Best and worst Diesel pick up engines?
- Thread starter ZZman
- Start date
Unless he's doing it commercially and making money doing so, he should seriously consider a 6.4 hemi, 6.6 gas GM or 7.3 gas Ford. Modern emissions diesels are expensive nightmares.
They work under ONE duty cycle: Run hard all day every day.
They work under ONE duty cycle: Run hard all day every day.
Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
5.9L Cummins RAM.
The 6.4 ford is worse!
Correct!Buy gas.
Good:
6.6 Duramax
2.8 Duramax
3.0 Duramax
5.9 Cummins
6.7 Cummins
7.3 Powerstroke
6.9 IDI
Bad:
7.3 IDI
6.4 Powerstroke
6.0 Powerstroke
6.5 GM
Modern diesels emissions system are sensitive to fuel quality. You can avoid many headaches and $$ by using the best fuel available and an additive to improve combustion and lubricity. Older pre 2007 diesels are less sensitive to fuel quality.
6.6 Duramax
2.8 Duramax
3.0 Duramax
5.9 Cummins
6.7 Cummins
7.3 Powerstroke
6.9 IDI
Bad:
7.3 IDI
6.4 Powerstroke
6.0 Powerstroke
6.5 GM
Modern diesels emissions system are sensitive to fuel quality. You can avoid many headaches and $$ by using the best fuel available and an additive to improve combustion and lubricity. Older pre 2007 diesels are less sensitive to fuel quality.
Fords have a fuel pump that self-destructs and contaminates the entire downline fuel system with small pieces of metal when it does. Then all those parts have to be replaced. There is an aftermarket filter that can be added after that fuel pump that will protect the downstream parts. But most owners will not spend a few hundred to prevent several thousands of dollars damage in the future.
Actually, the Ford fuel pump is a really stupid design in that it uses a roller that is held in place by a round cylinder and when ( not if ) that cylinder rotates so the roller no longer can roll, then the roller has too much friction, and brakes apart. Unfortunately, those parts are lubricated by the fuel and the small metal parts it produces when it self-destructs get into the down-stream fuel parts.
Non round cylinders such as the oval pistons and cylinders to house them Honda once used on one of their motorcycle engines are not impossible to make, they just take a little more involved machining and a little more time to make. Now days with all the CNC machining that exists, you would think that Ford would wise up and make a small oval piston and cylinder to rest below that roller so it cannot become un-aligned with what it rides on. That would eliminate this problem and add much more reliability and value to their diesel engines, and drastically reduce the cost of owning one. Another way to fix this problem would be to install a dummy kingpin connecting rod and crank on the other side of that piston that turns nothing but keeps the roller aligned. Maybe someday they will figure that out. If anyone out there knows someone in the Ford design / decision making departments pass that on to them.
Actually, the Ford fuel pump is a really stupid design in that it uses a roller that is held in place by a round cylinder and when ( not if ) that cylinder rotates so the roller no longer can roll, then the roller has too much friction, and brakes apart. Unfortunately, those parts are lubricated by the fuel and the small metal parts it produces when it self-destructs get into the down-stream fuel parts.
Non round cylinders such as the oval pistons and cylinders to house them Honda once used on one of their motorcycle engines are not impossible to make, they just take a little more involved machining and a little more time to make. Now days with all the CNC machining that exists, you would think that Ford would wise up and make a small oval piston and cylinder to rest below that roller so it cannot become un-aligned with what it rides on. That would eliminate this problem and add much more reliability and value to their diesel engines, and drastically reduce the cost of owning one. Another way to fix this problem would be to install a dummy kingpin connecting rod and crank on the other side of that piston that turns nothing but keeps the roller aligned. Maybe someday they will figure that out. If anyone out there knows someone in the Ford design / decision making departments pass that on to them.
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The CP4.2 pump is manufactured by Bosch not Ford, GM used this pump for a few years as well with similar failures before switching to a Japanese Denso Pump.
The only one I would buy is the 5.9 Cummins, Proven reliable.. Gas is my first choice.
That's exactly why I went hemi. I did not want the risk of a 6-10k diesel emission repair. My truck will fall out of warranty at low miles, so I went gas. 6.4 and a 4:10 rear tows nice.
A good friend of mine worked at a GM dealer and he did a lot of repairs on these modern diesels. $10 - $15K was not uncommon. SCR failure, injection system failure ... it all gets quite expensive quite quickly. And it wasn't once or twice a month, it was pretty much constant.
I'd be okay with higher fueling costs and a bit less speed on the hills for something that doesn't require that much repair. And a $10k buy in cost over the gas model.
I was a beta tester for GM when I bought my LLY Duramax, I couldnt afford it any more so I went with the gas 6.6 in my new truck. It pulls my 11000# fifth wheel just fine.
Diesels are fun and they have lots more torque but the cost is significantly more than a gasser
Diesels are fun and they have lots more torque but the cost is significantly more than a gasser
There really isn't one. Being in Michigan, he will overpay for anything older/reliable in decent condition. Even a nice 7.3L PowerStroke or 5.9L Cummins truck won't be without it's issues due to age and mileage, not to mention rust, and those are commanding ridiculous prices. Newer diesel trucks aren't worth it due to emissions controls. You can buy a lot of gasoline for the cost of a diesel truck.
To me it isn't the modern diesel engine issues, it is the emissions that are having all the problems. This is why everyone is taking all that off and not having any problems.
For 2000s, the duramax is the best imo. Cummins 5.9 is just as good but the truck is worse than a GM. 7.3 ford is reliable but thirsty and they are afraid of the cold.
My recently sold 6.6 duramax lly powered cargo van ran like butter in a cold start or otherwise.
If your talking brand new i think they are close enough in reliability to chose based on the body and interior that you like most.
My recently sold 6.6 duramax lly powered cargo van ran like butter in a cold start or otherwise.
If your talking brand new i think they are close enough in reliability to chose based on the body and interior that you like most.
Why did you list the 7.3 idi? It's as good as the 6.9 you liked and has larger head bolts and a better glow plugs system too boot. A few had cavitation problems from bad or incorrect coolant but that's not the engines fault.
Because of the cylinder cavitation problems from using the wrong coolant and/or poor maintenance.
If
your LLY was in a van it was likely a derated engine due to the transmission limitations. The LLY in a pickup was a turd. Prone to head gasket failure due in part to the inadequate cooling systems. The head gaskets on mine gave up at 105k (conveniently out of warranty) its an expensive repair with a book time of around 30 hrs. The gaskets had the fire ring blown out about an inch on the rear most cylinders, lay them on each other and they were a mirror image. It wouldnt tow half of its rated capacity in 80 degree weather on flat ground without the fan howling and the temps around 230. Dealer and GM said there was nothing wrong with it. The guys out west had a fit with these, any grades made the problems way worse.
