Mo miles, mo problems?

[Junior's 12 Valve]

The newer Duramax's are hands down the best MPG engines (Comparing year for year) the Cummins 6.7 is not even in the ball park.

I wouldn't buy any diesel newer than 2005. All the new emissions systems really hold back. Looking back, I wouldn't buy an diesel newer than 1998. And it will always be a Cummins.

Nothing has yet reached 12v Cummins status for reliability when comparing stock engines (good power and bullet proof) not even the 24v or the CR 24v.

IMHO no motor will ever be as reliable as a 12 Valve Cummins. Not to mention the fact that all modern Common Rail injection motors are nothing but a hassle, with too much stuff to go wrong, with wayyyyy too expensive injectors.

Built Dodge auto as said above is bullet proof also it is currently in the fastest diesel drag truck behind a duramax. Depends on the year as to needing to upgrade the lift pump. 03-04 yes 05 on maybe your choice

All electrical injection Cummins need an aftermarket lift pump. IMO they can't hardly handle stock power. I would upgrade any OEM pump to an Airdog. It's a high-volume pump, much more consistant, able to be rebuilt, has a filtering system.

I'm just glad someone actually knows something about diesels.

 

[goodtimes]

I've got an indicated 195K on my '99 dodge 5.9. I say indicated because the speedometer reads about 10% slow - not sure when that started, so I may have closer to 220K on it . . . not that it really matters.

Engine related problems:

Previous owner smoked the injection pump when the lift pump failed somewhere around 120K miles (see previous posts & you'll see a trend here).

Water pump failed last week. (bearing failure led to seal failure, leaking from the weep hole - still drivable as long as I kept water in the radiator).

Other problems:

Leaking axle seals on the front axle (had the same problem with a '96 I had a few years ago).

Dashboard cracked to hell (another trend here).

Drivers side seat foam breaking down (common issue).

G/F feels like a 'redneck' when riding in it.

 

[Desert Rancher]

HPOP - It has its own drain and fill. (even though oil IS circulated through it) It will come out black. Hardly anyone does this.

Where is the drain located? I've been suckin' it out of the fill hole on mine.

I even managed to loose the fill plug once, think it went into the trash wrapped in a paper towel...

Thanks~

 

[UrbanCummin]

This one is for the diesel guys; what do you own, how many miles does it have on it and how many engine related problems have you had thus far? I'm still not really set on anything in particular and have found some diesels with higher mileage (200-300k) and am wonder what I have to look forward to. All input is welcome.

All modern common rail and heui diesels are expensive to fix. We have trucks leave out shop with bills from 1500-4000 for common issues. Rarely is a problem under $400 between parts/labor. Major jobs will run near $7000-9000.

Ford:
7.3 Powerstroke, reliable overall, expesnsive to fix when it does brake, like mentioned before lots of camshaft position senser issues (carry at least 1 spare), injectors wont last the life of the engine usually. Ok power and ok mileage but nothing to impressive. Benifit highly from mild chip/tuner (65hp)
6.0 Powerstroke, Arguably the least reliable diesel ever put in a domestic pickup, expensive to fix and has lots of issues, injectors, egr coolers, ficm's, headgaskets, ipr valves, more injectors etc. Decent mileage and good power.
6.4 Powerstroke, very expensive to fix, overall moderatly reliable, headgasket issues, rear main seal leaks, absolute pain in the *** to work on, DPF emisions equipment. Good power and average/low mileage.
6.7 Powerstroke, so far so good but its still really new, and has lots of emisions equipment.

GM
6.2/6.5, Average reliability, Lots of PMD issues on the electronic 6.5's, always carry a spare pmd, Injections pumps arn't very good either. Loud, rattely engines, always sound like somethings broke, great fuel mileage.
6.6 Duramax LB7, Overall very reliable but they did have injectors issues, replacment injectors are better then what was originaly put in, many have been done in the warranty period. Very expensive to fix if they do break and not friendly to work on. Good mileage and power but has weak IFS front end and the worst ground clearance of any stock diesels.
6.6 Duramax LLY&LBZ, Like above but with less injector issues and more expensive injectors, has egr system but can be shut down easy.
6.6 Duramax LMM&LML, like above but now has DPF emisions equipment and worst mileage of the bunch without getting the DPF deleted.

Dodge (all dodges are easy to work on compared to the V8 diesels, and until the 6.7 all autos are weak in stock form)
5.9 12valve VE (89-93), Ugly plain trucks, no crew cabs, extremely reliable engines and relatively cheap to fix, very rugged drivetrain, great mileage and ok power in stock form, very easy to turn power up for free. Old as dirt by now so hard to find in good shape with low miles.
5.9 12valve P-pump, very reliable engines, relatively cheap to fix, ok power in stock form and again very easy to up the hp for free, good mileage, kinda old though and hard to find in really nice shape, usually people ask WAY to much for these trucks.
5.9 24valve, reliable engines overall, have issues with injections pumps, terrible lift pumps that need to be upgraded asap, ok power stock but benift highly from a mild chip/tuner (65hp), still relatively cheap to fix. ok mileage overall
5.9 CR, moderatly relaible of the cummins lineup, have injector issues largely due to poor factory fuel filter filtration. Benifit greatly from aftermarket lift pump (fass/airdog) with better filters, still have poor lift pumps. Expensive to work on but easy to work on. Great power and ok mileage. Still no emisions equipment.
6.7 CR, slightly worse reliability as above, Has both egr and DPF emisions equipment, poor mileage in stock form, best power yet out of a stock cummins, good mileage with DPF deleted.

 

[blue dog]

my rig

2000 dodge ram 2500 4x4 , 220.000 miles, 6 speed manuel nv5600, dana 80 rear end

problems, injection pump early on, now have a fass pump and needed gauges, heated seats quit working, dash has a crack in it, have replaced uni bearings one time, wish it had disc brakes in the rear, installed southbend dual disc clutch, thats about it

positives. My truck dynoed over 500 hp at the rear wheel, very easy to boost power out of these trucks, if you drive it right, it will click 22 on the long haul if you keep it at 70 or under, as mentioned before, as far as 4x4 goes, these trucks are tuff and give a good ride, i consider them big jeeps.
This is my 3 rd dodge diesel, i would not own anything else.

 

[FellowTraveler]

Cummins

Having owned (2) 1996 Rams w/cummins and still have a 1994 Ram w/cummins I can say the engine is best overall and I would consider it a great conversion piece for a Suburban.

Great Cummins 12v motor is hard to beat but the Cummins 8v 4 banger can hold its own in a full size domestic too.

While GM no longer uses 6.2/6.5 in over the road vehicles the 6.5 td is still used by military and sees heavy use in marine industry worldwide. Pump issues were pretty much gone when ceramic plungers were introduced around 98/99, military injection pumps have larger and harder plungers which hold up well when extra lube is introduced into fuel. I use 2 stroke 1oz to 1gal for extra lube of fuel system and have no pump or injector problems. Before the 2 stroke I learned quickly how to rebuild my own injectors and keep spare injector nozzles and tools in my took kit in Burb.

Older Izusu/GM diesels are great conversion pieces too and are finding their way into GM/Chevy light/med trucks.

Older Mercedes diesels are now being installed into 2&4 wd Jeeps/chevy/gm/ford light trucks too.

 

[lllateralus]

Until you try to tow with it then it slows down. The 6.4 is no 7.3 and the 7.3 is no 5.9 Cummins 12v.

Are we talking about towing power? Granted my 2001 7.3 is banks chipped and banks exhaust, it has loads of power compared to my friends first gen 5.9. (exhaust, intake, a few odds and ends)

As HE stated, probably twice the towing capacity. That being said, his truck has loads of miles and continues to serve him well and is his daily driver.

 

[bfdiesel]

Are we talking about towing power? Granted my 2001 7.3 is banks chipped and banks exhaust, it has loads of power compared to my friends first gen 5.9. (exhaust, intake, a few odds and ends)

As HE stated, probably twice the towing capacity. That being said, his truck has loads of miles and continues to serve him well and is his daily driver.

I am not at all saying the 7.3's suck at towing just that having a load on tends to equalize out the fastest part. At least the noticeably fastest part.

A few tenths of a second and even a couple of seconds really mean nothing to me when hauling a load. Getting to speed and holding it do however matter a lot.

Comparing a decade older engine to yours is not all that fair when comparing power and even chassis. Especially at stock or slightly modified.

Comparing any 7.3 with a 1st gen 5.9 for reliability is just not fair to the 7.3.:sombrero:

I am also talking stock or nearly stock engines. Mods tend to have different effects on every vehicle and require case by case evaluation. And for reliability will be in the shadow of the stock level 1st gen 5.9.

 

[GTABurnout]

I just sold a 2007 Dodge 5.9 cummins with 90K on it. I loved the power and the relibility. But the truck was falling apart. Needed all new steering box to linkage and it was still not right. The seats where warn baddly and it was just a POS as far as the truck is concerned. I doubt it was taken care of too well by the previous owner so that may contribute to the issues but what good is a 300K motor when the truck is crap after 100K?

Just my thought.

Alos owned a 7.3 powerstroke but sold it with 50K on it so no real issues.

 

[lllateralus]

I personally think the Ford is a much better built truck in every aspect, and I truly believe the Cummins longevity is a bit ...hyped up.
I have a buddy (well, before I moved away) that worked at a Chrysler dealership and (mechanic) and they were rebuilding a Cummins every week.
This is York Dodge/Chr/Jeep in Prescott Arizona.
Also, I have read and researched quite a few prematurely broken/cracked blocks on the Cummins.

I am NOT saying that I think they are unreliable, but I do think that a properly maintained 7.3 is just as capable of lasting.

http://www.youtube.com/user/powerstrokehelp?blend=4&ob=4#p/u/8/HrdcKBBVTJM

 

[texasguy]

RU55ELL, I believe most mfg's make a decent product and I would lean more towards vehicles that have been well maintained, reasonably driven and look more at condition than mileage...even if you are going to beat it. My .02 and experience.


1995 F350 CC 7.3PSD - 250k miles - no mods - religious maintenance. (1) water pump, (1) glo-plug relay are only things of significance, still on original brakes. I believe the 7.3 is one of the all-time great engines.

2004 F250 CC 6.0PSD - 165k miles - no mods - religious maintenance. 3 EGR puking episodes (2 on Ford's dime and I got the opp to pay for 1) but no issues beyond that.
It appears you either get a decent 6.0 or a 6.0H NO.


pic of 95: