19 replies to this topic

[LoggerLee]

LOL, my Dodge has 650,000 miles on it, and its a pretty good truck still.
If you want a car that looks like a pickup buy a chevy, want to hang out at the shop buy a 6.0 liter Ford.

7.3 Fords are good trucks, and if you get the right year of Chevy the engines are pretty good (can't remember the year, 07' or something, after they fixed the injector problems,and before they added more emissions crap.

They are all good for one thing or another, Fords are midway in comfort between the smooth ride of a Chevy and the rough ride of a Dodge.
The Cummins is the best engine IMO, but the right year of Duramax is a good one too, 6.0 liters are crap.

Don't know much about the 6.4, but it can't be as bad as a 6.0

[quagmier]

The 6.4 is way better than the 6.0, but it still has only four head bolts per cylinder...
Like others have said already, they get poor mileage until the DPF is removed.
I would ask the owner how he used the truck with a tune/programer and not totally avoid those trucks.

Personally, I'm installing a Cummins in my 2004 SuperDuty

[stx450]

My work truck is a duramax but my next truck will be a Terrastar just due to the fact its more truck for the money and 6.4 tied to allison and the 4 wheel drive option is a year off

[superih]

The 6.4 is a hot rod when tuned! Delete the dpf and get a tuner that will support that mod. Fuel economy will go up greatly with those mods. Yes it will cost about a grand but if you plan on keeping it awhile it will pay off in the long run. Look for milage to go from 10ish upto 16-18ish depending on driving style. I wouldn't expect a 6.4 to go a million miles like a 7.3 but 400-500k would be a reasonable expectation. Also block off or delete the egr coolers. The egr cooler is not as big of a problem on the 6.4 as it was on the 6.0 but I'm still leary of them on anything!

Couldn't have said it any better. Any truck built after 2007 will need all the emissions crap removed to make them a long lasting reliable truck. The 6.4 if the best to choose from. Guys are pushing 1000 hp on a stock bottom end. You won't do that with any other platform including the new ford 6.7.

[exSW]

It's simple if you want to spend money buy a diesel.All these trucks have way more engine than they are truck.Ford,Dodge,Chevy they all cut corners somewhere to make a price point.As they age the weak spots come out and the after market comes up with upgrades.Don't buy one that's to old or the aftermarket has already left it behind(beginning to find that with my '98)..What everybody says about the emissions deletes is true just don't throw out those parts!Someday you may want to trade it off and the dealership is going to want to know wear the crap is.My neighbor runs an entire fleet of F450's and F550's 6.4's and now 6.7's.Severe service(mines)and no worries and his shop manager is a diehard Bowtie guy also his office trucks and Horse farm trucks are GM,but the Fords pay the bills.6.0 Fords,lot of nice low mile ones out there cheap.Had diesel wrench tell the other day that the 6.0 upgrade properly(new head bolts,plus a whole lot of other top end stuff) done takes 30 HOURS at 55.00/hour that's 1650.00 before parts and tax.

[56series]

I curently have a 97 Cummins, five speed, and 4:10 gears. Now I know 4:10's suck on the highway, but in Westeren Pa. I love them pulling trailer. The truck only has 250K, an there is no problem with the frame, and drive train. But the body , and the front end is SHOT TO H#%$! I was throwing the idea of upgrading to a newer truck, but I keep hearing alot of bad things. It's making me thinks that I'll just keep what I have and fix it. I think I'm better off putting $'s into this truck and keeping it.

Thanks
Jason

[Cp 856]

I have a 96 f350 4x4 7.3 auto with 150000 miles great truck but getting old also have 99 f350 4x4 7.3 with a 6 speed and 85000 miles both great trucks but are getting old I would like to trade both for a newer crewcab ( growing family hard to fit car seats in a reg. cab) but I am scared of all the new ones I had a 01 duramax good truck but had lots of problems with it and dealing with gm to get them fixed was no fun I keep looking but don't want to spend $20000 plus on one with 100000 miles on it the diesel market is crazy I am thinking about buying a gas truck parts and maintance cheaper but bad fuel mileage my trucks are farm trucks and spend 80% of the time towing I like the fords but had a ford mechanic tell me to keep what I have I would be happier and have less problems he said don't buy a 6.0 and he was cautious about the 6.4s and 6.7s he also said don't buy a dodge 6.7 the first few years they put emissions on them lots of electrical problems

[Cattech]

Rather interesting thing I'd like to share, I haven't seen the comparison on the diesel pickups, but in the Ag / Construction, On-Highway world, these "11 & newer DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) engines are really nice. The DEF has allowed the manufacturers to go back to older tier II designs, bring back the power, efficiency, and still beat the NOX standards. Working at a Cat dealer that also handles AGCO, we are getting to see the differences in design between trying to comply with and with out going DEF - the DEF SISU's are relatively simple, non cluttered engines, you can still see the sides of the engine block, where as the Cats - working to comply without DEF are a nightmare of turbos, tubes, fuel lines and wires, some of the new equipment "flat rates" a valve adjust at 14 hours!
My point is, while the emmisions designs have been a PITA for the last 5 years, with DEF, they might now be getting everything straightened out, I think the power and efficiency might be coming back, we might be able to safely consider buying a new diesel P/U again.

One other thing, all I need is a 1/2 ton, I've been thinking about a Ford EcoBoost F150, anybody here have any experience or problems with one yet?

[56series]

Rather interesting thing I'd like to share, I haven't seen the comparison on the diesel pickups, but in the Ag / Construction, On-Highway world, these "11 & newer DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) engines are really nice. The DEF has allowed the manufacturers to go back to older tier II designs, bring back the power, efficiency, and still beat the NOX standards. Working at a Cat dealer that also handles AGCO, we are getting to see the differences in design between trying to comply with and with out going DEF - the DEF SISU's are relatively simple, non cluttered engines, you can still see the sides of the engine block, where as the Cats - working to comply without DEF are a nightmare of turbos, tubes, fuel lines and wires, some of the new equipment "flat rates" a valve adjust at 14 hours!
My point is, while the emmisions designs have been a PITA for the last 5 years, with DEF, they might now be getting everything straightened out, I think the power and efficiency might be coming back, we might be able to safely consider buying a new diesel P/U again.

One other thing, all I need is a 1/2 ton, I've been thinking about a Ford EcoBoost F150, anybody here have any experience or problems with one yet?

I agree with you on the CAT's. The one thing I find funny is the 4.4, and the 6.6 engines. Everytime you crack one of the fuel lines from the fuel manifold to injector you have to replace them. At close to $100 a piece that is nice add on when you replace injectors.

As for the EcoBoost Fords I haven't heard one bad thing about them. I have test drove one, and I loved it. We bought a new Explorer in 2011 nice SUV, but I really wanted the wife to get a Crew Cab F150 EcoBoost, but she said it was too BIG. Whatever she wants I guess. Happy wife, Happy life.

Jason

[Farmguy]

Yeh the ecoboost trucks are awesome. A friend off mine has one a I went on a trip. He was getting 24 MPG with it. He has a crew cab to boot. This is the 6 cylinder. The power is awesome. Makes the 5.4 in his older f150 look like a dog compared to this. The 6.4s are alright with the delete kit. A friend off mine whos a young guy has done that. An off course he has added some other power goodies to the engine. Hes cranking a 1000 horse out off that thing. Ive seen it dynoed. I woulldnt advise anybody going that farwith the horsepower there but thats just him. Hes not one to race anybody but if the challenge arises he will win every time.