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Diesel guys

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TexasBlazerBoy

TexasBlazerBoy

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Diesel guys inlighten me. I have never owned a diesel.

Does the fuel mileage justify the purchase of a new diesel and cost of fuel. Do you get more miles per gallon out of it than a gas engine?

I can fill up my 02 Dodge 4 dr SLT(5.9L) for about $50 and maybeeee run all week.

I drive round trip 40+ miles a day to go to work. I don't have to tow anything, although I am working on getting a tow bar for my Blazer.


Gas where I live is $2.25, Diesel is $2.43.

Please no bashing the diesel nOOb:o or the nOOb period:wink1:

Thanks
Larry
 
My 2000 7.3 Powerstroke gets 19mpg on average. 3/4 ton / extended cab / 2wd / 3.73 gears / 6 spd manual. I think that's pretty good. No chips in it, it's all stock. I'm currently at 145,000 miles. I don't know if you can justify extra cost of the engine based on mpg alone. You'd have to figure your difference in payments and then figure the difference in fuel cost based on mileage and cost of different fuels to get that.
 
chalet2506 said:
My 2000 7.3 Powerstroke gets 19mpg on average. 3/4 ton / extended cab / 2wd / 3.73 gears / 6 spd manual. I think that's pretty good. No chips in it, it's all stock. I'm currently at 145,000 miles. I don't know if you can justify extra cost of the engine based on mpg alone. You'd have to figure your difference in payments and then figure the difference in fuel cost based on mileage and cost of different fuels to get that.
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I think that is better than what my DD gets. :eek1:
 
I drive like Grandpa. 65 MPH on the highway/slow starts/slow stops. I'm still on the original rear brake pads. Plus my rig doesn't have the tow package, which I think came with 4.10 rear ends.

Most people I've talked to with my engine get in the 14-15 range. But they're usually one ton's/4x4's, etc.
 
SchnorrCS said:
My Cummins gets about 20. Plus, it's a cummins. Worth it right there.
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Ya I am really a Dodge fan when it comes to DD. I am not interested in the HEMI. I don't know if I could afford a CTD though.

I really wanted my next DD to be a 4x4, but I could live with just what I have now and maybe the CTD.:laugh:
 
definately better mpg...

My 82 K20 with a 6.2 diesel gets between 16-22 mpg,whether I drive it empty,or with the plow on it and a bed full of weight!..it's no lightweight,at the scales at a scrapyard it weighed in at 6000+ lbs,with nothing in the bed!..

My 79 C10 couldn't match that,even with a 250 six it had originally,or the 305 I replaced it with..I was lucky to get 13 mpg,much less if it was loaded down,or driven in heavy stop and go traffic,especially in colder weather..

I like the diesel,it runs like its warmed up right away--no coughing back or bogging because its cold,etc..another "plus" is no plugs or wires to get drowned in flooded roads.. (cant beat fuel injection,and having NO carb,distributor,or ignition system!)..though diesel fuel IS more costly (currently between 2.50 to 2.70 a gallon here,VS 2.35 or more for regular gas),the better mileage helps offset the extra expense of diesel..but it has been over three bucks a gallon in past months too...

My only "complaint" about the diesel is it doesn't seem to throw much heat,despite the temp gauge reading halfway--but I had the same dilems in my VW Jetta diesel too--they just run "cold" unless your driving it pretty hard--heat cools off quite a bit when you idle it..:crazy:
 
2005 GMC 2500hd 4x4 crewcab shortbed Duramax w/3.73's, 265/75/16 mud tires, & chipped. Worst mileage I've ever seen was 15mpg, pulling about 8500 pounds with 4 guys & lots of gear through the mountains and up a very windy 8% grade. Usually I'm anywhere from 16 to 18mpg depending on how I drive. If you plan on keeping the truck for a long time, then the diesel is worth it. If you change trucks every couple years, probably not.
 
Diesel all the way. I have been fortunate enough to be able to own multiple trucks with gas and diesel options.

We have two Cummins Dodges, one Vortec 7400 (late model 454) in a C3500 and two carbed 454's in a C30 and K30.

I daily drive my K30 crew cab that weighs 7,750lbs currently, it's my work truck.

My non work truck is a 2001 Ram Cummins.... it costs roughly twice the money to drive my K30 than it does my Ram.
 
Let's say you were looking at brand new gas versus diesel trucks, and say the brand new gas truck gets the same mileage you are now (about 11 MPG). Let's say the diesel would get 22 MPG driving the way you do.

The initial cost of the diesel will be higher - I'll say $8000 more.

With the price of gas ($2.25) and diesel ($2.43) in your area, it would take 7.5 years to recover $8000 in fuel savings. For the math see the end of this post.

Now in real life this is trickier because you already have equity in your current truck. Diesels are great, but you can buy a LOT of gas versus the increased initial cost of a diesel.

*********************************************************

Math:
Current - $50/week (250 miles @ 11 MPG @ $2.25 gal)
Diesel - 11.4 gallons x $2.43 = $28/week
Savings/Week = $22, Savings/Month = $88
Months to recoup $8000 = 91 (thats a bit over 7.5 years)

*********************************************************
 
You need to figure how long your going to keep it also. Higher maintenance cost on the diesel as apposed to gas. The filters cost more, requires more oil, and parts cost more(I'm guessing here because I haven't owned a new gas truck in a while). The extra maintenance cost is worth it because the engine should last longer. But, that only matters if your going to run it 200k plus on the miles.
 
If you were anywhere near Michigan I'ld swap you my 350 drive train for your diesel. I'm planning to go the other direction and go diesel. I'll watch for you progress.
Have fun
Kit
 
But can your gas motor truck smoke a camaro or a stang and still get 20mpg?:D

My diesel does!!!
 
longbedder said:
With the price of gas ($2.25) and diesel ($2.43) in your area, it would take 7.5 years to recover $8000 in fuel savings. For the math see the end of this post.

Now in real life this is trickier because you already have equity in your current truck. Diesels are great, but you can buy a LOT of gas versus the increased initial cost of a diesel.
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There is a couple of catches.

1. When you go to sell that diesel pickup on the used market, you are going to get 4-6K of that 8K back, if not even closer to the original 8K. Nearly guaranteed.

I payed 22.9K for my '01 Ram and could have bought the exact same truck except with a 360 gasser for probably 15-16K.

There really isn't any higher maintenance costs with a diesel vs. a gas engine. People forget two things....

1. They want to compare a 3/4ton Diesel's maintenance cost vs. a 1/2ton gas truck. Then they add in what it costs to do brakes on that bigger truck, heavier tires, and more oil in the drivetrain....and turning it more into a 1/2t vs. 3/4 or 1ton costs.

2. People think oil maintenance is more costly annually than a gas engine. First off, anyone that knows anything about a diesel knows it's dumb to dump oil at a 3K interval with an engine that hold 3 gallons of oil.

Now sure, if you are being a dumb dumb and dumping 3 gallons of oil every 3K than yes it costs a heck of a lot more to change oil in a diesel. But, if you changed oil in a gas engine the same way, you'd be dumping your oil every 1K with your small block.
 
Keep the higher maintenance in mind....Dual batteries etc.

A new injector pump and lift pump on the Boss's Dodge Cummins ran him about $3000....

A diesel is great until something goes wrong, then you had better hope you were saving every penny of that mileage savings....
 
My reasons for going diesel are a bit more patriotic than practical or fun.
I'm just sick of putting all my money toward breeding more terrorists.

If anyone out there can remember, or has ever done any reading on the subject, they might recall that the diesel engine, designed by a german of that name, was meant to run on vegetable oil.

They can still do that, in fact. I, for one, would much rather put our American born farmers to work growing more soybeans, for fuel, and keep the wealth and power here.

If we could all switch to other sources, the middle easterners might just run out of money, to buy guns with. Or at least have less reason to point them in our direction.
 
Better move to Texas to run that veggie oil all year then....;)

I like that idea too, I am just stirring up thoughts....
 
theres quite a few variables here, if youre buying brand new, then there is a huge cost penalty for the diesel, for a chevy with a duramax/allison combo i think its like 8k or something. because theres so many variables, ill just tell ya how my truck does.

ive got a 1986 M1009 CUCV, with a 6.2L diesel, three speed TH400, and 3.08 gears on 33in tires.

I drive it like a truck, which means "not fast", and i commute with it every day, usually 35 to 55 mph depending on traffic. and actually it does better at 55 than 35, for some reason it dosnt shift into third gear until 40 at the earliest. so at 35 its buzzin around burnin up gas.

on the daily commute, in traffic, stoplights, pretty much the worst driving conditions possible for good gas mileage, i do 14-17mpg, on the highway, doin around 55mph, i get 20-23mpg.
 
SUBFAN said:
Keep the higher maintenance in mind....Dual batteries etc.

A new injector pump and lift pump on the Boss's Dodge Cummins ran him about $3000....

A diesel is great until something goes wrong, then you had better hope you were saving every penny of that mileage savings....
Click to expand...

My K30 and C3500 both have dual batteries and 454's... once again, people get confused chassis options vs. actuall diesel only related costs.

Your Boss got completely ripped off. It's a grand for a recon IP, a couple hundred for the lift pump, and a good mechanic at a shop with fair rates should get it done for under $500.
 
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