Opinions on Diesel Trucks???

[Chillimau]

Dodge now has an automatic available with the HO. Been out a few months. Still a 4 sp auto, but has been upgraded. check out Turbo diesel register forums page or diesel truck resource forums page. The TDR is a membership site but you can read all the posts and DTR is free to post. Lots of good info. My pick is the Dodge just waiting to find one with a White w/Tan interior and the right options. Can't order 03 anymore and the will be July before you can order a 04'

 

[gmason]

I'm a little partial to my GMC Duramax. 30k so far and it's done everything I've asked it. One nice thing about the GM models, they have the Allison trans to receive all that torque. It's that same trans they put in the larger GM trucks and buses.

I've heard that the HP/Torque war is just hype anyway. They tweak their particular model to beat the competion by a slim margin so they can say they have the highest torque. Just make sure the trany can handle all that power going to it. And Dodge trany's are notorious for failing.

Now if someone can tell me way diesel fuel prices are at or above unleaded prices these days?

gary

 

[_RaT_]

Actually it's the Cummins that has been out since the last supper, the 7.3 is more of a ressurrection era diesel. A Cummins generator dealer told me the little 5.9L Cummins is very popular for backup generators and fire pumps because of it's small size. Hmm, I was looking at it and thought it looked rather large, I guess its all relative. He also mentioned the basic design of the 5.9 has been around since the forties. Basic yeah, its really had some major face lifts. Rat

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> Dodge tranny's are notorious for failing </font>

When Chrysler restyled the Dodge trucks but their tradition of transmission failures began to evidence themselves in the newer models the running joke in my business was that the 'SLT' on the side was for 'Same Lousy Transmissions.' /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

First off I do agree 7.3 PSD all the way!

All, except the turbo will do 90+. (Doesn't happen often)

You sure you don't mean non-turbo??? A non-turbo 7.3 is a dog compared to the Turbo PSD. In the van even with the turbo you have the non-intercooled version which cuts back on power numbers a little but it's still has better numbers.

Our last two units will only do 93, (compared with 113 on the older units), but they have all the power needed to haul 10,000 lbs around like a sports car.

If they only do 93??? They must have a governor or rev-limiter or something. I know my truck w/o a chip will only go to 99 and then de-fuel. Maybe yours have some other restriction?.

As far as the 6.0 being less powerful than a non-turbo 7.3 there has to be some explanation or perhaps you have much different configuration than comes in the pickups or "civilian" vans. All these engines come in different HP/torque ratings from Navistar maybe for your application it is setup differently. You did mention that these are custom ordered with diff. transmissions, rearends etc. Maybe they offer the more modestly tuned engines to increase longevity in these brutal commercial applications???

So, I don't think the comparisons in a E-350 ambulance will equate to the pickup truck numbers and real world performance.

The trucks he is going to look at will either be the Turbo PSD at 250/525 and the 6.0 at 320/560. Either of which is going to be a HUGE upgrade in power over the non-turbo you mentioned.

P.S.
I also have PSD and I too agree that it is great and have no desire to run out and get a 6.0 I can put in a $300 chip or use a programmer and safely run the same HP/torque numbers without the need to spend another 40K. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Now the new interior and tranny is nice though /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Numbers can scream torque from 500 rpm's up to 2100 or so, all day long. Means nothing when you can't keep the engine together

Come on now you're not suggesting taht if he buys a 6.0 it's going to come apart are you???

Much of what I have read seem to be complaints regarding the programming of the on board computers that run everything in these trucks. Your making it sound like 6.0s are flying apart. Should I duck next time I am alongside one at a light /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I can recall similar posts when the Duramax/Allison came out regarding reflashes I also remember when the 24 valve first was available in the Dodge their were numerous posts about the superiority of the older 12 valve motor and the complexity of the new motor. Even when the 99' PSDs came out there were similar doom and gloom predictions from some.

It often seems that these motors are not the problem but rather the electronics surrounding them take some time to catch up.

I guess it's good idea to wait til' year 2 on any of the major motor/tranny changes.

 

[Mike_Dumond]

My mistake, I meant to say non-turbo. And you're right, the non-turbo is a dog. As for the turbo's, no limiter or govenors. That was the first line item on the bid specs. We decided on the trans/rearend we have on our latest units because of the better pick-up we have while passing. It was more important than the extra 20 mph, plus it takes a special kind of idiot to drive that fast. (I think I just insulted myself /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif ) The only thing restricting the speed is the weight and wind resistance.

 

[cowboydoc]

You can no longer get the 7.3, only the 6.0 unless you want to buy a used one.

As far as buying one I have the new 6.0 with the torqshift and it's amazing. I've always chipped these things and had to boost up the hp to get them to do what I needed them to do. This thing stock right off the floor is more truck than you will need. I know this because I can haul 26k and have power to spare. The torqshift has a built in exhaust brake that slows you down very fast and maintains speeds on hills. Right now there is no equal to it out there in my opinion.

 

[cowboydoc]

Kind of a tie there with Ford. They regularly go into the 500k range. We have some of the first ones built in 83 still going on the ranch with 500k or over.

 

[cowboydoc]

First of all the 6.0 is from the factory at 325 hp and 550 lbs. torque. I have both the 7.3 and the new one and have owned or my family has every 7.3 built. The 7.3 is no match for the 6.0 at all. I don't just drive mine to work. Mine is hooked to and hauling a trailer hauling, cattle, horses, or hay 90% of the time. We're talking GCVW's of 25k plus. Bar none I have never had a truck perform better than this one. Not to mention the fact that it gets 2-4 mpg better than the 7.3. Now the 7.3 was a great engine. This 6.0 is even better.

As far as problems go there are some hiccups with some motors. There is a rough idle on startup that goes away within 10 seconds. On some of them there was a batch of faulty o-rings on the injector that leaked fuel into the crankcase. There have been a few programming issues that they are working on as well. The other problem was a faulty ICP sensor that was too close to heat and didn't hold up. All of these problems are minor and have been fixed. The engine holds together just fine. There were just some peripheral issues like all models that needed to be worked out. Most of these issues have been fixed.