CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Why Does Buddie Rags On My 1983 Chevy Dually Suburban 454 2WB And How Better His Truck Is?

So today's Ford trucks got to have their bodies removed to to have the does diesels engines repaired?


Yes,and its nothing new--the older Ford pickups with 7.3's had to have the cab lifted up at least a few inches,to get their rotted oil pans off,or cylinder heads...the Ford dealer near me has special lifts just for that purpose...they certainly are not mechanic friendly trucks ,but none are any more really--they are probably the worst though!..
 
I've posted this before.

I walked into O'Reilly's one afternoon to find a guy bragging about his 12v Cummins bro-dozer being the most bad a$$ tow rig in the area. So I told him to put up or shut up. But I won't fire mine up for under a $1k bet. Told him it had a turbo I6 with a manual and 4wd. Even has a camper on it. He went on and on about how his will kick my truck to the curb. Just about to shake on the bet and set up a pull off when the manager stopped him.

He didn't have the money. And he never asked what the rig was.

I love screwing with those guys.

IMG_20180903_072730001_HDR.jpg
 
In the pic it looks like it has a white picket fence backyard with a blazer parked in it.
 
Yes,and its nothing new--the older Ford pickups with 7.3's had to have the cab lifted up at least a few inches,to get their rotted oil pans off,or cylinder heads...the Ford dealer near me has special lifts just for that purpose...they certainly are not mechanic friendly trucks ,but none are any more really--they are probably the worst though!..
Crap.... I though the 1999 to 2006 where somewhat some to operate on. Although diesel wise it's not that simple like a gas motor
 
I've posted this before.

I walked into O'Reilly's one afternoon to find a guy bragging about his 12v Cummins bro-dozer being the most bad a$$ tow rig in the area. So I told him to put up or shut up. But I won't fire mine up for under a $1k bet. Told him it had a turbo I6 with a manual and 4wd. Even has a camper on it. He went on and on about how his will kick my truck to the curb. Just about to shake on the bet and set up a pull off when the manager stopped him.

He didn't have the money. And he never asked what the rig was.

I love screwing with those guys.

View attachment 280477
:) I wouldn't mind having a Cummins in the engine bay, however that may I have to wait, first transmission switch from Turbo 400 to 4l80, then it's either modify the 454 a few for some mog efficiency, go to small block 400 or maybe runs Cummins.

But, I'm thinking of sticking with the 454 since gasoline is everywhere and simple to operate on

As for mpg he even brags about that 6.0 turbo diesel getting better mpg. I won't knock the 6.0 cause it does have power which I give it that, but after learning about the parts....meh
 
One of my friends just got a motor home with a 8.1 & Alison tranny,I think its a 2004 model,not sure what brand,(Itasca maybe ?)--I was too busy gawking at the engine to care about what make it was--its on a P-30 chassis,has 4W disc brakes,I helped him bleed the brakes after installing a master cylinder on it,only part it needed...but the thing takes off like its a pickup truck,not a "bus" !..I think he said he paid 6K for it,only has 40,000 miles too..

He is a lucky SOB--last week he showed me the motor home,yesterday I ran into him at my friends shop,he came over and whips his phone out,shows me a picture of a '86 Corvette (C4 ?) that he got for trading a Kawasaki quad he bought off another friend of mine a few months ago,for $500!..

The Vette had sat 2 years,but all it needed was a new battery and some gas to fire it up,it needs tires and a tune up,etc,but overall I feel he stole it--has good oil pressure,is very clean underneath too,no rust!..

He saw it on Facebook Marketplace--the story goes the guy inherited the car from his grandfather and didn't want his 16 year old to have it for a "first car",and the kid wanted a quad or dirt bike anyways,not a car!..

As for towing,I'd still stick with a gas engine unless you plan on doing commercial towing on a regular basis--in that case a big rig is probably a better choice..
 
One of my friends just got a motor home with a 8.1 & Alison tranny,I think its a 2004 model,not sure what brand,(Itasca maybe ?)--I was too busy gawking at the engine to care about what make it was--its on a P-30 chassis,has 4W disc brakes,I helped him bleed the brakes after installing a master cylinder on it,only part it needed...but the thing takes off like its a pickup truck,not a "bus" !..I think he said he paid 6K for it,only has 40,000 miles too..

He is a lucky SOB--last week he showed me the motor home,yesterday I ran into him at my friends shop,he came over and whips his phone out,shows me a picture of a '86 Corvette (C4 ?) that he got for trading a Kawasaki quad he bought off another friend of mine a few months ago,for $500!..

The Vette had sat 2 years,but all it needed was a new battery and some gas to fire it up,it needs tires and a tune up,etc,but overall I feel he stole it--has good oil pressure,is very clean underneath too,no rust!..

He saw it on Facebook Marketplace--the story goes the guy inherited the car from his grandfather and didn't want his 16 year old to have it for a "first car",and the kid wanted a quad or dirt bike anyways,not a car!..

As for towing,I'd still stick with a gas engine unless you plan on doing commercial towing on a regular basis--in that case a big rig is probably a better choice..
In the case of engine if I ever get a commercial vehicle, I can always take out the 454 and put in either a small block 400 or a 6.5 turbo diesel, in front of that 4l80e transmission that will be the first thing to be installed soon before anything else . For decent fuel everyday driving.

I would go a Cummins route but that's too much funds and fabrication, while the 6.5 is almost easy to drop in and bolt .

Speaking of the 6.5, I know a guy who had a 1999 Chevy Silverado 3500 flatbed he towed cars with. It had a 6.5 turbo diesel and he towed a private 4 door helicopter once with (got pictures at his shop). When he gets on the highway no problems, except that when he has a big load and going up the long bridge....it goes back into 3rd gear to get up the bridge, it was a 4 speed 4l80e.

As for the Corvette, yep that was a steal
 
I would consider swapping in a 6.5 diesel or a 400 SB a downgrade compared to the 454...both those engines have their bad points,the 6.5 is basically a "improved" 6.2 and can still have crank breakage and head gasket problems,the 400 SB is a notorious "over heater" due to its siamesed cylinders,especially if subjected to heavy loads continuously..

You could build the 454 up to 400+ HP,put in a low rpm high torque RV/towing cam and other upgrades and be way ahead--no bogging down on hills like a diesel would,and the BBC usually stand up pretty well to heavy work..the only drawback would be lower MPG,but neither of those other two engines will be mileage champs towing either..(maybe worse!)..they will be working harder,while the 454 would just lumber along..
 
Crap.... I though the 1999 to 2006 where somewhat some to operate on. Although diesel wise it's not that simple like a gas motor

The 95-02 (7.3 powerstroke motor) are pretty easy to work on IF needed. It is the 6.0 and newer trucks that are a cluster when they DO need worked on.
 
I would consider swapping in a 6.5 diesel or a 400 SB a downgrade compared to the 454...both those engines have their bad points,the 6.5 is basically a "improved" 6.2 and can still have crank breakage and head gasket problems,the 400 SB is a notorious "over heater" due to its siamesed cylinders,especially if subjected to heavy loads continuously..

You could build the 454 up to 400+ HP,put in a low rpm high torque RV/towing cam and other upgrades and be way ahead--no bogging down on hills like a diesel would,and the BBC usually stand up pretty well to heavy work..the only drawback would be lower MPG,but neither of those other two engines will be mileage champs towing either..(maybe worse!)..they will be working harder,while the 454 would just lumber along..

I agree, as for mpg I'll do a calculation one day when I go from east New Orleans , Louisiana to West Slidell, Louisiana while this turbo 400 is still intact on the vehicle.

I'll put in 10 dollars of fuel round trip and keep the rest reserved just in case
 
I drive my 6.2 diesel on back roads under 45 mph for a 50 mile round trip and it uses at least $10 worth of diesel...at 3+ bucks a gallon it adds up quick..it uses about 3.5 gallons to make that "Sunday drive"..
If I took the highway it would likely use more like 5 gallons..
 
The 95-02 (7.3 powerstroke motor) are pretty easy to work on IF needed. It is the 6.0 and newer trucks that are a cluster when they DO need worked on.
My former boss has a 7.3 powerstroke. He thinks it is the greatest. Its a good motor but he has still put a ton of money in it. Bunch of injectors, turbo, leaking oil lines, fuel system, etc. The actual engine has been fine but the other stuff has nickel and dimed him to death.
 
Up here the 7.3's major problem is their oil pans rot thru and its a costly and labor intensive job to replace one...the engines themselves,I have seen go over 500K in delivery vehicles,handicap buses,and some pickups that farmers tow with often..

Everyone thinks diesels are more fuel efficient,but many are not--my pickup rarely gets over 16 mpg,and many gas engines can equal or beat that--new diesels with emission equipment and DEF do not get great fuel mileage either...and despite the fact they have no spark plugs,wires,distributor,carb,and need no "tune ups",everything a diesel requires as far as the fuel system is much more expensive when repairs come due,all your "savings" vanish ...
 
My former boss has a 7.3 powerstroke. He thinks it is the greatest. Its a good motor but he has still put a ton of money in it. Bunch of injectors, turbo, leaking oil lines, fuel system, etc. The actual engine has been fine but the other stuff has nickel and dimed him to death.

They are like everything else, the do cost money to keep going. Personally not a fan of them but they have proven to be pretty solid. Most need nothing before 200k, and when I hear stories like your former bosses, it makes me wonder how much of that stuff it actually needed.
 
Diesels get better fuel economy, just the nature of fuel with higher BTU's and a lower operating RPM range. The new emissions stuff really hurt from 2009+ but over the last 2-3 years manufacturers have been improving the fuel economy numbers and reliability back close to where they were before. My 82 crew cab with 6.2 was getting 18.5mpg cruising at 2600rpm on the highway (60mph with 4.10's, th400, and 235/85/16"s). Overall cost was cheaper to run a diesel vehicle instead of gas but with the emissions equipment problems it basically leveled that in the light duty market.

Misdiagnoses with repairs is extremely common, especially in the light duty diesel market. When those replacement parts cost more than they do on a gasser it makes the 'operating costs' skyrocket.
 
Top Bottom