# GAS /vs/desiel **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 5, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025 "2008-01-05T10:49:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jwilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jwilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jwilson)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/1 "2008-01-05T10:49:17Z")
which has the most pulling power from a dead stop Gas or Desial,both equialy powered ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/2 "2008-01-05T11:27:58Z")
``` Impossible to say. It would depend on too many other factors like gearing size of engine traction etc. In general diesel will have higher torque at lower RPMs give the same maximum power engines. ``` ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/3 "2008-01-05T18:51:38Z")
Why did you ask the question? If we better understand your motive, we can give a more direct answer. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/4 "2008-01-05T21:58:52Z")
A specific vehicle may be especially designed for greater pulling power at the start, regardless of whether it runs on gasoline or diesel. ---
**Author:** ![mconn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mconn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mconn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/5 "2008-01-06T00:03:54Z")
Agree, my disel tractor has twice the pulling power as my SUV that’s 4 times as powerful…it’s gearing and weight that win the battle there. Too many factors to make overall assumption. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/6 "2008-01-07T21:19:08Z")
All else being equal it will generally be a diesel. Diesel engines use much higher compression ratios and the fuel is spray into a very hot compressed air, hotter than a gas engine, so it gets a fast, immediate combustion. A big boom very fast at the top of the stroke. A gas engine has a slower burn, a flame front that relatively slowly pushes the piston down. That high compression and high heat creating a fast combustion in the diesel puts more power at the high end of the stroke (the low end of the power curve) at the expense of power at the low end of the stroke (the higher end of the power curve). ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/7 "2008-01-07T22:52:24Z")
As MB said…All other things being equal…the Diesel. Diesel will have a LOT more low end torque then a gas engine. A gas engine will have better high-end hp though (usually). ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/8 "2008-01-08T02:43:31Z")
Gotta’ chain 'em bumper to bumper and have a pull-off! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-vs-desiel/9025/9 "2008-01-08T17:18:36Z")
That’s a good idea for a TV commercial…