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Diesel
May 3, 2015 15:48:35 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 15:48:35 GMT
Are diesel vehicles worth it?
What are the pros and cons?
I have a desire for a 7.3 3/4 ton Ford between 1990 and 2000.
What is the maintenance?
What kind of mileage should one expect from a 3/4 ton?
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Diesel
May 3, 2015 15:54:25 GMT
Post by here to stay on May 3, 2015 15:54:25 GMT
I have a 1995 Ram 2500. I have replaced the transmission (ouch) and just this last year a thermostat. When the batteries need replacement, that can be pricey as there are two. But over all very little has been needed. Much less than my previous gas truck.
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Diesel
May 3, 2015 16:34:02 GMT
Post by bluejeans on May 3, 2015 16:34:02 GMT
My middle son has a 2001 Dodge Cummins...it was pre-owned, he bought it in 2004. He's put a bazillion miles on it...will never give it up. :-) Very little repair/maintenance besides normal up-keep. One plus...if you happen to be of the prepper-bent...diesel-fuel stores 'forever'...unlike gasoline.
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Diesel
May 3, 2015 18:06:38 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 18:06:38 GMT
My middle son has a 2001 Dodge Cummins...it was pre-owned, he bought it in 2004. He's put a bazillion miles on it...will never give it up. :-) Very little repair/maintenance besides normal up-keep. One plus...if you happen to be of the prepper-bent...diesel-fuel stores 'forever'...unlike gasoline. That is one of the things that interest me. I didn't ask about Cummins but am interested in them as well. When I drove a big truck I liked the Cummins much more than the Detroit. My main concern with Dodge is the transmission.
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Diesel
May 3, 2015 18:59:49 GMT
Post by here to stay on May 3, 2015 18:59:49 GMT
Since I had to replace mine, I can't say it's not an issue. But I also go up and down a very steep hill, sometime with quite a lot of weight and towing some weight too.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 20:42:52 GMT
My son is the head mech. at a local Dodge delership. He loves the diesel eng. and says that the newer Dodge trans. is better. He also told me that the old Dodge trans. is not bad it's just that those Dodge engines pull so much that people are overworking the trans. Dodge realized this and beefed up the trans. to match that tough engine. Those things will run forever. He has seen some that were not properly serviced and still outlasted most other eng.
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Post by sawmilljim on May 4, 2015 19:01:18 GMT
I have a F250 non turbo 7.3 1989 model got 125,000 miles on it has the 5 speed standard in it .Everything on that truck still works even the AC .It will get 10 to twelve MPG up hill or down . Most times it don't move unless it is working as in a 37' neckover trailer. I got it so cheap I couldn't resist ,man I got it from thought the front end was falling out of it ,his bad guess not mine .
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Diesel
May 5, 2015 3:24:08 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2015 3:24:08 GMT
The main benefit of diesels for us is better fuel mileage. We have both a truck and diesel van which are used to tow trailers or RV. Both get much more mpg than an equivalent vehicle with gasoline would get. My Ford 350 diesel van got better MPG than my Honda Odyssey van, and carried a lot more people and goods. We also have VW TDI's, that get great fuel mileage. Also, the engines tend to last a lot longer but usually have to replace the transmission at some point, but a $1500 transmission is still cheaper than a new car. On our last Ford Diesel van, we had to replace the Transmission at about 120K miles. Sold it at about 200k miles to friends as we purchased a larger RV that needed a bigger towing vehicle. I know that they were past 300k when they divorced and I think the vacuum pump was the only thing they replaced.
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Diesel
May 7, 2015 15:30:35 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2015 15:30:35 GMT
I love my diesel F250 but I just spend 11,000 dollars replacing the entire fuel system because of rust. Not a problem I was aware of by apparently it happens and it can be difficult to avoid. Not covered by warranty by the way because it's considered a mechanical problem that Ford has nothing to do with.
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Diesel
May 7, 2015 15:54:37 GMT
Post by here to stay on May 7, 2015 15:54:37 GMT
I love my diesel F250 but I just spend 11,000 dollars replacing the entire fuel system because of rust. Not a problem I was aware of by apparently it happens and it can be difficult to avoid. Not covered by warranty by the way because it's considered a mechanical problem that Ford has nothing to do with. So what caused this? Bad fuel?
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Diesel
May 7, 2015 16:10:25 GMT
Post by sawmilljim on May 7, 2015 16:10:25 GMT
I love my diesel F250 but I just spend 11,000 dollars replacing the entire fuel system because of rust. Not a problem I was aware of by apparently it happens and it can be difficult to avoid. Not covered by warranty by the way because it's considered a mechanical problem that Ford has nothing to do with. So what caused this? Bad fuel? Make me feel better about my old truck I paid $1,800 for 30 thousand miles ago .
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Diesel
May 7, 2015 16:19:56 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2015 16:19:56 GMT
I love my diesel F250 but I just spend 11,000 dollars replacing the entire fuel system because of rust. Not a problem I was aware of by apparently it happens and it can be difficult to avoid. Not covered by warranty by the way because it's considered a mechanical problem that Ford has nothing to do with. So what caused this? Bad fuel? That can be the cause. They said they've been seeing more of it lately. It also can be associate with an extra fuel tank if water condenses in it. Seems to be somewhat unpredictable.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2015 6:24:10 GMT
Was told the 7.3 ford diesel is better the the smaller ones. Heard they have been good for 500,000 miles and more.
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Diesel
May 8, 2015 13:23:58 GMT
Post by sawmilljim on May 8, 2015 13:23:58 GMT
Was told the 7.3 ford diesel is better the the smaller ones. Heard they have been good for 500,000 miles and more. Yep and simpler too 7.3 was a International motor not much was Ford on those trucks .
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 5:16:56 GMT
We have a '97 Powerstroke (the turbo-ed 7.3) with 300,000 miles on it. it's had some work (ball joints and front leaf springs, fuel pump, alternator, a few s-belts, and a recent clutch replacement) but mostly everything just keeps going. The tranny is still strong, it doesn't burn oil, the power windows still work and the AC blows cold. For a pickup we bought for $10,000, 12 yrs and 200k miles ago, I think it's been a good investment. empty, she still gets about 17mpg. Loaded or trailering, it's around 12.
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Diesel
May 10, 2015 11:03:28 GMT
Post by wolfmom on May 10, 2015 11:03:28 GMT
Years ago I used to own a diesel sedan, and was told I had to change the oil OFTEN if I didn't want that big black puff of black smoke comin' out the exhaust pipe. Dunno if that applies to today's engines.
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Diesel
May 10, 2015 12:07:13 GMT
Post by fordy on May 10, 2015 12:07:13 GMT
..............The best years for Ford diesel(7.3) , turbo charged pickup is 1999 to 2003 ! In 1999 , Ford added disc brakes to the rear axle , and a hvy duty six speed trany . The six speed is MUCH stronger than the 4R100 auto . The 6.0 diesel came out in in Mid 2003 and is the most failure prone engine ever put in a light truck . ..............The new problem child for Ford is their 6.7 diesel , it has TOO Much turbo charging and is cracking the exhaust valves , But ......it runs like a Witch on a new broomstick ! ..............For Dodge , the best years are 2001 to ~2006 ! From 2001 thru 2005 year models the 6 speed manual trany was the best available . The auto's were improved every model year as well . For model years 1995 up through 2002 , there was a known problem with the electric fuel pump\injector pump team . When the electric fuel pump failed , it would cause the injector pump to fail as well and cost ~$2,000 or so to have both repaired . I believe this was fixed by Dodge in the 2003 , 5.9 engine . ..............The 6.6 Duromax came out in 2001 and had injector problems , GM repaired such and issued a 200,000 mile warranty . The best model years for the 6.6 diesel are 2003 through 2007 . Allison was made a 6 speed auto and strengthened as well . GM had quality control problems with leaking hose lines on their trany cooler , oil cooler and power steering lines . The leaks occurred at the hose to metal crimp locations . , fordy
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Diesel
May 14, 2015 20:40:57 GMT
Post by sandsuncritters on May 14, 2015 20:40:57 GMT
My truck is a 2007 Silverado crewcab diesel, Duramax/Allison. Bought new. The only two major issues were 1) the mother board for the entire braking system crashed at 5,700 miles, leaving me stranded on a backwoods road with a trailer full of horses in upper 90s temps. Awesome-NOT! Under waranty repair took three weeks, with a warranty extension applied to the braking system. Thank God for USRider, who got my horses safely trailered home 2). Son notices something "blooming" on the cab roof during a wash session. The paint in the middle of the roof had lifted up, split, and curled up like flower petals opening. This at 12,400 miles. Awesome-not!! The entire truck was held captive for over a month on that one, but I ended up with a completely new paint job, with an extension on the warranty. Truck now has 158,642 miles on it. Regular maintenance performed religiously, new tires and brakes. My Silverado Diesel handles beautifully, still hauls a 4-horse with LQ like it's not there, gets 14-17mpg (depending on tow weight), and makes me smile every time I grab my keys . Hub has an older 7.3 Ford diesel farm truck that had over 300,000 miles on it when the speedometer died. That was a few years ago and it still rocks the loads . He never lets anyone else drive or play mechanic with it. Has always done his own work on his toys! ETA I just asked him, it's a 1999 AND he said fordy hit the nail on the head LOL In His Love Mich
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