Howdy y'all. I'm in the market for a truck that would be used for light towing (under 7000 lbs). I'm not loyal to a particular brand, although as you can see from my signature, I own 2 Ford diesel tractors and 3 VW TDIs (and my mother uses a Mahindra XTV that has a Kohler 1L).

Anyways, I'm trying to see if there are any threads with pros and cons to certain engine types. A mechanic told me to stay away from the GM 6.2L and 6.5L (which I was actually looking at), and googling what they said brought me to this forum.

Other engines I've thought of are the Ford 6.9, 7.3, Cummins 5.9, etc. I'd like the option of towing a gooseneck trailer in the future, although not required. I'd also prefer a standard transmission, and most important of all, something I can work on myself without having to take off the body would be desirable.

 

The 6.9/7.3 IDI's are good motors, a 6.9 may be a better choice as there is very little chance of cavitation. The 7.3's have an issue with this, but if you get the right coolant in them, you can prevent it from happening. They are fairly easy to work on, and with a few upgrades will run with the 1st gen PSD trucks.

The 1st gen 5.9 trucks are pretty slow stock, but have lots of potential and can make more power easily without spending much money.

The GM 6.2/6.5 motors seem to get better mpg than the others but have been told they don't tow as well. You would definitely want a turbo with a 6.2, I believe all the 6.5 trucks were turbo'd from the factory.