BertP
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Quote:thinking trading 95 350 chevy gasser for diesel.considering dmax or cummings. long time chevy fan dont know much about dodge.concerned about auto trans in dodge, unknown history of dmax.any comments?
Wendell - Please forgive Joe. I think he is having a bad day.
You didn't mention if you were considering buying new or used. I am not a dodge person so my info is limited, but I understand that Dodge did have reliability problems with their older (47RE?) auto trannies but that the new ones are OK. I am not aware of any problems with the Allison tranny at all.
The DMax has had a few injector problems in the older (01 & 02) versions but they have changed the injectors in the LLY (2004.5 and newer) version. So far, I have not heard of any problems with the new injectors.
Good luck with your search.
Bert
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RushDewalt
Effingham,sc,usa
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After reading all these post on this diesel vs. gas topic and even after disagreeing with Bert on an earlier similiar topic, I'm afraid I've come around to agreeing with him to a degree.
I owned a Dodge Hemi and now own a H.O cummins. To me there is no comparison, the diesel is a much better tow vehicle. But if you didnt have to compromise on fuel economy and engine durability , and could gear( a.k.a gear reduction) the drive train to take full advantage of the Hemis power, I have no doubt it could pull up a hill just as fast as the Cummins. However, who wants to run at 5000+ rpms all day, who wants to pay for the gas to take advantage of this highend power,and finally how long do you expect this engine to last running this hard?
The diesels power is available at much lower RPMs which gives the manufacturers more latitude to compromise between fuel economy,power and durability , when they are determining their final gearing. The diesel simply dosen't have to work as hard to do the same job.
So, I agree that on paper its possible for the hemi to pull as well as the cummins.
But in the "real world" would it be as practical as a full time towing machine?
P.S. Before I get flamed let me ay the Hemi is a great motor. And yes it tows fine to a point. It just dosen't do it as well or as efficiently as the Cummins.
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bfast54
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Greetings;
Well, I don't know if I qualify, to post in the manner this thread started off, but here goes.
I moved up , thru the years, to bigger, and better trailers, etc, and of course, bigger better trucks . I found a bigger 5er, to replace the truck camper, and found , the truck, engine, etc just did not cut the mustard, as it were!
When I pull, with the F-150,( beefed up) I get 7.5 MPG, and do have power to spare, but long hills, are not real fun. I just bought , a cummin's, and have not had any real trips, with it, however, the previous owner, got at least 16 MPG, towing a 26 ft T.T. .
In my area, Diesel is $.20, cheaper, than gas. So, there you go, my reason.
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Top Dog
Richmond, VA
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We get around 13-14 mpg towing our 37' 5th wheel with diesel....honest!
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PSDExcursion
Millstone NJ
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Quote: Before I get flamed let me ay the Hemi is a great motor. And yes it tows fine to a point. It just dosen't do it as well or as efficiently as the Cummins.
Bingo, give this guy a prize.![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin") And it does it with much less HP.
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Diesel-Lover
SW OH!
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Who'd want the winnie of a gasser when they could have the steady canter of a diesel?
Enjoy life, let your guard down it happens.
HONA
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sack1
Kent, WA
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Once again boyz, comparing the Hemi (as it is today) to any of the much more expensive turbo-diesels is comparing apples to oranges. The Hemi, and the drivetrain that goes with it, are simply not rated to tow the weights the diesels are. So why compare them? Who's benefit does it serve?
Our 8.1 is designed to tow in the same league as the diesels and puts out lots of grunt down low. At 60 mph it's spinning at only 2k which isn't much up the scale from where the diesels are. It has a very wide and flat powerband. It's not a highly stressed engine and fully 20% of GM's output of this engine goes for marine duty. It also carries a 200k mile service life as does the Duramax.
Doesn't it get old to compare small block gas engines to diesels and then declare diesels as being able to tow better and then go on to state you'll never go back to a gasser????
What real world info are you presenting people when you make such comaprisons?
Remember, the diesels do cost more. They are not a free ride.
The trouble with the Hemi is that it invokes memories of Hemis of the past. People who remember its prowess back then assume it's a towing beast. Within its weight ratings I'm sure it does quite well. Just don't expect it to compare to trucks/engines/drivetrains designed to tow more. Or do you always compare Yugos to Cadillacs? (The previous used for comparison purposes only ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile") )
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BertP
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Quote:Once again boyz, comparing the Hemi (as it is today) to any of the much more expensive turbo-diesels is comparing apples to oranges. The Hemi, and the drivetrain that goes with it, are simply not rated to tow the weights the diesels are. So why compare them? Who's benefit does it serve?
Our 8.1 is designed to tow in the same league as the diesels and puts out lots of grunt down low. At 60 mph it's spinning at only 2k which isn't much up the scale from where the diesels are. It has a very wide and flat powerband. It's not a highly stressed engine and fully 20% of GM's output of this engine goes for marine duty. It also carries a 200k mile service life as does the Duramax.
That is true, but it is also true of the 6.0 l I had in my 1500HD. It was turning at around 2000 rpm at 60 mph and has a 200,000 mile life expectancy. Plus, while I don't know about the 6.0 l, the 350 (as well as the 454) has for years been used by Mercury as the basis of their marine engines.
Quote:Doesn't it get old to compare small block gas engines to diesels and then declare diesels as being able to tow better and then go on to state you'll never go back to a gasser????
What real world info are you presenting people when you make such comaprisons?
Most people aren't comparing the diesels and gassers (some are). Most are just tring to put torque and HP in perspective as well as addressing people's questions about pulling a particular load with a gasser. Yes, there are others who are tryin to derail legitimate, constructive conversations on the subjet, but most are not.
Quote:Remember, the diesels do cost more. They are not a free ride.
The trouble with the Hemi is that it invokes memories of Hemis of the past. People who remember its prowess back then assume it's a towing beast. Within its weight ratings I'm sure it does quite well. Just don't expect it to compare to trucks/engines/drivetrains designed to tow more. Or do you always compare Yugos to Cadillacs? (The previous used for comparison purposes only )
You're right. People usually think of the older big blocks when someone mentions Hemis (well us older people do ) and that is not accurate. The older Hemis were very capable engines. That's not to say that the new ones aren't, just that they are different.
Bert
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Ag Teacher
Oklahoma
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Quote:Our 8.1 is designed to tow in the same league as the diesels and puts out lots of grunt down low. At 60 mph it's spinning at only 2k which isn't much up the scale from where the diesels are.
If two trucks have the same rear end ratio, same transmission ratio, and same size tires, they are going to run the same RPM at a given speed. However, the diesels are going to be closer to their max HP and Torque at 2000 RPM than an 8.1 (or 5.3 or hemi or any other gas engine). That is why if you want comparable towing performance, the gas enine should tow in direct drive and the diesel in overdrive. Then, the gas engine will be running around 2800 while the diesel is still at 2000.
Some folk complain they don't like an engine to run that high of an rpm. (Those folks must not have driven prior to the popularity of Over Drives in the mid-80s). Anyway, if you want an enine that tows well at 2000 rpm - get a diesel. If you want a engine that will tow fine when locked out of overdrive and don't mind less fuel economy, save 5 grand and get a gas engine. It's that simple.
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nlh1250
Buena Vista, Co
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Gas vs Diesel;(for towing). not a complete question. We need to have parimaters. Towing what, where, and how often, need to be factored into the equation. If you have a pop up or light weight trailor, even an explorer could do the trick. If you are talking about a #12,ooo + TT or 5th, you might want to consider a big HD truck. (Towing somewhere between #8000 and #10000 is an either-or- situation). If you live in the east or midwest where most of the hills are rather gentle, the towing requirements will be much different than if you live in Denver of Salt Lake City. If you go west only a few times, no need to have a great puller for the rest of the time. If you only tow on vacations in the summer, another consideration. If the noise oder,and extra work is a nuisence, Gas would probably be better. If you dont mind that, go with what suits your requirements. I live in the heart of the rockies, the fuel costs are only .02 different so the choice for me was made on the weight, the ability to routinly get over 9000 to 12000 ft passes without to much trouble while towing #10000 + the truck made my decision a diesel. In the summer I also drive shuttle busses for rafters. We have both gas and diesel busses. Both work just fine even though the gasers do need to drop down to 2-3 gear while the diesels will pull up the hills in 3-4. ( another thought, we have electric retarders on the drive shafts of these busses which does not alter the exhaust system in any way. The brand name is "Klam" retarders) So consider your requirements and choose accordingly. Good luck
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