I have a 96 chevy 2500 ext cab long bed 4x4 6.5 td 4.10 gears with 259k on it. 5" exhaust, new PMD last year, but a little hard looking, tranny is acting up, glow plugs are crap and i just changed them in october. Pulls a trailer nice but im only pulling a trailer ever once in a while, and will be pulling a 14' enclosed trailer to the race track once a month. My dad wants me to trade for a gasser truck and i have my eye on a 01 2500hd 6.0L cclb 4x4 with 160k on it. Looks nice and not trashed. Ive read dozens of forums about the mpgs of the 6.0s and there all over the place. All the way from 8 city to 16 city and some only 11 highway but some over 20 highway. Ive read the best upgrades for mpg is intake, exhaust, and sometimes a chip? Would this be an upgrade or down grade? I dont want another pile of junk. I like the 6.5 for the mpgs and towing but everythings acting up and I dont have the money for a bunch of rebuilds. Any advice?

 

I would honestly keep looking for another truck, i've heard horror stories about the 6.0L.
I had a coworker that had nothing but issues with his.
Don't let this post sway you. I'm sure there are 6.0L out there that are good with no issues.

 

I have heard many horror stories about 6.0 also.

 

Really? Ive never heard a single good thing about the 6.0 powerstrokes, but Im talking about the chevy vortec, just to be clear. Ive heard the vortecs are bulletproof, and are good motors with proper care. Now the 6.0 powerstrokes on the other hand... there is not enough time to write about how junk they are

 

Well, 160k miles is a lot on a gasser, but I've seen them with 300k miles. When I was having cold start issues, and everything else, I looked into the Chevy 6.0l and it sounds like most people get 11-12 city and up to 17 highway on long trips with the cruise set at 70. It will decrease in mpg compared to the 6.5, but I bet its more reliable than the 6.5 as well. If it is a cclb 4x4 and I assume an automatic, then I say that 15-16 is a fair estimate on mileage, it will tow better than the 6.5 probably.

As for the "is it worth it" question, I'd say a fair price for the 01 Chevy be about $6500, give or take about 500. Any more you should be talking Cummins. (IMO a gasser with 160k = 250k on a diesel)

 

I thought you were talking about powerstroke,Don't know much about 6.0 chevy.

 

Montana, I was thinking the same thing. Thats why it seems like an upgrade. Plus i think the tranny is going out of the 6.5. dont need to pay for that. But the 6.0 vortec seems like a good motor and have heard many good things about them. Ive heard they are insane with the bullydog triple GT programmer, which is wht im getting for it. And Mase, I shouldve specified more. Im not a ford guy, so all powerstrokes to me are junk. The 6.0 PS is the worst excuse for a diesel in my opinion. They take away the saying diesels will last longer with no rebuilds. Theres a reason they came up with the term "Powerchokers"

 

Let me know how it goes, and hows the engine, I'm thinking of getting one, if not a 03+ cummins. This cold weather in Montana is just killing my 6.5. I will tell ya something about gassers though, don't waste money getting cold air, since they do next to nothing. The reason they do a good amount on diesels are because they are turbo charged. If you really want power, shoot for the 8.1L, but I drove a 6.0 once, nothing compared to my dad's lb7 d-max with the edge attitude, but definitely more zip than the 6.5.

I do believe the correct term is "powerjoke"

 

One of these days ill have a 03 or up cclb cummins. They look dang sexy with a slight lift and wider tires. But i dont want the mpg of the 8.1L. If gas was 25 cents like i wish it was, i wouldnt care what i drove. And yes, i know what you mean. My dads 2011 duramax is insane. So it sucks to drive that on the rare occations he lets me, then go drive mine. Makes me want to start looking into the lottery

 

My dad's is only a 04 lb7, so I'd imagine that an 2011 is insane. When I get a break from school and go visit my parents, he makes me drive it, just to rub it in that he's got a duramax. To be honest, I want a Cummins so I can roll some serious coal at all the dang "save the Earth" hybrids, its kinda embarrassing when you see hippies and try to smoke them and you only get a tidbit from a 6.5, I got a manual so I can lug it down and get a bit more, but I've seen those Dodges blow smoke out 20 ft.

To be quite honest, I think only one person in the world would want the whole 12-13 mpg of the 8.1l, that's my brother with a 72 Chevy with an auto that gets only 8-10. Its funny cause he kept telling me the 6.5 is weaker than the old 350 he's got, but I let him drive it and it blew his mind. He only drove one of the non-turbo one in the Humvee, he's in the Marines, and it blew his mind. And I get 2.5x the mileage.

Gosh back when gas was 25 cents a gallon, diesel probably wasn't even offered, I remember the good old days when diesel was actually cheaper than gas.

Anyways good luck with the 6.0l Chevy.