Diesel trucks, anyone with diesel experience??

The G80 is more of a hybrid. This 'splains it better than I can. All I know is that it works. Like any traction aid, it's a little sketchy if you drive aggressive on ice, but what isn't?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=tTGZOJQQBeE

 

Go Cummins, Get a 12 valve (1998 and down), and make sure to get a manual. You will not regret it. Had my cummins and the only problem I ran into was the auto trans. Other than that, got great mileage and was an awesome truck

 

Yeah thats what I was thinking it was. I would rather have a manual locker personally though so when im stuck I can lock it and know for a fact its locked.

That a 6 inch lift on yours?

 

It's adjustable between 7 and 9" in the front, (Set at 7" for a comfy ride) with 6" lift deaver springs in the rear 'cause lift blocks suck. Selectable lockers are cool until they don't work. This one just works, mash on the gas and it hooks up. No buttons to push or any switches, it just goes. Unlike the Detroit locker I have in my Taco, the G80 is not noticeable at all for daily driving. The detroits are pretty old school, might as well have a full spool really.

 

Yeah they are real good ad drag racing!haha. I loved smokin people on the freeway (sometimes literally). I had the P-pump in mine, it was absolutely bulletproof, even with 240k on the clock, hardly burnt or leaked any oil. did you have a Southbend in your truck? or did you have an auto

 

Auto. It had DTT internals and a triple disk converter. 370s, #4 plate, Custom hybrid turbo - dino'd 400+HP/900+ Ft-lbs at the rear wheels. Yeah, it could blot out the sun if someone was tailgating me and peg the EGTs easily. The final straw was snapping the input shaft - happened when I wasn't even pushing it. Converter locked up and BAM, nothin'. I bought it new in 96. Couldn't justify the cost of a new one. And, like many posted already, the engine was great but the Dodge stuff wrapped around it was not up to the task. I got good at changing front axle shaft U joints - an honest under 1 1/2 hours both sides in my driveway with air tools. I can say the Tacoma is a "plushier" ride but you really can't compare them as they are, in my opinion, built for different purposes. I'd like a SC for the Tacoma but haven't been able to justify the $/HP cost. I think the 6speed makes it feel a bit slow due to the constant rowing but at least I can change a clutch when it wears out. Autos are a mystery to me to rebuild. Now if the EPA regs were looser to allowed it, a Cummins 4BTA (P-Pumped of course) would be just right...

 

I've had the same experience. 2004 STI with a Cobb tune and it starts harder than my dad's 2006 6.6 Duramax in the -10 mornings we had in Michigan last winter. We've also had a great time towing with that thing. We're barely over the GVWR at this load (22,000 total with the trailer, gear, fuel, driver and 1 passenger and fuel) and it handled the weight very well. When you're going 60 and you smash the gas you'll feel the weight but it doesn't feel like you're killing the truck like our other gas engines did.

 

I have a 1997 Powerstroke with the bulletproof 7.3, I love it. Hardest working truck I've ever owned, only has 179k original miles and several 7.3's have gone to and beyond the million mile mark.

Get a Ford 7.3 or a Dodge 12v Cummins, those are the two best diesel engines ever put in a light truck. Stay the hell away from 6.0 Powerstrokes though, trust me.

 

This is mine, another thing to remember about a diesel is they are a lot more money to maintain than a gas truck. My pickup takes 15 quarts of oil every change, it rings up between 100 and 120 bucks to change the oil depending on the price of oil at the time. I religiously run Rotella 15w40 in mine too, hot or cold, always run 15w40 in a diesel engine. Other than that, they are a great truck and can pull anything you hook to them. Most I've ever pulled with mine was 26,000# and it held 60 on the highway, took awhile to stop though!

 

I only do it to mine after I've been on the highway for awhile or towing heavy when I know the oil is boiling hot. But just driving around town empty it isn't necessary to let it cool down, you're just wasting diesel then.

 

I was told by our mechanic (34 years of experience) that if you go over 10 pounds of boost on the turbo you should let it idle for about 20 seconds if you are around town, a minute or two if youve been hauling or driving long distances.

 

I had an EGT (exhaust gas temp) gauge that I'd go by for shut down. 300F or lower. There's also shut down controllers that are time or EGT based. Just pull the key and walk away. It shuts off on its own.

 

Came across this thread. Considering a diesel have a few questions regarding them. shoot me a pm thanks

 

A guy I used to work with had a Ram 3500 diesel, and my GOD did that thing make some torque. It just had so much power. Of course, fuel economy was garbage because huge truck.

Diesel pickups are more desirable for their power than their fuel economy.

EDIT: Didn't check the thread date, responded to a 4 year old post like an idiot. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying whatever vehicle you ended up with, OP.

 

So? This forum gets so bent out of shape about thread necro, I don't get it.

Our opinions on diesel trucks to the OP are just as relevant now to new people who search and come across this thread, or in the future as well for that matter.

This forum is for the community at large, and as long as it's not offensive or hateful, why would it matter how wold the thread is? I dredge old threads all the time for things like manuals, reset procedures (mileage, tpms), how-tos, all that stuff. It's far more useful bumping an old (but relevant) thread than starting another one, adding to the information sprawl.

 

Running the german twin turbo oil burner in my X5. 83k miles now and while I've had electronic issues, the engine itself has been rock solid. On the bimmer forums, some guys already have 150k+ miles without any issues on the engine.

Get insane diesel milege (23mpg street and up to 30mpg on freeway with a light foot). And V8 torgue. I'll miss it when I trade this in for a Taco or the new Ranger but the high cost of ownership and extended warranty running out in 2019 is a bummer.

 

I wouldn't trade that for anything...