Diesel is only about .10 c more out here.
CK5
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Cost to build tow Rig..
- Thread starter sreidmx
- Start date
I'm completely with Avery. Him and I are in the same mind set. Give me a Cummins, if I can't have that I'll take a Dmax, and if I can't have that, I'll take a 7.3 PSD. Anything else is not hardly worth getting out of bed for.
Last time I pulled a real hill was in 100* heat 6% grade a few miles long. I had my '06 Mega cab pulling a real trailer (30' goosy) with my K5 that weighed in at 12K behind the truck. 65mph at 210* coolant, 1150* egt.
Avery is also right on the maintenance repair issue. Maintenance is really not any more costly, oil change is higher, but you go double the miles on said change. Fuel filter is pretty similar, outside of that there is no other real maintenance. Repairs are a different story, it can get expensive under the hood of a modernish diesel, but it's the cost of what it takes to move stuff around. It's an accepted cost for me that I have zero problem with, because a gas alternative is not even a consideration.
Once again, right that good diesels have been out long enough that they are pretty much available at anyone's price point.
Last time I pulled a real hill was in 100* heat 6% grade a few miles long. I had my '06 Mega cab pulling a real trailer (30' goosy) with my K5 that weighed in at 12K behind the truck. 65mph at 210* coolant, 1150* egt.
Avery is also right on the maintenance repair issue. Maintenance is really not any more costly, oil change is higher, but you go double the miles on said change. Fuel filter is pretty similar, outside of that there is no other real maintenance. Repairs are a different story, it can get expensive under the hood of a modernish diesel, but it's the cost of what it takes to move stuff around. It's an accepted cost for me that I have zero problem with, because a gas alternative is not even a consideration.
Once again, right that good diesels have been out long enough that they are pretty much available at anyone's price point.
Why? You said you are in a lot of hills. Sounds like diesel is the way to go. Unfortunately, GM is probably the worst of the big 3. They never had anything really until 2001, which is a $10K truck basically. That's still cheap for some, others it's not. The Fords from 94.5-2003 and about 2011-present are GTG. Dodge from 1991 to present are GTG. Any other diesel pickup I didn't list, I wouldn't even consider them.
Nothing wrong with the 454 or 8.1 truck, just different animals. The vortec 7400 and 8.1 specifically are actually pretty good.
An old C30 tow rig with a 454, which is completetly rebuilt and refurbished inside and out is the best you are going to do for 10-grand.
Keep in mind that the early Duramaxes had major injector issues and they are $$$ to fix
Not anymore. Most were fixed under warranty, and most were fixed by now anyway, it's a 15 year old truck. It's not big money anyway, about $2500 for a full set of injectors IIRC.
$2500 is a significant percentage of that truck's price if it happens to be the one truck that didn't get fixed. Sounds like roulette to me (compared to buying one of the previously mentioned GTG rigs).
It's an used 15 year old truck with 202K on it for $8K. If someone buys it with no intention to spend some money on it, they are kidding themselves. Even, with brand new injectors you have 5 times the truck of that C30 posted above with only double the money, and brand new injectors.....hell throw new injectors and a fresh Allison at it. You're in a modern rig with a Dmax/Allison with NEW injectors and tranny for $13K. That is dirt cheap, AND has most of the bigger expenditures out of the way.$2500 is a significant percentage of that truck's price if it happens to be the one truck that didn't get fixed. Sounds like roulette to me (compared to buying one of the previously mentioned GTG rigs).
Back when the first Dodge, with a Cummins in it, came out (about 1990), I had a 1977 C30 single cab, Silverado, Duallie with a 454/T400/Dana-70 Diff. This truck was completly restored with fresh eng, trans, exhaust, suspension (front and rear), tires, brakes, body mounts, diff bearings, and interior. Me and this buddy of mine with the new Dodge truck (Cummins engine) would use our trucks to tow our friends ski-boats to the Colorado River. Every time that brand new 'freakin' Cummins of his would be so slow on the Interstate-10, that I would take off, and get there about 45 minutes to 1-hour before he would. I am not much of a diesel fan.
Again, stock 1st gen Cummins are not super impressive motors.
I have both driven and been a passenger in several dodge pick-up trucks with a Cummins, and every time the throttle was to the floor, in order to get up hills while towing. Both of my C30 and K30 454 trucks could tow the same load up the same hill so fast that I would have to be careful and watch my speed.
You are right. That is why diesel engines in HD pickups are practically extinct and why gas engines are all the rage in those weight class trucks. Wait?????????
You are comparing older 160HP Dodges to your 454. Back in those days that detuned Cummins would still walk all over 6.2 GM trucks. Today, you can't hardly find an old Dodge still set at 160HP, almost all of them have had some pump work. Run your old 454 up against a 300HP Cummins, with real weight behind it, and you will find different results. Oh, and you'll use twice the fuel too.
My 454 engines where all rebuilt with .30 over pistons, big RV cam, Carter type AFB 750 CFM carb, Edelbrock Performer intakes, headers, balanced, and pushing about 400 HP. That might have had somthing to do with walking all over a cummins. My big blocks where able to build horse power and tourqe so much easier and faster faster than a diesel with less throttle into it. I will never own a deisel powered truck, unless it is a semi (say...Freightliner Classic with 500 HP detroit searies-60 13-speed).
and there are built diesels engines making 1200 hp all day long.
and there are stock from the factory diesel engines that are making 640 hp and 800 ft lbs of tq.
and there are stock from the factory diesel engines that are making 640 hp and 800 ft lbs of tq.
Uh yeah....
Lol. Haven't been around diesel a whole lot I guess. Turbo boost...it's a beautiful thing. None of that down shifting non sense with a gas engine, just turbo boost rising as more torque is needed.
Obviously you like your gas engines, but you can't deny that a 400HP cummins will walk all over a 400HP BBC. It has to, the BBC will deliver 500ftlbs tops and a Cummins will deliver 900ft lbbs, on a dyno. No dinky jet boats, put a 30' gooseneck with a 12K tractor giving a 18K load behind the truck and the Cummins truck will walk away from the BBC, and use half the fuel.
I have 2 454 trucks currently, the newest and most powerful being a '98 7400 Vortec. Out on the open road and in the mountains, it's a no contest compared to my diesel stuff. Where I will say I like that 7400 is in town towing stop light to stop light.
I have seen some big truck engines with 500 to 600 HP ratings, but a 1200-HP diesel engine...how is that? I owned a 500 CU. inch Keith Black, all aluminum, Super Charged (30% overdrive), Dodge Hemi, single plug, single magneto, on Methenol fuel engine, which made made only a little more than that in HP. I do not get how a diesel could make almost the same...unless it is a 2000 cubic inch super tanker engine.
My big blocks where large oval port head carburated engines. The Vortec 454 is a good engine (better than the old Mark IV for various reasons), the only thing holding them back is they need more fuel and air than the stock TBI can provide, in order to make more HP.
