| Pages:
1
2 |
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
Diesel Advice
I am looking for a new truck to take to Baja. What I am looking for is a 3/4 4X4 ton 8 foot bed truck. I don't much care if it's a Dodge, a Ford or a
GM. I have no issues with Toyota but I want a 3/4 ton truck. It will mostly be a driveway queen. The last truck I had, I put on about 10,000 to
12,000 miles a year. For those kinds of miles I would rather not purchase a new one. Having looked at what's out there there are more diesel 3/4 tons
then gas used. I would prefer gas as I don't know anything about diesel. I will not do much towing and milage does not matter.
A couple of questions regarding diesel motors:
How do they fare only being driven 12,000 miles a year?
There are good and bad Ford Diesels, what are the good ones, and what are the bad ones?
GM have had some good and some bad motors too, can anybody tell me about those?
I understand that Dodge had transmission issues, have those been fixed? What year were they fixed?
I hope we can answer these questions before it's jacked.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6937
Registered: 8-5-2011
Member Is Online
|
|
Sounds like you want to avoid these "Power Stroke" diesels:
"Ford Motor Co. has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it sold defective diesel engines in its 2003-07 Super Duty pickups and
E-series vans.
The now discontinued diesel 6-liter V-8, manufactured by Ford's former diesel engine supplier, Navistar International, had myriad problems with the
fuel system, turbochargers and other major components."
http://www.autonews.com/article/20131024/OEM10/131029950/for...
[Edited on 7-20-2016 by SFandH]
|
|
|
Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2347
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
Member Is Offline
Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
|
|
I have a Ford 2000 F350 Diesel with 179,000 miles on it with no engine problems. The transmission just went out and had it fixed, $4,900 later.
My friends have a 6.0 and have had nothing but problems with it.
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
|
|
|
TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
|
|
Are you pulling an RV trailer or loading a cab-over on it?
Why does 10,000-12,000 miles per year rule out a new vehicle?
What will you be using it for and/or where are some of the places you want to go to?
I'm not a Dodge fan but many people that own a Dodge Diesel love them and from the mileage they quote they last a long time.
My opinion of diesels are: The fuel is messy to deal with, unlike gas. To get work on them in Baja is iffy at best. Older ones are too noisey. But to
pull a large trailer they are king.
|
|
|
chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
Member Is Offline
Mood: Weary
|
|
I have a 1996 Dodge 12V Diesel with 376000 miles on it...Many in Baja. It sat in my yard in Mulege for 7-8 years, being driven when I came down. They
do need to be started once in a while to keep fuel in the lines..It LOVES Mexican diesel...I drive it daily ...It gets heavy use...pulls big trailers
16-22 MPG...Fords suck...My Daughter has 2 Duramax;s....No Thanks
|
|
|
BajaUtah
Nomad
Posts: 190
Registered: 10-4-2013
Location: Salt Lake City/La Ribera
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have a 99 Ford Crew Cab long bed 4x4 with the 7.3. I bought it specifically for that motor/cab combination. Parts are cheap and readily available -
with some 1 year exceptions for my early 99 but there are work arounds. Loves Mexican diesel up and down the peninsula.
20mpg with a full bed. 16mpg with a trailer. Ugly enough that it doesn't get second looks at the check points. Not so ugly I get sent to secondary.
Andy
|
|
|
bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
Ford 7.3 or Dodge 5.9 are what you are looking for in a diesel. Try to find one that hasn't been modified, extra horsepower you don't really need is
what kills trannys, but 200k miles is still going to be a long life for an automatic. If you get something from back into the 90's the Dodge body
parts will fall apart before the Ford. Not sure about 3/4 ton but I had a 1 ton Ford and the leaf spring front will shake you apart off-road, Dodge
coil springs are much smoother. Extra weight of a diesel will wear out front end components quicker than a gasser. I get 50% better gas mileage in a
Dodge 5.9 diesel than I did with a Ford gas 460, but if you aren't driving a lot of miles or pulling a load, a smaller V-8 gas engine might be best.
|
|
|
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
Thank you all for the replies.
TMW I surf, finish and kayak. I tend to remote beaches on the Pacific side, where I post up for anywhere from 3 to 10++ days and camp very
comfortably. I have owned small trucks, 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks, 3/4 suit my needs the best now and in the future plans . A new 3/4 ton 4X4, 8 ft
bed camper shell, rack and extended cab is $50,000 that a lot of dollars for 12000 miles per year.
bkblend, thanks for the engine size. I know the leaf spring bounce
I really do not want diesel because of the cost of ownership, weight, and problems in Baja getting work done. The reason I am looking at them is
because there's a lot of them out there.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
99 Dodge Ram 4WD Diesel ... 900,000 miles ... Abused off road in Baja everywhere ... driving south in a couple days and it has never left me stranded.
Has towed hundreds of other trucks out of the worst places ... I have 3 other Dodge Ram diesels all super reliable and high mileage just got back from
6,000 mile adventure in the great white north!
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64521
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Nice B&W Tim!
|
|
|
chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
Member Is Offline
Mood: Weary
|
|
Kool The 1990 I gave to my boys has 893,000 on it,,Heads never been off...1 Ton Dually
|
|
|
elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4324
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
|
|
I feel less then worthy with my 1999 7.3 and 319,000. 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
|
|
|
Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9006
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
|
|
The problem with the 99-03 Ford diesel trannies was the single disc torque converter. If that has been replaced with a triple disc one (04-06), the
tranny will last a long time. I learned of this when I bought my 00 F350 and replaced the TC immediately. No failures for 230k, so far. I do run
nothing but synthetic tranny fluid and I have an external tranny filter. I also put in a tranny temp gauge, to know where I am at.
There are other minor issues with the 7.3L engine. The original cam position sensors failed early and left a lot of guys stranded. Just carry an extra
one, they are cheap and easy to replace.
Those engines used to require a coolant additive to prevent cavitation in the cooling jackets. Subsequent coolants that prevent this cavitation like
Fleet Charge and Final Charge make this unnecessary for 100-200k miles. By then, you should be changing your coolant, anyway.
The additive did play havoc with the seals in the water pump and sometimes the thermostat housing. But most any truck from this era has probably had
those replaced long ago. If an owner is still using the old FW15 coolant additive, it will probably recur.
One other bothersome fix was an injector wiring harness that passed the injector wires into the valve cover to the injectors. This was a plug assembly
with a plastic clip that could become loose, over time, and inhibit the signals to the injectors on one side or the other or both. Someone figured out
that if you took a US quarter and inserted it into the clip, it would increase the tightness and keep the clip in place. Literally a 25 cent fix .
Google it, there are videos on the fix. It's not that hard at all.
Those are the main ones. There are certain fixes that many made to the fuel lines from the tank that eliminated air intrusion. Mostly, it quieted the
engine while running. If the truck has rubber fuel lines along the rail, on either side of the fuel pump, it has been done.
The Cummins 5.9L engine is definitely superior to the 7.3. Problem is, you still have a Dodge chassis and body and interior around you. Everything
just feels cheaper than the Fords, especially the seats and the dash. Things fail faster. The Dodges of the same era had smaller cabs, which accounted
for part of why they were more economical to run.
|
|
|
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
Thanks guys, I am looking at post 2010 trucks, If I can find a gas I am on it! Lots of diesel's floating around. The more I know, the more I know I
don't know.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
Gotta chime in here......have a 2011 Ram 2500 4 door, 4x4 with the Cummins diesel. 40,000 miles, not a problem. very comfortable and a great
ride.....in fact the wife prefers to drive the Ram. very happy with the rig and it is one of the Ram models that does not need the DEF fluid.
Never take it south of Guerrero Negro due to the lack of ULSD fuel
|
|
|
mcnut
Nomad
Posts: 177
Registered: 12-9-2013
Location: Dammeron Valley, UT
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have a 04 Duramax with 160k miles, used to pull a 23" travel trailer with 2-3 motorcycles in the bed.
My thinking is that diesels like to work, like to pull something. IMO if you don't do heavy hauling I don't think the extra $ is worth it. Light loads
the gas is the way to go unless a couple of mpg sways you.
Bruce
|
|
|
mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17380
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Online
Mood: Hot n spicy
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by MMc  | I am looking for a new truck to take to Baja. What I am looking for is a 3/4 4X4 ton 8 foot bed truck. I don't much care if it's a Dodge, a Ford or a
GM. I have no issues with Toyota but I want a 3/4 ton truck. It will mostly be a driveway queen.
|
What's a driveway queen? Sounds like you want a truck so the neighbors can see your truck. What's that all about?
|
|
|
BigWooo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 579
Registered: 1-2-2007
Member Is Offline
|
|
I had a 2002 Ford 1 ton with the 7.3 liter diesel. The motor was bomb proof. I did have to replace the cam sensor, as probably did most owners. I
would imagine if you buy one now the sensor has already been replaced. I had to have the transmission re-built at about 60,000 miles. One thing I
didn't like about that truck was the frame. It had a bend near the rear axle that cracked on mine, both sides. Had to have it re-enforced. I drove
it on some pretty nasty roads with a camper on it though. As mentioned earlier it ran beautifully on Mexican diesel.
When I bought my current truck, Ford was having a lot of problems so I got a 2008 1 ton Silverado, LMM. I've had several trucks and this is by far my
favorite. Drives smooth, very powerful, offroads well, and so far has been very dependable. I really like the independent torsion bar front
suspension. I put about 11,000 miles on it per year. It's been running almost purely on LSD in Baja Sur for the last 6 years. My dad bought one
about the same time I did, he recently sold his with nearly 300,000 miles on it, and all he ever did was routine maintenance.
In the past most people recommended having a secondary fuel filter for a diesel. I think the fuel storage in Baja has improved to a point that the
diesel doesn't get the fungus (or whatever that brown goo was) anymore. I have a secondary fuel filter on mine and in the last 6 years I haven't
found any debris in it. I really doubt the second filter is necessary anymore.
[Edited on 7-21-2016 by BigWooo]
|
|
|
chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
Member Is Offline
Mood: Weary
|
|
I think he wants you to come sit in his driveway, Goatley
|
|
|
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
I am in a place in my life that I can afford a truck for baja. I drive a lot for work and own/drive a Honda and a Ford most days. The truck doesn't
fit in the toybox so it sits in the driveway. If you are suffering from truck envie that's your issue.
| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by MMc | I am looking for a new truck to take to Baja. What I am looking for is a 3/4 4X4 ton 8 foot bed truck. I don't much care if it's a Dodge, a Ford or a
GM. I have no issues with Toyota but I want a 3/4 ton truck. It will mostly be a driveway queen.
|
What's a driveway queen? Sounds like you want a truck so the neighbors can see your truck. What's that all about? |
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
