12 valves are simple , strong and they last for ever, mine has 479,000 on it and runs like it is new. They don't need lots of aftermarket support because they are simple, you can take care off all of the necessities, from fuel pins to turbos and intakes its all available. These things make incredible power when set up properly, a friend of mine has a 12 valve that puts 650 hp to the ground, when dialed in the truck should be in the 10's.
The only down sides to the cummins is weight and noise, the weight is a matter of design and can easily be dealt with the noise can be controlled from inside the cab (sound deadening) and is a matter of taste and choice.
I have a 1989 cummins in my 1980 Cherokee Chief it will run forever on a wide variety of fuels , pull down a house and still be running after you have replaced or rebuilt your gm diesel for the fourth time.
No disrespect to the 6.2/6.5 but they call the 12 valve the million mile engine for a reason.
Don't believe the power capability check out...
Cole claims to have around 10,000 in the grey dodge, these things can be crazy fast for cheap!
There is a reason that the 12 valve has its reputation for reliability and power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitDan
I don't get why everyone loves the Cummins swaps. I know that in a Dodge, it's a great motor in a POS truck, but it's still not something I'd want in my Chevy. Especially the old 12 valve. Can you imagine having to listen to that? Worst sounding diesel engine out there. They sound like a noisy piece of farm equipment, you can't even make them sound good like you can a Duramax or even a 6.5. Heck even the Powerstroke is a V8 so it sounds halfway cool. I think too many people hear a straight piped Cummins and mistake a loud engine for a cool sounding engine.
12 valves are ok work motors, but they're painfully slow and underpowered, until they've been modded big time. And the 12 valves have a lot less aftermarket support than the 24valves. If I had to have a diesel Chevy and couldn't afford a Duramax swap, I'd put in a 6.5 with all the aftermarket stuff I had on my 97. That truck was no Duramax, well it would run with a stock Dmax, but it would do circles around a stock or even a mild 12 valve. I know this goes against all the conventional wisdom, people blindly hate 6.5s and blindly love Cummins, but I've been there and done that.
Sorry for the rant, but I just wanted to vent my opinion. One of my worst nightmares would have to be to spend all night plowing listening to a 12 valve. If I can't listen to a V8 Chevy, I'll stay home. I'd even rather have a little NA 6.2 Chevy. Won't pull near as much, but quicker than a 12 valve and a decent little motor in it's own right.
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