diesel war?

[lukem]

I'm more than half tempted to buy a high mileage F150 and have a 4BT and manual transmission dropped in. A friend of mine is a mechanic and has done a couple like that...and a couple Ram "shorties" (6BT in a half ton short bed...FUN!).

I

 

[Flatbedford]

I know of a guy that put one in a '70 F250 4x4 and he reported nearly 30 mpg!

 

[basod]

I'm more than half tempted to buy a high mileage F150 and have a 4BT and manual transmission dropped in. A friend of mine is a mechanic and has done a couple like that...and a couple Ram "shorties" (6BT in a half ton short bed...FUN!).

I

I've seen a 6BT Cummins in an early 90's Silverado.
Someday when I build my dream shop Ole Blue may drink diesel

 

[JustWood]

You wouldn't catch me at almost 40k in a pickup, ever. That's got stupid written all over it.

Agreed,,,, you'd be hard pressed to ever axle the weight correctly to go down the road legally and if you did the trailer and load would whip you like a red headed step chilld

 

[MasterMech]

Agreed,,,, you'd be hard pressed to ever axle the weight correctly to go down the road legally and if you did the trailer and load would whip you like a red headed step chilld

30K+ on hydraulic/electric brakes (even if the trailer is elec over hyd, still hairy.....) No F'n thank you very much. For what it would likely cost to maintain a 1 ton running that kind of weight I'd think a medium duty or bigger would be cheaper to run.

I've been called crazy, I also have never shied away from loading a truck heavy but let's not get stupid.

 

[curtis]

I just got done reading the car and driver review of the 2014 Chevy silverado with the 5.3 thats rated for 22mpg hwy. They ran the chevy, ford, and dodge through a bunch of different tests and said they averaged 13mpg. Now granted they werent going down the road with the cruise set on 50mph. But still, my 92 dodge with over 300K miles gets better than 13mpg when im plowing with it in the winter. For me to go out and spend 40-50K on a truck it would have to get awsome mileage and not rust out in 4 years. I would rather find a super clean low mileage first gen cummins for 10-15K and have a truck 10 times better than any new one. You guys are talking about getting a diesel that dosent have complicated electronics on it? Forget it! Not going to happen, Im a diesel mechanic and theres almost nothing you can do with these vehicles without first pluging in a laptop and running tests on the pcm. They are nothing like the old mechanical 6BT or 4BT diesels that i have in my dodge. Parts for them are super expensive and usually require quite a bit of labor just to replace them. The only good thing about the new diesel trucks is that the usually have a nice 5-6 yr 100k mile warranty.

 

[Machria]

Yikes! I have a pair of Yanmar 6LPA's in my boat, simple, efficient workhorses. They just LOVE to run. Wish I could put one of those in a truck.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

What I'd drool over would be a six cylinder, in-line, long stroke (small bore, long crankshaft throw- for lots of torque) 4 liter (240 CI) turbo diesel. Inline sixes, though largely forgotten these days (except for the Cummins/ Dodge and lots of big highway trucks) are inherently balanced, smoother than any other engine design, and with a long stroke, very torquey- and the inline layout makes it possible to have a turbo without an unmanageable mess of intake and exhaust piping to and fro over top of, behind, and around a V-bank engine. I'd like sort of a little brother to the Cummins TD. And I'd have nothing against electronics as long as it's kept as simple as feasible (which can be done, it's just that the manufacturers don't seem to want to bother).

Agreed on all counts. The problem is the American consumer - for the average hillrod "V8" sounds a lot better than "straight 6" despite the latter's proven track record as a superior work engine in both gas and diesel engines.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I think a big reason why there are so many complicated electronics is because of the emission standards.

WINNER! WINNER! CHICKEN DINNER!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Those wanting to gross 37,600 lbs(2014 Cummins)

Pass

 

[MasterMech]

Agreed on all counts. The problem is the American consumer - for the average hillrod "V8" sounds a lot better than "straight 6" despite the latter's proven track record as a superior work engine in both gas and diesel engines.

I can think of exactly ONE inline six engine that approaches the work capacity of my big block V8. And it needs diesel fuel and a turbocharger to do it.

Sure a small block or even a straight six (love me an inline btw) can make similar power but lifespan is limited and the big block will just keep pulling. Latest inline six (gas that is)in trucks that I'm aware of is the GM 4.2l. Never made it into a pickup unfortunately but was a sweet runner for the Envoy/Trailblazer crowd. I drive the 5 cyl version daily in my Canyon.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I can think of exactly ONE inline six engine that approaches the work capacity of my big block V8. And it needs diesel fuel and a turbocharger to do it.

Sure a small block or even a straight six (love me an inline btw) can make similar power but lifespan is limited and the big block will just keep pulling. Latest inline six (gas that is)in trucks that I'm aware of is the GM 4.2l. Never made it into a pickup unfortunately but was a sweet runner for the Envoy/Trailblazer crowd. I drive the 5 cyl version daily in my Canyon.

Hmmmm. . . . IMO, the best gasoline powered work engine is the Ford 300-6. It makes decent (but not great) power and it is as durable and reliable as an anvil. The old Ford 218 was the same way. The Dodge slant 6, same story.

 

[MasterMech]

Hmmmm. . . . IMO, the best gasoline powered work engine is the Ford 300-6. It makes decent (but not great) power and it is as durable and reliable as an anvil. The old Ford 218 was the same way. The Dodge slant 6, same story.

Agreed on the reliability but its matched by the big-block Chevy and the BB will haul circles around any of those engines. I've seen a slant six powering a stationary generator for a small estate. Ran on propane, thought that was pretty neat.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Matched, eh? In this we disagree.

 

[Machria]

I can think of exactly ONE inline six engine that approaches the work capacity of my big block V8. And it needs diesel fuel and a turbocharger to do it.

Yep, the Yanmar 6LPA-STP! Inline 6 turbo that drinks diesel. Workhorse!

 

[Huntindog1]

I think you guys will like the fuel economy of the new Cummins.
You can have your power and fuel economy.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

When GM was getting the new 4.5L ready for the 1/2 ton in 2008 they were claiming 300HP 8 Cy and high 20s to 30 MPG. Well of course the bottom dropped out of the truck market GM went bankrupt and the 4.5 is still on the shelf waiting to be dusted off. The Duramax HD 3/4 ton is rated 400HP is quite a bear,gets decent MPG numbers, but overkill for many PU truck owners. There is
a market for a light duty PU diesel. Just how much well see when dodge brings it out.

 

[RSNovi]

If the Dodge can get 26 mpg or above on the highway I am go to get one.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

If the Dodge can get 26 mpg or above on the highway I am go to get one.

Guy at a filling station told me he was gettin high 20swith his old in line 6cy cummins (dont remember the year. I heard that in a few places.
Id be interested in ANY pickup of ANY size that could approach 30MPG I think there was an izuzu or toyota some foreign diesel that did in the 80s

 

[Foragefarmer]

Guy at a filling station told me he was gettin high 20swith his old in line 6cy cummins (dont remember the year. I heard that in a few places.
Id be interested in ANY pickup of ANY size that could approach 30MPG I think there was an izuzu or toyota some foreign diesel that did in the 80s

The VW Rabbit Pickup with a 1.6 liter diesel engine got 45 MPG. More realistically it was the upper 30s. Toyota had a diesel till the mid 80s that got in the 30s as a 4x4 but was not a good seller. Other than that I can't remember. That Rabbit was a dog and had rust problems from what I remember.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

The VW Rabbit Pickup with a 1.6 liter diesel engine got 45 MPG. More realistically it was the upper 30s. Toyota had a diesel till the mid 80s that got in the 30s as a 4x4 but was not a good seller. Other than that I can't remember. That Rabbit was a dog and had rust problems from what I remember.

I just missed a deal on one of those 80s toyota diesels. Not sure if i was lucky or unlucky to have missed the deal.

 

[Machria]

The VW Rabbit Pickup with a 1.6 liter diesel engine got 45 MPG. More realistically it was the upper 30s. Toyota had a diesel till the mid 80s that got in the 30s as a 4x4 but was not a good seller. Other than that I can't remember. That Rabbit was a dog and had rust problems from what I remember.

I don't remember the size of my VW Rabbit disel, but I do remember it being a 48hp motor. Around town t he car was fine, not a jack-rabbit (pun intended!) off the line, but it was fine. It was stick so that helped a lot. If you were doing 60mph on the hwy, and came to a hill (with 3 or 4 people in the car, it would start to bog down. BUT, it got 51-52 mpg.

I'd like to see them make a Mini Cooper S truck.

 

[Foragefarmer]

I just missed a deal on one of those 80s toyota diesels. Not sure if i was lucky or unlucky to have missed the deal.

Unlucky in my book, they are really hard to find. They didn't sell because of cheap gas, they were more expensive, and 70 HP vs 97 HP for the 22r and 115 HP for the 22re. I keep my eye on CL and if I see one locally and have the money I will buy one. I was close about a year ago but just missed it.

 

[pybyr]

I can think of exactly ONE inline six engine that approaches the work capacity of my big block V8. And it needs diesel fuel and a turbocharger to do it.

Sure a small block or even a straight six (love me an inline btw) can make similar power but lifespan is limited and the big block will just keep pulling. Latest inline six (gas that is)in trucks that I'm aware of is the GM 4.2l. Never made it into a pickup unfortunately but was a sweet runner for the Envoy/Trailblazer crowd. I drive the 5 cyl version daily in my Canyon.

If the inline 6 wasn't a highly durable design it wouldn't be so prevalent- and it is prevalent- in the big over the road semis. A V-8 has no durability advantage. You're making comparisons between small displacement I-6s and big displacement V8s, which is apples to oranges. Remember, also, that when each of the domestic Big 3 offered I-6s, they were always built and set up as the entry level cheapskate engine- i.e with an unsophisticated 1 barrel carb and manifolds that were cheap and rugged but anything but free-flowing. It's amazing how much they "woke up" if you changed some of that. A friend had a 64 Plymouth Valiant, back when that qualified as a beater not as a classic. We took that 225 Slant Six, put on a Clifford aluminum intake, Clifford headers (3+3 into glasspacks), a small Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, and moved both the static timing and the advance curve as aggressive as we could make it go without pinging on premium gas and WHOA did that thing haul, even at 225ci. This was early 1980s, and running worn snow tires in the back for traction (it was all about making it a cheap and ugly 'sleeper'), it'd leave factory V8 small block Camaros wheezing behind it off the line and up to about 40 mph.

 

[pybyr]

I drive the 5 cyl version daily in my Canyon.

I don't "get" any of the manufacturers' use of an I-5 or for that matter a V-10- I-6 is so smooth, that if you are going 5 in a row, better to go 6, and if you want a v, do a V-8 or a 60 degree V6, or if you have to go with a high cylinder count, a V12, which shares the I-6's inherent smoothness...