viajero
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 8-27-2003
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Diesel Engines
Am considering a new diesel 3/4 tone pickup. Any opinions on the best diesel engine out there? I think the Ford, Chev and Dodge are all made in
Mexico, with the Chev Duramax engine from Japan.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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FORD!
There is a reason why Ford trucks have been voted the number one selling trucks for over 20 years!! The F250 Ford diesel truck can pull a house off
it's foundation...
Bob H
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fishinrich
Nomad
Posts: 286
Registered: 8-28-2003
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diesel
Bob it may pull a house off it's foundation but it is not as reliable or will last as long as a cummin's. Dodge offers the best package out there for
diesel. Take the cummin's motor and connect a 6 speed manual, new venture tranny to it and you have the most reliable rig out there. Why anyone
would buy a diesel motor with an automatic tranny is way beyond my realm of thinking. Remember less moving parts, less to break. Fishin rich
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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That Cummins diesel is a great engine, it's the rest of the truck that worries me.
Just my 2-cents.
Bob H
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PabloS
Nomad
Posts: 187
Registered: 4-8-2003
Location: North central AZ
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Ya got that right Bob 
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cabonut
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 10-19-2003
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DIESEL
Both the Ford and GM/Chev are great diesels. Heard rumbling about lots of teething problems with new 6.0l Powerstroke engine (first year of prod).
THat Duramax is awesome. Have three friends with them - all VERY happy.
My only (unasked) advice - spend another $400 (mas or menos) and get a 1 ton (Ford F350 or chevy/GM 3500) single rear wheel. It?s more truck and you
get a monobeam front axle, not IFS.
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viajero
Newbie
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Was wondering if considering the added cost of the diesel engine how a gasoline large block engine would work out. I've been told that one must run a
diesel over 120,000 miles before they pay for the added cost. Also heard that diesels run for a very long time before rebuilding. Any opions based
on experience out there?
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fishinrich
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Registered: 8-28-2003
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diesel quality
My cummins took 58,000 miles to pay for it's self. You have to figure it gets twice the mileage of a comperable gasoline engine and diesel fuel is
much less than gasoline. Since I take good care of my cummin's I can expect 500,000 miles out of it. Give it clean air,fuel and oil, keep the rpm's
low and even more miles can be expected. Since I drive the older body style truck I run into lots of people with 100,000's of miles and still going
strong but maintainance is the key. Lovin every mile of my diesel----fishin rich
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4324
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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Rich is right!
If you take care of it, it will take care of you.
We now have 140,000 miles on our 1999 7.3 liter Powerstroke. I just made my last payment in March and I plan on getting 500,000 miles out of this
truck.
I was talking to my service tech at my local Ford dealer recently and mentioned that I may be looking for another truck and he said I would be wise to
let the 6.0 get the bugs worked out a bit more. I know that when I got my 7.3 the motor was slightly different then my two buddies who got thier's 6
months and 3 months prior to me. They had tweaked it a bit. I maintain it per all schedules and always inspect and or replace the air filters after
Baja trips. We also like the fact that we can fuel up in El Rosario and we can make it to Mulege with some to spare. In fact I have stopped carrying a
spare 5 gallons!
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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dug
Junior Nomad
Posts: 59
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Oceanside
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My 96 Dodge, Cummins, 4x4, auto, Club Cab has 140,000 miles. It has seen lots of Baja and commutes 45 miles per day on the freeway. The average for
the last 100,000 miles(since I bought it) is 18 mpg. I moved up from a 460 Ford gasser and Subaru 4x4. The Dodge mileage and difference in diesel cost
has equaled the cost per mile of the Subaru at much greater comfort and convenience. I can get 22mpg at 55 on the freeway but there is more to life
than good mileage.
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Tony D
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: 9-22-2003
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they're all good
PS,Cummins or duramax,I don't think you can go wrong.I would stay away from Ford only if you must have an AT.My work truck is a 2000 PS with AT and it
is a slushbox!I've heard of quite a few outright failures,also.My own rig is a 97 F350 crew cab with a5spd,4X4 and 3.55 gears and I love it.Cruising
at 68mph last week it covered 240miles on 11 gals of fuel and it will really pull!That said,Ithink the cummins is the best motor out there,and if I
had to have AT,I'd get the duramax allison combo.Good mantenence(coolant additives prevent cavitation damage)and you should enjoy whichever you decice
to buy.Happy trails!
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fishinrich
Nomad
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Registered: 8-28-2003
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tequila
Hey Matt!!! What do you use that lift gate for???? Hauling up cases of tequila to your camper??? YeeeeeeHaaaa**** fishin rich
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Phil S
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 10-28-2003
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Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
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Diesels
In l996 I bought a new Dodge diesel 4X4 club cab 3/4 ton pickup with canopy & boat rack. And pulled a 28 foot travel trailer down to Loreto. It was a
12 valve engine. We loved it. But after accidentally driving the 24 valve Cummins engine, I traded the 96 for a 99, equipped the same way. Now have
76,000 miles on it. Gets average of 18mpg with a "led foot" driver with automatic. I wouldn't trade this rig for two Ford diesels, nor five Chev (new
diesel engine) pickups. I've read some articles on the Ford diesel, and before buying one, research everything you can about their new engine.
Cummins has been around for an awful lot of years, and is the best "workhorse" engine out there. We drive down to BAja twice a year to Loreto, since
l996. Change the oil every three thousand miles and filter. K&L air filter. Never any serious problems. I also owned a l985 Chev Suburban diesel
which had 250,000 miles on it when I sold it last year. Never had the head off, nor the pan. Oil change every 3k miles, with new filter. Every 25k
miles, at the change, added a quart of Slick 50. Every diesel fuel tank fill up, added 1/3 quart of transmission fluid. Never a problem. Worked for
me. Don't recommend it for anyone else.
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Whistler
Check you U2U
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baja rooster
Newbie
Posts: 15
Registered: 1-6-2004
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ford diesels
I own 6 Ford diesels. Had two 94 GMC with 6.5s too . No luck with those.
The Fords are very reliable and thrifty.
My personal 97 F-250 4wd has 200,000 miles,Auto and runs almost like new. I average around 17 mpg .
Maintenance is a must. 
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4324
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fishinrich
Hey Matt!!! What do you use that lift gate for???? Hauling up cases of tequila to your camper??? YeeeeeeHaaaa**** fishin rich
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The Tommy Gate is very versatile. We use it for other things besides tequila.
It lifts our 156 quart mondo ice chest when it's full of fish
It will lift boxes of wood for a nice bonfire
It will lift containers of water so the wife can shower and wash her hair EVERY night no matter how remote our camp is
It lifts cases of beer when we are going to the outback
It lifts me when I have consumed too much of the tequila and beer
It makes for a nice step for super easy access to the camper, no wobbly ladder
It makes for a nice front porch. Put up a couple of folding chairs and watch the world go by
It makes for a nice place to have lunch by the side of the road
It will lift 650 kilos of carnitas for your fiesta
It will lift your quad,no strain on the back!
I could go on but then I might start sounding like a Tommy Gate salesman and we would have to move this thread to the classified
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Phil S
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 10-28-2003
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Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
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Dodge diesel Cummins
I forgot to mention that the Dodge Cummins diesel is a 6 cylinder. Ford & Chev are V-8's. Cylinder for cylinder, in my book, Cummins has it all over
Ford & Chev. Have friend who has Ford diesel l994, and hates riding in it now that he's ridden in my l999 3/4 ton 4X4 club cab. My wife loves this
truck!!!!! Drives it everytime she gets a chance. Says she loves the short turning radius when parking it.
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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My son is a paramed in a large service area north of Green Bay Wisconsin and they used to use Ford Diesels on their Ambulance Wagons. They found that
they simply could not get them to go the mileage under those conditions and finally had to replace the whole fleet with Cummins Diesels. The Ford
engines did very well until they hit about 85,000 and then the reliability went way down and they found some serious problems with injectors and
seals. So now they have several of the Cummins at that mileage and no problems to date. Of course I told him so after wearing out two of the darn
things in Baja.
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westy
Junior Nomad
Posts: 41
Registered: 9-16-2003
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Mood: some people call me the Space Cowboy
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this year, Dodge has an all new injection system for their diesel.
My understanding is Ford will soon follow. It makes the diesel MUCH quiter and smoother. Basicly, they made it a HIGH pressure system. It's nice.
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