Displacement vs Turbo charging

Hello all. I suppose I could also state this thread as "Upgrade or setback" My international 4700 with a DT466E and 6 speed manual has a 25,500 GVWR. It's a little light for what I would like to have (or should have bought). I just found a Freightliner FL70 with a 33,000 GVWR with a 98 5.9 Cummins with the coveted P-pump. The guys asking a song and a dance for it $4500.00. I adore my International but it is a gutless slug due to having the second lowest hp rating and the factory refused to increase it. No problem however as I have found a very repeatable shop that has reflashing capabilities and if I want the 250hp setting I can get it. This Freightliner I'm looking at I've been told by a few people has too light of a engine for 33,000 gvwr. Is there any truth to that? I know the 5.9 is a beast of a engine ( still hoping to put my first gen rotary pump in a truck one day! ) but it's no where as stout and practically bombproof next to the wet sleeve 466. So is there a point where turning the fuel screw and bolting on bigger turbos is not a good idea versus a bigger displacement engine? I figured "ooooooooh P-pump, crank it up" but I don't know where the line should be drawn in consideration of the weight. It's not like it's in a 8000lb dodge pulling a 10,000lb trailer. I'll be wanting to put combo weight on it to pull my 12,000lb GVWR trailer hauling my skid steer loader in addition to the 33,000lb of the truck. Rarely will that happen but it will ever now and then so 45,000lb intermittently is possible.

So, is trading/selling my 4700 International for this fl70 Freightliner a step in the right direction, or a step back? Should I keep looking for a 4900 International with a 33,000 GVWR and the 466? BTW I do have a class A CDL.

Thanks OI82

I’ve got a same model international but with an Allison, it’s a dog. I have a 3116 cat with a 6 speed Eaton in a gmc kodiac that weighs a good 10k more and they pull about the same speed fully loaded. That’s an extremely cheap price for that fright liner, I’d be worried by it especially if it’s been for sale for a long time. You can make more power with the Cummins easier, but you need to factor that into your cost for that truck on top of whatever else it may need, because the 5.9 will be slower than the dt you already have. If it were me, I would find a mechanical dt466 with a six speed behind it, and do a bit of upgrades to make some real good reliable power.

It's a 8.3. [emoji50]
Now I'm really thinking about it!
I still like the DT line better personally but I have no experience with a 8.3.

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Yeah, that 8.3 should haul eh just a tad better.... lol

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The 8.3 for $4500 is well worth it, even at 210hp. They can make 450hp for cheaper than the 466 or 466E. Pump mods, injectors, and turbo.
Now, for the 466E....To make any decent power from it, convert it to mechanical. You'd need a donor 408, 466, 530 NGD(93-97) to pull the head with injectors, lines, pump, and timing case. You could also swap the whole engine. Best to find the 530, so it has a bigger pump. Still cost less than hopping up the HEUI stuff, and you get the reliability.
Plus, those weights are not the gross combined weight. Pretty likely either will pull another 30k of trailer.