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03-28-2010, 10:00 AM | #1 |
BlahBlahBlah
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Wa.
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Diesel power...pros and cons
Ive seen quite a few threads on diesel conversions for 4x4's. I really dont know much about them. Last one I had was in a diesel Rabbit truck probably close to 25 years ago...Not exactly a great experience lol.
I'm curious what the pros and cons are. What is the best late model diesel combo you can put in our trucks? If you had money to burn would you keep your rig gas powered or would you jump at the chance to switch? I understand they are torq monsters, so that's a good thing. I suppose if we have gas go crazy again you can make your own fuel. Im not switching (no money lol), just curious since I read so much about them.
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03-29-2010, 12:18 AM | #2 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
The "popular" thing now is to swap in a cummins 6bt into everything. Personally I see how much maintenance the diesels need, and how expensive they are to run. Yes they get twice the mileage and put out twice and sometimes 3 times the power, but at what point does the cost of maintaining a diesel and the cost of gas cross? I like my big block trucks. Yes more in gas and a little longer getting up that hill, but I don't have to worry about a 300.00 lift pump or an 800.00 injector pump going out.
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03-29-2010, 11:01 PM | #3 |
BlahBlahBlah
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
Thanks for the answer. I guess people just like to oh and ah over the diesel threads on here because yours was the only feed back. Must not be a whole lot actual diesel owners.
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03-30-2010, 03:40 AM | #4 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
I have a 6.5 in my '72 4x4 with a later model NV4500, all set up with a banks turbo system. My actual motor was cheaper than any gas motor..FREE, from someone who didnt know how to work on a diesel. Early chevy diesels are pretty easy to find...not as strong as a Cummins, but they work good for what they are, and get spectacular mileage. Mine will prolly even out run a similarly set up gas rig, and get 22 MPG to boot. Also, with a lil knowledge, they are dirt simple to work on, and are extremely reliable. My 0.02
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03-30-2010, 08:17 AM | #5 |
Redefining LowBudget
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
ok heres my $.02
your never going to make your own fuel...diesal fuel is running about the same $$ as high grade gas.... the cost of the swap will out weigh the amount of fuel your going to save as far as power...I run a F 350 diesal...its my work horse I tow alot with it lug my slide in camper and tow the boat at the same time AND I live where its pretty hilly I take it to Fla with a 24" box trailer full of motorcycles..it also plows snow better than any gas truck because of the weight and low end torque...yea it rocks so if someone ever wanted a old work truck then do it!! the Kool factor of it rocks too as far as maintance ..in 100000 miles all I have done is oil changes every 10,000 and fuel filters and the motor is just getting broke in (a gas would be looking for some sort of internal maintainance by now) in reality I might consider it if I had or found a dam near perfect truck, lived down south Planned on keeping the truck for a long time... Oh and the motor would have to be near free ..I would want a late modle Chevy with an Allison trans...I think the swap would be fairly easy ( kinda the same work as puting in a newer BB) but getting it wired would be kinda *****...but once its in you can plug in a box and really make some serious power there you go Jeff ps besides you can get diesal power and torque from a stock gas motor check my build |
03-30-2010, 08:35 PM | #6 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
When (not if) I have the money I will be building a crewcab and it will get a 5.9 12 valve cummins under the hood.. Nothing like rolling coal and getting 20mpg in a jacked up fullsize... Thats just me though
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03-31-2010, 12:02 AM | #7 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
Im with you bikes&bowties, I will be doing the same thing with my dually. I already have my donor engine, I picked up a 91.5 dodge 250 with a great running engine off craigslist for $1400 the only thing wrong with it was the tranny and no bed. I will get back most of my money if not all of it when I part out the rest of the truck, so the engine will basically cost nothing. All I need now is a dodge nv4500 and a dodge 29 spline np205 and a bunch of odds and ends to do the swap.
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Tony 1985 GMC K2500 restoration Project: Rust, White & Blue 1989 Chevy R3500 CC Cummins & 4X4 swap some day... 1989 Burb (D60, 14BFF, 12V, NV4500, NP205, 37" tires in progress) |
04-01-2010, 02:05 AM | #8 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
No offense guys, but please dont spout crap off when you are wrong, you just look plain ole stupid.
Diesel are %30 more efficient than gasoline engines. The only way a diesel cost a lot is when you buy Ford or dont take care of it properly. Keep everything lubricated and clean and monitor your gauges and you'll go more than 500K. I have owned a few diesel. My father has owned more than he can count. My uncle works on them ,and has owned at least 50 and owns about 10 at the moment. Why? Because we like saving money. Make your own fuel properly, no by-product. Any guy who doesnt know much about them will hate them, most guys dont know much about them, hence why they all hate them. Take a little while and read up on them, how they work, cause and effect, etc. You will want one badly when you know about them. I know Im probably gonna get flamed for this but, the truth hurts.
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04-05-2010, 12:08 PM | #9 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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04-05-2010, 01:53 PM | #10 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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04-05-2010, 07:17 PM | #11 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
The only diesels that ford had that were any good were the old 6.9 and 7.3 Powerstrokes but parts get expensive if anything breaks (which they will), and if your looking to make any sort power out of them that's where things get really expensive. Take a 95 Cummins and a 95 Powerstroke and build them to 700hp and you will probably spend 3X-4X times the money on the Powerjoke and the Cummins will be more reliable. But that's just my opinion.
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Tony 1985 GMC K2500 restoration Project: Rust, White & Blue 1989 Chevy R3500 CC Cummins & 4X4 swap some day... 1989 Burb (D60, 14BFF, 12V, NV4500, NP205, 37" tires in progress) Last edited by 1985-GMC; 04-05-2010 at 07:19 PM. |
04-12-2010, 08:26 AM | #12 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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I have driven diesels since the`80s,so I guess I know a little,too.They "can" only take filter and oil maintenance,and they "will" need an injector pump and injectors every 100,000 or so,if you`re lucky.And,many are.But,anything you need to go and do will cost big bucks.I`ve seen what can go wrong and many things cost as much as a whole new small block.I have one with 275K and never a problem,went 200K+ on original injectors and pump(mechanical).I`ve had an all new and improved $8,600 marine-duty motor break the crank and main web in under 50,000,too.You really need to be around these things more than a couple years to really know the ins and outs/pros and cons.Diesels are expensive.The cheapest way to go is get a cast-off 6.2 or 6.5 and about bolt that thing straight into your GM.Anything else is money chasin`money.A 250 six will move our trucks along.You don`t need 300-500 hp.
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04-12-2010, 03:48 PM | #13 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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of course i dont need 481 hp in my daily driver but do we need 400 hp small blocks either? not many people absolutely need the power that a diesel can make but who would pass up the ease of making the power that a diesel can easily make and support with very little work. |
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04-05-2010, 01:30 PM | #14 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
Cant wait to get my 67 "finished" once she is a capable trail rig then I will get back to my willys which is gonna have a cummins she is prety much gonna be a street machine. Cant wait walk away from ricers blowin black smoke out the back!!!!!!!!
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04-05-2010, 07:06 PM | #15 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
personally I think the ford diesels are good, as any other as long as your not raising the boost extremely high.
And ford should be coming out with the cummings 6.7 diesel soon. They get expensive or time consuming on certain models. Like the 6.0 fords need to take the cab off to take off the heads, My uncle did it 3 times. Or the 7.3s having the glow plugs under the valve covers. Both fords. But they have great advantages, the fuel mileage, how long they last and the torque. And not to mention the ease of getting power out of them. The fuel can be difficult to find sometimes, but you can also make your own bio fuel. Which can be made extremely cheap. For a tow rig, street rig then sure a diesel would be great, but offroading I would prefer a gas because of the rpms they make.
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72 gmc 2500 2wd drive convert My 72 thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=346712 THe other truck, wheeler 69 1/2 4x4, yellow and rusty. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=350300 Last edited by onlyifihadachevy; 04-05-2010 at 07:08 PM. |
04-05-2010, 07:25 PM | #16 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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Tony 1985 GMC K2500 restoration Project: Rust, White & Blue 1989 Chevy R3500 CC Cummins & 4X4 swap some day... 1989 Burb (D60, 14BFF, 12V, NV4500, NP205, 37" tires in progress) |
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04-05-2010, 09:32 PM | #17 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
My buddy called me the other day he was at Barret Jackson in Fla and test drove the new FORD diesal..he said it makes stupid power and is quite ....I have a 6.0 ( International) in my ford 100,000 mile ( 2004) I get decent milage it pulls like a dozer and I had it chipped for awhile but I was driving it like an Idiot so I took it out..all that being said I have heard some bad reports on them something about a bad rocker that hits the injector. breaking or something..guess I got a good one...
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04-05-2010, 11:37 PM | #18 | |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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Tony 1985 GMC K2500 restoration Project: Rust, White & Blue 1989 Chevy R3500 CC Cummins & 4X4 swap some day... 1989 Burb (D60, 14BFF, 12V, NV4500, NP205, 37" tires in progress) Last edited by 1985-GMC; 04-05-2010 at 11:38 PM. |
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04-06-2010, 07:14 AM | #19 |
Redefining LowBudget
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
first off keep in mone the cumming is a Bad Azz engine..to bad it came in a D**** I can't even say it
BUT out off the 100,000 miles on my truck I would guess that about 65,000 of them there was something behind it..either my 28 foot race boat or a 24 foot dual axle box that is always full of something...mostly 5 or 6 motorcycles... I run it back and forth to Fla about 2 or 3 times a year..it take me 21 hours to travel from here to Tampa its 1490 miles so you can figure out how I roll...lmao ALL that being said I stand by my motor...not all the 6.0's..and again the old Cummings are fast becoming the engine of choice for a diesal swap..as a matter of fact I'm looking into putting one in a 66 ford 4X4 for my buddy
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1970 C10 CST fleetside 472 ....big dreams little cash... SunShine Syndicate.. Mikes Sandwich Fair Run OCT 8th 2011
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04-05-2010, 09:24 PM | #20 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
I thought they won the contract, Guess I was wrong. Do you know if there was any reason for the change from the 6.4s They have only been out like 3 years.
And is ford just going to copy cummins 6.7?
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72 gmc 2500 2wd drive convert My 72 thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=346712 THe other truck, wheeler 69 1/2 4x4, yellow and rusty. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=350300 Last edited by onlyifihadachevy; 04-05-2010 at 09:26 PM. |
04-05-2010, 09:32 PM | #21 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
FORD V8 NOT I6! They are switching because the 6.0 sucked, the 6.4 sucked, so they are trying to make something that sucks more. As my local diesel shop says, "If it wasnt for Ford I would be out of business"
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04-07-2010, 06:49 PM | #22 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
in my opinion...if diesels are so freakin amazing why doesnt every run a diesel?...i personally dont like or dislike them...i can tell you i would rather drive a gas motor than a diesel. i have a 305 in my truck and for what i need it to do it does just fine. and if i keep my foot out of it i get 18 mpg...so unless im hauling a goosneck or camper or something of the sort i would stick with a gas engine
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04-07-2010, 09:10 PM | #23 |
Redefining LowBudget
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
fleetside dude I hate to tell you ut in most other countries they are running on ALOT of diesal engines...look at the new TDI vw's tons of power and 40 mpg..
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04-07-2010, 09:44 PM | #24 | ||
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
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04-11-2010, 09:06 PM | #25 |
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Re: Diesel power...pros and cons
One big con that I have not seen mentioned is the weight. I don't think a dana 44 will survive long with all the extra weight. I have one friend with a 2003 dodge that has already had to replace all the ball joints.
You would probably have to do a dana 60 swap at the same time, so add about another $1000-1500 to the bill. Lynn |
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