DC,
I have a black '79 F100 Ranger XLT 4x4 short box with a '69 Chevy 4 bolt 454/Turbo 400 under the hood with 35's and a 4" lift.
I'm a lot lighter than the Diesels, and none of 'em can go where I go, or as fast.
About 450hp and 500ft lbs the way I built it with the ported 049 heads.
It'll run twin turbos that I have off of the '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupes 2.3L Turbo when I'm all done. The Dana 60's are going under it before that though.
I read that the factory engine braking on the F350 was far superior to the Allison, and Dodge has none at all. I think the test was with a 7000 lb. load up and down an unspecified grade in which the F350 with the 6.0L pulled 70 MPH the whole way up. The other two were redlining upon downshift to hold 70, and had to hold 60 in higher gear and deal with it.
The Chevy rode the best, but had horrible ground clearance, I think they said. Dodge was the worst of the three there I think.
Downhill, the F350 took top honers for speed control by the retarder. The other was not nearly as effective and brakes were a must. The other doesn't have a retarder period.
DC Posted -
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Your teacher was correct , "if" the engine was gas and had high compression like gas engines do, heating wouldn't be needed in cold temps.
With the flash point being higher in diesel fuel and many times lower compression then a gas engine has, the preheaters and glow plugs are needed to get them started. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
A gas engine will usually run between 7.5:1 and 9.5:1 compression, and rarely to 10 or 10.5:1 because of detonation. No diesel I know of runs lower than a gas engine. I'm affraid you're confussed and have them switched around there. A diesel will run up over 40:1 compression where no gas engine ever will approach. Some Top Fuel drag cars are pushing to 20:1, with most in the mid to high teens is all. They don't run gas though. Aluminum heads, Nitro and MANY other things are used and done to avoid the deadly detonation that'll turn an engine to scrap in an instant.
A diesel will fire when enough heat is generated to ignite the air-fuel mixture. Compression creates heat, and with enough heat, it fires, with or without an additional heat sourse. The heater warms the fuel to keep #2 from gelling when #1 should really be being used, as we do in the winter up here. Glow plugs insure initial, and proper burn by maintaining a heat source. When relying on compression, low temps do increase air density, and this increases the heat generated, as static compression is higher, BUT cold fuel being atomized in the combustion chamber cools it, and so does the cold charge of fresh air and the cold engine. The high temperature generated from compression alone may not be enough to ignite the charge if weather is too cold and compression ratio is low for any reason. Forged pistons fit looser than cast so they rock and bang a lot more until they heat up and fit tight like a cast does, so ring seal is less than optimal when cold. Glow plugs are a good idea, so is higher compression, preheated intake or fuel. If compression is high enough, none of it is necessary on a diesel engine.
Very high compression is hard on the reciprocating assembly though, and longevity suffers. Reduce compression some and add glow plugs and the reciprocating assembly needs not be so over built, more power with lighter components, and still good longevity.
The higher the compression, the more power it produces, and more efficient it is.
The guy I worked with had a '92 Dodge, and just got a new one the last year we worked together. He'd commuted for ten years in it about 100 miles RT a day. It had a touch over 500,000 miles on it when he traded it in. It smoked a bit until he nearly hit the freeway a mile away, but was fine after that.
Dodges are rough riding rattle traps though, and Chevy has light running gear, Ford has them both beat, always has.
I'd like to get a new 6.0L quadcab shortbox F350 King Ranch in a year or two, but I'm not buying one up here when I do!
Eric,
Nice Rig!
Super Swamper just started making 34.5" x 12.5" tires especially for the F250 and 350 so you don't need a lift. Go Boggers!
There's also an electric locker now too, Detroit Elec-Trac... SWEET!! I'm getting one for the front end on my 4x.
You are probably 3 times the weight of your old Toyota pick-up, better part of 8500 pounds. 
I parked my diesel on a logging road (it had rained for probably 2 days prior to this). I went in and hunted, came out 5 hours later and she was sitting on the frame. Well 6 hours later we got her out. Not a fun experience.
