Anyone else in love with Ford Turbo Diesels?

[DrDan]

Just got a new for me '94 Ford F-350 Turbo Diesel w 4WD and have just begun hopping it up a little with larger turbo housing, larger exhaust, intercooler, transcommand, etc. It keeps me "diesel high" when I'm not on the BX2200.

Dr Dan

 

[cowboydoc]

Dan,
You bet!! My family and myself have owned every Ford diesel since they first started coming out in 1983. My current one is a 2000 Ford Powerstoke turbo diesel. Great trucks!

 

[ERNIEB]

I've got a 1985, 13 letter manure spreader (International) with a 6.9 liter. Does that count? It's a bit noisy, but it still runs great. From what I've heard the newer Fords have diesels made by Ford. I don't know when they started using them.

Ernie

 

[dmccarty]

Tell me about the Ford Diesels! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I have a Chevy Diesel which just got out of the shop after 11 days for a new clutch. Not even 70,000 miles on the truck. In the last two years the truck has broken down 4 times, had one rebuilt 5 speed manual tranny, a new clutch, new fuel injection(I think), fixed front leaky axle, another tranny problem I can't remember, and a bad windshield wiper motor. I'm afraid to look at the repair bills but I think its close to $5,000 over the last two years.

I specifically bought this powertrain to get 300,000 miles on the truck! Yeah Right! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Of Course with all the money and rebuilds I have paid for maybe I will. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Not exactly HOW I wanted to get 300,000 miles on the truck.....

I wanted a Ford but back in 1995 they were out of diesel trucks for some reason. I think there was a strike going on.

So how do people like these engines/powertrains. I've been looking at new pickups as well as the 450 and 550 trucks. If I was going to replace the Chevy it looks like it would cost at least 35,000 dollars. I'm seeing 450's going for that price. A few years ago I drove an Isuzu truck and was very impressed. I was at the PT lumber yard Friday and noticed they had an Isuzu flat bed dump truck I was thinking about. The owner could not say enough good things about the truck. He has two of them one a manual and one an automatic. One had 130,000 miles, used no oil, still had the origional tires, and no repair bills. The manual had to have a new clutch due to a bad driver but that was it. He said if they trucks ever had to be replaced he would get an Isuzu again...

For the price on the pick ups, which seem to be falling from what I'm seeing in adverts, it looks like I could get a medium duty truck that can carry/tow a heck of a lot more than a 350.

The day the Chevy broke down, I talked to a landscape guy at the fuel pumps who had a 2000 450 with a flat bed dump. He really loved the truck. Liked it better than his F150. On the way home I passed a dealer that had a 1995 450 just like the landscaper. Checked it out two Sunday's ago and its a brand new 1999 with only 35 miles on it. I guess he wants to much for the truck. Can't figure that one out but he also has a 550 crew cab set up for hauling a fifth wheel that is a 2000. When I was pulling into my subdivision, my Chevy bit the dust two blocks from the house. Not sure if that is a good thing or bad. The AAA tow truck was a Ford 450.

Seems like there is a message somewhere in there! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

So are people having good like on the Ford Diesel? Anyone have any experience with the 450s on up? How about dump beds? Any Isuzu users/oweners out there?

Later...
Dan

 

[Bird]

Dan, I used to have an '82 Isuzu diesel sedan, my dad had an Isuzu diesel powered little Chevrolet pickup, a friend and neighbor had one of the little Isuzu diesel pickups, once borrowed a friend's Isuzu diesel moving van, and more recently both my brothers had GMC/Isuzu diesel powered tool trucks. Unfortunately, I can't afford a new truck right now, but if I could . . .. Well, I know all about Chevrolet's experiences and troubles with diesel pickups, but I'd have to try that new one with the DuraMax. And for a cabover model truck, there's no doubt I'd want the Isuzu (or a Chev/GMC with Isuzu engine).

Bird

 

[DrDan]

I just bought this one with 71,000 on it and the original owner never had a lick of trouble. I was pretty much sold on Ford by what the guys were saying on www.ford-diesel.com They are getting 17-19 mpg and driving 300,000 miles and better. Lots of trouble with Chevy transmission and now with them just starting out with the Allison I don't trust it yet. Dodge has a great motor, but troubles with the rest of the truck. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Sure is a good rig right now.

Dr Dan

 

[Anonymous Poster]

My neighbor over in the next section manages a GMC dealership. He has sold a dozen trucks with the Duramax this year and 5 of them have been back in with head problems. I guess there is some issue with this particular design of aluminum heads on a cast iron block(?). They have had other misc. problems with other new Duramax trucks. I would let them shake the bugs out of it b/4 buying. I own a newer Ford Superduty w/ a PowerStroke, but I am not brand loyal. Isuzu builds some great diesels - but I will wait on the Duramax. Ford will be replacing the Navistar 7.3 w/ a 6.0 in the next year or so. I think they are trying to get ahead of the emissions controls that are looming in the furture. It's supposed to outperform the 7.3 in STOCK form, but it has to work a lot harder. The 7.3 is basically a de-tuned 444E International - same engine they put in school buses and other medium duty trucks. The engine is loafing in a pick-up and will run forever if taken care of. You can get a lot more horsepower and torque out of it by adding a performance chip - but that's a whole different story.........

 

[Bird]

Pat, I agree that it may be best to wait awhile and see how it goes (which is not a problem for me since I can't afford one right now anyway), and since I can't afford one, I haven't done the kind of checking into it that I would do if I were in the market. I haven't had any experience with Isuzu V-8 engines; just the inline engines, so there could well be problems I don't know about. And while I think the Ford Navistar is obviously a fine pickup, it's certainly not trouble free. My son-in-law's '99 has been back to the shop at least 3 times; no serious engine trouble though. And another friend had a Dodge diesel car hauler that was stolen, so he replaced it with an International truck with the 7.3 Navistar and sincerely regrets it; no better performance, front axle too low to the ground, and twice the fuel consumption of the Dodge.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Anyone else in love with GM Duramax Diesels!

I'm really impressed with the Duramax and Allison combo, but will wait at least for the first year bugs {any product has} to be worked out...{parting with $42K is not chicken feed}

GM owns about 41% of Isuzu and just heard financial/shakeup problems in Japan @ Isuzu. I drove an Isuzu P'up with the 2.2 diesel and loved it... an honest 37 mpg for a compact truck, Mother nature liked the body more than me... driving down the freeway @ 65 mph and looking down through the floor/wheelwells at my tires was time to retire it. {This Northeast snow/salt takes its toll on vehicle bodies} I have it parked now, toying with the idea of putting the Isuzu diesel {160K miles and not 1 problem!} in my compact Satoh... but she's running good!

My good friend had a garbage collection business and had a number of Iveco diesels... he said between the outrageous parts prices and the multiple failures, he finally got rid of them all, but his Isuzu's were great, especially the fuel mileage.

A couple friends own the Ford/International diesel but complain about the fuel economy. I like the Cummins, but the Dodge front end and truck has it's own issues.

That's what makes the world go round, just like tractors...choices, choices, choices... Yep, keeps everybody honest and on their toes...

 

[rf33]

I have a 2001 F350 Powerstroke, and I love it. I have had no problems with is (so far) after 30k miles, and I am getting between 10 and 18MPG depending on what I am towing. My only complaint is the noise... The Ford with the powerstroke diesel is not a quiet truck (few diesels are), in fact, I have to shut the engine off for anyone to hear me at the drive up window at the bank. Good luck.

rf33

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