March 2003 - Performance Zone
March 2003 - Performance Zone
Ted Streit of Fast Transport and Feed Inc. is addicted to semi-truck pulling and powerful diesel engines. The general public doesn’t understand how people can be addicted to diesel horsepower. Unfortunately, they never will have the opportunity to feel the adrenaline rush that eighteen wheels and 80,000 pounds can give you while pulling a hill or a sled across a 300 ft. dirt track. In fact, Ted says, “Pulling a sled is the greatest 15 second ride in your life!” And many others agree with him.
Ted is addicted to power and
pulling. He and Sue Vanden Brook are co-owners of Fast Transport and they hire
owner-operators who also love powerful trucks and truck pulling. In fact, all
of the owner-operators in their hopper-pulling fleet are truck pullers. As they
say, a company that pulls together stays together! According to Ted, “Pulling
the sled across the dirt is no harder on the truck than starting out in a field
with a loaded hopper or pulling up and out of a freight dock.”
Ted’s pulling truck is a 1985 Autocar that he purchased in 1994. The truck had
its original NTC-400 Cummins, CPL 625 in it. In 1998 Ted became a board of directors
member for Pullers Inc. and started the street legal semi-truck division. Pullers
Inc. also has classes for 4X4 pickups and smoker tractors. They pull every weekend
throughout the spring, summer, and fall in northern Illinois and Wisconsin.
If you get involved in semi-truck pulling, it will consume your mind all week
long, thinking of what you can do to your truck so that you can out-pull the
man that beat you last weekend. Semi-truck pulling is a very competitive sport
that continues to grow every year. If you’re concerned about using your new
truck for pulling, go out and purchase an older truck for around $5,000. Keep
it street legal and go have some fun.
This sport may be the greatest enjoyment you ever have with a semi-truck during
your entire life. You’re probably thinking that it’s going to take a lot of
money to build a big hammer. But, if you purchase an older truck with a decent
Big Cam Cummins or a 3406B Cat, the cost to build big power can be as low as
$3,800. On the Cat, just set the pump wide open, install a big turbo and a set
of nozzles that flow 50% more. Set up the pressure from the mechanical pump
and install larger fuel lines.
For the Big Cam Cummins, you will need a custom flowed, high-volume fuel pump,
3000 RPM, huge injectors, dual fuel line kit, V12 fuel filter and 12 or 14 fuel
suction lines - and, of course, the big turbo. If you can afford another $1,300
for the high-lift cam you can really have some fun. In fact, you’ll enjoy this
old truck so much that you’ll want to be like Ted Streit and work the truck
during the week. Yes, Ted’s “pulling truck” is also his everyday working truck.
And why not?
Ted’s 1985 A-car received a
frame up reconstruction in the year 2000, and while producing around 750 horsepower,
delivers between 5.5 and 6.0 miles per gallon. You see, high-performance mechanical
engines, properly driven, can produce the same fuel mileage as the newer electronic
engines. While Ted was restoring his truck, he installed a set of ceramic and
Teflon-coated pistons and premium gold Cummins recon heads. This year I think
we may see the high-lift camshaft in this beautiful rig.
Ted’s accomplishments in pulling are as follows: 1998 was his first year; in
1999 he finished 2nd place in points; in 2000 and 2001 he took 1st place in
points; and in 2002 he finished 2nd place in points, and at the Heart of Illinois
Fair in Peoria he won the street semi pull. Wait a second, did I say Peoria,
Illinois - home of Caterpillar - and an old BCIII Cummins won the truck pulls?
I wonder if any of the engineering heads of Caterpillar were there. Anyway Ted,
if you go back to Peoria, I think you had better install the high-lift camshaft.
I’m sure there will be some big Cats anxiously awaiting your return!
Do you think that the owner-operators and Ted Streit of Fast Transport of Gillett,
Wisconsin are enjoying their trucking life? You just might have to go to a truck
pull in the land of cheese, Harley Davidson’s and Snap-On Tools to find out.
Also, Ted was the first owner-operator to register for Alban Engine Power Day
2003 on May 17th in Elkridge, MD. Register today by calling (800) 443-9813.
We can only dyno 30 trucks in a 10-hour day, so don’t delay!
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2003 10-4 Magazine and Tenfourmagazine.com
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