler" in my Dodge and it is a looooooooooong engine that would take a lot of fabrication to fit into an AD truck.
But ultimately, it came down to working with what was feasible and available. I do not possess the skills or knowledge to attempt this kind of modification on my own and without coaching wouldn't know a 6BT from a 4-53T if they were dropped on me, so when I had access to a freshly rebuilt 4-53T and RT610 ... it sort of all fell into place.
Is the Detroit better than the Cummins? Are Fords better than Chevies?? Is Dale Junior a better human being than Rusty Wallace??? Is Pepsi better than Coke????? We could be here all week arguing Detroit vs Cummins, and both camps have their strident advocates. You can make anything work if you have enough skill, time and resources. It comes down to preferences and resources for me. And the more gears the better.
There you have it.
By the way, I have a brother in law who calls me a pansy because I used the clutch when I drove his Peterbilt...
Regards,
John
