Jump to content

diesel shopping.....help please


checkster

Recommended Posts

Looking at getting another truck. Not really sure if I am getting new or used. Depends on the deal I get I guess. Looking mostly at dodge and ford as they have solid axles in front(easy lifting) Looking at 3/4 ton, 4x4, with manual trans. I drive alot and wanted to know if any of you guys have any input mileage wise. Like 3.73 or 4.10 is better or worse? Manual or auto? 7.3 liter and a newer 6.0, or 5.9 dodge? Looking for a little input? What year was the 6.0 ford introduced? Went on the ford website last night and they dont even list a manual for the 6.0? Whats you combo, and mileage? Etc. any input wouls be greatly appreciated.

 

check

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 39
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

My dad has a dodge 3/4 ton with the six speed. nice truck, rides like a lumber wagon, but pulls the 38 foot 4 horse with living quaters gooseneck NICE. more then enough power for what he needs it for. Takes of fully loaded in 3rd or 4th gear.....

 

Another guy I know has a Ford with the 6 liter, but an auto. Pulls his 40 foot 5th wheel camper really good, and rides a little better then the dodge.

 

All of the new ones are nice, all have been having injector problems, but you might luck out and not have any. Im not sure why, or what causes it, but I have heard of all three of the major manufaturer diesels having injector problems....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ive got a 2001 dodge ram diesel and i like it alot. its an auto, gets pretty decent mileage even tho its chipped, exhaust and intake. it pulls my 20 foot enclosed no problem. ive had it coming up on 2 years now and have yet to have had a problem with it. it also just turned over 100,000 miles. i drove a ford one time and didnt like it. id say just go drive them all. auto and 6 speed and see which you like the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard that too.

300379[/snapback]

 

 

Actaully it is the 2003.25 Powerstrokes that first came with the 6.0. You could still get a 7.3 in the early part of 2003. For about the first 3 months of production, some of the 6.0's developed injector problems that resulted in fuel leaking past the o-rings and into the oil. Both diesels in the Ford and Dodge are awesome engines that will do most anything you want from them and will last for a long time with proper upkeep. I prefer the truck Ford wraps around their choice of diesel. The newer 1999 and up Super Duty line are a total dream of a truck. They ride really well and the interior is far more roomy than in a Dodge. Also, with all the after market these engines have behind them, the sky is the limit on what you can make the engine do.

The 6.0's are an awesome engine now that they have wroked the bugs out. With just the installation of something like the Edge Juice with the Attitude controller, a 6.0 will put out over 400HP at the rear wheels and still get great mileage for a 7000 pound truck. I own 2 Powerstrokes. One is a 1996 F350 crew cab 4x4 with a manual 5 speed that I have modified quite a bit. The other is a 2002 Powerstroke Excursion that is my pride and joy. It just all depends on what you like better and how much you want to spend. If you want to do more research on the diesels, go to THEDIESELSTOP.COM for all the info you could ever want to know about Ford diesels. They also have forums to discuss other brands as well. I go by mattymx there and I have been there for almost 5 years and I have owned diesels only since 1990. Just make sure if you buy used, you look all over the truck, like taking off the intake tube from the airbox to the trubo. This will let you know if anything has gotten by the air filter. Good luck with what ever you end up getting.

 

HERE ARE MY TRUCKS

AND HERE

 

Matt

Edited by motohawk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

my main problem with the fords is in the interior. The dash and instrument cluster look like they belong in 80's ford ranger. Maybe the spankin new ones have improved, but i doubt it. Roomy yes..but ugly. Now take a look at gm's HD interiors..all the goodies and damn they look/feel nice. I have not been in a brand new dodge HD but i'm assuming they are similiar to the LD trucks. they didn't seem too bad to me room wise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't add a whole lot to this besides fuel consumption, becasue I have only had it for 5000 miles. I've got an 05 Excursion with the 6.0 auto. Mixed driving it's been right around 17 and highway it gets anywhere from 19 to 21 if I hold it around 70. 80 miles an hour seems to consume about twice the fuel. The truck so far has been problem free, although I'm not really impressed with the trans shift points. It seems to hold gears entirely too long when not on the gas hard.

 

I can't comment on the interior of all the years, but the 05 Limited is pretty damn nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i like the GM's (you should really consider one, IMO) and the Fords. a powerstroke is one of the only two fords id ever buy (the other is a lightning :drool: ). Sd's look really cool, but so do the chevys. a lot of guys here have superdutys for tow rigs and that they do very well. not sure about how the chevys tow, but i see them used a ton in the oilfield as company trucks so they must do ok too. the newer autos are nice, especially chevys Allison, those are sweet. the 3.73 will get you better gas milage, but im unsure as to how much.

 

good luck and happy hunting. :cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like you got lots of replies but I guess I'll add some more info on the subject since these big trucks are real popular around here and I know several people with diesel trucks. Currently I Have a 97 dodge cummins 4X4 dually 5 speed 4.10 gears and I get about 16mpg city/hyw milage combined, when I haul a 3000# camper and a 4000# boat I drop 1-2 mpg depending on how hard I drive. Speed limits around here are 75, High elevation, lots of big hills becaus of the rocky mountains. 130,000 miles only problems so far is a cracked steal fuel return line, and I had an ignition heater relay go bad because I was not starting the truck properly when I first got it. Both problems I fixed myself

A very good friend has the same truck except he has 3.54 gearsand his milage is 18mpg city/hyw his milage is 125,000 and only problems have been gear case on the front of the motor spung a pretty good leak but was fixed under warrenty and his fifth gear slid of the main shaft due to lugging the motor down to low in fifth gear, had tranni shop install new nut with loctite to fix.

My stepdad has a 2001 F250 powersmoke 2WD 3.73 gears and an auto (which is for sale) that has about 75,000 miles on it now, that has been in for repairs under warrenty at least 10 times that I know of. I don't remember all of the problems but some of them are throttle position sensor twice, glow plug relay twice, bad injector harness under the valve cover once, oil leaks from engine/turbo 2 times, tranni rebuild once. And this one kind of baffled me but the truck had a recall on the injectors in cylinders 7 and 8, Ford said they were to big and causing those cylinders to run hot and fail. I have never heard of running different sized injectors on 2 of the 8 in any engine? Any way the milage this truck got was rather shocking for a diesel, it was used daily for his electical business hauling probably 1000 to 2000 pounds in the bed and a 6X14 box trailer moderatly loaded and it averaged about 10mpg, worst of 9mpg and best of 12mpg and one time going from Albuquerque to Pheonix unloaded at 70mph it got i think 15 or 16.

Now by my recomendation he has just purchased a 2005 2500 dodge cummins 6 speed and hauling the same load, same driving as the powersmoke he is getting 14mpg and on the trip from oklahoma city to albuquerque when he went to pick it up I think he got 17mpg running 75 on average, and this mileage is with the tires under inflated by 25#s. Can't report on problems yet as the truck only has 4000 miles on it but he told me this is the best truck he has ever owned and is very pleased with his first dodge purchase. I think you can see why the ford is for sale and why he is driving a dodge now.

As for the chevy duramax I can only go by rumors, but I have heard that they get good mileage empty(around 18 to 20 ) and not so good loaded ( around 8 to 10), I have heard that they do have some problems but I can't remember what they are at the moment. However I think they have the most comfort of the three. I used to have a chevy with the 6.5 liter turbo diesel 4X4 3.73 gears and it got about 12mpg in town, 16 on the highway and 8 to 10 hauling my camper and boat, not to many problems but I only owned it for 9 months because it had no power when pulling and would run hot(230-245 degrees). the dodge can hardly tell that stuff is back there, even on 6% grades with above metioned load I have never had to pull it out of over drive and the hottest it has ever got was on that trip in 105 degree air temp with the A/C on was 200.

THIS IS WHAT I GENERALLY TELL PEOPLE

 

If you want confort and good empty milage DURACRAP

If you want tough suspension and body POWERSMOKE

If you want a mix of above and a bullet proof engine CUMMINS

 

 

:D CAN YOU TELL I'M PARTIAL TO CUMMINS :D

 

I'D RATHER BE CUMMIN THAN STOKIN

 

Really they all have there ups and downs it is just a matter of deciding wich ups and downs you want. Hope this info helps out. Sorry its so long.

 

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an 01 Dodge 4x4 with the auto, pulling my 33' Toyhauler to Glamis and back the tranny started slipping. Got a DTT tranny and all is well now :D

 

As for mileage it gets 16 around town, and from 18 to slightly over 20 on the highway. Has plenty of power to pull grades with the toyhauler, and I only have a 65HP Edge box. The motor is awesome, the chassis will fall apart long before the motor wears out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...