I had the same problem with my 2.6 powered D50. Whenever I hooked up my utility trailer and went to get wood I ended up in 3rd gear at 45 MPH to make it up hills. I got tired of being passed by Volkswagon vans so I swapped in a 350 small block. World of difference. There is no substitute for cubic inches. Now I just step on the gas and it can maintain 70 MPH loaded with wood and towing my trailer loaded with wood.

I found a 350 drivetrain out of some C series chevy at a salvage yard. They wanted $850 for it and then you are talking complete overhaul. A shop wanted $3000 to put it in. I was thinking, wow, $4000+. I could buy something else for that kind of money, but it never crossed my mind that it would be this limited on power. In 4L I think I can pull anything that doesn't tear it in two. When I bought it I was in the Delta. The only hills there are ant hills. Now I am in the Ozarks. The hills are just a little taller. As long as this baby is doing what it is supposed to I will be ok. I guess I will start saving my money for the larger drive train. Maybe in 9 or 10 years I will be able to afford it. Thanks guys.

Stock tires will boost your performance <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

Look at the Turbo Bible post. I bet under $2k easy, but it won't be as fast as an SBC. My turbo D50 5spd pulled whatever I asked of it, including a 843 Bobcat at about 4k lbs.

Well, we loaded everything up and started towards Mom's house...got about 50 miles and everything started going South, and not just the direction. The engine started spitting and sputtering and just shut down. I got out and looked under the hood and didn't see anything (you know, just looking)...I pulled the dipstick and the oil looked good...water looked good. After my wife had her smoke I started it back up. It ran smooth as silk so we started down the road again. Maybe two miles and we were spitting and sputtering and jerking again. It shut down and would not start. When I tried to start it there was a funny smell and it never really hit. Had it towed home and cried (not really, but I felt about that miserable). Any ideas about where I should start?

clogged cat, stuck Tstat, clogged fuel filter, could be alot of things but go for the stuff thats cheapest to fix. when I had a stuck Tstat my car wouldn't run right and even stalled a few times. replaced it and now its great.

When I took the gas cap off this morning the release of vacuum was so bad it startled me and I jumped back. The gas cap has "vacuum only" printed on it. Could it be that I need a "vented" gas cap? Is it possible that because it is not vented that it sucked fuel until there was no air to allow it to keep flowing?

I put an electric fuel pump on this morning. Then, I hooked up the trailer with the ATV and went down the same roads that I was having trouble with before. While it does slow to about 50 mph on some of the long, really steep hills, it never stalled. On the straight aways it ran 65 mph without any trouble. I hope that fixed it.

very strange. I would check your fuel lines. Maybe you have a crimp and the extra boost for the electric pump helped with the flow?