Need some honest advice
 

I am currently looking to buy my first diesel truck. I have always owned gassers and am getting tired of having my trips through the mountains from Ohio to SC as a sequence of flying down grade and to keep pace with traffic on my way upgrade with my truck screaming for mercy. I have always owned and played with Chevys and have my mind open to any of the big three. I'm gonna buy used and would appreciate some honest advice as there are pros and cons to all of them. Can't afford the new line of diesels, wish I could, but am not going to buy another new gasser and have the same feeling on my trips. I am leaning towards the Cummins as of now and have been doin alot of research both online and in person with owners of all makes.

Get either a first gen or second gen 12 valve. They can last forever, they are cheap to upgrade, get amazing mpg and can haul some ass if tuned the right way and ive seen them beat the new diesels at every game. They are fun to drive, easy to work on and wont quit you if you take care of the thing. thats just my 2 cents though :pca1:

Dodge: I like the ISB 5.9l 24v Cummins built from mid 1998-2003 the common rail ISB is another excellent choice, mid 2003 but the 2004 was the start it had a 600 ftlbs of torque it produced till mid 2007. Some of the first gen guys will disagree because their trucks are easy to work on and modify. The first gens are good for a beginner.

Ford: Any of the 7.3l are good solid trucks, 1994-97 OBS 1999-2003, 2003 7.3l are rare.

GM: Any truck from 2001- 2005 good solid trucks, just expensive to work on. Real finicky with some modifications, but it tunes rather well. all-around good power and fuel economy rig.

RUSTIN gave you some good information, the GM DURAMAX LB7 have injector problems, FORD POWERSTROKE 1999-2003 do have CPS that go bad{I sold my 1999 & NEVER changed the CPS} DODGE CUMMINS have the VP 44 injection pump that go bad. BOTTOM LINE all three will have a weak spot:humm:

any of the three would be a good truck. of course im gonna be more "biased" toward a cummins since i own one but they are all good trucks. even the 6.0 powerstrokes are good as long as you delete the egr and add head studs they are reliable. my advice is go drive them all and see which one you like the best. the 98 1/2- 02 Cummins with the VP44 injection pumps are good as long as you keep the injection pump well lubed with an aftermarket lift pump like an airdog or Fass system. the duramaxes are also a tough engine but like was said above they have some injector problems but once they are addressed they are good also. go drive em all and see which one fits. thats my .02 cents :c:

Do u haul people/kids around? I love my truck, tons of room to work under the hood, pretty easy and cheap to get stuff. But my main regret is the dang tiny back seat. It sucks. To me there is something about the later 6.0's that just look awesome and the room is amazing. But the mega cab is a totally different beast. So if u got some friends to lug around try the megacab.

I'm currently looking at a 08 Dodge mega cab 4x4. I usually make my trips on the weekends and have my lab and girl with me. You see who came first. Lol. Seriously though, it's hard to tell myself " don't jump into anything" , even though everything I've looked at I have already started making modification plans to it. Lol. Can't have a truck like somebody else has, it has to be mine and like all my past gasser trucks, the new owner usually gets "heh, wasn't that Mikes truck?". Feels good doin all the work yourself right!!! You guys are right, weakness's in all of em. The tranny in the Dodge is what's holding me back right now. Love the power in it and the ride is comparable to my Hd. It's bone stock and has 65k. Decisions decisions. Thanks for the responses. :scare2::c:

I would go with the Dodge but I would stay away from the automatic transmission, Go 5 or 6 speed. P pumped 12v or 24v. In my opinion the cummins is the best to pull with. :tu: But ya know what they say about opinions :moon:

Thanks I was gonna point the exact same things out :tu:

For a Cummins I would go with an 03-07 5.9, they are pretty reliable, get good mileage, and make good power. For a Dmax go with an 06+ LBZ or LMM. The LBZ was the first line of Dmax's that didnt have widespread problems. They can make lots of power with just a tune.

I am a GM Master Tech I agree with gunman41mag for Gods sake stay away from the LB7. The LLY isn't that bad of an angine. I would stay away from the the 07 and on to avoid the headache of the DPF. The 6.0 Stroker is a good running engine when it is, most I have encountered had problems with trubos and EGR, If ya run em hot and crank the fuel that isnt too much of an issue. I had a 6.4 in my service truck, It ran like a striped ass ape, but was always broke down. The Cummins with the VP 44 arent too bad, have one my self, but if you run an aftermarket fuel pump such as FASS or AirDog you wont have too much problems with the injector pump.
But yeah they all have their pros and cons. Best of luck with whichever ya choose :tu:
Going from a gasser to any diesel you wont go back :c:

Buy a super duty gasser with high miles for cheap, swap in 12v an have the toughest truck around! :jump:

The best and honest advice to give is they all are decent trucks and most will get 100K+ will little problems.

Go test drive some trucks, find one you like and that will suite your needs. In my family we've had or currently have every brand and flavor of diesel truck made. Several are business "work" trucks, others are just our personal rigs, and others my brother and cousins have attempted to beat to death.

Report back with the year/miles/options of the vehicle you're looking at to get some better advice that's going to help you decide on a certian model and year of rig you're looking at getting. Before purchasing check out NADA to find out what the real value of the rig is.

Happy truck shopping.

Just to clear it up to the OP, the 07 Classics (OBS) came with an LBZ that didnt have DPF or junk. If its an OBS 07, it has an LBZ, and if its the new body style 07, its a DPF equiped LMM.

Be ready to curse every gas station you come to when you see the cost of diesel higher than the highest octane of Gas.

Never fill up at rinky dinky looking gas stations. Diesel fuel is more likely to have water in it than not...

Also... get ready to curse out every gasoline vehicle owner that decides to fill up on the only pumps that have a diesel nozzle on them, while all the other gas islands at the station are completely void of cars...

I suggest using some sort of fuel additive to replace the low sulfur content of today's diesel fuel, too. So, best factor that into your expenses. Also, expect to pay a fortune on oil changes. Or have gallons of the stuff to dispose of, if you do your own....

Also, if you have a choice between an automatic transmission and a standard, get the one with the standard.

boy arent you a bundle of good news? Yes diesel can be more expensive than gas, but i can get 20mpg out of my Automatic 365hp trailer towing beast, and you also have to remember that yes oil changes are more expensive, but you only have to change your oil half as much.... guess that slipped your mind...

There are hundreds of reasons to get a diesel, its just a better fuel. period.

Amen brother :tu:

And to the earlier post...... its pretty unlikely hes gonna be able to get a standard if he buys a newer truck, considering Chevy hasnt put a manual behind their trucks since 05 (and very few between 01-05), and Ford hasnt put out very many either since they switched from the 7.3. Dodge is the only one you can still commonly find a standard in. But this isnt really a problem anymore. As much as I like handshakers, automakers have come a long way and are putting out really good auto tranny's now (especially Ford and GM, and now Dodge with the 68re), so I would really worry about having an auto reliability wise, unless you really like standards......... which you should :tu:

Don't forget about the creature comforts. Cup holders and stuff like that. All the trucks set different to. I think it the angle of the stering wheel or something. They just all set different. It depends on how many hours you ride it it.:humm:

Also, any vehicle I buy in the future will have leather seats. IMO, cloth gets way too dusty and is a heck of a lot harder to keep clean.

Just my opinion, I love my 2001 Cummins. Mine has a 6 speed manual. Nothing on it has ever given me problems except for the factory style lift pump. So invest in a good aftermarket lift pump. I can tow all day long with it and it'll never run hot, or start acting up. You might have to watch the output shaft seal on the transfer case though, they are known to leak. I just keep an eye on mine. If I had to do it over again, I would get the same truck. :tu:

My truck has imitation leather, it's VINYL, but they look good & are easy to clean, & they are cheaper than leather

Half as much? never heard that one before.
3,000 miles is 3,000 miles....

...I don't know anything about Chevy's or Fords. Just know that the transmission is the weakest link and that engines are always detuned for automatics. Plus, automatics slip by design...

Yeah I would take that over cloth, I've seen some that look pretty good.

3000 miles is 3000 miles, true but what is your point? thats not what im saying, your service intervals are much longer on a diesel than gas powered engines

this hasn't been true for probably 10 years now.... if you buy a 01-05 duramax with the ZF6 or the allison they will both be 310hp... same as the cummins powered dodges, they stopped doing that in 03... you buy a truck for 325hp you should get it regardless of transmission:c:

I agree with the other guy that in the past engines have been more often detuned for autos than standards, but this about the duramax is true.

I try to change the oil on my '94 cummins every 3,000. And the oil get's pretty gritty after 3,000. I can't really see how it would wise to let it go much further than that (but then I do mostly city, stop and go driving, don't do much highway driving) Synthetic bottles say stuff like 6,000 miles or 10,000. But I always wonder if the oil filter is capible of filtering that much oil. Anyway here's the maintence schedule of my '94 Cummins.... My knowledge is outdated it seems. Routine Maintenance Says to change the oil every 3,000 miles for severe duty and 6,000 for normal duty. I guess I could follow the normal recommendations, but I really don't plan on ever buying another truck. And that oil does feel real gritty after only 3,000....

As for the second paragraph that was in response to the post after yours. And yeah, my info is outdated.... I don't plan on buying another vehicle.... ever.... if I can help it.

I see where is says 6000 miles for normal service, 3000 for severe service
its your pocket book, and your excess oil to clean up, but my truck falls under the normal service bracket, I run good synthetic 15w40, and i change it every 6000-8000 depending on what my DIC says(it factors on many things like idle time, load, etc.) not just mileage, GM designed that life meter for a reason, why waste when you don't have to

But hey, if you like spending $100+ every 3000 miles that's your prerogative:tttt:

Oil has come along ways since that truck was built even though it's only been 17 years. If the oil is bad after just 3,000 miles (even in the city) then you better start getting some better oil. I run rotella 15w40 and rotella 5w40 synthetic in mine. I change the oil every 4,000 miles (i mainly do half in town, half outta town driving) and the oil is still good, doesn't feel gritty at all or even look bad. The only reason i change it every 4,000 miles is because i want to. I would feel comfortable going 5-6,000 on non-synthetic, but good oil in my truck. At our construction company we run some expensive oil and we go 10,000 miles between oil changes in the gravel/over the road trucks. The oil doesn't even feel gritty or anything.

I think you guys are sort of on the right track here:
Autos have come a long way. If you want one or that is all you can find, I would go ahead and get it. The Dodge auto is actually a lot tougher than most give it credit for. In fact, I would put it up against an Allison because it will win!! The 48RE has had it's run of bad solenoids and what not, but those are easily and affordably replaced. If you want to go with a lot more power, the Dodge tranny can be built to hold that too.
As far as the 'feel' or look of your oil, don't go by that. If you want to know if your oil has any life left in it, send it off for an analysis. I like Blackstone Labs and have had mine tested a couple of times now. Most newer diesels can easily run the oil at least 5,k or more. The only real way to know for sure it it's still good though is by having it tested. In the long run, even switching to a little longer interval between changes will save you some real money.
Diesel engines last a lot longer as well. Now days even a gas can easily last more than 200,k so don't worry about buying one with 100,k on it!!
Make sure you get one that fits you though. You may have a long road ahead trying to wear it out so you can get another.

I change my oil every 5,000 miles, I use ROTELA, DEL-VAC, & DELO, Which ever one on sale.

hello everyone... Im brand new to the forum, in fact... first post!

I was gonna ask for advice but since this thread was already started i figured i better just post here...

I'm looking to buy my first diesel truck. It will be a budget build for now. I'm wondering which of the three:
1. easy to make torque gains from stock
2. availability of used/new/aftermarket parts
3. decent auto tranny, transfer case, 4x4

I've seen some gm 6.2, 6.5's in my price range, a few 7.2 powerstrokes and some first gen dodge cummins... duramax is out of my price range and probley anything newer than 98 or so...

Let me know what you guys think and what was a rare setup so i can stay away from those as it would affect ease/price of finding parts:humm:

98? OBS 7.3 powerstroke or 12v p7100 injection pump, both are pretty easy to upgrade and cheap to run, and both can be pretty reliable, the 6.5 is OK if you leave it dead stock, there isnt much room to upgrade, the other two will be far easier to upgrade and get good power from them:tu:

Ditto

Actually the dodge is de-tuned for the manual. Ford did the same thing with their manuals. Manual trucks get the de-tuned motors.

The autos are holding up just fine with stock power, towing 20k everyday of their lives. You have to do two things to keep them alive. Keep your ATF cool, and change your ATF at REGULAR service intervals. The allison is far from being a weak transmission. SunCoast has over 1,000HP running through the 68RFE, that doesn't sound weak to me either...

And for the record, Ford sold plenty of 6 speed manuals behind the 6.0L as well.

As I stated before, buy the truck you like and you will get several hundred thousand miles of service out of her. Sure you have to replace front end steering components on Dodge's, injectors on some Chevy's, and turbo's on the Ford's, but these are at 100k intervals. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. When you turn up the power, you will have to invest money in other hard parts to keep it reliable.

Drive all three trucks and buy the one YOU LIKE best.

I like Ford & Dodge. I'm also 6'1" and weigh 250lbs and am built like a corn fed mule from the mid west. The GM's make me feel crunched up. The Ford seats are a little on the narrow side in the upper back for me.

I really like the Dodge, and the air conditioned leather seats. :c:

I had a 01 dodge 2500 gasser and the tranny went out twice and when the rearend gave out it even took out the housing... put a 1ton rearend under it and the brakes just barely cleared the stock rims

ve a friend with a 99 7.3 he says is the best!!! I have an 04 6.0 And I say it's the best. The onlt trouble I have had is cleaning the EGR Valve. 30 mlnutes tops. When I drive 80 mph I get 13.6 70 mph 14.0 65 mph 15.6 50 mph 18.3 .. So milage is related to how hard you push down. The 6.0 is pure power.:jump:

buy you a 3/4 ton cummins... fanciest one u can find all the creature comforts... i have power heated leather seats..,. power heated mirrors... wouldnt trade it for my life.... get ya a manual too...:rocking: